On Sale January 13, 2016: MICKEY MOUSE # 8 from IDW!

No, that's not a little blue SMURF on the cover of MICKEY MOUSE # 8 (Legacy Numbering # 317) from IDW!  Though I certainly can understand some confusion among the uninitiated.  

Meet ATOMO BLEEP-BLEEP (Don't look at me, I didn't name him!), a child-human sized sentient ATOM complete with electrons orbiting his head, pal to Mickey Mouse, and one of the more wonderfully bizarre creations to spring from the wonderfully bizarre imagination of the great Italian Disney comics creator Romano Scarpa!  

...Yep, Romano Scarpa even had to "one-up" the also wonderfully bizarre Bill Walsh and his strange and quirky (but now generally accepted as part of canon) creation of "Man of Tomorrow" EEGA BEEVA, with a walking talking ATOM!  

Eega and Atomo... sure makes GOOFY seem completely normal, eh?  

Anyway, for those who wouldn't know our little blue friend, er... "from atom", (pardon) his origin story first appeared in the United States in Gemstone's MICKEY MOUSE ADVENTURES # 11, in Scarpa's story titled here "Mickey Mouse in the Delta Dimension".     

Look really closely, and you'll see it's PETE firing that formidable atomic cannon dingus! 

Oh, and meet Atomo Bleep-Bleep!  

Now that we've met him, we can all enjoy him in "The Chirikawa Necklace" (Part 1 of 2), originally from the Italian publication TOPOLINO # 230 (1960), written and drawn by the great Romano Scarpa.  Brought to us via translation by everyone's favorite Archival Editor David Gerstein, and dialogued in American English by Jonathan Gray and the aforementioned Editor Gerstein!  

Indeed, David and Jonathan thoughtfully offer a quick recap of Atomo's origin, for those who've never read MICKEY MOUSE ADVENTURES # 11 - or those like myself, who felt a need to revisit it, before tackling this story.  

So, strap in and let's go!  Or, dare I indulge myself by saying "ATOMO Batteries to Power! Turbines to Speed!" ...No, I won't do that!  Oh, wait...  I just did!  Sorry!  

Anyway, it's a really nice day for Mickey and Atomo...

...Until something strange comes over Mickey!  

Atomo decides to take Mickey to his Aunt Melinda's farm for some needed rest... leading to one of my major pet peeves!  

Shouldn't Mickey's Aunt Melinda be a MOUSE?  

Um... "Little Mick-Mick"?!  That's PURE Jonathan Gray! 

Perhaps she is, old and worn with her ears bobbed under all that gray hair - but I don't think so.  

While Casty's more contemporary creation Eurasia Toft may not have the pronounced ears, she still looks like a mouse - and she's not even a relation!  

And, let's see... While Mickey is resting at Aunt Melinda Mouse's(?) farm, there is a series of strange robberies.  

Nice reference by Jonathan to the Mickey Mouse cartoon "Symphony Hour" (1942), one of the better Mickey color cartoons!  

We find PETE in jail, and are introduced to his main squeeze "Trudy Van Tubb"...

Though this is the introductory story for Trudy, we've seen her previously in THIS STORY!  

It seems that, long ago, Aunt Melinda once had a unique looking necklace...

Mickey was kidnapped as a baby...

Digression: I guess Aunt Melinda looked more like a "Mouse" when she was younger?

...And the price for his return was the necklace!  

Aw, ain't he the cutest Li'l Mick-Mick, though?

But, guess who's wearing the necklace today?  

Lot's of weird stuff like this (What? You expected different from Romano Scarpa?) makes "The Chirikawa Necklace" (Part 1 of 2) a MUST READ!  I can't wait to see where this goes in Part Two!  

Golden Age British creator Wilfred Haughton gives us (but not Mickey) a break when the "Rent Man" comes calling.  As it's 1935, it's probably not unusual that even Mickey is in arrears.  

Seeing this, I can't help but recall the futile pursuits of "Percy the Rent Man" in the (also) British comic strip ANDY CAPP.

We close with (Ta-Dah!) SUPER GOOF in "Polar Opposition" (1972), writer unknown, penciled by classic Disney and funny animal comics artist Jack Bradbury, inked by Steve Steere, translated by our own David Gerstein, and titled and dialogued by perhaps the greatest Super Goof fan on the planet - Yours Truly!  

Though the issue's credits page states this story's first publication was in Brazil, it actually originated with the Disney Studio Program in Burbank, CA - also known as an "S" Coded story.  

As such, it is typically straightforward, moving its characters from "Point A" to "Point B", without much of the funny and outright weird stuff associated with the Italian product.  

That means it's all the more incumbent upon me to make it read as lively (and, hopefully funny) as I can.  I had particular fun with the CAPTIONS, purposely over-dramatizing and gagging them up whenever possible.  

For instance, I'll NEVER TELL what Super Goof's amazing last mission was... 'cause, if I do, I'll probably have to kill... me!  

This issue is just chock full of characters you've seen before, but probably don't remember where!  First Atomo Bleep-Bleep then maybe Trudy Van Tubb, and now Dr. Dunk - who, in our story, freezes the oceans solid!

The Dunk-debut was in the aptly-titled "Super Goof meets Mad Doctor Dunk"...

...in Gemstone's MICKEY MOUSE MEETS BLOTMAN special of 2005.  

In freezing the oceans, Dr. Dunk also traps Super Goof, now reverted to plain old Goofy - for some fun with overwrought captions!  

And here's something I've ALWAYS wanted to do... 

After all, it's difficult enough to wait a month for the conclusion to "The Chirikawa Necklace", much less having ME do it to you too!  

And, does anyone remember the over-dramatic narration from MIGHTY MOUSE cartoons: "What a mouse!  WHAT A MOUSE!"?  Well, here it is - Super Goof style!  

One thing you can say for Doctor Dunk, he keeps up with other villains!  

After all, if DC Comics can have at least FIVE "Freeze-Villains" (Mister Freeze, Captain Cold, Icicle, Killer-Frost, and Chilblain), why can't WE have the same!  

David gave me a little present here!  My first named "Freeze-Villain" was originally "Dr. Tempo" from this classic early issue of SUPER GOOF.  It certainly seemed apt.   

But, he did me one better by (Ahem!) "freezing Tempo out" and adding Prince Penguin, from Disney Comics' MICKEY MOUSE ADVENTURES # 11-14 (1991)

The other two "Freeze-Villains", "Old King Cold and The Ice-Spy" were my own inventions, so don't scour you long boxes looking for them.   

Needles to say, eventually even Super Goof figures it out - leaving Doctor Dunk in quite the funk  

So, don't let the cold of January (...or, of Doctor Dunk) stop you from picking up MICKEY MOUSE # 8 (Legacy Numbering # 317) from IDW!  'Cause things are "heating-up" for Mickey and Atomo Bleep-Bleep!  (Honest, I had nothing to do with that name!) 

It's the first issue of MICKEY MOUSE with IDW's new cover format!  

Just remember, I do not speak for IDW, or anyone in its employ.  I speak strictly for myself as both a long-time fan and as a dialogue creator – and those opinions are strictly my own.

Then, let's all meet back here in the Comments Section to discuss another great issue from IDW - and, hopefully, avoid spitting in each other's faces when we do!  

...Only little blue atom-guys are able to get away with that!  

Cover Me, I'm Going In!

I've been an officially credited dialogue creator for these comics since 2006 and, peripherally to one small extent or another, a minor party to the process longer than that.  In view of this, I must say that finding my name on the cover of issues I've contributed to, with the coming of IDW, is both a new and flattering experience.  

So, when something happens that in any way modifies this, I find it worth noting.  

This past Saturday (January 09, 2016), to mark the first signs of the passing of my (all together now...) "horrifically busy period", I picked up the three Disney comic book titles from IDW.  

They were previously thought to look like this...

But, instead, they looked like this!  

Let's "compare a pair" of these covers, shall we?  

Oddly, the IDW logo has become SMALLER.  

But, in comparison, the issue number, and the legacy issue number have become considerably larger.  

Now, I don't know about diminishing the size of your publisher branding - especially when a publisher has AS MUCH TO BE PROUD OF as IDW.  Golly, it's not as if they were Charlton, or sumpthin'!   

But, I DO like the greater prominence of the issue number.  In a world where alternate covers abound, the issue number becomes all the more important when rifling through a back-issue-bin for that one issue you missed.  You may not recognize the cover but, with this large an issue number, you'll know immediately if it's an issue you need... or already have!  

The CREATOR CREDITS have also moved - from the upper left side beneath the IDW logo, issue numbers, and price, to the TOP CENTER of the cover!  ...Above the name of "Walt Disney", in fact!  Though in a smaller font.  

Now, this would seem to allow for a greater number of creators to be listed, as you can see the names of Carlo Chendi, Lars Jensen, and Francisco Rodriguez Peinado have been added to the DONALD DUCK cover...

...And Wilfred Haughton, Jack Bradbury, and Yours Truly have been added to the MICKEY MOUSE COVER! 

Yet, strangely, the name of Bob Ogle was not added to the cover of WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES -- and Tony Strobl, who WAS on the earlier version, is omitted from this one!  

Ogle's absence is a particular shame, as I believe he was only credited in one American Disney comic prior to this - Disney Comics Album # 8 "Super Goof: The World's Silliest Super-Hero", the text introduction for which just happened to be my own first professional credit!  

Click to enlarge text excerpt and credits.  

Another thing... apparently sometimes, as in the case of this Alternate Cover to MICKEY MOUSE # 8, the creator credits are MOVED TO THE BOTTOM of the cover! 

At least we're a bit more properly positioned in relation to the name of Mr. Disney!  

The fact that is is an alternate (or "Sub Cover") is also more clearly identified.  

The only mystery remaining is why this did not apply to UNCLE SCROOGE # 10 - also a January, 2016 release.  Wouldn't you have expected ALL releases for the month to exhibit this change in cover format?  

So, what say you all about the new covers?  Our Comments Section is always open!