There were many steps to the Disney company empire with bringing characters with inspirational imagination to the masses. One of the steps was to get the Mickey Mouse cartoon comic strip into the funny pages of newspapers across the United States. This six-page contract extended the partnership between King Features Syndicate Inc. helped continue to put Disney’s cartoon Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse comic strips into circulation. The contract dates to October 23, 1934 and it bears Roy Disney’s signature as President of the company. He signed it on the last page in black steel tip pen (“9-10”) along with the other witnesses with King Features Syndicate Inc.
William Randolph Hearst’s newspapers began syndicating material in 1895 after receiving requests from other newspapers. The first official Hearst syndicate was called Newspaper Feature Service, Inc., established in 1913. In 1914, Hearst and his manager Moses Koenigsberg consolidated all of Hearst’s syndication enterprises under one banner .Koenigsberg gave it his own name when he launched King Features Syndicate on November 16, 1915.
Hearst put hit after hit into newspapers as the years went by: Barney Google, Thimble Theatre (home-port of Popeye), Blondie, Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician, The Phantom, Prince Valiant, and many, many more. Hearst sought out premier talent and paid handsomely. Hearst brought Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse into the funny papers. While Hearst was a skilled businessman who understood the circulation-building powers of comics, he was also one of their biggest fans. Hearst loved the “funnies” and followed them faithfully.
Roy O. Disney was an American entertainment executive who co-founded the Walt Disney Company with his younger brother, Walt Disney. He also served as the company’s first CEO and was the father of Roy E. Disney. Together Roy and Walt founded the Disney Brothers Studio in October of 1923. Unlike Max and Dave Fleischer of rival Fleischer Studios, Roy was not a co-producer. But Roy was an equal partner in all facets of the production company. While Walt led the creative side, Roy guided the business side and finances.
Roy became the company’s first CEO in 1929, although the official title was not given to him until 1966. He also shared the role of chairman of the board with Walt from 1945 and succeeded Walt in the position of president around this time as well. He held the position until 1968 when he handed it to Donn Tatum. In 1960, Walt dropped the chairman title so he could focus more on the creative aspects of the company. Following Walt’s death on December 15, 1966, from lung cancer, Roy postponed his retirement to oversee the construction of what was then known as Disney World. Five years after Walt’s death, Roy was able to open the resort at a cost of $400 million without having additional debt. He later named it Walt Disney World as a tribute to his brother.
Authentication: JSA Full Letter
Roy Disney Signed Contract
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