Q: What was the very first character that Walt came up with that he then lost the right of interest to someone else and then had to go on and invent all of the other characters that he became so very famous for?
Donald, Goleta, California
A: That would have been Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit. Walt did not own the rights to earlier characters used in the Alice Comedies, but they were of little importance. Beginning with Mickey Mouse, he made sure he owned the rights to all his characters.
Dave Smith