When last I visited my local comic book shop, it was a great day LIKE THIS!
So, how do you top a day like that? With a day like today! Check out this day's haul!
Anyone wanna lay odds I'll read this one first? If so, you'll win because I *already have* last April when I wrote the dialogue for it!
You just KNOW we're going to have a separate post for IDW's MICKEY MOUSE # 2 (Legacy Numbering 311), so read the issue, and start getting your comments ready for that!
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| The gang's all here - literally! |
The last time we saw an issue of the venerable WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES, it was EXACTLY four years and one month ago today - as noted HERE! So, just imagine how thrilled I am to have it back - and with more Jonathan Gray - Yay!
Everybody's favorite Archival Editor, David Gerstein, perfectly welcomes back WDC&S in his "Crosstalk" column, appearing in all this month's releases. Note that it retains its historical numbering of # 721. Yay also for IDW on that one!
And, this MUST be the first time ever, in the United States, that TWO comics featuring The Phantom Blot were released on the SAME DAY!
Story and art by the great (and underrepresented) Miquel Pujol - and we welcome our old friend Gary Leach to the ranks of IDW translators and scripters. Gary has been a part of these comics since the days of Gladstone Series One, and I look forward to enjoying much work by him.
Oh, and look for a cameo by Carl Barks, somewhere amid all that great Pujol art!
Anyone regularly reading this Blog knows my love of the BATMAN '66 comic book, based on the sixties TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward.
Despite the flow of amazing Disney material from IDW, and the SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP title, BATMAN '66 remains a don't-miss favorite of mine.
It seemed inevitable that a "sixties version" of Harley Quinn would be ret-conned into this title, and it will be interesting to see just how she differs from the classic '90s Bruce Timm version.
For decades, now, Sergio Aragones and Mark Evanier have been producing GROO... a comic funnier than Cheese-Dip, Mulch, and whatever a "Mendicant" is, all put together!
If there is any sort of complaint to have about GROO, it's that it isn't a regular, monthly comic!
Oh, and I LOVE the "Rufferto" one-page gags on the back covers!
With my departure from Marvel in the late '80s / early '90s, and my more recent departure from DC with "The New 52", Kurt Busiek's ASTRO CITY may be the only "mainstream superhero title" remaining on my pull-list.
Busiek still maintains that sense of grandeur that most mainstream titles have long left behind, coupled with a sensibility that encompasses Golden Age, Silver Age, and modern storytelling, that never lets me down.
Oh, and he's even written MICKEY MOUSE once!
Finally, there is a true "Dark Horse" entry -- and I don't mean the publisher of GROO!
I saw this, and just HAD TO TAKE ONE out of sheer curiosity!
Really? Do you believe this? Mark Waid was one of my favorite writers of "mainstream superhero comics", with an historic run on FLASH, and great runs on FANTASTIC FOUR and JLA to name a few, so I'm really interested to see what he might do with this new, more realistic Archie.
I'm just as curious to see exactly how long it will last, before America's favorite teen is reverted to the friendly and familiar face we see on those ubiquitous Digest Comics at supermarket checkouts.
There were umpteen different variant covers, or so it appeared to my overwhelmed eyes, so I took the one with "comics and rock-and-roll".
Oh, and with this "new look", let no one doubt that Archie and "Superman's Pal" Jimmy Olsen were separated at birth!
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| Where's the "ARCHIE-OLSEN"? |
With all this fun reading ahead of me, only one question remains... Has anyone seen IDW's DONALD DUCK # 3?
I was looking forward to Thad Komorowski's feature-story debut (though he DOES have a shorter story in today's WDC&S # 721 - so my day won't be completely Thad-less). ...I hope Fethry wasn't in charge of shipping it!
I hope everyone's New Comics Wednesday was just as enjoyable. We're here to discuss any and all of these -- soon as I read 'em!
MICKEY MOUSE # 2 will definitely have a post of it's own, to follow this one.
The others? Who can say? But, your comments are always welcome right here!
23 comments:
So far I haven't seen hide nor feather of Donald Duck #3 myself. My local comic shop didn't have it either, but at least there are a lot more Ducks and Mickey Mouse to read.
I have read Archie #1, and I am impressed yet a bit disappointed at the same time. The story is quite good, but I miss the iconic Archie Comics "house style", as it has been traded in to make it more comic shop buyers friendly. Archie may not have been the most spectacular comic on the stands, but the friendly, cartoony art style stood out in a sea of grim 'n' gritty caped avengers. The new artwork, while very well done, doesn't feel like an Archie comic book anymore. Maybe the new art will pull in new readers, but it's a shame to see good cartooning vanish. At least the classic style lives on in the digests.
Deb:
It will probably be a short while before I read the new ARCHIE # 1 – or, perhaps driven by the same curiosity that drove me to purchase it in the first place, I may promote it ahead of some of my more traditional favorites.
So far, I’ve only read MICKEY MOUSE # 2 – yes, actually READ it in detail, to see what (if any) changes may have occurred between my script and publication, and to better prepare the upcoming Blog post on the issue.
I *really* want to do WDC&S next, but this may modify the order somewhat. I’ll post my impressions on ARCHIE # 1 here, anyway, or (dare I consider) a separate Blog post on it? If only I had that kind of free time!
I cannot imagine this change will be any more permanent than those attempted by DC and Marvel over the years. So hang tight, and I expect that traditionalism will win out. But the very idea of Mark Waid writing Archie is enough to get me, at least temporarily.
Thanks for the laugh-out-loud comment... Very peculiar that Donald #3 hasn't shown up yet...
Excellent job on MM #2, Joe. We live in a mutual admiration society, true, but what can I say, David provides good stuff for us to work with!
Thad:
And, with this comment, my day is now authentically and officially not “Thad-less”!
And “True” on BOTH counts… We do live in a (quite-justified) “mutual admiration society” and David certainly does provide us with the best material to work with! Now, if only someone could “provide us” with the AWOL DONALD DUCK # 3.
I hope this goes on – just like this – for a very long time!
So, let's take a look at Mickey's hats and see if we can identify the references. Starting at the top left and going clockwise, we have "Mickey's Delayed Date," "Mickey and the Beanstalk" from Fun & Fancy Free, "The Nifty Nineties," "Two Gun Mickey," "The Band Concert," "Steamboat Willie," "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" from Fantasia, "The Pointer," and last but not least "The Mickey Mouse Club." I have to confess the red hat with the yellow button had me stumped until I looked it up in one of my Mickey Mouse reference books ("His Life and Times" from Harper & Row). Yes, it is definitely the "Pointer" hat. I knew I remembered it from somewhere. That is one great cover and I love the way it ties in all of those roles that Mickey has played over the years. It begs the question--"What's next?"
It may be a while before my local comics shop gets caught up, but I'm looking forward to these. Thanks for the tantalizing preview!
Oops! Didn't see the plume hanging down from the hat on the top right. It's not "Two Gun Mickey" but "The Three Musketeers." The latter is not embedded in my consciousness the way the classic cartoons are, so I didn't go there at first. But looking at the DVD cover, it is definitely the Musketeer hat. So we have the Musketeers and the Mouseketeers represented in the same picture. How about that?
A bit of Mickey Mouse-worthy sleuthing (actually, an internet search that even Goofy could have done) reveals that Previews has Donald #3 listed as being released on July 29th. http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/916?stockItemID=MAY150378
Deb:
HERE’S Deb’s link for greater ease of reading.
Chief O’Hara called. Seems he got word of your superb sleuthing, solving a mystery that confounded even two of IDW’s contributors, and wants to know if you’d be interested in becoming a “freelance detective” just like Mickey.
I told him you were already considering an offer from “Captain Retro-Duck”, because his walkie-talkies were just sooo cool! Besides, if I had my druthers, I’d rather face “The Retro-Speck” than The Phantom Blot any day – ‘cause you could always just STEP ON the “Speck” and get away!
Guess I’ll have to go back again next week - a week that, if you and PREVIEWS are correct, will not be “Thad-less”!
Scarecrow:
And, speaking of great detective work, nice job on “The Case of the Hundred (minus 91) Hats”!
That is indeed a great cover, even if it doesn’t have The Phantom Blot on it! And, a nice retrospective (…not “Retro-Speck-tive”) of the various objects that have fit between Mickey’s ears over the years!
In one of those happy coincidences, it even ties-in with the story in a very minor way, as (not knowing of this cover) I threw-in a “Mickey Mouse Club” gag reference on Page 32, Panel 2. The art just begged for it, as you will see!
Though, as a life-long Paul Murry fan, I was disappointed at the omission of Mickey’s “Murry-era” fedora, that resided snugly between those ears in many a “detective adventure”, and even during his three-issue stint as “Mickey Mouse Super Secret Agent”!
However, as if on cue to maintain some sort of cosmic balance, my inner Murry fan was absolutely delighted by something Jonathan Gray did in this day’s WDC&S - Page 2, Panels 2-3! I won’t spoil it any more than that, but look for it! Just another reason these comics continue to be so great! Thanks, Jon!
Finally, while not a Mickey-level sleuth by any stretch, I *did* recognize Mickey’s hat from “The Pointer”. Though, not from any great familiarity with the cartoon, but because I had the Mickey Mouse View-Master packet as a kid. “The Pointer” was adapted for one of the View-Master reels, and that image was indelibly burned into my brain, as were so many of those Silver Age comics!
Oh, and there WILL be a long post on MICKEY MOUSE # 2, coming sometime over this weekend, so getcher comments ready!
I just realized that this is a day where ALL FOUR of the existing IDW Disney comics translating / scripting team, Jonathan Gray, Gary Leach, Thad Komorowski, and me, are represented in the product released!
So, you can go to the comic shop and sample all of us! I doubt that will occur very often, so it’s worth noting here!
Just a follow up to Deb's comment, but that Previews page had the street date for Donald Duck #3 listed as July 15th, originally. Guess they updated it...
Got my copies of MM, WDC & S, and US today! I've already read "The Sound-Blot Plot". Lots of great touches as usual! I enjoyed the names of the newscasters, Joe and Esther. I'll bet a special someone is pleased with that. The name on the mailbox--"Goofus D. Dawg"--was that there already or did you put it in? It's a great touch! I never thought of Goofy's real first name as being "Goofus" but it works. Liked the reference to "Emil Eagle" too. I take it the "Ear Expert" was really the Blot in disguise? This does not seem to be spelled out anywhere, except when Mickey returns the "mondo-muffs" (another great piece of wordplay). It really surprised me that the Blot never once wore his mask in this story. Is this common in the Italian stories that the Blot goes unmasked? I liked that Paul Murry never drew the Blot's actual face...it made him seem more sinister.
I'm sure you can guess which of the alternate Mickey covers I picked.
Just watched "The Three Musketeers" again and enjoyed it possibly more than the other couple of times. It's already been over 10 years since it's been out! Really had a lot of fun with it--and one of the extra features includes a "hat" game for Mickey where you click on a hat and get a clip from the cartoon associated with it. The clips are all under a minute, so it isn't much, but it's still enjoyable.
Keep up the great work, Joe! I'm already anxiously awaiting your next effort!
Thad:
I notice those solicitations can "move around" a bit before settling into place.
Well, I certainly HOPE DD # 3 is out next week. And, I look forward to your first feature-length contribution.
Scarecrow:
“Goofus D. Dawg” was part of David’s original translation. And I LIKE IT! The Italian art, suitably, had “Pippo” on the mailbox. Also, that’s the last translation he will be doing for me. My subsequent stories, as of next month, will be my translation and script. Still with his great editing, of course.
The newscasters were written as a “special present” at the time of our 11th wedding anniversary, back in April. Esther always wanted to be a “talking head” on the various cable news programs she watches, so this was a natural… even if it evokes Tom Tucker and Diane Simmons of FAMILY GUY! I’d like to get a blow-up of that page someday, and frame it.
The Emil Eagle reference was my own, as I felt he became a “Mickey Villain” over the years.
“Mondo-Muffs” was actually David’s suggestion, after I chanced to Google the name I originally thought I made-up, and found it was an existing product that you could actually order online. That would never do, even if “my” name sounded even more like a product you’d see offered in TV commercials with toll-free numbers and shipped with matching fishhooks!
The Blot explicitly reveals his deception on Page 22, Panel 1. Go check it again.
And, we’ll be discussing “The Sound-Blot Plot” in a much more detailed post sometime over the weekend, so I hope you’ll be back for that!
"Goofus D. Dawg" originated as the full name of Goofy's parallel-universe double in Pat and Carol McGreal's BLOTMAN stories—but since that world's Mickey Mouse was still Mickey Mouse, the implication was there that "our" Goofy might formally be Goofus D. Dawg, too.
Soon after, the McGreals used Goofus as "our" Goofy's first name in the title of another story ("Crouching Mickey, Hidden Goofus," unpublished in the USA), carrying on the suggestion.
Taking the cue, my team and I then used "Goofus D. Dawg" as Goofy's formal name in several later translations at Gemstone, Boom, and now here.
That said, the McGreals more recently stated that they didn't intend to create canon! Too late... they did! (Of course, there are also stories where Goofy answers to "Mr. Goof," so Goofy continuity will always be a little goofy.)
I *do* recall "Goofus D. Dawg" from the BLOTMAN stories but, for some reason, I figured it must have been an obscure one-off reference that originated with Gottfredson and/or his various writers - simply because it appears to have became canon. So, great for the McGreals and their contribution to our special lore!
While it may be impossible to determine "cannon" in something with so many sources as Disney comic books and cartoons, The Goofy Success Story on the Disneyland show suggests that Goofy's name was Dippy Dawg (spelled "Dog" by Goofy himself when signing the contract) until the studio changed his name to Goofy. Goofus D. Dawg is a fun name, though. I suppose the "D" stands for "Dippy" (or perhaps even "Dippington", but I sure hope not..."Goofus Dippington Dawg"? Yeek, what a moniker that would be!)
And, to further muddy the Goofy Waters, Deb…
“The Mysterious Knight Rider”, from Gold Key’s MICKEY MOUSE # 119 (November, 1968) and a long-time favorite of mine that was never reprinted in the United States, finds Goofy as the “next of kin” (it actually says that) to a Scottish Castle Laird named “Dimwitty McGoof”.
So, from this, might we infer that Goofy’s surname is actually “McGoof”, and “Goofy” is merely a derivative nickname thereof?
That’s why I always say, “To each his or her own canon!” - and, if the powers that be at IDW declare his formal name is “Goofus D. Dawg”, I’m certainly fine with that, and will reflect it in my future dialogues.
And, starting tomorrow (Saturday, July 25), we can move over to a new post devoted specifically to IDW’s MICKEY MOUSE # 2 – and gather our Mickey # 2 comments there, since that issue seems to draw the most attention in this thread!
Now, if someone could just tell me whatever happened to “George Geef”…
This month I feel that Mickey, Donald and WDC&S were, what I like to call, "Masterpeice issues", issues that are perfect in every way. I gotta be honest though, U$#4 was a very disapointing issue to me. These long 44 page German stories just aren't very good. Sure the ART is great but the plot is way to long and boring, dispite Gary Leach's great dialogue. One MAJOR problem I had in this story is just how much of a jerk Scrooge was. The way he treated his old partner and Donald and the boys made me actively root against him. This was not helped by the fact that Donald and HD&L couldn't afford FOOD. The Disney studio story with Belle Duck wasn't great either. It was incredibly standard fare, I knew the ending two pages in. They most likely chose to reprint this story because later Bella Duck stories are better. Coincidentally (or not) Miquel Pujol illustrated a modern story featuring Belle Duck.(http://coa.inducks.org/story.php?c=D+2010-128) Do I smell... foreshadowing?
I would love to read the Batman 66 version of Harley. I honestly HATE the modern version of Harley. They taken a fun silly character and ruined her for me by making her more darker, tragic and psychotic in a realistic way... It's just sucks all the fun from the character (which happened to a lot of DC character who they tried to make more serious/realistic/darker) This is why I'm glad they having series like 66 or Brave and the Bold.
Call me old fashion but I prefer Superhero world which is fun and colorful. And yes, I enjoy darker aspects as well but when you go to far it's just missing the point of what made us love these universes in the first place.
Pan:
I couldn’t agree with you more!
That’s why I gave up most DC Comics with “The New 52”. Now going only with BATMAN ’66, and the current BIZARRO and BAT-MITE limited series – because they are fun. BIZARRO, especially, sucked me in by using a version of King Tut! ASTRO CITY will always remain on my DC list, but it’s not a “true” DC Comic, is it?
And, I must never forget the great SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP title also from DC! That is wonderful!
In the ‘80s, and especially the ‘90s, you couldn’t find a bigger DC fan than me. Like IDW today, they could do no wrong, and every title was a great experience. But, I can’t say I feel that way today.
The current version of Harley is particularly distasteful, as she was created to BE light and fun, and act as a counterpart to The Joker. This is a prime example of exactly how DC lost one of its biggest fans – and one that spent quite a bit on their product.
BTW - I'm view recently all your articles about SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP comics and they look very fun and interesting. I wish they would came out in Poland.
I would love to see Scooby/Popeye crossover ;)
SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP is great fun, Pan. I can’t say it enough.
I doubt we’ll ever see Popeye, as the team-ups are naturally limited to DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera, and Warner Bros. characters.
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