Baby Dawgs

According to the Walt Disney Studios published archives, Mickey Mouse made his first appearance in a cartoon called “Steamboat Willie” shows in New York City on November 18, 1928, a date officially recognized by Walt Disney Corporation as Mickey’s birthday. So far in his career, Mickey has starred in over 120 cartoons and many episode of “The Mickey Mouse Club” which started showing on television in the 1950s.

Donald Duck made his first appearance in a Silly Symphony cartoon called “The Wise Little Hen” on his official birthdate of June 9, 1934. Donald, with his childlike stubborness and temper tantrums quickly became a public favorite and actually starred in more of his own cartoons (128 of them) than Mickey did. He also appeared in numerous other cartoons with the rest of the Disney Gang, which is best known as consisting of Mickey, Pluto, Donald and Goofy. In addition, Donald Duck had daily newspaper comic strip that began on February 7, 1938 which starred him with occasional appearances by his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

Goofy and Pluto were both drawn as dogs. However, unlike Pluto who was always intended to be a bloodhound and a pet. Goofy was intended to interact with the Disney Gang as a human, and therefore was given human characteristics. He walked upright, wore clothes and talked. Goofy, a good hearted not-so-bright character, starred in 48 Goofy cartoons and numerous others as part of the Disney Gang. Like Donald, Goofy was also in a newspaper comic strip (his original name was Dippy Dawg). Later, in the 1990s, Goofy and his son Max starred in their own televisions show known as “The Goof Troop.”

Other characters that appeared in Disney Gang films and cartoons included MickeyÂ’s girlfriend, Minnie Mouse; DonaldÂ’s girlfriend, Daisy Duck; and, GoofyÂ’s girlfriend, Clarabelle Cow.

It is nothing short of amazing to consider that the Disney Gang made itÂ’s debut almost 80 years ago with MickeyÂ’s first debut and are still able to capture the hearts of kids of all ages.