Created by the New York
animators the Fleischer Brothers (Max, the eldest of the three, produced; Lou animated and
later supervised the music; their little brother, Dave, directed), she was, as the animation historian Donald Crafton puts it in his recent study, «Shadow of a Mouse» (University of California Press), «one of the earliest cartoon characters to be a fully fleshed - out human being and the only classic» toon star generated as female (neither Minnie nor Daisy were leading ladies).»