As Dreamers Do: American Magic Redux

Introduction: Walt's Humble Beginnings
PREFACE:
After maybe three and a half years, I have decided to start American Magic over from scratch. I've lost track of a lot of the stuff I had written down to flesh out the world of that timeline, so here we are. Some things might stay the same, while others may be completely different. And of course, you'll see a lot of fictional individuals created to fill certain needs as this TTL goes.

So without further ado, let's begin...

Walter Elias Disney
(December 5, 1901 - September 21, 1993)
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Narration by Liev Schreiber (Excerpt from the documentary Walt Disney: An American Original)
Given how deep the Disney brand is ingrained in our popular culture today, it's hard to imagine a time before Disney theme parks or movies. For some, the brand can sometimes be second to God or a symbol of gung-ho American patriotism. But every staple of Americana has had its humble beginnings, and the Disney brand is no different.

Walter Elias Disney, or "Walt" for short, was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. He was the fourth son of Elias Charles Disney and Flora Call. Elias was a Canadian transplant with deep Irish roots. Flora was an American of German ancestry. Walt's older brothers were Herbert (b. 1888), Raymond (b. 1890) and Roy (b. 1893). Walt's younger sister Ruth was born in 1903.

During Walt's childhood, the Disney family would live on a farm to Marceline, Missouri before moving shortly thereafter to Kansas City. In 1917, when Walt was a teenager, the Disneys moved back to Chicago, where Elias bought stock in the now-defunct O-Zell Company, a manufacturer of jelly.

At age 16, Walt joined the Red Cross as an ambulance driver (below) and set off to France.
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"It was during that time [1918] when I was in the ambulance unit that I briefly took up smoking. You have to understand that back then, there was a blissful ignorance towards the long-term health effects. One day behind the wheel, I suddenly realized I misplaced by matchbox. I searched every pocket in my jacket and every pant pocket to no avail. Gradually, I pretty much forgot about those lousy matches and the distraction caused by my smoking habit faded away."
- Walt Disney in a 1970 interview with Walter Cronkite.

Schreiber (cont'd):
"When Walt came back to the United States, he returned to familiar territory in Kansas City. In October 1919, at age 17, he landed his first job as a commercial artist at the advertising firm of Pesmen-Rubin. When that firm alarmingly went out of business, Walt and childhood friend Ub Iwerks went into business for themselves, but few customers expressed interest. It wasn't until Walt landed a job with the Kansas City Film Ad Company that his interest in cel animation had awakened.

On June 28, 1921, at the age of 19, Walt would form the Laugh-O-Gram Studio.
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Sports as of 1921
For those curious as to how the world of sports looked in 1921, here is a list of the major leagues as they were at that time.

Baseball
American League
Boston Red Sox
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
New York Yankees
Philadelphia Athletics
St. Louis Browns
Washington Senators

National League
Boston Braves
Brooklyn Dodgers
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
New York Giants
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals

American Professional Football Association
Akron Pros
Buffalo All Americans
Canton Bulldogs
Chicago Cardinals
Chicago Staleys
Cincinnati Celts
Cleveland Indians
Columbus Panhandles
Dayton Triangles
Detroit Tigers
Evansville Crimson Giants
Green Bay Packers
Hammond Pros
Louisville Brecks
Minneapolis Marines
Muncie Flyers
Brickley's New York Giants
Rochester Jeffersons
Rock Island Independents
Tonawanda Kardex
Washington Senators

National Hockey League
Hamilton Tigers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Toronto St. Patricks
 
Please don't give up on the original American magic. You are so close to geting the timeline caught up to the present. Also, I was long forward to the opening of grand strand funland because I gave you the suggestion for the neon alley area. I please you liked that idea especially the part about the haunted casino ride.
 
OK. If we really must start again, let's make things interesting right from the get-go. First of all, The Fleischer Bros. How can we keep them A: From falling out, B: In Business and C: As legit competition to Disney? Because, personally, that's something I'd love to see in this revived TL. Who knows, maybe Walt can actually achieve his original EPCOT vision here.
 
OK. If we really must start again, let's make things interesting right from the get-go. First of all, The Fleischer Bros. How can we keep them A: From falling out, B: In Business and C: As legit competition to Disney? Because, personally, that's something I'd love to see in this revived TL. Who knows, maybe Walt can actually achieve his original EPCOT vision here.
So Igeo654 I take you would have perfered if oldnavy had not started over too.
 
OK. If we really must start again, let's make things interesting right from the get-go. First of all, The Fleischer Bros. How can we keep them A: From falling out, B: In Business and C: As legit competition to Disney? Because, personally, that's something I'd love to see in this revived TL. Who knows, maybe Walt can actually achieve his original EPCOT vision here.
I think one thing that'd help would be if the Brothers tried to strengthen their ties to Paramount. Perhaps to the point that their studio is officially known as "Paramount Animation".
 
I think one thing that'd help would be if the Brothers tried to strengthen their ties to Paramount. Perhaps to the point that their studio is officially known as "Paramount Animation".

The toughest part will be figuring out where Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo could pitch their idea of a friendly ghost if the Fleischer Brothers pass on the project.

Plus, if Max and Dave stick together, would they still license Little Lulu from Marjorie Buell?
 
The toughest part will be figuring out where Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo could pitch their idea of a friendly ghost if the Fleischer Brothers pass on the project.

Plus, if Max and Dave stick together, would they still license Little Lulu from Marjorie Buell?
Perhpas instead those could go to Columbia ITTL if the Fleischers really pass on that idea. OTOH, they could do it anyway - Popeye did start off as a comic too after all.
 
The toughest part will be figuring out where Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo could pitch their idea of a friendly ghost if the Fleischer Brothers pass on the project.

Plus, if Max and Dave stick together, would they still license Little Lulu from Marjorie Buell?

I really hope you decide fhish the original American Magic and come back to this later. You are so close to getting the orignal American Magic caught up to the present. To me re doing the timeline better then the first time should wait until after the original version is complected essaplly when the original version is so close to being done. Does anybody else agree with me
 
I think one thing that'd help would be if the Brothers tried to strengthen their ties to Paramount. Perhaps to the point that their studio is officially known as "Paramount Animation".

Personally, I'd prefer it if they struck out on their own. They could strengthen ties with National Comics with that Batman cartoon they were planning and maybe even do a feature-length, animated Superman cartoon post-war (even eventually buying DC someday instead of WB.), build their own Theme Parks eventually and have just as an iconic cast of signature characters as the mouse, especially if they have a change of heart and give the thumbs up to Casper. The brothers don't need Paramount as long as they recognise that they literally need each other to survive.
 
Personally, I'd prefer it if they struck out on their own. They could strengthen ties with National Comics with that Batman cartoon they were planning and maybe even do a feature-length, animated Superman cartoon post-war (even eventually buying DC someday instead of WB.), build their own Theme Parks eventually and have just as an iconic cast of signature characters as the mouse, especially if they have a change of heart and give the thumbs up to Casper. The brothers don't need Paramount as long as they recognise that they literally need each other to survive.
All the same, I'd find it more plausible if they did stay with Paramount, even if they don't mirph into Paramount Animation, they'd still need some strong financial support to combat Disney.
 
Oldnavy don't you make this a collaborative back tracking expanded universe and contuine with the old continuum of American magic your slef.. I feel the reason that your dreams come true correlative experiment failed was people expected you to decide when the timeline moved forward. I feel that people may be more willing to post a collaborativtimeline if it is ment to fallout details you missed for years you already covered
 
Alice and Oswald
In early 1923, Walt produced Alice's Wonderland, which would prove to be the start of his silent Alice Comedies series.
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Later that year, the Laugh-O-Gram studio went belly up but Walt saved enough money for a train ride to Hollywood, where he hoped to find work as a live action director. When no such opportunities arose, Walt teamed up with big brother Roy to form the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in their Uncle Robert's garage.
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In 1926, as the Alice Comedies started to wind down, Disney introduced another cartoon series starring a lucky rabbit named Oswald. By this time, Margaret Winkler and her husband Charles Mintz received word that Universal Pictures expressed interest in entering the cartoon business. A year later, Winkler and Mintz arranged for Universal to distribute Oswald beginning with Trolley Troubles in September 1927.
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Also in 1927, the Disney staff would move from Kingswell Avenue in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles to Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake neighborhood.
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Wouldn't it have been something if Walt and Universal had never ended their partnership? Like, if Walt had never set up his own company and had gone on to Run Universal studios and make all of his animated classics out of there? I know that's too big of a twist, but it's something funny to think about.
 
If you really want to start over would you at least consider starting over at 2004 instead of at walt birth. I felt around 2004 is when you started to loose track of the time, so 2004 seams to be the best place to started over. and if you want the redo the timeline alittle before 2004 why no start over at 2000. You could call the timeline 21st Century Magic. This new reboot appears to have a loot of pontial but I think you should fhish up with the original American magic first and then come back to this. Still the final the decesion is. Ps I you are going to addadon the the orginal american contuime would you please let some one else fhish it up.
 
If you really want to start over would you at least consider starting over at 2004 instead of at walt birth. I felt around 2004 is when you started to loose track of the time, so 2004 seams to be the best place to started over. and if you want the redo the timeline alittle before 2004 why no start over at 2000. You could call the timeline 21st Century Magic. This new reboot appears to have a loot of pontial but I think you should fhish up with the original American magic first and then come back to this. Still the final the decesion is. Ps I you are going to addadon the the orginal american contuime would you please let some one else fhish it up.
Look, man, I'm going to miss the original timeline as much as you will, but if @OldNavy1988 wants to start fresh with something new, that's his choice. Constantly spamming the thread with protests isn't going to change that. Yes, it kinda sucks that the original TL had to end, but we need to respect his decision and enjoy what we get. I'm sorry but, that's how it is.
 
A Mouse is Born
Narration by Alec Baldwin (From the TV special It All Started with a Mouse)
Unfortunately, the Disney partnership with Mintz and Universal was too good to last. By early 1928, a budget dispute led Mintz to strip Walt of not only Oswald, but a few of Disney's staff members as well. Some stayed loyal to Walt, including Ub Iwerks, Wilfred Jackson and Les Clark.

WALT: "Lilly and I were coming back from New York on the train...I swore to myself that I had to have something when I got back to Hollywood. I couldn't tell 'em I lost Oswald."

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Earliest known Mickey drawings. Unclear if Walt or Ub drew these.

Baldwin (Cont'd)
When he returned to Los Angeles, Walt sat down with Ub Iwerks to develop a new character.

WALT: "We tried cows, dogs, horses and frogs...then one day Ub drew me this handsome looking mouse. I was suddenly reminded of a mouse I once kept as a pet back at the ol' Laugh-O-Gram office...Ub and I both agreed that a mouse could be a sympathetic cartoon character even though people are frightened of real mice."

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Ub Iwerks at the drawing board.

Baldwin (Cont'd)
Originally, Walt wanted to call the new character Mortimer. But it was his wife Lilly who preferred "Mickey." The first two Mickey shorts, Plane Crazy and Gallopin' Gaucho were originally silent but didn't make an impression on potential distributors. Sound was barely in its infancy in cinema, with Warner Bros' release of The Jazz Singer often credited for ushering in the new era of live action "Talkies." In animation, the Fleischer brothers experimented with sound earlier in the decade with their Song Car-Tunes.

Ultimately, Walt's third Mickey cartoon Steamboat Willie would prove to be the Disney studio's first big hit of the sound era. Plane Crazy and Gallopin' Gaucho would be made later with fully synchronized sound.

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