The Real-Life Drama Behind the Birth of Mickey Mouse (feat. Tony Hale) - Drunk History

Ub Iwerks was Walt Disney’s animation partner, and happened to design a little character by the name of Mickey Mouse.
About Drunk History:
Based on the popular web series, Drunk History is the liquored-up narration of our nation's history. Host Derek Waters, along with an ever-changing cast of actors and comedians, travels across the country to present the rich tales that every city in this land has to offer. Booze helps bring out the truth. It's just that sometimes the truth is a little incoherent.
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[@WeirdistBuilds]

Ub Iwerks was not just a rockstar for disney. He invented all kinds of insane photographic techniques, including the giant multiplane camera early Disney films used (see: The Old Mill). Later, his techniques were implemented by Alfred Hitchcock to superimpose the birds in, well, The Birds. Dude had a hand in so much hollywood equipment some of it is still used today. This is the equivalent of finding out the person who drew the original smiley face didn't get enough credit for it, but then went ahead and invented half the stuff you see at the dentist.

[@The.Golden.Door.]

Wow....Had no idea!! Thanks for the info!!!

[@vulcaireh2528]

Man drew 2 months of work in 2 weeks, what a fricking legend

[@tehyalewis2549]

Ubisoft???

[@vinayseth1114]

@@tehyalewis2549 What's that?

[@tehyalewis2549]

They have put out games like raving rabbid, and indiannia jones etc. For wii

[@UchihaKat]

I'm happy Ub ended up successful and famous (within his field at least). Seems like he deserved it.

[@plartoota4584]

MathisMagic yeah I thought he’d end up dying penniless and alone but this actually had a great ending the former friends made up and both became incredibly successful

[@evansam96]

Trully a Disney ending then .. as it should be XD

[@theoddbox]

I'm an Ub Iwerks fangirl

[@yojimbo3681]

So Ub Iwerks was Steve Wozniak to Walt's Steve Jobs.

[@Phob1c]

Pretty much, yeah.

[@Tukstah360]

What language am i reading

[@OhZordan]

@@Tukstah360 Iwerks parents were from Eastern Frisia and Steven Wozniak had his roots in Poland. The US used to be a country were immigrants can flee too, live freely and realize their potential. The next Iwerks or Wozniak is probably somewhere in ICE custody locked in a cage right now.

[@michaelfrisby758]

OhZordan illegal immigration has never been legal dude. Immigrants that are being deported are in the country illegally period.

[@Crosi]

@@michaelfrisby758 lmao do you think people showed on Ellis Island with visas and passports? Immigration was incredibly less limited back then, with a lot less regulations: people would just show up, get registered and that was it.

[@na3rial]

This is so ironic considering Walt later copyrighted a bunch of characters out of public domain and owns the characters animators create even on their off time by policy

[@nicodiangelo9810]

This is really what kills me. Alex Hirsch can't draw his own characters without Disney's permission. Like. What kind of total control on creativity is that?

[@cupajoe99]

From a legal standpoint, Disney doesn't completely own the Public Domain characters that they use, they just own their original contributions to the Public Domain characters. Anybody can still make a Cinderella or a Rapunzel movie, they just can't use what Disney added to the story, and have to either use or add to the original.

[@cez_is_typing]

I’m pretty sure Disney bought back the rights to Oswald the rabbit too pretty recently

[@gota7738]

It was Disney's villainous origin story .

[@bobbybanks6810]

He did say he would never not own a character again lol 😂

[@ntk8787]

The more successful someone is, the less I trust them - just too many stories where the big names we know about didn’t actually do the important work, had the initial idea, contributed to the crucial innovation... however, they have the money to paint their biopics in pretty colours and almost everyone forgets who really brought us Mickey Mouse.

[@grendelum]

You know how anyone earns a billion dollars? They don’t, it’s stolen from the workers.

[@BabsChannel]

Walt Disney was successful because he worked his ass off, his success was his own because he earned it. Would he turn into a bit of scoundrel? ab-so-loot-lee, but not without legitimate reason. The man fought tooth and and nail to keep his company afloat for years. He was damn good at his job and that's all I really want to remember him for.

[@AL-cg4vb]

Cult Leader Greg Walt Disney was a massive racist and disgrace as a human being, just because you want to remember someone a certain way doesn’t mean that’s who they are.

[@BabsChannel]

@@AL-cg4vb Go on Netflix and look up Floyd Norman. Watch his documentary. Then get back to me on that racist bit.

[@AL-cg4vb]

Cult Leader Greg you do realize that is own grandniece has stated that he was and still is. The Jungle Book was written during and response to segregation and pushing the message of “staying with your own kind” go ahead and watch whatever glorifying doc you want doesn’t erase the literal bullshit he put people through

[@freda2758]

Never heard of the guy before this. Not surprising that more hasn't been said about his legacy.

[@DuncanUdaho67]

Yeah who the fuck is Dizney?

[@Nihyre]

He’s insanely famous and well recognized

[@yojimbo3681]

Ub Iwerks was basically the Steve Wozniak of Disney.

[@lilliantrosper8944]

ARE YOU ALL FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?????!!!!

[@jensenraylight8011]

he get oscar, you can't get more recognition more than that he gets a statue that basically can makes everyone bow and worship you

[@MasterOfTheChainsaw]

Walt Disney vowed, from that day, "not only, will I ever not own any character I create... I will own every other character too!" And then he did.

[@sirajkhan5343]

So the man behind the success of Disney didn't get any recognition until now .....

[@gota7738]

Dudes always been pretty famous amongst animators.

[@sacrecharlemagne2262]

The dude won an Oscar. He may not have been a household name but he received plenty of recognition by the people who mattered in the industry.

[@maludaboin3491]

The man behind the success of Disney was Walt Disney. Ub Iwerks did had the recognintion he deserved

[@yosefdemby8792]

@@sacrecharlemagne2262 No no. He was only _nominated_ for an Oscar.

[@QIsForK12]

Is that the lead of Sky High as Walt??

[@FOWLR4NOW]

Kelvin Yessir

[@QIsForK12]

@@FOWLR4NOW He makes for a surprisingly convincing Walt!

[@wendymccoy1093]

I was sitting here wondering why he was so familiar lol

[@natyinthehouse]

My god

[@Easy420skate]

DUDE I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE! He looked so familiar and then it clicked

[@funnytourtoise]

Who comes Ub with a name like that, am I right?!

[@tomiantenna7279]

Yes. You are right.

[@dasaggropop1244]

i guess it werks though

[@ulliulli]

His father was a german frisian and "Ub" is short for "Ubbe" (pronounced oob-be) and that means "the bold mind"

[@Dreamskater100]

@@dasaggropop1244 Lol! I see what you did there!!

[@codyyarbrough9514]

Never get so consumed by your passion that you forget about the business. Iwerk, Tesla, Wozniak, all of these guys are geniuses but they forgot to protect their work. Disney got burned once and learned his lesson. At the end of the day, what use is a legacy if you can't pay your bills

[@jihef03]

That's a fair point. i've been meaning to learn more about animation history, but from I know at the moment, it does seem that Disney was just a sharper businessman than his rivals/ peers.

[@NewNew-oe1hf]

We can add Bill Finger to that list. He created Batman yet died penniless and alone.

[@missybarbour6885]

I agree with everyone in the comments saying Ub Iwerks deserves more credit, but make no mistake, Disney fans know this man. Walt drew the original design for Mortimer Mouse, but his wife decided that was a lame name for a kid's cartoon and Ub developed the character more. Ub is a Disney legend.

[@HyliaFell]

Ub didn't quit working with Disney because he wanted him to draw on a napkin...he quit working with Disney because Disney was taking credit for everything Ub did.

[@wolf2912]

They both created Oswald and Mickey but Walt is more well known then Ub

[@BrakeCoach]

Yeah this is more of a dramatic version of it, probably to show how the credit was blatantly stolen at the time

[@guitarfan01]

Whoever does the scores to these drunk history episodes is incredibly good - the "when you wish upon a star" legally-distinct pastiche in this thing is amazing.

[@christophergordon6250]

That's a good history lesson. I never knew of Ub Iwerks. I'm glad I know about him know. Dude basically created Mickey and kept Disney in business after Walt got bamboozled for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

[@michaelpipkin9942]

In 50 years, Drunk History will be telling the Disney story of Star Wars.

[@goodtimesroll8]

How about the story of how Disney plagiarized Kimba the White Lion, turned it into The Lion King, promoted their carbon copy as Disney's first original animated film, then suppressed Kimba's screening in the US?

[@faith4disney]

@@goodtimesroll8 Random but okay.

[@marijnr6821]

@@goodtimesroll8 kimba was trash

[@rexrabbiteer]

Of all the animators that left Disney to work on the Oswald cartoons after walt lost control of the character Ub iWerks is the only one who didn’t betray Walt which in turn led to the creation of Mickey Mouse. Walt failed to show ub iWerks the respect he deserved

[@mollycblaeser]

Walt created the original sketch of Mickey tho on a train. His wife told him not to name the character Mortimer but Mickey instead.

[@minionmadness9202]

There are several different interpretations of Mickey Mouse's origin. This is one of many.

[@KimberlySchwartz1]

The dude from Sky High seriously looks exactly like Walt Disney!!!

[@shaungarrett5291]

Lol. Sky High. Such a cool movie.

[@truefalse934]

The resemblance is so spot on !!

[@kdkkat]

Is no one else shook that Walt Disney is the guy from SKY HIGH?!!

[@Blueeyesinthesky]

kdkkat wtf

[@erinlee5936]

Michael Angarano? Sky High is a Disney film. Just keeping it within the family.

[@homesliceheroes6306]

Oh shit! I knew that dude looked familiar. I kept thinking "Why does this nigga look familiar? He's not famous yet i know him. Why?"

[@senpainigga5325]

The guy:*Enjoy telling the stories about UB* Also The guy:Wtf kinds of name UB

[@charmanderree4551]

Aka how Disney ruined copyright laws

[@ezekiel27807]

Pretty sure that black dude would have not been invited to a Walt Disney premiere of any kind..

[@ezekiel27807]

Especially sitting beside a white women right behind him.. If that did happened sad to say he was the entertainment for the after party.. Smh movie and a picnic

[@jasobres]

Very true. James Baskett, who played Uncle Remus in the controversial 1946 film _Song of the South,_ was not allowed to attend the premiere.

[@lonelyboysole]

yeah this was when racist cartoons was a thing

[@-wd40-66]

Brer Rabbit?

[@DuncanUdaho67]

Yeah because this is totally a Ken Burns documentary and not Drunk History. 🙄

[@rebeccaborochov7480]

And now Ub’s granddaughter Leslie Iwerks directed The Imagineering Story docuseries

[@kristov25791]

After UB Iwerks left Disney he created flip the frog who was the only cartoon character that was forgotten, after his series discontinued he returned back to Disney. As a bonus you can find flip the frog as a cameo at the story of a mouse in Disney plus.

[@carolineyou1012]

Dude finally asked what we were wondering this whole time, “what the f kind of name’s UB?”

[@cartoonjoe]

His full name was Ubbe Ert Iwwerks.

[@The.Golden.Door.]

Wow!! This was dope!! All from the synchronicity of motion animation and sound.

[@benburke3015]

Love the discount "When you wish upon a star" music at the beginning lol.

[@ashlyarsenic7253]

I really like these! This one was awesome!!

[@nopethanks9305]

Hello... today we’re talking about *ubbeyeworks*

[@amybeerbower7176]

LinoDino 19 Ub Iwerks

[@nopethanks9305]

Amy Beerbower I am aware

[@catalinacurio]

Walt’s mouse, what a legacy, can still get caught in watching one after the other with my nephew who hasn’t seen them before. 😊 🐭

[@fatehalfenni6621]

I will never not own them ...! Short history: Mickey is a REACTION 2 Oswald!

[@devinkk]

and he's based off of minstrel show characters...and is knockoff of Bosco

[@buster3041]

@@devinkk Bosko came after mickey. But all those rubber hose stars are clones of felix the cat. But felix was based on charlie chaplin while his clones were based on minstrel shows.

[@AmandaaRose]

I was hoping he would share Mickey's first/original name being Mortimer smh

[@mnmdisney]

LILY was having NONE of "Mortimer ", YEA LILY !!

[@betsywinter9661]

Yaaaaasssss

[@Firepaw20011]

And how they changed his look multiple times before they settled on the original.

[@allamerican0973]

this was informational and hilarious!

[@goblinman5239]

Ub also created the multiplane camera which basically changed the whole way animated films looked(it allowed them to look more 3d and allowed for different effects). The reason the little mermaid was able to look the way it did was due to Ub's multiplane camera. Animation is done digitally now but literally the multiplane camera still exists via animation software. Ub also never really sought fame and just really loved his craft and invention. I respect the hell out of Ub and animation would be drastically different without him.

[@Italiandanish]

the fade onto the poster was really good

[@jasonkent7858]

We had to learn about this in film school. My teacher also mentioned that in an episode of Ren and Stimpy, Stimpy is doing a ritual dancing on the edge of a vat of lard, shouting supposedly random nonsense, and one of the things he babbles out is "Ub Iwerks"

[@YoannBomal_Dessin]

I LOVE Ub Iwerks, he created the Design of Mickey Mouse... But this video is just rewriting history. Walt came up with the idea of Synchronized sound that made Mickey blow up...

[@julesking1303]

I feel like Derek kinda owned at his role as “douchey Universal producer”

[@138veronica]

I'm disappointed that Mary Winkler, female film distributor and Charle Mintz's wife who gave him his tyrannical power, and Lillian Disney, who was responsible for inking and naming Mickey in several shorts with several other loyal female employees, were not mentioned in the story. But this is Ub's story so let it rip!

[@johnnythunders78]

It's crazy how Michael Angarano looks so much like uncle Walt!

[@BabsChannel]

No he doesn't.

[@IrontwistFiM]

holy shit that's the dude from Sky High THAT'S WILL POWERS

[@buster3041]

Naw the dude from american pie, who played walt in the film 'Walt Before Mickey' was a better fit.

[@marissawolff8491]

​@@BabsChannel Yes, he does.

[@PhillyFrank1]

That last line -- exactly what I was wondering through the whole video..

[@xxNao113xx]

I love drunk history but as a Disney fan, I need to correct this video. Walt Disney saw a mice running on a train and he sketched it and that’s how he came up with Mickey Mouse (originally named Mortimer Mouse until Walt’s wife changed it)

[@faith4disney]

That's what I thought, then Ub started to develop Mickey even more.

[@doopiss]

True, Walt came up with the initial concept with the final more recognizable design being done by Iwerks

[@maludaboin3491]

And precisely that's why Walt is/was the creator of Mickey. Not Ub Iwerks as actual interests are trying so hard to entablish

[@cez_is_typing]

From what I remember, Walt went bankrupt for sometime and sat on the streets, then one day a mouse wandered out next to him, he took it into his drawing studio with him and kept it as a pet for a few days

[@teresarivera3647]

Actually Walt befriended a mouse who lived in the office he kept in KC. Story goes that when Walt left, he took the mouse and set it free behind the office building so another tenant's cat wouldn't hurt it.

[@uncletrick1]

If you want more in depth info on Ub, check out the documentary called “The hand behind the mouse”

[@raymoten2421]

Okay.. I was born and raised in orlando fl, my aunt and uncle retired from disney world, and I know almost every disney movie by heart. But this is my first time ever hearing about Ub. Poor guy

[@JacobLucasSorenson]

I always thought he was called Mortimer mouse first

[@faith4disney]

He was, but Walt's wife Lillian suggested the name change.

[@gavonm4955]

This is the only Comedy Central series I watch

[@gabbifufuu5590]

I love this series keep it going pls

[@shrutikirtitripathi8501]

drunk history is just too good👍👍

[@missb5581]

Binge-watching drunk history during quarantine is the best especially because I love to drink 🍺🍻🥂🍾🍷🥃🍸🍹

[@AshaEll]

What the what, I had no idea. Ub Iwerks deserves more recognition.

[@FeralHydra75]

"You could give me the deed to Kansas City and I still wouldn't stay there" - Walt Disney

[@fullofgrace92]

Being from Kansas City, this is untrue. He came back frequently and was proud of his Midwest roots.

[@KR-qh5rs]

2:43 I wonder how many nap times Ub Iwerks blew past doing this 😂😂

[@rebeccaspear9750]

Mickey mousing is still a musical term taught at universities. How interesting that Ub Iwerks was the one to think of that style 😄

[@thatsoccerkid2561]

Do a drunk history of drunk history 🤯

[@Deadman1000]

Walt would be proud he did end up owning all his characters and years later, everyone else's.

[@Shebellaz]

This make so much sense to Disney world and Universal studios 🤔

[@cheryl5667]

Aw that's cool that you put the kid from Red State in there!!!!! Also Tony is still killing it!

[@laurenb2561]

Tony hale just in every drunk history

[@DudeFarooqi]

Walt Disney went from not owning his own characters to owning everybody else's

[@NFSF1McLaren]

I don't think it's surprising Tony Hale is in this since he was in three Disney proprieties this year (Forky in _Toy Story 4_ , Pie King in _Star vs. the Forces of Evil_ and that Veep frog in _Amphibia_ )

[@calebkuti7897]

Technically Alvin and the chipmunks 4 is a Disney movie now

[@kate2create738]

Technically Ub didn't come up with Mickey Mouse, he just redrafted Mickey's design to something that was manageable to animate. Walt had to think of a backup plan after Oswald was just taken from him, he was with his wife on a train back to LA from New York, and it was there he created Mickey. While Walt was creative and a great entrepreneur, he lacked the art skills to be presentable. That was all on Ub, but Ub's legacy was never dismissed and is acknowledged for his work in Disney franchise, including designing the Mouse himself.

[@headlight31]

When it comes to money, people just becomes monsters.

[@ericthatsme]

n1ko Yup.

[@OneofInfinity.]

Greed brings the worst in people out.

[@jasobres]

Many years later, Disney would buy back Oswald from Universal when they traded the rights to Oswald for moving sportscaster Al Michaels from ABC to NBC.

[@homesliceheroes6306]

Yeah and do jack shit with the character. Great job disney.

[@randomdudeonyoutube3504]

@@homesliceheroes6306 they did a lot they uhh.....they put him in 2 games and.......put him in Disney world.......only to not use him again......he made a cameo and uh....ok they do nothing with Oswald

[@joinsideke]

Man I love Oswald. Disney finally got him back and all they've done with him is put him in a mediocre game.

[@buster3041]

3 mediocre games with only the first having a good story.

[@joinsideke]

@@buster3041 There was a third?

[@buster3041]

@@joinsideke The 3ds game remember?

[@joinsideke]

@@buster3041 I thought that was the second.

[@buster3041]

@@joinsideke Ironically 3ds, in epic mickey's case, should stands for 3rd disney story.

[@ThatCyndi]

Walt was such a maniac of a boss to work for he even drove out his animator/screenwriter/concept creator BILL PEET

[@kevincolbertjr.6844]

Damn,I had no idea. This definitely taught me something else,that was never really talked about at Walt Disney World in all of my years going there.

[@Dreamskater100]

Brilliant! (I can't find the one on OK Corall- Wyatt Earp one with Murr: from Impractical Jokers, James Murr. Anyone know?)

[@PerspectiveEngineer]

My favorite animator ever, right next to Max and Dave. And their crazy cat Cab... I'm starting to wonder if my Oswald the rabbit cartoons worth any money now...

[@fhdream]

I almost thought this said Matt and Dave, which is the name of the creators of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. lol

[@fakeascanbe423]

3:03 Let's take a minute to marvel at the genius on Tony Hale

[@jeskvell3254]

he's that guy who portrayed Alex in Home Alone 3 and Max Keeble's Big Moves oh how time flies

[@emmagrove6491]

Not too far from the truth, actually. Ub may have been able to draw better than Walt, but, personality-wise, Mickey was all Walt.

[@22espec]

I'm suprised he didn't mention Mortimer, Mickey's first nme before his wife made him change it

[@wolf2912]

That was Walt wife not Ub

[@davidcattin7006]

He amazingly evokes Walt Disney!

[@zozi6191]

Ub just kinda reminds me of that magician comedy sketch

[@cheesecakelasagna]

Reminds me of the story of Diane Keane, the basis of the movie Big Eyes.

[@taps0da161]

I'm sitting on my bed watching this while also wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt, jacket, and watch.

[@starkidchickie928]

This is not entirely accurate. Walt had the idea of a mouse character before Oswald. He called him Mortimer Mouse, and that’s where Mickey came from. It was Ub’s idea, but Walt had the basic idea of it already.

[@buenoexcellente5364]

First cartoon with sound and first cartoon to have live action people in it Max fleischer: am I a joke to you

[@AriefLatif]

A bit too sober 😂😂😂

[@huemulincomic]

Había escuchado que Ub aprovechando la huelga en los estudios Disney regresa. Pero no fue asignado como jefe de animación ya su animación era "anticuada" (perteneciente a la primera fase de los dibujos animados) Y que por ello fue asignado al departamento de efectos especiales donde demostró, una vez más, su genio.

[@fatehalfenni6621]

I will never not own them ...!

[@kittens4jc1031]

Me before watching the vid: They better mention my boy. Me @1:10: THANK YOU *sobs* MY SWEET BABY BOY

[@electro2781]

what

[@HjCrawford]

🤦

[@KeatingThomas]

The younger William Miller from "Almost Famous" plays Walt Disney here.

[@cranberrysauce6478]

*Thanks Ub*

[@gmunden1]

Walt Disney said "Yo"? LOL

[@BSPT12]

They gave this guy credit in the Walt Disney doc-movie.

[@kennycarmack1072]

Michael Angarano needs to play Disney in a biopic. Looks a lot like him.

[@elegant.destiny]

Ub was the G.O.A.T. Wouldn't be any Disney without him.

[@ViveUltimate]

Kind of like Steve Jobs and the original Macintosh

[@Nick-ty9us]

Again, he was Walt Disney’s right hand man

[@Andres-ns9lx]

Fact: Disney later traded sports announcer Al Michael to NBC for ownership of Oswald the rabbit

[@DreSama336]

If there was an Ub Iwerks World. I’d have a season pass every year 😂

[@davyjones5390]

Michael Angarano? nice!

[@pchiare]

I love Tony Hale so much

[@revmotor]

This was low key terrifying.

[@ruthier508]

4:08 killed me

[@comicman06tv36]

I feel like Ub deserves more credit

[@BriefNerdOriginal]

Didn't know that. Thanks

[@kennethnichols1777]

4:14 that sure is a kid lol