While The Walt Disney Company has been around since 1923, the comics didn’t get their start until Mickey Mouse’s first daily strip in 1930, initially written by Walt himself and drawn by Disney legend Ub Iwerks. From those humble beginnings, Disney comic creations branched out into other strips and eventually comic books, while also fostering homegrown talent and content in international markets. Indeed, it’s the international players who have primarily kept the flame burning the past few decades, as clearly evidenced by the selections in the book.
Buy Disney Comics: Around the World in One Hundred Years: Deluxe EditionThe holy trinity of early Disney comics glory are all represented in the book. No, not Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. The true power trio are Floyd Gottfredson, Al Taliaferro, and Carl Barks, who popularized the comic adventures of Mickey Mouse, Silly Symphonies, and Donald Duck/Uncle Scrooge. Diehard Disney comics fans will likely have most of their material in other collections, but there is one perk to its inclusion here: a 40-page run of Gottfredson’s daily black and white Mickey strips now presented in glorious color. The only significant modern U.S. master, Don Rosa, also has an Uncle Scrooge story included.
As the House of Mouse went international, new star comic creators emerged in foreign territories. The book’s roster includes heavy hitters such as Romano Scarpa, Daan Jippes, and Andrea “Casty” Castellan, but it’s the lesser known talents that provide this book with its most fascinating content. That’s partly because, for the most part, that material hasn’t been collected in other U.S. editions, but also because it deviates from the Disney blueprint. Nowhere is this more evident than a rough José Carioca strip from Brazil with exaggerated artwork and new co-stars that likely wouldn’t have passed muster in the U.S. but surely delighted the locals.
The book attempts to provide a comprehensive look at all Disney comics, not just the Mouse and Duck gang. That means we get comics about characters such as Snow White, Lilo and Stitch, and perhaps most surprisingly, the Great Mouse Detective. Duck and Mouse offshoots also appear, including Super Goof, Donald Duckling, and Darkwing Duck. The massive amount of Disney comics produced worldwide surely made for a daunting task of winnowing down to one representative book. While the results can’t possibly please everyone, I found the selection to be consistently entertaining and a fine representation of the magnitude of worldwide Disney comics output through the ages.
Previously released as a slimmer Target exclusive last year, this newly expanded, 328-page Deluxe Edition adds 70 pages and a sturdy slipcase, making this the definitive release. The book is organized by decade starting with 1923-1932, with multiple representative samples of the comics from each era. Additionally, writer David Gerstein provides a one-page overview of the Disney comics developments in each decade, helping to paint a picture of how shifting tastes and international interest have kept the Disney comics train chugging along for nearly a century. Although much of the material has been published in other collections, the new book’s massive 10” x 14” footprint makes for an enhanced look at the work at a greatly expanded size.
No matter the era, the country of origin, or the characters, Disney comics are timeless entertainment. This curated collection highlights the Disney magic that allows century-old work to blend seamlessly with modern adventures, and allows creators from anywhere in the world to share the same stage, proving once again that it’s a small world after all.
