The Animation Pioneer Who Helped Disney Create Mickey Mouse

Ub Iwerks published the first Color-Sound cartoon 84 years ago today, starring Flip the Frog. But chances are, you’re much more likely to know him for his other cartoon creation: Mickey Mouse.

Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks developed Mickey in the 1920s together, with Iwerks designing and often animating the actual cartoons.

Iwerks was a dab hand at innovation too, becoming one of Disney’s first imagineers while developing the multi-plane camera, salt vapor filming (early green screen), and animatronics.

Famous animator Chuck Jones once said of Iwekrs “Iwerks spelled backwards is screwy,” but maybe you need a screw loose to invent like Iwerks did.