Chapters 8-9 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 8, "Columbia: Charles Mintz and Screen Gems," begins with the tale of Krazy Kat. Krazy Kat was a popular comic strip that had hurtled onto the big screen as early as 1916. Krazy Kat didn't last long as a popular film character but continued his success in the funny pages. Bill Nolan wanted to launch an independent series and chose Krazy Kat. The pictures would be distributed through Margaret Winkler. At the time, Winkler's husband was taking over the company and wanted to focus more on the "big time" rather than on independent and small features. As a result, Mintz linked up with Columbia Pictures, a new and hungry company poised for success. Mintz was best known at the end of the 1920s for reclaiming Oswald the Rabbit from Walt Disney, a move that prompted Disney to create Mickey Mouse...