OSWALD THE RABBIT HOP (1956)

Sheet music for piano solo and piano duet. Words by IRVING BIBO and music by EUGENE PODDANY. Copyright Bibo Music Co.Inc., Hollywood. Ozwald facial view surrounded by Walter Lantz comic animal characters.
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is an iconic animated character created in 1927 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks for Universal Pictures. He served as Disney's first major successful character and the direct precursor to Mickey Mouse.
The Loss of Rights (1928): During a contract negotiation, distributor Charles Mintz informed Walt Disney that Universal owned the rights to Oswald and had hired away most of Disney's staff.
Birth of Mickey: Refusing to accept a budget cut, Disney abandoned Oswald. On the train ride back from New York, he and Iwerks began developing Mickey Mouse as a replacement.

After Disney's departure, Universal continued to produce Oswald shorts through other animators, most notably Walter Lantz (creator of Woody Woodpecker). Under Lantz, Oswald's design changed significantly, eventually becoming a white rabbit with suspenders. By 1943, the character faded from the screen, though he remained active in comic books unti: the 1960s.
Return to Disney (2006):
In a historic 2006 deal, The Walt Disney Company reacquired the rights to Oswald from NBCUniversal. The trade was unique: Disney CEO Bob Iger traded the contract of sportscaster Al Michaels to NBC in exchange for the rights to Oswald and the original 27 Disney-produced shorts.