Teen/Early Adulthood
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/0/1/10015807/8934011.jpg?322)
Walt standing beside his ambulance in France
After living in Kansas City for a couple years, and after many arguments his father finally agreed to let him take art lessons. In 1915, Walt enrolled in the Kansas City Art Institution. They taught him how to use different types of paints and brushes and introduced him to more. Walt’s life changed drastically when in 1917, his brother, Roy, entered World War I and left home to join the Navy. Walt wanted to follow in his brothers footsteps, but he was much too young to be a soldier. When he heard that the Red Cross needed drivers for ambulances, he changed his year of birth on his birth certificate and signed up. He was told to drive ambulances is France, where he earned a reputation with soldiers for his ability to draw. When the war was over in 1919, Walt returned home to Kansas City where he moved in an apartment with Roy. He then went searching for a job and got one as an apprentice illustrator for magazines and catalogs. He met Ub Iwerks, a fellow employee and a man of magnificent talent. They became constant companions and often talked about starting their own business. The company they were working for was having financial problems and due to these problems, they had to fire Iwerks and Disney. It might have been devastating for most people, but not for them! They almost immediately got jobs drawing advertisements for restaurants and businesses. Getting small but substantial profit from this job, they were thrilled to see a job opportunity at the Kansas City Film Ad Company. This company made short animated commercials that played in theaters across the country. They were fascinated by the silent black and white cartoon shorts with little if no plot at all. Walt got the job and quickly mastered the simple techniques used at the Film Ad Company. He mastered them so well, he thought he could make cartoons just as well as the ones currently being made, if not better. He borrowed a camera, and he and Iwerks started making their own cartoons. Disney did not start off safe, like most new animators would. He decided to make something challenging and daring. So, he created updated versions of “Cinderella”, “Goldie Locks and the Three Bears”, and “Jack and the Beanstalk.” These got so popular that Disney raised enough to leave the Film Ad Company and set up his own company. He called it Laugh-O-Grams. He made more cartoons like “Puss in Boots”, “The Four Musicians of Bremen”, and “Little Red Riding Hood.” His animation got extremely popular and played in theaters all over. Although his company was doing well for a while, trouble came. A salesman owed him a large sum of money and he had received no money. Disney was in debt. He tried to keep his business going by making a new product: a combination of drawn animation and live-action footage. He started making his own short and very well-made version of “Alice in Wonderland.” It was fun and entertaining for a while, but it cost too much to continue on. Disney was broke. So he decided to shut down his business and move to California for a fresh start.