Disney comic styles

[David A Gerstein]

	Dear Folks,

	James said, "Instead of copying Osbourne and Gottfredson, why
[shouldn't Egmont's creators] use some of their influences.  Imagine 
instead that Egmont chose Dashil Hammet or Raymond Chandler as their 
influence for the writing and for the artwork use some of the old film
noir movies of the 40s and 50s."

	I'm sorry to disagree with you on this, James, but let me
explain why.  Mickey Mouse's personality, in both the best of the
cartoons and the (generally acknowledged) best of the comics, is based
on EXUBERANCE.  The best MM stories come when MM is like a mouse in his
inquisitiveness, curiosity, flightiness and enthusiasm.  A "film noir"
aspect tends to work against that feeling.  Scarpa manages it now and
then (see "Kali's Nail", MM 254-255), but most of the time stays clear
of it, because a grim aspect neutralizes what makes MM different from
other adventure-oriented characters, if he stays in it for long.
	In some of the "Italian Disney Universe" stories by those
other than Scarpa, they've gone overboard with this.  In fact, perhaps
the most direct statement came when Disney-Italy produced a straight
MM version of "Casablanca" a few years back.  Beautifully drawn, but
MM didn't feel quite right in the role.

	I think that Paul Murry's Mickey, who started out enthusiastic
in the early '50s but lost his depth later on, shows what happens to
MM when he has no "life" and mouse-like energy.  The same happens in
Bill Walsh's later stories.  MM gets upstaged by Goofy, Eega Beeva, or
whoever.  He becomes just a mickey mouse character.
	Or else he goes OUT of character, even when remaining
interesting.  The best MM story done by Disney Comics, "A Phantom Blot
Bedtime Story," had this problem.  Basically an excellent Blot scheme,
but the attempts at creating a Hammett-like atmosphere in the story
made Mickey into a very grim, angst-filled character.  He sorta
stopped being Mickey now and then.

	Egmont, it's true, makes some mediocre stories with the Ducks
and MM, but they DO have some Duck stories I have really enjoyed, and
their MMs are striding ahead right now.  In the coming months I will
be doing several MM stories, and for me, it's an HONOR to try fitting
my feet into Gottfredson's footsteps.  I don't think I'm causing
stagnation if I do a good job.
	And if I do a mediocre job -- well, it isn't going to hurt
anything in Europe, where Disney characters are loved and respected.
I'll just try NOT to do a job like that, and if a story ends up poor,
why, I'll just make sure Gladstone doesn't reprint it.

	I think that Disney comics have only stagnated, really, in
America, and it's simply because our mainstream pop culture has
drifted away from literate comics, and the alternative pop culture
(I'm generalizing here -- what I mean is a LOT of alternative pop
culture) likes literate things, but only when they're iconoclastic and
bristling with rage and hate.  I won't try to explain why I think this
is -- it's not all due to television -- but that's no reason to
attempt to force other countries, which are satisfied and enamored of
their Disney comics, to endure things which are to them, "foreign."

	David Gerstein
	<David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu>