Walt Disney Cultural Influences

In early December of 1901, a child that would one day revolutionize the entertainment industry was born in Chicago, Illinois; this child 's name was Walter Elias Disney. According to Bob Thomas 's Walt Disney, the Disney family lived in borderline poverty; Walt spent his childhood on a farm in Marceline, Missouri (25) and then worked as a paperboy in Kansas City (31). No one knew that this poor farmhand and paper boy would one day grow up to create a legacy still prevalent today; no one except his brother Roy Disney, who helped foster Walt 's love of art. Walt Disney deserves to be called an American icon because of his rags-to-riches story, his advancements in the entertainment industry, and his company 's continued cultural significance. Walt grew up in a relatively poor family that moved frequently: from Chicago to Marceline to Kansas City and back to Chicago. According to Dow and Noce, Walt began his artistic career drawing pictures for the school newspaper when his family returned to Chicago in 1917. Eventually, Walt formed Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists, which failed shortly after its creation. Walt then created Laugh-O-Gram Films, which went bankrupt a year later. That same year, Walt and Roy Disney created the Disney Brothers Studio, later renamed Walt Disney Studios, where they produced a series of animated shorts and introduced

Walt Disney earned the right to be called an American icon over and over again throughout his life and after his death. He serves as proof that the American dream can be achieved because he built a massive corporation out of nothing but his hopes and dreams. Walt made a major advancement for the movie industry and his company has continued to make more advancements even after his death. Lastly, Disney permeates every aspect of American popular culture and shows no signs of slowing down. If a man successfully achieves the American dream and uses his success to improve America, then he definitely deserves the title of American