The Other Guy

[rich.bellacera@amail.amdahl.com]

70304.2462 (whoever this is) says:
> Mickey Mouse's popularity is fading fast.  Ninety percent of this lists
> discussions focus on ducks.  Egmont publishes a lot more ducks than mice.
> And Gladstone isn't even publishing a Mickey Mouse comic book.  Two
> questions:
>
> Why are Donald and Scrooge more popular than Mickey?
>
> What could be done to make Mickey more popular?

I am, and always will be (I presume) a great mouse fan, but in my humble
opinion, the reason for Mickey demise on the public scene (at least the
perception of such) has to do with his lack of any "regular" outlet.  What
I mean is that the Ducks are popular because they're available.  The Mouses
are not.  Sure, Mickey is synonymous (or should that be synonymouse?) with
everything and anything "Disney", but we fans don't get to see him and his
lady in any capacity other than as M.C. for various Disney T.V. special (far
to seldom), or in occasional reprints of comics or in repeat telecasts of
old 30's thru 50's cartoons.  I've heard it expressed before on the Net, and
on the Ranger-List, and I concur that what Mickey needs is a regular "NEW"
cartoon show.  He did appear in the 1991 cartoon featurette "The Prince & The
Pauper" but the last time before that was back in 1984(?) in "Mickey's
Christmas Carol."   And before that I guess it was "Mickey & The Beanstalk"
in 1960's(?).  We don't get treated to much concerning him.  There was the
short-lived "Mickey Mouse Adventures" in Disney Comics which featured all new
tales of Mickey, Minnie, and Pete.  It even returned all new tales of some
old villians like Emil Eagle and the Phantom Blot (and even gave him a
daughter, the Phantom Brat), but I think Mickey's popularity suffered due to
a lack of exposure in the same way that the Ducks' popularity prospered due
to the presentation of T.V.'s "Ducktales."  Ducktales was instrumental for
driving some people into the realm of comics under Gladstone and then under
Disney, and for others, like me, it brought some "back" to Disney comics after
a long hiatus into the Marvel realm.  I don't have any statistics to prove
this, but it is a general 'feel' that I've gotten with respect to
conversations, and various articles I've read.

I vote for a NEW Mickey Mouse comic (not just Mickey & Donald that Gladstone
will be publishing which will be reprints) which will feature all new tales of
Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Morty & Ferdie, Molly(?) and other long lost characters
of Mickey's gallery (Emil, Prof. Einmug, Capt. Churchmouse, Uncle Mortimer,
Eega Beeva, Dangerous Dan & Idgit, Col. Doberman, Sylvester Shyster, Chief
Ohara, Tanglefoot, and even Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar).  I'd
like to see all new Pluto comics featuring Fifi the Peke (Minnie's pooch),
Butch the Bulldog, Ronnie, Dinah, and even guest appearances by other famous
Disney Dogs like Lady & Tramp and li'l Scamp, Pongo, Perita and some of the
puppies, Dodger, Tito and others from Oliver & Company, etc.  And, since
statistics supposedly show that a larger female audience reads Disney than
other Comic groups then maybe Disney/Gladstone should cater to that audience
some, perhaps increase its readership even more, by adding Minnie'n Me
stories. But most of all: DISNEY SHOULD MAKE A REGULAR TV CARTOON FEATURING
MICKEY & MINNIE!

What do y'all think?

-Rich