"The Chain Gang" "The Barnyard Battle" The average yearly salary is $1,428 and a loaf of bread is 8 cents. Pluto the Pup makes his first appearance in "The Chain Gang." Actually, the short featured two identical, unnamed Plutos, who were relentless bloodhounds out to capture Mickey, an escaped convict. The first Mickey Mouse comic strip is published in newspapers, and the first Mickey Mouse doll is created by a resident of nearby Burbank. Roy Disney signs the first contract for Mickey and Minnie Mouse merchandising rights. In the '30s, licensing agreements with Disney save several companies from Depression-era bankruptcy. Nazi Germany bans the Mickey short "The Barnyard Battle," in which the cats wear German World War I military helmets. "The wearing of German military helmets by an army of cats is offensive to national dignity," the Germans announce.