Mickey's "popularity" (or lack there of)

[xephyr@cwnet.com]

I don't agree that Mickey's lack of appeal to readers has anything to do
with whether or not he's employed or out detecting the Phantom Blot, but I
certainly agree that the stories Gottfredson wrote for him (also Scarpa,
and, from what few I've seen, Gerstein), as Mickey, to me, works best in
"adventure" sagas, not as a one page or 5 page story.  Mickey's lack of
appeal seems to be more in how very few people can relate to him as a
character.  Mickey is the consummate "good guy."  Donald, by contrast, is
overly emotional, argumentative, and ocassionally even a "bad guy" (not the
way he sometimes treats his Nephews or his cousins, or even Daisy.  Donald
is a lot easier to relate to than Mickey is.  Donald is constantly having
streaks of "bad luck" and misadventures.  Mickey almost ALWAYS comes out on
top as the winner.  I think that this is due to Corporate directive
concerning how the creators are allowed to portray him, but I think this
works to his detriment.  Mickey needs some more versatility.  In the old
days, Gottfredson seemed to write a much more "human" Mickey... one who was
down on his luck, lost with no hope of finding his way home, or whatever,
and the cliff-hangers leave you hoping Mickey will find a way out of his
terrible streak of luck.  

Of ocurse there's much more to Mickey than I just portrayed, but I think
that if Mickey had a personality that people could empathize with,
something that they could relate to that feels similar to their own life,
I'm sure his comics would be more appealing.

Evenso, I love Mickey and, as we currently get no new comics in the USA, I
love to re-read his stories more than Donald and Scrooge's.  I also love
Mickey's supporting cast (Minnie, Horace, Pluto, Morty & Ferdie, Bip-Bip,
Eega Beeva, Bruto, Prof. Einmug, Pete, Trudy, etc.), and wish we could see
more of them here, too (actually Trudy, Bruto & Bip-Bip have never been
published in the USA, but I have several Italian and Brazilian comics with
them).

-Rich Bellacera




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