Out of the competitive animation world of the early 1920s there emerged one superstar by the end of the decade, Walt Disney. After his Kansas City-based Laugh-O-Gram Films (formed with commercial artist Ub Iwerks) went bankrupt in 1923, he, his older brother Roy and Iwerks arrived in Hollywood and, on the strength of the Laugh-O-Gram short "Alice's Wonderland" (1923), soon had a production deal for six episodes of "The Alice Comedies". When the series ended three-and-a-half years later, it had provided a substantial base from which the monolith could grow. With Iwerks doing the drawing, Roy
With Red Cross Ambulance Corps in France just after Armistice
1919
Hired as commercial artist in Kansas; met Ub Iwerks
1920
Joined Kansas City Film Ad Company, making cartoon commericals for local businesses
1922
Incorporated first studio, Laugh-O-Gram Films; subsequently went bankrupt
1923
Moved to Hollywood; the Disney Brothers Studio founded when Walt contracted with M J Winkler to deliver a series of six shorts titled "The Alice Comedies", combining live-action with animation; had made first "Alice" short while still in Kansas City; creditors allowed him to keep one copy of the film to use as a sample when he moved to California; three-and-a-half years later at series end, the once wanna-be filmmaker had his own studio and staff
