Mickey Mouse was created by Walt Disney and animator Ub Iwerks in 1928, with Disney conceiving the character and Iwerks doing the key design and early animation work.

Quick Scoop: Who created Mickey Mouse?

  • Walt Disney came up with the idea for a new cartoon star—a mouse—after losing the rights to his earlier character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
  • Disney developed the personality, story direction, and business vision for Mickey, and he later became widely credited as Mickey’s creator.
  • Ub Iwerks, Disney’s close collaborator, actually designed Mickey’s look and animated the earliest Mickey cartoons almost single‑handedly in 1928.
  • Many historians now describe Mickey as the “child of two dads”: Walt Disney (concept, personality, voice) and Ub Iwerks (visual design, animation).

A tiny origin story

In the late 1920s, Disney needed a fresh character after losing Oswald, so he and Iwerks reworked the basic body style of earlier characters (like Oswald) into a mouse with big circular ears and simple shapes that were easy to animate. Disney originally wanted to call him Mortimer Mouse, but his wife Lillian reportedly suggested the name “Mickey,” which stuck. Disney went on to voice Mickey himself for about two decades, helping cement the idea that Mickey was “his” character in the public mind. Over time, Iwerks’ crucial role was downplayed, which is why more recent articles and documentaries emphasize his contribution.

Fast facts

  • Year of creation: 1928.
  • First appearances: early silent shorts, then the famous sound cartoon “Steamboat Willie.”
  • Key creators: Walt Disney (concept, voice, direction) and Ub Iwerks (design, animation).

TL;DR: Mickey Mouse wasn’t made by one person alone—Walt Disney imagined and championed him, but Ub Iwerks actually drew and animated the Mickey we recognize today.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.