It took longer than I expected to obtain a copy of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse by Floyd Gottfredson
Color Sundays: “Robin Hood Rides Again”, but was it ever worth the
wait!
Beyond the absolute BEST presentation these Floyd
Gottfredson Mickey Mouse Sunday newspaper strips have ever had in the United
States (…I can’t speak for “The World”
-- but, could be!), there are the introductions, essays, and other text features
that continue to make the Fantagraphics Gottfredson Mickey Mouse collected
series one of the finest archival products on the market!
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| It doesn't get better than THESE, folks! |
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| Meet Mortimer! Mickey's sorry HE did! |
I have an introductory piece on the “Mickey’s Rival” (which
introduced thorn-in-the-side Mortimer Mouse), and “Helpless Helpers” arcs, with Donald Duck and
Goofy hampering “Do-It-Yourself-er-Mickey” (page 18), but some the best
surprises are to be found elsewhere in the volume!
And, when you can surprise ME, or teach me something I
didn’t know about this stuff, I call that REALLY special!
For instance, in “Of
Blots and Stressed-Out Bodies” (an appreciation by Tom Neely), I learned that
the mystery adversary in the issue below of IDW’s recent POPEYE comic book
series was actually a homage to the Phantom Blot. (page
15)
And J.B. Kaufman, in his foreword “Mickey’s Sunday Best: Moving On”, tells us that “Helpless
Helpers”, one of the very arcs I wrote about, marked the first appearance
of the post-Dippy Dawg character of GOOFY (“…both his name and his appearance consistent with those of his screen
counterpart”) in the Sunday strip. (page
9)
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| Remember Dippy? |
Wow, if I had only known it was such a milestone for the Goof, I
might not have suggested in my intro that the story as a whole might have seemed
“stronger overall” by eliminating
Goofy’s lone strip and concentrating exclusively on Donald. Yeah, I really said that.
I hope to make up for that misplaced suggestion in the next
volume of Mickey Mouse by Floyd Gottfredson,
where I hope to contribute something REALLY special.
It’s the Phantom Blot volume… Don’t miss it!
You wouldn't want to anger the Blot, would you?
UPDATE: Additional illustrations that refer to our Comments Section:
Is this "Dippy" or "Goofy" -- or HALF OF EACH? You Decide!
And, just because he was mentioned in the comments: SUPER GOOF!
ADDITIONAL UPDATE: Another illustration below that refers to our Comments Section! There seem to be as many "surprises" in the Comments, as there are in the book itself! ...And, that's the best thing a Blogger could ask for!
Where's Mickey, in the "purple section" to the left? Find out in out Comments Section!
Why has this series – which nicely reflected Silver Age
Batman comics, because it was written by such Silver Age DC Comics writers as
Bob Haney and George Kashdan – never been released to DVD? 
