The Walt DisneyDIS +0.8% legacy has been carried on for generations, and nomor one has had more of an impact on that legacy than Ub Iwerks, an early animator turned designer and machine expert at the Walt Disney StudiosDIS +0.8%. Iwerks helped create and animate two of Walt’s first characters, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse.
Throughout his career, Walt would rely on Iwerks to innovate and bring to life new ideas to push animation and film forward. His work in the film department of the Walt Disney Studios can be seen in iconic movies like Mary Poppins, which combined animation and live-action into one seamless picture. Iwerks also worked on groundbreaking cinematography techniques like CircleVision, which can still be seen at two shows at EPCOT in Walt Disney World.
Since his death in 1971, Iwerks has been remembered in many ways, but most notably as an animation genius and a master behind the camera. I sat down with Iwerk’s son, Don, and his granddaughter, Leslie, to talk about the lasting legacy of Ub Iwerks, his impact on technology, and how he changed the Walt Disney Studios and the Disney theme parks forever.
Megan: Can you talk about the legacy of Don, your dad and Leslie, your grandfather and what he’s left on the international by helping to create and animate characters like Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky rabbit?
Don: The legacy that I see about my dad and the importance was the creation or co-creation of Mickey Mouse, and particularly during the years those a great depression and the 30s when everything was down and people were in breadlines and so forth. Mickey Mouse seemed to bring an optimism to people that got through that. And of course into the 40s it just continued to entertain people and it’s still today, Mickey is known the international over.