The Mickey Mouse Villains

[Jonathan H. Gray]

No one's yet mentioned Mickey's villains, but I
>think it would be interesting to compare, say, Black Pete and the Phantom
>Blot. Pete is like the Beagle Boys in a way, but he also has something in
>common with Glomgold, in that he has tried to kill Mickey several times
>(especially in MICKEY MOUSE IN THE FOREIGN LEGION). The Blot is a very
>complex character, one that I think only Gottfredson has done justice
>to--he can't bear to see anything "suffer" but he's quite willing to
>inflict suffering vicariously through one of his elaborate death-traps.
>

I love the Mickey Mouse Mouse villains to death.

Pegleg/Black Pete, Eli Squinch, The Phantom Blot, Sylvester Shyster, and 
Professors Ecks, Doublex, and Triplex. I even have a soft spot for Paul 
Murrays Emil Eagle when Disney decided to revive him.

Pete is indeed most like the Beagle Boys, but unlike them he has a MUCH MORE 
vicious streak. Especially Gottfredson's Pete. I think one of the most 
shocking things I ever read him doing was in The World Of Tomorrow where 
he'd literally let Professor Numbspiegel almost starve to death. Pete is 
also big and dumb. When he DOES use his brains, he's a menace at best, but 
when he is out to truly hurt unlike the Beagle Boys he gets the job done. 
Its all about being malicious with him.

As far as the Blot goes - I think Romano Scarpa is the only person who has 
ever come close to catching the essence of Gottfredson's Blot. Though I have 
to admit that there was a story done during the Disney era - the two parter 
where it was revealed that the Blot has a daughter. I thought that was one 
of the most touching sad endings as the concluding part was his basically 
telling his daughter a bedtime story before being hauled off to jail for his 
crimes. That was a darn good MM and Blot story.

As far as the rest go - I've always been compelled to wonder why Sylvester 
Shyster was replaced by Eli Squinch. I was always of the opinion that 
Shyster made a MUCH BETTER foil for Pete than Squinch ever did. Squinch was 
just an old crab at best but Gottfredson's Shyster was just a nasty 
malicious prick. :P

And as far as Ecks, Doublex, and Triplex goes, have any new stories been 
done with the trio barring that rather silly one Disney did where they 
merged the Ecks and Doublex? :P

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