Ga Ga People

Walt Disney

All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.

How It Started 

At age 16, during World War I, he lied about his age to join the American Red Cross. He soon returned home, where he won a scholarship to the Kansas City Art Institute. There, he met a fellow animator, Ub Ilwerks. The two soon set up their own company. In the early 20s, they made a series of animated shorts for the Newman theater chain, entitled "Newman's Laugh-O-Grams". Their company soon went bankrupt, however. The two then went to Hollywood in 1923. They started work on a new series, about a live-action little girl who journeys to a world of animated characters. Entitled the "Alice Comedies", they were distributed by M.J.Winkler (Margaret). Walt was backed up financially only by Winkler and his brother Roy.O. Disney, who remained his business partner for the rest of his life. Hundreds of "Alice Comedies" were produced between 1923 and 1927, before they lost popularity. Walt then started work on a series around a new animated character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. This series was successful, but in 1928, Walt discovered that M.J.Winkler and her husband, Charles Mintz, had stolen the rights to the character away from him. They had also stolen all his animators, except for Ub Ilwerks.While taking the train home, Walt started doodling on a piece of paper. The result of these doodles was a mouse named Mickey. With only Walt and Ub to animate, and Walt's wife Lillian Disney(Lilly) and Roy's wife Edna Disney to ink in the animation cells, three Mickey Mouse cartoons were quickly produced. The first two didn't sell, so Walt added synchronized sound to the last one, Steamboat Willie (1928), and it was immediately picked up.

The Myth That Disney Was Frozen

As with most myths, this bizarre and complicated story springs out of one small truth: Walt Disney was indeed obsessed with death, particularly his own. His estate didn't help matters by holding his funeral behind closed doors (perhaps at the request of Disney himself) and never publicly announcing the cause of his death.

  How It Started

  Biographers, fans, and conspiracy buffs have long reveled in the idea that Walt Disney had his body frozen. Part of the myth comes from the sci-fi craze of the fifties and sixties, when cryogenic freezing fascinated the general population. Walt Disney may well have heard of the concept, but there is absolutely no proof that he had any interest in the subject, or even knew anything about it.

The Truth Behind It

Walt Disney's death certificate indicates that he died of lung cancer in December of 1966. In accordance with his wishes, Disney was cremated two days later and buried in a marked plot. There is plenty of documentation to support these assertions. 

Cryogenic Freezing Today

If Walt Disney lived today, would he have any more luck with the concept of cryogenic freezing? Rumor has it that eleven people exist today in cryogenic suspension. It is actually completely possible to freeze a human body to prevent its death. Unfortunately, reviving the person is not nearly as simple a proposition.
The human body is not meant to be frozen, and the process usually kills a number of essential cells. Furthermore, as soon as the body thaws, more cells begin to perish. Still, some people have such a pervasive fear of the unknown that they'd prefer the uncertainties of cryogenic freezing to a natural death.Regardless, Walt Disney wasn't one of them.