In 2011, Fantagraphics Publications began releasing a multi-volume prestige format book series with reprints of Gottfredson's classic Mickey Mouse comic strip from the beginning and including the iconic stories used for the Perils of Mickey campaign.Įdited by Mickey Mouse expert David Gerstein and publisher Gary Groth, the books contain not only the comic strips themselves but important and entertaining supplemental material. His last Sunday strip was published on September 19, 1976, and his last daily strip published on November 15, 1976. He started drawing the Mickey Mouse comic strip on May 5, 1930. In addition, there was a sleeping bag, beach towels, colorforms, puzzles, coloring books, storybooks, rubber stamps, Viewmaster reels, puffy stickers, Tiger Electronics handheld LCD, limited edition Lionel train Hi-cube box cars, school back pack, lunch box, toys, bendable figures, key chain, water bottle, buttons, posters, clothing (like a varsity jacket) and much more.īorn May 5, 1905, cartoonist Floyd Gottfredson was inducted as a Disney Legend in 2003 for his contributions for over four-and-a-half decades to the Mickey Mouse comic strip. He does the famous Mickey Mouse giggle and says "Gosh, this is swell!" Apparently, there was also a talking Minnie Mouse but I never saw that one although I have since seen it advertised for sale on eBay. So he contacted the syndicate and they left it in."Ī flood of merchandise (most difficult to obtain today and sometimes even generally unknown to many collectors at the time) was unleashed in support of "The Perils of Mickey" marketing campaign in hopes of revitalizing Mickey Mouse as a vibrant heroic figure on his 65 th birthday.įor instance, I have in my collection a 5-inch tall talking PVC Mickey Mouse Mail Pilot figure that many of my friends never saw offered for sale. He thought it was a good adventure and was confident that we had a way of making the resolution of the peril humorous. I took the photostats to Walt and he just laughed. King Features sent us a frantic telegram that they were going to cut out the entire sequence because the alligators would upset women and children reading the newspaper. In a 1979 interview, cartoonist Gottfredson told me about the comic strip sequence that originally ran in late 1932/early 1933 that inspired that striking image, "There was one sequence where Mickey grabs a pole and vaults over this alligator pit but as he is leaping, the pole breaks. The main iconic image for the series was Mickey Mouse swinging on a rope over a pit of hungry green alligators with their mouths wide open that certainly referenced a sense of impending peril. Its formula inspired other similar films, television commercials, animated cartoons and much more. The phrase, of course, was meant to reference "The Perils of Pauline", the iconic cliffhanging silent movie serial where the heroine is constantly menaced by a variety of villains and dangers but escaping at the last minute. In conclusion, a wonderful short.In 1993-1994 the Walt Disney Company launched an extensive branding campaign called "The Perils of Mickey" inspired by vintage Floyd Gottfredson comic strip art and stories from the 1930s. Mickey is in his dashing, brave hero side, a side I've always loved to him, Minnie is likable and Pete is appropriately menacing. The music from the energetic title number, repeated throughout in varying ways, to the incidental music is delightful, catchy and beautifully orchestrated. The animation is outstanding also, it is lovingly shaded, very dynamic and keeps the action in full focus. As well as the comedic element, there is a romantic edge that is endearingly sweet, you can really tell that Mickey and Minnie are fond of each other. The inventive ways in which Mickey keeps the plane going is also a delight, as well as the subtle gag with the oil. The gags are just great, especially the one where Pete is being dragged through a church steeple. The story may seem somewhat standard playing as a Mickey vs.Pete scenario, but it is never dull and what is done with it is done in a fresh way. While The Mail Pilot was not one of the Disney shorts that I grew up with, I do consider it now one of their finest from the 1932-3 era.
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