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.