Why isn't there more demand for Mickey Mouse comics ??

[dekeuk]

I have never seen much of a demand for Mickey Mouse comics. He takes a back seat to Donald Duck, and even Donald's popularity does not reach that of superhero comics.

 

I recently bought a book about Mickey Mouse memorabilia for 10 cents at a thrift store and was quite surprised at just how big a star Mickey was in the 1930's. Reading the book you get the feeling that if you walked into any store in America at any time from 1930 to about 1937 you would see Mickey's face on about 20% of the products in the store.

 

Mickey was on EVERYTHING that could me manufactured. His popularity continued to this day, but in the 1930's it seems he was bigger than Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Britney, and Hannah Montana combined.

 

Here is just one page below that gives you an indication of how HUGE Mickey was in merchandising in the 1930's. So if he made such a huge cultural impact, why is there so little demand for Mickey comics?

 

 

[Senormac]

Good question. I know there are a few artists who did Mickey but I can't for the life of me tell you any of their names. The guy (or gal?) who drew the continued mystery stories at the back of WD Comics and Stories in the late 50's has always been a favorite of mine. Sadly.......this is my only Mickey book, but hey, at least I got one

 

[Blind Owl]

I think it's because Barks was so popular doing Donald, that Gottfredson (as good as he was)....couldn't help but be overshadowed by Barks..and the great story-telling also with the three nephews and what not made Donald magical.

 

But Mickey is I think as you have stated ..is a little under-rated...and should be a little higher up the comic book food chain....

[jordanscott]

Misleading title.

 

I thought this was going to be a thread about the drop in readership of X-Men related titles.

 

[Bronty]

I don't know. some of the early mickeys are very good but so many of the mickey comic stories I've read bore me to tears.

 

Between that and his becoming a bland corporate mascot I'm not too surprised why there isn't much interest

[HouseofComics.Com]

Do Donalds appeal more to men and that's why there's a ton more demand and why the books go for more? This hobby is dominated by males.

 

My companion question to the main question in this thread is why is there no demand for Bugs Bunny? I've only met three Bugs collectors in my life.

[dekeuk]

 

 

My companion question to the main question in this thread is why is there no demand for Bugs Bunny? I've only met three Bugs collectors in my life.

 

BUGS was always my favorite cartoon when I was a kid. I could still watch them today and be highly entertained, as long as they are not those censored versions with all the good violence cut out.

 

 

[Senormac]

My companion question to the main question in this thread is why is there no demand for Bugs Bunny? I've only met three Bugs collectors in my life.

 

Nice to meet you Actually, I'm only interested in early Looney Tunes and Four Colors. Does that qualify?

 

Heres a couple Mickey artists, who are to me unidentified. The first might be Gottfriedson. His work is OK... (from C & S #111) I love the work by this second guy. The stories are always adventure or mystery. Pretty well written and excellently drawn IMO. (from C & S #191 )

 

 

 

 

[rjpb]

I think it's because Barks was so popular doing Donald, that Gottfredson (as good as he was)....couldn't help but be overshadowed by Barks..and the great story-telling also with the three nephews and what not made Donald magical.

 

But Mickey is I think as you have stated ..is a little under-rated...and should be a little higher up the comic book food chain....

 

I picked up all the Gottfredson reprints that Gladstone put out around 20 years ago - I found his stuff to be as entertaining as Barks' Duck stories and while I can see why Barks' holds a special place in the pantheon of comic greats, I am surprised that Gottfreson remains relatively obscure.

Is it because his stuff originally appeared as newspaper strips that were later collected in comics?

[Blind Owl]

My companion question to the main question in this thread is why is there no demand for Bugs Bunny? I've only met three Bugs collectors in my life.

 

Nice to meet you Actually, I'm only interested in early Looney Tunes and Four Colors. Does that qualify?

 

Heres a couple Mickey artists, who are to me unidentified. The first might be Gottfriedson. His work is OK... (from C & S #111) I love the work by this second guy. The stories are always adventure or mystery. Pretty well written and excellently drawn IMO. (from C & S #191 )

 

 

 

 

I don't know who that artist is...but it doesn't look like Gottfredson to me

 

Maybe some other Board members might know.....like Scrooge...

[Scrooge]

Heres a couple Mickey artists, who are to me unidentified.

 

No longer

 

 

(from C & S #111)

 

Art by Moores -

 

Moores (December 12, 1909, Lincoln, Nebraska - April 22, 1986, Asheville, North Carolina)

 

Education/training Fort Wayne Art School - Chicago Academy of Fine Arts - Chouinard Art School, Los Angeles.

 

Animated films Telecomics Inc. (independant studio run by him and Jack Boyd): TV commercials 1950-1951.

 

Comic-book, comic strips, illustrations Assistant artist for Chester Gould on Tracy 1931-1936. - -script and artwork for his own newspaper strip Jim Hardy/Windy and Paddles 1936-1942. - Disney Studios 1942-1956 (newspaper strips): Uncle Remus Sunday page 1946-1950, pencils for Scamp (daily edition) 1955-1956 and (Sunday edition) 1956. Inker for Manuel Gonzales on Early Sunday Color Comics 1950-1951 and Treasury of Classic Tales 1953-1956, inker for Floyd Gottfredson on Mickey Mouse (daily edition) 1942-1945, occasional ghost artist for Floyd Gottfredson on Mickey Mouse (daily edition) 1944-1945. - Western Publishing: Comic-book artwork for Warner Bros. characters (Porky Pig, Bugs Bunny) and Disney characters (Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse a.o.) 1944-1956 Also some scripts. - Assistant artist for Frank O. King on Gasoline Alley 1956-1969. Complete artwork 1969-1986.

 

 

I love the work by this second guy. The stories are always adventure or mystery. Pretty well written and excellently drawn IMO. (from C & S #191 )

 

 

Art by Paul Murry -

 

Paul Murry (November 25, 1911, Saint Joseph, Missouri - August 4, 1989, Palmdale, California)

 

Education/training No art training.

 

Animated films Disney Studios 1938-1945: Inbetweener 1938-1940 (Pinocchio, Fantasia, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck). Animator 1940-1945 (Dumbo, Fantasia, Saludos Amigos, Song of The South).

 

Comic-book, comic strips, illustrations Disney Studios 1942-1946 (newspaper strips): Pencils for Early Sunday Color Comics 1942-1945 and Uncle Remus 1945-1946. Occasional ghost artist for Floyd Gottfredson on Mickey Mouse (daily) 1944-1946. - Western Publishing freelance artist 1946-1947 and fulltime artist 1949-1984. Non-Disney characters: Woody Woodpecker. Almost all Disney characters, especially Mickey Mouse. Also artwork for children's books. - Artwork for his own newspaper strip Buck O'Rue 1951-1952 (-script by Huemer).

[Scrooge]

Maybe some other Board members might know.....like Scrooge...

 

I was working on it when you typed / posted that. I AM predictable

[Blind Owl]

Right on cue!!!!!

[Scrooge]

I think it's because Barks was so popular doing Donald, that Gottfredson (as good as he was)....couldn't help but be overshadowed by Barks..and the great story-telling also with the three nephews and what not made Donald magical.

 

But Mickey is I think as you have stated ..is a little under-rated...and should be a little higher up the comic book food chain....

 

I picked up all the Gottfredson reprints that Gladstone put out around 20 years ago - I found his stuff to be as entertaining as Barks' Duck stories and while I can see why Barks' holds a special place in the pantheon of comic greats, I am surprised that Gottfreson remains relatively obscure.

Is it because his stuff originally appeared as newspaper strips that were later collected in comics?

 

You beat me to the punch rj. Gottfredson is as good and entertaining as Barks but suffers from a lack of committed and consistent reprints. Aside from the one volume of MM reprints from ?? (can't remember) and bootlegs from Germany, there are no Gottfredson's MM collections out there available. It's a shame since, few good MM stories have been written past the early '40's

[rjpb]

Heres a couple Mickey artists, who are to me unidentified. The first might be Gottfriedson. His work is OK... (from C & S #111)

 

 

I'm pretty sure that's not Gotfredson - though it is probably based on his 1930s story often titled "Mickey Mouse and the Seven Ghosts"

[Senormac]

Nice Scrooge

You know many things

 

Paul Murry huh? His stories are very entertaining.

[Scrooge]

Nice Scrooge

You know many things

 

Paul Murry huh? His stories are very entertaining.

 

Well, his art was lively, that particular story was by:

 

Carl Fallberg (September 11, 1915 - May 9, 1996)

 

Animated films Disney Studios 1935-1941: Assistant director 1930s (Snow White). Storyman 1940s (Bambi, the Sorcerer's Apprentice segment of Fantasia). - Famous Studios 1942-?: Animator on Popeye. - Warner Bros.: Story director on Yosemite Sam, Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales 1970. - Hanna-Barbera 1972-1981: Storyman and story director on Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space, Scooby-Doo, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids, The Addams Family, Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch, The All-New Popeye Hour, Laugh-a-Lympics, The Three Robonic Stooges and The Kwicky Koala Show.

 

 

Comic-book, comic strips, illustrations Western Publishing 1953-c. 1971: Comic book -script with characters from Warner Bros. (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Mary Jane & Sniffles, Speedy Gonzales), MGM (Tom & Jerry, Droopy, Sqrewy Squirrel), Walter Lantz (Woody Woodpecker, Andy Panda, Chilly Willy, Homer Pigeon), Hanna-Barbera (The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, The Jetsons), UPA (Mr. Magoo) DePatie-Freleng (Pink Panther, The Inspector) etc. Numerous scripts with Disney characters, especially the continued Mickey Mouse stories that Paul Murry illustrated. Also Donald Duck, Gyro Gearloose, Goofy, Li'l Bad Wolf, Chip 'n' Dale a.o. -script for the newspaper version of Roy Rogers 1950s. - Disney Studios: Numerous scripts for foreign-market comic-book stories 1963-1989 (e.g. many episodes of Goofy Classics in the 1980s). Scripts for newspaper strips: Treasury of Classic Tales (Sunday page) 1974-1985 and Christmas specials (daily strip in December) 1976-1984 and 1987.

[Ze-man]

I don't know. some of the early mickeys are very good but so many of the mickey comic stories I've read bore me to tears.

 

Between that and his becoming a bland corporate mascot I'm not too surprised why there isn't much interest

 

 

I agree, later Mickey is Blah, to me. But I am simply in love with Four Color 16.

 

[Scrooge]

Heres a couple Mickey artists, who are to me unidentified. The first might be Gottfriedson. His work is OK... (from C & S #111)

 

 

I'm pretty sure that's not Gotfredson - though it is probably based on his 1930s story often titled "Mickey Mouse and the Seven Ghosts"

 

Yes, RJ, quite clearly a re-used story.

 

Compare 1) the art: Moores versus Gottfredson and 2) the panel above and the first panel middle tier below: same pose and same dialogue (thumbs u

 

[Doctor Svord]

Because deep down in their hearts everyone knows that Mickey is a Rat ?

 

("You kids better sit there and behave or I'm going to beat you with this bowling pin.")

 

While Donald Duck, on the other hand, is a walking example of "Murphy's Law". He has an Uncle who's an obsessive, a flighty girlfriend, and three nephews who are always stuff up. Half the fun of a Donald Duck comic is waiting for him to blow his cool. It's easier to relate to him as a character.