Mickey Mouse debuted in the 1928 animated short Steamboat Willie and went on to become the familiar symbol of Walt Disney studios.A cheerful rodent in white gloves and red shorts,Mickey starred in dozens of Disney shorts and the 1940 animated feature Fantasia,becoming one of the world's best-known cartoon characters.After 1950 Mickey appeared only rarely in films and instead settled into a role as Disney's ambassador in its TV shows,advertisements and theme parks.