Friday, August 24, 2007

Friday Night Fights: Get It On, Bang a Gong

It's a familiar scene: Goldfinger's got Bond strapped to the laser table. Luthor has Superman weakened by a kryptonite necklace. Victor Quartermaine has Wallace and Gromit cornered with his bunny-blasting gun. So why do they feel the need to gloat and explain their evil plans to the heroes? Is no villain immune from the hubristic flaw of letting his guard down while gloating? Don't you criminal masterminds know what is about to happen?:

Mickey Mouse #115 panel
Panels from Mickey Mouse #115 (November 1967), art by Paul Murry

Mickey Mouse #115 panel

Mickey Mouse #115 panel

Mickey Mouse #115 panel

Mickey Mouse #115 panel

Gosh! (Or, as Goofy would say, 'Gawrsh!') Remember when Mickey was resourceful, adventurous and physical? Bring back that high adventure Mouse, I say, instead of this giggly, weak, watered-down comedy relief rodent he is in Disney TV and animated cartoons of today. Bring back the Two-Fisted Mouse. Return the Rat of Wrath. Bring back the grand old days of mice gleefully bashing pirate cats in the faces.

Bahlactus is the true Sorcerer's Apprentice.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You should go for the Italian stuff -
http://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/scarpa_romano/scarpa_mickeymouse.jpg

they even had full frontal Mickey Mouse nudity!!!

Seriously though, Romano Scarpa's Mickey Mouse stuff from the 50's is pure genius - he really did for the Mouse what Barks did for the Duck.

SallyP said...

Oh the violence! Won't SOMEone think if the children?

Caleb said...

Soooooo...is that where Simon got the idea for his Wonder Man outfit? Because you'd think the Marvel Universe Disney would have found a way to sue him for it by now.

Gloria said...

I recall reading as a child both the exciting adventures of Mickey (mostly by italian artists) and Donald as a phantomas-like masked adventurer... And also reprints from old stories by karl Barks.

You're right these stories we're lots of fun, but also very entertaining as adventure capers: I agree that Disney tends to underuse their own material.

But then they are most interested in merchandising than in entertaining nowadays.