Cartoons and Class Struggle
In 1941, Disney animators walked off work to demand that the New Deal be brought to the Magic Kingdom.
Striking animators picketing in 1941. Collections of Bob Cowan
Every American has grown up on Disney movies, but how many people have heard of “the civil war in animation”?
Cultural analyses of Disney and his products are common, and the sociological effects of his multimedia domination have been discussed ad infinitum. But little attention has been paid to the 1941 animators’ strike that nearly upended the Magic Kingdom. Never before or after has the labor behind the movies that shaped billions of childhoods been so sharply illuminated. As new workers’ struggles break out across the entertainment industry, this history is more relevant today than ever.
Working for Walt
Walt Disney could not rely on his own artistic talent to build his empire. He was known neither for being a fine artist nor a good draftsman. The Simpsons have even satirized him for plagiarizing Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit from their original creator, Ub Iwerks.
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