Oswald the Lucky Rabbit time, Felix the Cat and Krazy Kat. Universal was given the right to name the rabbit and it selected a name out of a hat. The first Oswald cartoon, "Poor Papa", was rejected by the Universal studio heads for its poor production quality and the sloppiness and age of Oswald. Disney, together with Iwerks, decided to create a second cartoon titled "Trolley Troubles" featuring a much younger, neater Oswald. The short, released on September 5, 1927, officially launched the series and proved to be Disney's greatest success to date. The storyline for Poor Papa was reused in a Mickey Mouse
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit 1927–28. The story was later reprinted, as "Just Like Magic!", in the American Disney comic "Walt Disney's Comics and Stories" #726 (2015). In February 2006, Disney CEO Bob Iger initiated a trade with NBC Universal in which a number of minor assets, including the rights to Oswald, were acquired by The Walt Disney Company in exchange for sending sportscaster Al Michaels from Disney's ABC and ESPN to NBC Sports. At the time, ABC had lost its contract for NFL broadcast rights, and despite recently signing a long-term contract with ESPN, Michaels was interested in rejoining broadcast partner John Madden at