Happy New Year 2016!

We thank you for sticking with us during this horrifically busy period - and reward you with a lame "2016 Stunt".

Here's Issue "20" followed by Issue "16" of some of our favorite comic books.  

Sorry, but it's the best I can do while "horrifically busy"!  

Happy New Year 2016!

Mummy Christmas, 2015!

For some time now, I've lamented the fact that "Mummy Fearest", in IDW's UNCLE SCROOGE # 7, did not have a Mummy or Pyramid-Themed Cover.  

But, to the rescue comes our friend Debbie Anne Perry to ensure that we have a "Mummy Christmas" after all.  

Please take Deb's link HERE, and have a very merry (or "mummy") Christmas Day!  Your Pyramid should look this good!  

Added Christmas Bonus:  More Mummy Covers!  May your days be Mummy and Bright...

And, finally a great Christmas Cover, 'cause today's the day!  

On Sale December 09, 2015: MICKEY MOUSE # 7 from IDW!

It matters not that you "see the forest for the trees", as long as you "see" MICKEY MOUSE # 7 (Legacy Numbering # 316) from IDW!  In fact, get "tree copies", one to read, one to share with a friend, and one to bag for investment!   

...Okay, we don't endorse that last thing at this Blog -- never have -- so share the issue with TWO friends!  Who knows, they could become friends for LIFE!   

In it, you'll find "The Christmas Tree Crimes", originally from the Italian TOPOLINO 371 (1962) and New-to-the-USA, written by Abramo and Giampaolo Barosso, with pencils by the great Romano Scarpa and inks by Giorgio Cavazzano - with Translation and Dialogue by yours truly.  

Someone is looking to get his hands on every specimen of a particular type of Christmas fir tree in Mouseton, and that "someone's gang" will stop at nothing to see that he gets his Christmas wish.  

In direct contrast with the fanciful, sci-fi oriented story in our last issue, "The Christmas Tree Crimes" is a straightforward crime/ mystery containing no fantasy elements, making for a nice change of pace for the MICKEY MOUSE title.  

Mickey and Police Chief O'Hara follow a winding, twisting trail of clues and  victims of the the tree-thefts, in what is (certainly to my knowledge) the largest role O'Hara has played in any story I've read.  

Per the Barossos' intent, the identity of villain was to remain a secret until the third-from-last-page...

...But Diamond Distributing's PREVIEWS - not to mention IDW's own internal "Crosstalk" promotional feature gives it away long before that.  

NOOOOOO! 

Too bad, because if I were reading this for the first time, I would have enjoyed the surprise.   

I still won't spoil it... even though this illustration will!  

Spoiled spoilers aside there's lots to like such as the "job title of this guy" in the panel below, that should be familiar to anyone who reads the credits in these comics...

...Lots of phony police, who can't keep their bad grammar in check...

...The Blot getting into the Holiday Spirit... 

...Ever-lovin' Detective Casey...

...And, admit it, didn't you always wanna say this?

As Mickey Mouse mystery stories outside of Floyd Gottfredson's prime period of the 1930s and 1940s go, this is an excellent one.  

Dialoguing it, I found it to be a very "dense" story (in the good sense) with lots of different characters to consider (not to mention "give names to"), and lots of "trees-on-the-go" to keep track of.  

Indeed, it was my most difficult translation and scripting job of all, to the point where I had to diagram the various characters, locations and tree-movements out on paper to ensure I kept proper track of it all.  

The assignments also fell in such a way that I had to break in the middle of this one to do "Plan Dine from Outer Space" for MICKEY MOUSE # 6, and then resume the second half of "The Christmas Tree Crimes".  PERCY the Planet-Eating Space Worm and Eega Beeva were something of a welcome break, before bringing this wonderful who-dunnit to its conclusion!  

You don't get insider stuff like this anywhere else, folks!     

But wait (...as those TV commercials say), there's more...

A Dutch "Goofy Look at Snow", translated and dialogued by Jonathan Gray.

Hey, the "Mouseton Monitor" appears twice in this issue! 

And once, last issue! 

I wonder where we got that from?  

A wonderful Wilfred Haughton One-Page Illustrated Text, from the British MICKEY MOUSE ANNUAL # 1 from 1930!

And "While We Were Waiting", a nice, clever insight into the "complex relationship" between Good Guy Mickey and Bad Guy Pete!  

So, eat that Christmas dinner, as seen on our alternate cover, and give the gift of MICKEY MOUSE # 7 from IDW this holiday season!  Both you and your recipients will be the better for it!  

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 meet 'neath the Christmas Tree (provided our mystery / not-so-mystery villain hasn't stolen it) and fill our Comments Section with Christmas and Other Holiday Joy!