Coming soon is another wonderful book from Fantagraphics (...they sure have some track record, don't they?) MICKEY AND DONALD: FANTASTIC FUTURES collecting the stories that fall under the group title "Once Upon a Mouse in the Future"!
This is a very interesting book, and not just because I did four stories for it, but because it's a whole bunch of different takes on Mickey and the Gang - different types of story, and different types of art - each of which takes a classic Disney animated short and reimagines it "100 Years From Now"!
But, there's more to it than just Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and sometimes Pluto cavorting around as they often did in those classic shorts... While the cover doesn't show it, you'll find Dr. Einmug, Chief O'Hara, and the Phantom Blot in these pages!
...The classic shorts were never like this!
I'd just gotten my contributor's copy as I write this post, so I really haven't dug into it beyond a cursory reviewing of my four stories - but I must say that the best of those four is "Mr. Mouse Takes a Space Trip", which magnificently turns "Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip" on it's great big round ears!
...And there's even a hilarious "great big round ears" gag in the story! I cracked-up even while translating it from it's original Italian!
I'll say no more beyond it having art perfectly suited to its setting and subject matter, but enough! I want you all to enjoy it - and the whole darned book - to the fullest!
And, you WILL enjoy it, too, from the editing expertise of The Incomparable David Gerstein, to the the dialogue stylings you love by Thad Komorowski, Jonathan Gray, and yours truly, this Future's looking Fantastic indeed!
13 comments:
Nice to see the Core Four (by that I mean David, Thad, Jonathan, and Joe, rather than the term's usual meaning of "Walt Disney's Comics and Stories," ""Uncle Scrooge," "Donald Duck," and "Mickey Mouse") reunited again!
On a somewhat related note, I recently purchased the Fantagraphics "Cave of Ali Baba" volume as a Christmas present for myself. Haven't gotten around to reading it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.
On an (even less) related note, but of curiosity, what do you think about the brouhaha over the "Steamboat Willie" version of Mickey Mouse finally being in the public domain?
Interestingly, it's already resulted in a very good comic strip called "Mousetrapped" by R. K. Milholland. Check it out, if you haven't already: https://mousetrappedcomic.blog/archive
As soon as I learned my old friend and correspondent, Francesco Artibani (of "Scrooge's Last Adventure"), was behind this series, I knew we had to localize it.
I've just gotten to see it in physical form myself, and I'm thrilled at how nice it came out!
Lurking in its editorial pages, by the way, is a new find—a small group of storyboard drawings by Carl Barks and Harry Reeves, circa 1942, for a shelved Donald/Chip 'n Dale cartoon—then called "Nuts"—that, in the postwar years, evolved into both Trailer Horn (featured in this book) and Winter Storage.
The late Jack Hannah used to claim that Chip 'n Dale were created to work with both Pluto and Donald, but historians (including me!) tended to scoff at this, because "everyone knew" Chip 'n Dale were only paired with Pluto for their first four years!
Now we see what Hannah was talking about: early attempts to pair them with Donald began development much, much earlier than anyone expected, even before Barks' departure.
Thanks to the Disney Photo Library for locating photos of these storyboards, no longer held in original art form—and thus missed by all of us working on various Barks books before this.
Most exciting! Will definitely be getting this one (though it sort of goes without saying with Disney Fantagraphics output, especially when you're involved).
Once again, necessity has forced me to temporarily step away from the Blog - and sorry for that! Let's get to those comments... and maybe we'll even have another post tonight!
Achille:
Thank you for those always-kind words! This was a particularly fun one to do – and I think you’ll find it to be a fun read as well! Certainly, something out of the ordinary, at the very least.
…And, yes (sadly) I do owe you some correspondence – my bad! I’ll have to make increased-and-timely-communications a New Year’s Reso-NEW-tion, since the “old ones” never stick! …Can I do it? Well, I’m sure going to try…
David:
Be sure to thank Francesco Artibani for every moment of fun I had in translating and dialoguing those wonderful stories – and for every moment of fun I presume Achille and everyone will have in reading them!
Just as I thank YOU for “knowing you had to localize them”! And (…I’ll only presume to speak for myself – but I’m sure it applies all around) handing them out to the individual “T&Ders” you knew would do the best job with each of them! …But, hey… That’s what you ALWAYS do – and I, for one, appreciate it!
I (“for the SAME one”) also appreciate the archive-diving you do, so nicely exemplified by the Barks/Reeves Donald/Chip ‘n’ Dale storyboards, teaching us (both old hands and new) things we never new…, er “knew”! Just another reason these Fantagraphics books are SO GREAT!
Now, if you’ll join me in that New Year’s Reso-NEW-tion about communicating, life will be just… “ducky”! :-) …Quack!
Sergio:
You write: “Nice to see the Core Four (by that I mean David, Thad, Jonathan, and Joe, rather than the term's usual meaning of "Walt Disney's Comics and Stories," ""Uncle Scrooge," "Donald Duck," and "Mickey Mouse") reunited again!”
Well, I like to think of David, Thad, Jonathan, and myself as the “OTHER Core Four”… or “The Core Four Behind The Core Four”, if you will!
I’m not certain if that results in “Two Core Fours”, or “One-Great-Eight-Stradling-The-Two-Separate-Core-Four-Categories-Of-Titles-And-Creators”, but I’ll take it either way!
And, if you were to add the ACTUAL “Core Four” of the New York Yankees (Derek Jeter; Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettite) from which I appropriated the designation and applied it to Disney comics, you would have THREE Core Fours!
Oh, but that doesn’t sit right, almost dictating that we add another Core Four for the sake of equilibrium… Okay, let’s try out a few…
Classic Era Comics Publisher Core Four: (Dell, Gold Key, DC, and Charlton)?
Irwin Allen Core Four: (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel, Land of the Giants)?
Star Trek Core Four: (TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager)?
Alfred Hitchcock Core Four: (Psycho, The Birds, Rear Window, North by Northwest)?
Animation Studio Core Four: (Warner Bros., MGM, Hanna-Barbera, and… oh, I guess Disney)?
I’VE GOT IT! My Personal Core Four: (Esther, Averi, Cici, and Logan)! YEAH, THAT’S IT!
…WOW, that was a lot of time spent on “Core Fours”! Let’s move on!
You will very definitely enjoy reading "Cave of Ali Baba", as you would any Disney comics collection from Fantagraphics! This one, however, is “just that much more special” because it covers the period of transition from Dell to Gold Key [SEE “Classic Era Comics Publisher Core Four”] and all of the graphic style upheaval that came with it!
I’ve been writing about the oddities of that period for a few decades now (having lived through it), but I don’t think it ever came together better than it does here. AND you will see a version of an unfinished Carl Barks story – completed by Daan Jippes – that you won’t see anywhere else! Not to be confused with the version of that same story that Don Rosa finished, which was published years ago, this is a Fantagraphics exclusive!
And, to round out that list of “things that you won’t see anywhere else”, you can check out my copiously-detailed indexing of this book for GCD! It’s a long-ongoing work-in-progress (as are all books of such length) but I add to it in small chunks, as that’s how my editor at GCD prefers it. In fact, I just added to it yesterday, so it’s a good time to look in. You can see that HERE!
Finally, to your question about the "Steamboat Willie" version of Mickey Mouse finally being in the public domain…
That’s an issue for a post of its own but my snap judgement says “I don’t like it!” As often as I tend to not see things the way Disney tends to, I feel the character is better off in their hands than in the indiscriminating, “let’s-trash-it-just-because-we-can”, “shock-for-shock-value’s-sake” hands of others!
Everybody and their revoltingly opportunistic brothers will be doing their own versions of AIR PIRATES FUNNIES, each more repulsive than the last. That’s not to really say *everyone* will go that route, but do you trust human nature circa 2024?
Look no further than what such persons have already done with Winnie-the-Pooh to validate my position.
If I had MY way, I’d give the exclusive rights to ALL VERSIONS of the characters to David Gerstein! He’d treat them unfailingly with the proper respect and love! …And, hey, it would mean more work for me, to boot! :-)
I would absolutely NOT create an Air Pirates/slasher version of Steamboat Willie or Winnie the Pooh. That would be like writing awful things about my long-time friends. Mickey and Pooh have their distinctive voices, and the real challenge in writing them is not making them do out of character things that they wouldn’t do, but in finding new things for them to do and making it feel like it’s something that they already would have done.
That’s true, Deb!
YOU would not create such a thing! *I* would not create such a thing. I daresay anyone who gathers ‘round this humble Blog would not create such a thing.
Why? Because we have respect – and yes, love – for the characters, their legacy, and the legacy of their creators.
But, there are WAY too many folks who would… just because they now can… and, with their aberrant visions now able to be legally “monetized”, they’ll all start crawling out from under their slimy rock-covered maggot-holes and do exactly that!
Like THIS! (Check out the bloody knife, “Mickey” is holding!)
First there was “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey.”
Now, get ready for “Steamboat Willie” horror films.
The 1928 version of Mickey Mouse entered the public domain on Monday, and indie horror producers are wasting no time in capitalizing on it.
Steven LaMorte is set to direct an untitled horror-comedy based on Mickey’s cartoon debut. In it, a sadistic mouse will torment a group of unsuspecting ferry passengers. Production is set to begin in the spring.
“Steamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror,” LaMorte said in a press release. “It’s a project I’ve been dreaming of, and I can’t wait to unleash this twisted take on this beloved character to the world.”
“It’s a project I’ve been dreaming of, and I can’t wait to unleash this twisted take on this beloved character to the world.”
Can’t ya just see this clown salivating? Pretty much makes my point for me, wouldn’t you say?
Wouldn’t even be surprised if “LaMorte” is a cooked-up pseudonym, too! If so, I’ll give him credit for the pun – but that’s all!
Yep, yep… Let’s turn Mickey Mouse into Chucky! (…and I like Chucky, but keep him – and his murderous tendencies – in his own universe, where he belongs!)
Oh, I agree, Joe: that planned horror movie sounds really gross. As does "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" (and that film's planned sequel).
All in all, I have mixed feelings about the matter.
On the one hand, many commentators have pointed out that Disney has benefitted handsomely from the public domain for decades, so it's only fair that their original creations eventually enter the public domain. That strikes me as a solid argument.
Also, there's no denying that a lot of classic content only really becomes widely available once it enters the public domain, because the companies that own or owned the characters just don't see reissuing said content as profitable. Case in point: the thousands of public domain comic books available on comicbookplus.com, which even include a few Hanna-Barbera titles.
Yet it saddens me to see the proliferation of such disrespectful projects as "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey." These projects are an indictment of Western culture these days.
Deb says it best: "Mickey and Pooh have their distinctive voices, and the real challenge in writing them is not making them do out of character things that they wouldn’t do, but in finding new things for them to do and making it feel like it’s something that they already would have done."
There's not much we can do about things like "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey," but, ultimately, these weird and offensive takes won't tarnish the image of the characters that have won the hearts of audiences for decades. The "real" Winnie the Pooh and the "real" Mickey Mouse will always be around, be iconic, and be loved.
As for the "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey"'s of the world, they will be quickly forgotten, much like what you describe in your next blog post as those "inappropriate modern animated series that strangely distort" beloved characters.
Which is why I've been pleasantly surprised by "Mousetrapped" so far. R. K. Milholland is best known as the current Sunday illustrator of the "Popeye" comic strip. Sadly, in that role, Milholland doesn't carry on the legacy of his predecessor Hy Eisman and instead "strangely distorts" the characters.
Happily, he eschews that approach in "Mousetrapped," which stars Mickey Mouse exactly as he appears in "Steamboat Willie," along with other public domain cartoon characters. And Mickey is very much in character, at least so far. I'd encourage you to check it out.
Sergio:
There are no clear-cut opinions on this matter… except to ignore, not support, and treat it with all the disdain and scorn that is deserving of such inappropriate crap (… there’s a better descriptive word, but I won’t use it here – for our purposes, “crap” is far enough from my considered and even-tempered norms to sufficiently convey my opinion)!
HOWEVER, you say: “On the one hand, many commentators have pointed out that Disney has benefitted handsomely from the public domain for decades, so it's only fair that their original creations eventually enter the public domain. That strikes me as a solid argument.”
Weellll… yes, but for one important difference… Disney (…and you KNOW, I’ve had my disagreements with THAT corporate entity over the last few decades) may have profited from those tales in the public domain – as will these misfit filmmakers – BUT, unlike these misanthropic DeMilles, Disney treated these legends and folk tales with RESPECT! …(If only Aretha Franklin were here for added emphasis: “R-E-S-P-E-C-T!”)
Pinocchio did not become an axe-murderer, simply because he was made of wood… “Wood”, “axe”… That’s a joke, son! …And a pretty “sharp” one at that!
Snow White never engaged in a “short” ménage à huit (…that’s EIGHT in French, per Google Translate – did I get it right, Achille?) just because she “lived with” seven dwarfs… (feel free to make your own “size-does-or-doesn’t-matter” joke… I ain’t goin’ near that one!)
And Bambi never became “Ram(Bamb)Bo” to violently avenge the death of his mother with lethal commando tactics and an array of gruesome weaponry!
Have I made my point, or do I have to drag more classic Disney film characters through the murky muck?
…Oh, and see? I can be just as deeply perverse at the flip of a switch! Difference is… I CHOOSE NOT TO!
You feel these aberrations will eventually “peter out”… or never “pan-out” in the first place… “Peter”, “Pan”… That’s ANOTHER joke, son! I hope you’re right and they will be just another unpleasant memory – but, while the aforementioned “Air Pirates Funnies” *might* also be “just another unpleasant memory”, it still lingers in the public’s consciousness and has been evoked in the all-too-many recent and current discussions on copyright expiration and public domain.
I can still remember how horrified I was at seeing this thing during my high school years, being such a Dell and Gold Key Comics fan all my life. And the impulse to disgustingly demean and tear down the good works of others is probably more prevalent now (in this vile political climate) than it was at that time.
Hopefully, "Mousetrapped" is – and will remain – an exception to this trend. If you’ve got any sort of link that would give us a sample-peek at it, why don’t you send it along.
"Mousetrapped" is a webcomic exploring what happens to Mickey after the events of "Steamboat Willie." It currently runs Monday-Friday. You can read it every weekday here: https://mousetrappedcomic.blog
That link will show you the latest installment first. To see previous entries and read the strip from the beginning if you're so inclined, just click on "archive."
Sergio:
While it’s not exactly what *I* would do, it’s nevertheless clever, with some good humor in its dialogue – and that’s ALWAYS A PLUS ‘round here!
And, at least as of today (those strips published by January 27, 2024), it’s a damn sight better – and dare I say, more responsible – than those “tasteless-shock-just-because-I-can-do-it now” sorta things, for which I have nothing but contempt.
As you so well put it above: “Hopefully, ‘Mousetrapped’ is – and will remain – an exception to this trend.”
HERE is Sergio’s link to "Mousetrapped". Enjoy it, and let us know what you think.
Thank you for this look into “the future of the Mickey of the past”!
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