Pluto Cleans Up in Mickey Mouse and the Pet Show

I have had two dogs in my life, and neither of them has been at all fond of baths. It seems to be a common trait among dogs, and it's certainly the case for Pluto in the Golden Easy Reader Mickey Mouse and the Pet Show, written by Joan Phillips and illustrated by Darrell Baker.

In this silly story, Mickey Mouse sees a sign for a pet show and decides that Pluto should participate, but first he will need a bath. Rounding him up for this beautification will not be an easy task, however. With some help from Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Minnie Mouse and Goofy, will he be able to get the stubborn pooch to cooperate? And will it be worth all the effort afterward?

Most of the stories that I have read from this series are very much on the light-hearted side, even if they may have a lesson attached. If there's a main lesson here, I suppose it's that cleanliness is a good thing, even if achieving it means being inconvenienced. The book also celebrates the persistence of Mickey and his friends as they attempt to accomplish what they have set out to do. There's a further lesson tied in with the book's conclusion, but that's something readers will have to discover for themselves.

This book is designed for early readers, so it uses a lot of simple vocabulary and repetition. The word "bath," for instance, comes up nine times, and "sign" is in the book five times. Words that are especially important to the story resurface again and again, and if the young reader does not yet know how to spell those words, it's a great learning opportunity.

The characters in this book all look good, and Pluto makes some very funny expressions as he dreads the possibility of getting wet. None of the characters is wearing anything specifically associated with him or her. Donald and Goofy wear sweaters, while Mickey is in overalls and Minnie and Daisy are in dresses, having been interrupted in the middle of a tea party by their friends chasing Pluto down the street. They look a little silly later as everyone runs around the yard trying to corner Pluto, but I guess their willingness to wear inappropriate dog-bathing attire and probably get it all dirty just shows what good friends they are.

This story has a bit of a twist ending that makes all the shenanigans leading up to it even funnier. Kids who love the core gang of Disney characters or dogs in general should find Mickey Mouse and the Pet Show to be good clean fun.

Mickey Mouse Undertakes a Magical Quest to Save Pluto

When my cousin Kristen and I were growing up, everyone associated me with Winnie the Pooh and her with Mickey Mouse. In fact, they still do. While I never got my hands on a Winnie the Pooh video game, one of the first games I bought when my brother and I finally purchased a console in the early 1990s – skipping right over the Ataris and Nintendos we’d played at our friends’ houses to the Super Nintendo – was The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse. Kristen had moved out of state before that point, but we still got together when we could, and this game was a staple of our sleepovers.

This is a two-player game, but unlike some Disney SNES games, such as Goof Troop, only one can play at a time. Hence, you’re basically racing each other to see who can beat the game first, or at least who can get the furthest before you decide to give it up for the day. Each player is Mickey Mouse, and when that player loses a life, it’s time for the next player to give it a whirl. When the players are greatly mismatched in terms of game-playing skills, this can lead to some frustration. Annoyingly, there’s no way to save game progress either, so it took us a fair number of get-togethers before we were able to get through the earlier levels quickly enough to finish the game in one sitting.

Mickey’s basic form is his typical black, red and gold outfit, and plain old unencumbered Mickey has some advantages in game play but lacks any special powers. However, he has three different costumes that he can change into. Sorcerer Mickey shoots magic, fireman Mickey sprays water and mountain climber Mickey shoots out a grappling hook that allows him to scale cliffs. Each has its charms, but my favorite is probably the fireman, since it’s such fun to see the water extinguish those fires and, in certain situations, create icy outcroppings. The grappling hook is great, too, but I often had trouble making it work properly.

The Magical Quest has six levels, each of which gets progressively more difficult, though after a few times through, the first three are fairly simple to beat. In Treetops, Mickey must ascend a series of twisty vines in a landscape that seems partly inspired by Mickey and the Beanstalk. This level is fun and not super-tricky, with Mickey hitching rides on flying tomatoes (not of the Olympic snowboarding variety) and disturbing snoozing birds to get to where he needs to go. The boss, a giant snake-like dragon with Pete’s head, is easy to beat by throwing projectiles at him, and the Pete-headed spider at the end of Dark Forest is similarly simple to vanquish if you can get the right angle for stomping on his head.

Fire Grotto is more challenging, since fires keep popping up randomly as they do in the Princess Bride’s Fire Swamp. Still, there’s usually enough forewarning that you can get through the level without being burnt to a crisp. The hardest part is keeping up enough fire energy, which can be boosted by finding hidden fire hydrants, much as magic can be boosted by collecting magic lamps.

The hardest levels by far, though, are the last three. Pete’s Peak is incredibly windy, so there’s always danger of simply blowing off a cliff, and the boss, a mother eagle, is incredibly difficult to defeat. Snowy Valley, meanwhile, is slippery, and it’s very hard to keep your footing. The game culminates in Pete’s Castle, where Mickey finally hopes to rescue the missing Pluto. After those last two levels, this one seems almost easy by comparison until you get to Pete; actually beating him is another matter.

The graphics are pretty decent for two decades ago, and the music has a fun adventurous ring to it. Once you’re proficient, beating the game in an afternoon is not too difficult, and my cousin and I managed it several times, though we probably had the most fun while we were still getting the hang of it. While elements of it can be aggravating, this is a classic game holding many happy memories for me.

A Little Kitten Causes Big Trouble in Mickey Mouse: The Kitten-Sitters

Cats can be very deceptive creatures. They spend hours curled up quietly on the couch, and it’s hard to imagine that these placid felines will wake you up in the middle of the night by knocking a pan off the kitchen stove. In the classic Little Golden Book Mickey Mouse: The Kitten Sitters, Minnie Mouse’s kitten has her fooled entirely, and she’s sure he will be a perfect little angel for Mickey and his nephews when they agree to watch him while she is away.

I remember reading a book with a similar storyline when I was a kid, though that one was a part of one of Disney’s home libraries and had more of a warm and fuzzy conclusion. In both stories, Pluto feels displaced by the special guest, but here, Mickey sympathizes with Pluto from the beginning. While he wants his lovable dog to be polite, he, Morty and Ferdie all notice that little Figaro has a real knack for causing trouble and can’t blame the pooch too much for being rather lacking in hospitality. Still, when the kitten disappears in the middle of the night, Mickey wastes no time in enlisting the sleepy Pluto’s aid. Can this old dog learn the new trick of locating an unruly houseguest?

This is a mostly funny story showing the disconnect between what Minnie believes and what Mickey observes. It’s interesting to see Figaro transplanted into Mickey’s world from the movie Pinocchio, though this isn’t the first time I have encountered him there. He has a scampish streak in Geppetto’s workshop too, but this book is as naughty as I’ve ever seen him. Of course, there’s also something inherently odd about a mouse having a pet cat, but Mickey and Minnie have always been more human than mouse.

This book has a rather drab color scheme that gives it a retro feel. Because most pages depict domestic disasters, most of the facial expressions on Mickey and his nephews are somewhere on the spectrum between worried and panicked. Figaro is missing in action for much of the book, with only the immediate aftermath of his activities visible, but when he appears, he looks either smug or devilishly mischievous. Minnie, meanwhile, spends a lot of time scolding others – everyone, it seems, except her precious bundle of fur. In fact, she comes across as quite obnoxious, and if Mickey seems to be happy to get a break from her nagging, it’s easy to understand why.

The story is simple but entertaining, with dialogue driving most of the action. The unnamed author uses mild repetition to good effect, such as when Mickey tells Pluto to be nice because he is a guest, prompting Morty’s later remark that he is a messy guest and Ferdie’s that he is a fussy guest. Meanwhile, Pluto’s actions help readers get inside his head as he reacts to this adorable little troublemaker.

Whether you love cats or hate them, Mickey Mouse: The Kitten-Sitters is an amusing tale acknowledging that there might be more to these purring furballs than meets the eye.

Flying Whales and Lovelorn Ducks Make Fantasia 2000 Even Better Than the Original

Back in May, my brother graduated from college. When I peeked out the door that morning to see how the weather was shaping up, storm clouds loomed ominously, making Pomp and Circumstance from Fantasia 2000 feel doubly appropriate for the day. Not only is the song instantly associated with graduations, but in Disney’s 38th animated feature, it serves as the backdrop to a quirky riff on the story of Noah’s Ark, and we seemed to be in for a similar soaker. I’m not sure what happened to those rainclouds; by the time we got to the ceremony, the weather was gorgeous. Still, I’ve had that Disney segment rolling around in my head ever since, so I was happy to rewatch Fantasia 2000 recently.

When Walt Disney first conceived of Fantasia, which became the company’s third animated feature film, he intended to revive it periodically, retaining some segments and inserting new ones. That concept died after the rather unconventional movie using animation as a means of exploring classical music failed to prove as popular as he’d hoped, but six decades later, a sequel finally hit theaters. All new material except for the iconic Sorcerer’s Apprentice, the movie also features introductions by several celebrities and glimpses of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which performed the music. Some of the presenters, particularly Steve Martin and magical act Penn and Teller, are comical, while others, like Quincy Jones and Angela Lansbury, give more serious introductions. Bette Midler’s is perhaps the most educational of the intros, while James Earl Jones’ thwarted dignity in his amuses me, as does Mickey Mouse’s panicked conversation with conductor James Levine.

As with the original, some segments stand out more than others, but each has a distinct style and tells a compelling story without the need for dialogue. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice remains just as engaging all these years later as Mickey, apprenticed to glowering wizard Yen Sid, seizes his chance to try on his boss’s magical hat and calamity, mostly involving multiplying, marching brooms carrying buckets of water, ensues. Exciting and entertaining with a built-in lesson on the dangers of meddling in complex matters without permission or assistance. Meanwhile, Pomp and Circumstance becomes a showcase for Donald and Daisy Duck as these two lovebirds sail on Noah’s Ark, each unaware that the other has survived the flood until they reunite at last once the boat strikes land. The familiarity of the song, the sweetness of their relationship and the humor involved with having so many different types of animals contained in one place makes this a standout segment, starting with the glorious animation of the Lion King-like summons that draws the creatures to the ark.

Carnival of the Animals does not have the diversity of animals one might expect from the name, but it is a delightful romp involving a serious, well-coordinated flock of flamingoes troubled by a prankster with a yoyo. One of the shortest and funniest segments, it shows the havoc a yoyo would wreak amidst a flock of these otherwise elegant birds. Instead of birds, butterflies and bats are the subject of the abstract short set to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Colorful and stylized, it does not feature any distinct characters but weaves a joyful tale nonetheless. This first segment makes a nice match for the final segment, Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, as they both involve the tug of war between light and dark, creation and destruction. In Firebird, a vile volcano sends magma rampaging through a tranquil wilderness as an elk and a gentle wood sprite watch in horror. This segment reminded me quite a bit of the forest fire portion of Bambi, and it is probably the darkest part of the movie, though the scenes of restoration are quite lovely.

Another harrowing tale is Hans Christian Andersen’s The Steadfast Tin Soldier, set to Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No . 2 in F Major-I. I was familiar with this story as a child but always found it terribly depressing; Disney gives it a much more conventional happy ending. One of the most strictly narrative of the segments, it features a plucky toy soldier, a beautiful toy doll and a hideous jack-in-the-box that would give just about any kid nightmares. Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue has a bit of a down tone to it, filled as it is with hard-luck cases wandering the streets in economic despair; after all, this is the Depression. The characters have a very interesting look to them, all one flat color or another, a reflection of the cartoons of Al Hirschfeld, a contemporary of Gershwin. Despite the air of disappointment and agitation hanging over New York City throughout much of the segment, there is also life and excitement, which we largely see from the perspective of one zesty character who is entirely too confident in his ability not to fall off of scaffolding. Ultimately a very fun piece.

My hands-down favorite, however, is The Pines of Rome, composed by Ottorino Respighi. In this mystical short, a family of humpback whales traverses the arctic by air rather than sea – though they never venture far from the water until the gloriously animated finale. The little whale who hasn’t quite mastered the newly acquired gift of flight prompts some laughter with his clumsy movements, but generally this segment feels solemn, with a beauty that almost brings tears to the eyes, particularly when the family joins with the larger pod. The short begins in disaster, yet there is the sense that these majestic creatures are moving toward something greater. Truly epic.

I’m not exactly an aficionado when it comes to symphonic music. I think I’d only heard about half of these songs in other settings, and as much as I enjoy them in this context, I haven’t sought the others out elsewhere. Still, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if some of those for whom Fantasia 2000 serves as an introduction to this type of music ended up immersing themselves in classical music. A triumph of art and silent storytelling, this is also a movie that can serve as a powerful introduction to some of the most notable composers of the last few centuries. Here’s hoping it won’t take another 60 years to see the next one.

Magical Mickey Is the Highlight of 1940's Fantasia

When I think about the 1940 film Fantasia, the first image that pops into my mind is Mickey - who, incidentally, celebrates his 83rd birthday today - as the impish Sorcerer’s Apprentice who, in a combination of curiosity and laziness, sets a platoon of bucket-carrying brooms loose and nearly floods his master’s headquarters. That Mickey in his pointy blue wizard’s hat continues to be an iconic image, and the segment is the only one from the original film to be included in Fantasia 2000. Watching the first Fantasia again recently confirmed both that I prefer the latter film and that this magical tale is my favorite of the eight sections.

Fantasia offers an ambitious mix of classical music and artful animation. Some of the pieces run quite long despite being edited from their original form. While some, like Sorcerer’s Apprentice, have a strong narrative, others, like the light show that is Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, are much more abstract. The comments of composer Deems Taylor provide useful context for each of the pieces; his live-action introductions are generally pretty dry, but they give some valuable insights into the music, mostly played by the Philadelphia Orchestra and conducted by Leopold Stokowski.

My brother, who is an artist, suggests that Fantasia was largely a playground for animators and that some of the pieces really were more fun for them than they would be for most viewers. I confess that there are some segments I don’t find much fun at all. The above-mentioned Toccata and Fugue in D Minor mostly strikes me as a bit boring, but I don’t mind watching it. However, I flat-out dislike The Rite of Spring, which is one of the darkest Disney projects I have ever seen. Aside from a couple of cute baby dinosaurs, there’s really nothing but rampant destruction here with behemoths eating each other against a lava-soaked landscape and eventually falling down dead. If I’d watched this as a five-year-old, I’m pretty sure I would’ve been traumatized. I have a similar reaction to Night on Bald Mountain, which shows a night of grim revelry among a satanic figure and his minions, though at least that one is softened somewhat by the fact that it is immediately followed by the heavenly Ave Maria.

On the other hand, I love the silly spectacle of Dance of the Hours, a tune that always seems to be used for comical purposes. Here, it’s several lumbering animals performing a ballet. Among them are hippos and ostriches, two of my favorite creatures. This segment is pure whimsy. I also appreciate the beauty of the salute to the seasons found in the Nutcracker Suite, which anthropomorphizes natural images to show the world coming alive at different points in the year. I especially enjoy the frosty intricacy of the winter scene and the humor of the dancing mushrooms. Finally, while this segment seems a bit overlong and while the casually cruel Greek gods are a turn-off, I mostly enjoy The Pastoral Symphony, particularly the cavorting Cupids and the adorable baby Pegasuses and their stately parents. There’s a lot of nudity in this segment, but it never really seems titillating and certainly is in keeping with classic works of art depicting mythical creatures.

Ultimately, I think that Fantasia is more abstract than its 2000 counterpart, and there also seems to be little effort to gear its contents toward children. Aside from the hapless apprentice, the dancing animals and the baby flying horses, this really seems more suited for adults. While I admire the artistry and find sections of it delightful, I definitely prefer the later version. However, both aptly demonstrate the magic of Mickey.

Iconic Disney Characters Meet Classic Fantasy in Wizards of Mickey: Mouse Magic

One of the most iconic incarnations of Mickey Mouse is as the mischievous sorcerer's apprentice in the most famous segment of the film Fantasia (and the only segment repeated in Fantasia 2000). I imagine that this role served as inspiration for the Wizards of Mickey comic book series, which was compiled into graphic novel form and published by Boom! Studios. The first part of this originally Italian saga, Mouse Magic, includes four comic books written by Stefano Ambrosio, with artwork by Lorenzo Pastrovicchio, Marco Gervasio, Marco Palazzi and Alessandro Perina.

The story begins with Mickey, who once again is a sorcerer's apprentice, but this time, he works for a wizard named Nereus who seems less intimidating and has more faith in him. Nereus reminds me of Gandalf here, cantankerous but profoundly good and concerned about the well-being of the common folk. Like Gandalf, he entrusts Mickey with a magical object, asking him not to use it but to prevent others from using it. Unfortunately, brawny bullies are about, which makes Mickey's task much more trying and ultimately leads to his involvement with a much larger crisis than the drought facing his home village.

While Mickey is the main character here, classic villain Pete soon surfaces as a primary antagonist, and before too long, Mickey meets and befriends Goofy, an aspiring herbalist who distrusts magic, and Donald, whose consistently nonfunctional spells keep getting him into trouble. While Pluto does not make an appearance in Mouse Magic, that void is filled by Fafnir, a "puppy dragon" who adopted Donald and whose clumsy but lovable ways hinder the trio at times and help at others. Late in the book, we also encounter spunky sorceress Daisy, who has a prior history with Donald and is friends with pampered princess Minnie and clairvoyant Clarabelle. It seems plain that this trio of gals will soon team up with the fellas to present a united front against the forces of evil.

The mix of established and new characters works well, with several fresh faces emerging at the wizards' tournament in which Mickey and his friends end up competing. Of these, my favorites are the enormous dragons, who scoff at their "scaleless" competitors and insist that their ancient magic is far superior to any requiring a wand or a "diamagic," one of the shards of the crystal where all the magic in the land was once concentrated. The purpose of the tournament is to win the diamagics from each other so that the ultimate victor will be able to unite the crystals and become Sorcerer Supreme. Naturally, with this degree of power at stake, some competitors will be resorting to underhanded methods in an effort to emerge triumphant.

The tournament itself becomes central to the story fairly quickly, but each of the story's four parts involves time away from the tournament as well, both with Mickey and with Nereus, who is being held prisoner by an old enemy. While this is an epic adventure, there is room for some humor, particularly where Donald and Fafnir are concerned. Some of the spells that are used have some amusing effects as well. The quality of the artwork is excellent; while I find the purely white faces of Mickey and Goofy, not to mention Minnie and Clarabelle, a little strange amidst all the vibrant color surrounding them, the characters otherwise look fully themselves, and the panels are filled with intricate detail. While the story still seems a bit complex for those in early elementary school, it doesn't feel nearly as dark as Mickey Mouse and the World to Come.

Unlike other Disney graphic novels I have read, this one includes no sneak previews at the end, so it's considerably shorter than most, but I can't say for sure whether the story itself is of significantly different length. It seems about average, though, at roughly a hundred pages. That's plenty of time in which to get to know the characters and become acquainted with their world, with the promise of more installments to follow. The mouse at the heart of the Magic Kingdom could hardly be a Muggle; delve into his enchanted side with this first volume in Wizards of Mickey.

A Christmas Band Tackles Disney in Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse

When I hear the name Mannheim Steamroller, I immediately think Christmas. After all, this is the group whose distinctive electronica arrangements of Christmas classics are inescapable come December, particularly at retailers. However, seasonal music is not all they do. I was surprised to find that one of their more unusual projects is Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse, a collection of Disney songs.

If I were to listen to these songs out of context, I would most likely be able to guess that they were the work of Mannheim Steamroller, since they have such a unique sound. Several of the selections, most notably the peppy Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, actually seem like they would fit well in the Main Street Electrical Parade. They're fun, funky takes on Disney classics. The drawback is that the compositions sometimes have extended openings veering so far from the original that it takes quite a while to recognize the song. I especially found that to be the case with the rather gothic opener, Chim Chim Cher-ee, and the adventurous-sounding The Ballad of Davy Crockett.

Of course, if you're going to have an album of covers like this, it's generally better to do something unique with them. It seems like the group had a lot of fun with these arrangements, particularly in terms of ambient noise. Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, for instance, has warbling birds in the background, while Heigh-Ho includes several interesting percussive instruments meant to evoke digging in a mine. I think the coolest track may be Under the Sea, which incorporates seagulls, surf and bubbling noises, to say nothing of the reggae-ish instruments that tackle the melody, though Reflection, the longest track, gives it a serious run for its money with its Asian instrumentation and gently running water.

One of the most experimental tracks is When You Wish Upon a Star, which weaves itself around the melody of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I'd never really noticed the similarities between the tunes, but they complement each other quite well. The other is Hakuna Matata, which bears only a passing resemblance to the actual song and basically just turns the title phrase into a sort of ceremonial chant accompanied by tribal rhythms.

More straightforward are You've Got a Friend in Me, which has a rather bluesy feel to it, and Go the Distance, which feels appropriately epic without including any really unusual instruments. The saxophone surprised me a bit, but it works well for the fairly brief segment in which it appears. Mickey Mouse March, which closes the album and is only the second to include vocals, is probably my least favorite track; I like the song, but this rendition sounds so mournful that it ends the album on a bit of a sour note.

Still, the album on the whole is lots of fun. I know there are some who find the musical stylings of Mannheim Steamroller annoying; if you don't like their Christmas music, I doubt you'll like this. However, if offbeat renditions of familiar classics appeal to you, meet Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse. You'll be glad you did.

Of Mice and Men and Global Domination: Mickey Mouse and the World to Come

I have missed out on a lot of interesting Disney stories because I am not a comic book reader. I’ve been trying to amend that somewhat by scouring my library’s collection of Disney graphic novels. As nearly all of them seem to have been published within the last two years, I’m missing out on anything earlier, but it’s a good way to start, anyway. One intriguing book my search turned up was Mickey Mouse and the World to Come, a futuristic graphic novel whose main story was written and drawn by Casty and whose secondary tale was written by Alberto Savini and Abramo Leghziel. Other contributors include translators David Gerstein, Jonathan Gray, Francesco Spreafico and Stefania Bronzoni, letterers Deron Bennett and Johnny Lowe, designer Erika Terriquez, editor Christopher Meyer and assistant editor Christopher Burns.

In the main tale, which is broken up into four sections but really is just one very long story, Minnie and Mickey Mouse are separately kidnapped and caught up in a sinister plot with global implications. While Minne remains in the custody of the villainous Rhyming Man – so named for his habit of speaking only in rhyme – Mickey soon connects with his old friend Eega Beeva, a human from the 2400s. The two of them undertake a quest to Illusitania, a serene country that has fallen into evil hands. There, they will need to not only rescue Minnie but also foil a doomsday plot that could have catastrophic effects on the whole world.

The oppressive tone of this book surprised me. It reminded me quite a bit of Hayao Miyazaki’s Castle in the Sky, which involves a legendary floating country guarded by gigantic robots capable of both great good and terrible destruction. This, too, has enormous robots that a couple of ambitious villains want to control. Eega Beeva, a character I’d never encountered before but who I later learned was first introduced more than 60 years ago, provides all the exposition we need to get a pretty good handle on what’s going on, though it still seems a bit complex for the “eight & up” designation on the back. It also seems a little dark; he references the 2012 rumors surrounding the Mayan calendar and posits that a similarly dire scenario involving an Aztec myth is unfolding.

In Illusitania, we find the kindly king, who developed an advanced technology in an effort to reshape the world into a more hospitable place, and his sly son, who has been working to undermine him. We also meet the spunky young princess, who soon befriends Mickey and Eega Beeva. Together, they strive to figure out exactly what the prince and the Rhyming Man have planned and how to stop it. It’s an action-packed story loaded with some pretty heavy ideas about the appropriate use of technology and how much power is too much for one person to have.

There’s not much humor in the main story here, so I found Peg-Leg Pete and the Alien Band a relief. At 16 pages, it’s quite short compared to the primary tale, but it makes for a nice dessert after the hearty main course. In this story, a literal band of aliens visits Pete and invites him to be their drummer. Pete, looking out for number one as usual, is reluctant to welcome them, but then he begins to think their offer might not be so bad – provided that they make some special concessions for him. This is really just a silly side-trip that offers an opportunity to laugh at Pete’s mostly harmless bluster. He certainly doesn’t come across as very intimidating after the cruel villains in World to Come. The whole thing builds up to a punch line that I saw coming a mile off, but it made me laugh anyway.

The book also includes sneak previews of Wizards of Mickey: Mouse Magic, Hero Squad: Ultraheroes, Donald Duck: Double Duck , Toy Story: The Return of Buzz Lightyear, The Incredibles: City of Incredibles and Uncle Scrooge: The Hunt for the Old Number One, as well as capsule previews of a couple dozen Disney graphic novels. I was unaware of most of these, so it makes a handy reference as I try to track down others.

Mickey Mouse and the World to Come is highly inventive and ambitious. The main story feels much more adult than the one involving Pete, and its aim seems to be more education than entertainment. It seems that Casty wanted it to serve as a cautionary tale. I also think that a prior familiarity with some of the other books in this series would help; while it is mostly stand-alone, there are a couple of points in the story when the author steps in to recommend reading a previous tale. While I prefer to see Mickey in less harrowing situations, this book certainly offers a thrilling adventure.

That Mickey Mouse is Such a Card...

We play a lot of cards in my house, so we have a cardboard box full of card decks, and every once in a while one of us will pick up a new one just to give us some variety in our card options. One of our decks is a set of Disney Mickey Mouse playing cards. I think I actually picked them up with the intention of incorporating them into a birthday project, but I needed two identical decks of cards and there was only one on the shelf. Since I never found a matching box, I went with another deck design for the present but kept the cards for myself.

The blue box in which the cards came has a smiling Mickey on the front, and the box bears his name as well, but the deck features not just Mickey but several of his friends as well. The backs of the cards are purple and feature a group portrait of Mickey, Goofy, Donald, Pluto and Minnie, all smiling widely. The picture is full of vibrant color, and the characters are shaded in such a way as to give them a slightly three-dimensional look. The arrangement of the characters adds to the fun, as each is in a distinct position. Minnie sprawls in the front, her chin resting on her gloved hands, while Goofy, in the back, has one arm on Mickey’s shoulder and the other on Donald’s. Next to them, Pluto pants cheerfully, one ear raised as if to indicate that he has just heard an intriguing noise.

While Mickey is not the only character in this deck, he’s certainly the star. In each suit, numbers 2 through 9 focus on Mickey, and the pose is the same across the suits. For instance, each 5 shows Mickey eagerly pointing at something, while the Mickey on 9 bashfully holds out a bouquet of pink flowers. In all 36 cards, he looks the same, with black arms and legs and dressed in his traditional red shorts with white buttons. The aces are a bit different, as each features Mickey in a different pose and costume engaged in some type of physical activity. For instance, the ace of clubs shows a scowling, green-shirted, yellow-helmeted Mickey doing a difficult skateboarding trick, while the ace of diamonds shows him in jeans and a red shirt kicking a soccer ball.

The face cards are where the real variety comes in, as each character has a number to his or herself, and each character gets four different poses. The 10s feature Pluto, though he only has two to himself as Mickey shares the limelight with him on the other two. Jack Goofy, Queen Minnie and King Donald all get to fly solo for all four of their cards. My favorite suit for the face cards is spades, as Goofy, Minnie and Donald are all dressed in marching band uniforms and each plays a different instrument.

Only three of the cards in the deck – two with Mickey, one with Pluto – feature any less-than-happy facial expression, and it’s not so much that they are unhappy in them, it’s just that they are concentrating hard. It might have been fun to have a little more variety in the expressions; Donald is particularly entertaining when he is angry. However, this choice gives the deck a very cheerful feel.

One thing I appreciate about this deck is the balance between variety and uniformity. For instance, I’m glad that the suit colors are the traditional black and red. I have other Disney decks with blue and purple instead, and while they are pretty, the color difference throws me off, especially when I am playing a fast-paced game like double solitaire. The suits are further differentiated from each other in that each suit has its own background color. Every card has a white border and a white rectangle in the upper left and lower right corner where the number and suit of the card are displayed, but the main picture is contained in a rectangle, with the character in question sometimes spilling out into the border a bit. The clubs have a pink background, the spades green, the hearts blue and the diamonds yellow. What’s more, in the face cards, the corresponding suit design is set in the middle of the card as part of the backdrop. This makes it look as though each character is peeking out from behind a frame with a hole in the shape of a club, spade, heart or diamond.

Along with the 52 regular play cards, there are two identical jokers. Each has a purple background and features a laughing Mickey receiving a slurp from Pluto. Additionally, one card has a list of games and rule books available for purchase, while the other encourages customers to check out www.USPlayingCard.com to learn about other card brands, how certain games came about and how to play hundreds of different games.

I find that playing cards is more fun when I have an interesting deck, and this deck certainly fits the bill. Colorful and featuring beloved characters that just about anyone is bound to recognize, it’s also practical and can be used for any game that calls for regular decks of cards. Golf, double solitaire and rummy are the favorites in my house, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Meanwhile, if you are of an artistic nature, you can use the cards to build houses and see how far you can get before the structure collapses. Whatever your pleasure, the Mickey Mouse card deck is a Disney delight.

Marsupials Abound in Mickey and Goofy Down Under

My brother Benjamin Is in Australia right now. He’s there for a three-week visit, which has been planned for several months. In Mickey and Goofy Down Under: An Adventure in Australia, part of Disney’s Small World Library, the trip to the smallest continent is much more last-minute.

Goofy and Mickey go to Australia on a special mission: to find out why the latest shipment of eucalyptus leaves for the zoo’s koala enclosure never arrived. Now, this element of the story strikes me as pretty silly. Can’t they just call the company and ask what’s going on? And shouldn’t the company, upon realizing that their star eucalyptus collector never came back, have sent out a scouting party days ago to retrieve the adventurer (as well as the all-important leaves)? But if all that had happened, that wouldn’t have gotten Mickey and Goofy to Australia, and the Small World Library would be missing a very important volume.

The book’s plot is all about searching for the missing Dingo Dan, a rugged outdoorsy type who hasn’t been seen in a couple of weeks. But the plot is almost secondary to their exploration of the Outback. I’ve always loved the movie The Rescuers Down Under, and many of the animals featured in that animated classic put in an appearance here. Almost every page seems to introduce a new animal: kangaroo, frilled lizard, dingo, platypus… It’s a fairly short book, but readers get a strong sense of the diversity of Australia’s wildlife.

As a full-blown LOST fanatic, I also enjoyed seeing Ayers Rock, referenced in the show as Uluru. This large cliff, regarded by some as sacred, features ancient aboriginal artwork. The story itself doesn’t depict any aborigines, but the notes in the back mention them, and an illustration is included. Another site of LOST significance is Sydney, where Mickey and Goofy begin their Australian adventure. We don’t spend much time there, but the famous Sydney Opera House is prominently featured on two pages. Oddly, it isn’t identified, but then the main focus here is really on the wildlife.

Children who read this book will get a quick lesson on Australian animals, especially marsupials of various types. A boomerang also comes into play in the story, albeit mostly for comical effect, and the notes in the back mention the Great Barrier Reef and its abundance of coral. The illustrations capture all of this very effectively.

Mickey and Goofy Down Under isn’t nearly as perilous a tale as The Rescuers Down Under, but it’s a fun story that serves as a nice introduction to some basic aspects of Australia and of marsupials. For youngsters, it’s way to cultivate interest in a truly fascinating country.

Mickey Tries His Hand at Teleportation in Mickey and the Magic Cloak

When I was a kid, some of my favorite books were those from various series found in grocery stores or bought through mail order that featured Disney characters. I had quite a few of them at one time, but most of them made their way into garage sales when I wasn’t looking, so I’ve been getting a kick out of finding some of them from the library. One such book is Mickey and the Magic Cloak, which is part of the Disney’s Wonderful World of Reading series.

Mickey and the Magic Cloak is a pretty straightforward fairy tale that features Mickey and Minnie Mouse in the main roles. Mickey is a virtuous woodcutter who meets a mysterious old woman in the forest one day. She tasks him with a mission: to rescue Princess Minnie, who was locked in a tower by a malevolent magician she refused to marry. The old woman and the red-headed, long-bearded wizard are just regular old humans, as are the few people who turn up in the background. We also come upon several crows and a number of other individual animals, including a toad, a chicken and a monkey, and these look fairly realistic.

As is typical in these Mickey fairy tales, Mickey is humble and plucky. He goes about his life with a cheerful attitude and is never too thrown by whatever strange circumstances come his way. In this book, they are quite strange indeed, as he’s just minding his own business when an act of kindness leads to a dangerous mission. The old woman firsts asks Mickey to retrieve a cloak for her, a tricky task in itself. She then reveals that he will need to use the cloak to rescue the trapped Minnie. Of course, he’ll also have to keep his wits about him if he wants to get past the magician.

The magical cloak comes equipped with a very handy property: it will instantly zap the wearer to wherever he or she wants to go. Reading this, two thoughts occurred to me. First, why doesn’t Mickey zap himself directly into the tower with Princess Minnie instead of turning up at the front door of the castle where she is being held prisoner? And secondly, where can I get one?

As to the first question, it wouldn’t be much of a story if it were quite that simple. Mickey does need to face a complication or two. And it needs to be apparent that he’s got his own cleverness working for him and not just the magical objects that he has been given. It is a little overly convenient that even when he fails, he immediately finds himself back in the company of the old woman, who immediately gives him more magical goodies. And the magician plays right into Mickey’s hand. But this is fairly typical folktale behavior, and it’s still fun to see exactly how Mickey manages to defeat the baddie and save the princess.

This book was published in the 1970s, and it has an enjoyable look to it. The pictures are colorful, and Mickey and Minnie are instantly recognizable. I could easily see this as an animated short. The writing style is unadorned and probably roughly equivalent to a level 2 easy reader. While it’s not the most memorable book in the series, Mickey and the Magic Cloak is a fun Disney tale for a rainy day.

Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Pluto Serve Up Classic Cartoon Fun

My brother Nathan came home from college on Wednesday, and the first thing he did was head downstairs to examine the shelves where all of our old videos are kept. "I'm in the mood to watch cartoons," he declared, toting half a dozen worn tapes upstairs with him. We've yet to get to the stack of Don Bluths, but yesterday we enjoyed a quick trip down memory lane with Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Mickey and the Gang.

When Nathan was little, we briefly had the Disney Channel, and during that time we recorded about six hours' worth of cartoons featured on the show Duck Presents. These included snippets from films but mostly short cartoons spanning more than half a century. I don't know just when it was that we picked up this little collection, containing three cartoons featuring Mickey and his friends engaged in what should have been leisure activities, but I know that having all those other shorts to choose from didn't stop us from getting a kick out of these, and they were still just as fun this time around.

Boat Builders - This cartoon from 1938 features Mickey, Donald and Goofy, with brief appearances by Pluto and Minnie. Mickey buys himself a build-your-own boat kit and enlists his friends' aid in getting from the blueprints and the big box of supplies to a finished, sea-worthy vessel. "All you to is put it together!" he reassures them at several points, to which Donald chimes in, "Even a child could do it!" before collapsing into peals of hysterical laughter. But it's not quite as simple as all that, and each of the friends runs into a series of frustrations. How long can their patience last?

Canine Caddy - Although it's from 1941, only three years after the first cartoon, Mickey looks noticeably different in this one, more like the modern mouse. Pluto is his only companion in this short, which has Mickey out for a game of golf, looking both dapper and ridiculous with his oversized floppy hat and enormous club. He's rather hard on poor old Pluto, who acts as his caddy, and he cheats, though I guess that doesn't really matter since he seems to have the course all to himself - except for one very annoying gopher, who Mickey doesn't appear to notice but who drives Pluto nuts. How can he fulfill his duties as a caddy while being harassed by such an impertinent creature?

Moose Hunters - The earliest of the bunch, this cartoon from 1937 features Mickey, Donald and Goofy, though Mickey spends most of his time separate from the other two. The plan is for Donald and Goofy, dressed in a ludicrous lady moose costume, to attract and distract their prey while Mickey gets in a good shot. Unfortunately for them, Mickey's gun is the first victim of this unwise enterprise, and it turns out that the attentions of an amorous moose are a little more than they can handle on their own...

Walt Disney provides the voice of Mickey in all three shorts, while Pinto Colvig plays aw-shucks Goofy as well as Pluto and the Gopher and Clarence Nash gives mostly unintelligible voice to Donald. The moose courtship and an interlude in Boat Builders involving Goofy's flirtation with an inanimate mermaid border on the risque, but that sort of thing can be found in lots of shorts, especially from this time period, and it's really silly rather than objectionable. For a fun half hour with a beloved cartoon trio, check out Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Mickey and the Gang.

Yodel Your Heart Out with Disney Cowboy Songs

When I was little, I had a collection of children’s tapes copied from record albums borrowed from the library that I listened to over and over and over again. Pardners, known to me until recently as Disney Cowboy Songs, is one of the few that still survives. It is also one of my favorites.

I am not a huge fan of country music, though I often enjoy it and listen to it frequently on long drives through rural Pennsylvania when it appears on three out of four radio stations. I am, however, a big fan of western music, a distinction which can be made here. I’m a big fan of John Denver, Michael Martin Murphy, and others who may be best categorized as western, and an album full of cowboy songs certainly fits that mold. And, of course, I’m a sucker for Disney, so this album was a winning combination for me when I was five and still is today.

Deep in the Heart of Texas: A nice interactive song, with a man singing the verses while a chorus of children (perhaps Mouseketeers?) chime in on the choruses. I once saw a Gary Larson Halloween special in which a group of cowboys exposed an alien in their midst when he was unable to clap along to this song correctly. Luckily, I never had that trouble; I must be a cowgirl at heart!

Cowboy Mickey: This one’s an album original, a ballad lauding Mickey as “the bravest mouse the West has ever known.” Mickey, Donald and Goofy all make appearances here, as do Minnie as Mickey’s sweetheart and Pete as the ornery villain determined to steal her heart. The “ki-ki-yippees” are nice practice for some real yodeling in The Song of the Screamin’ Cowboy.

The Old Chisholm Trail: This classic also offers ample opportunity for some “ki-yi-yippie-yippie-ay-yippie-ays,” but it’s a fairly dull song and the yodels aren’t going to have a whole lot of heart either. It’s all very smooth and metered, and again the man takes the verses while the kids take the choruses. One of the flatter selections.

Ride ‘Em Cowboy: The Disney trio are back, with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy alternating verses with the man as they list the joys and drudgeries of cowboy life. Light-hearted and including a bit of back-and-forth banter among the characters, this is a fun song.

Home on the Range: The perennial classic, and one of the most boring songs on the album. The man sings it as slow as he possibly can, to the point of it sounding mournful. (I tip my hat to the Chipmunks for coming up with a version of this song that manages to be very entertaining. Alvin, being difficult as always, hams up his performance of the song while crooning about cantaloupes who play out on the range, much to Dave’s dismay. The boys tire of Dave’s ranting before the song is complete, and they wander off to get themselves a cantaloupe. “That’s a dear little somethin’ to eat,” explains Simon, skewering Dave’s explanation of the difference between antelopes and cantaloupes. Classic.)

The Song of the Screamin' Cowboy: “Bury me thar with my battered guitar, / screamin’ my heart out fer you-hoo-hoo-hoo...” No question, this is my favorite, much to my brother’s displeasure. When I think of great yodeling songs, I usually think of John Denver (Calypso comes to mind first, which ironically has nothing to do with either mountains or cowboys). But first, I think of this old cowboy screaming his heart out for the gal he loves. This appears to be a Disney original; I read a comic book once in which Donald Duck had penned the tune, which had becomes a hit of Witch Doctor proportions. It’s both silly and sweet, and the voice is irresistible. Put on your best cowboy accent for this one and sing along. “The song of the screamin’ cowboy will haunt you all your days, / after I’ve kicked the bucket across them pearly gates...” The long string of yodels is made all the better by a Rockapella-esque treatment; the deep bass “yodel-odel-ay-he-hoos” are especially entertaining.

Partners: A sort of sappy song sung by one cowhand to another about how glad he is that they are partners. Their friendship has lasted through the ravages of time, and he is grateful. A slow and sweet song, it’s not at the top of my list, but it’s not at the bottom either.

Pecos Bill: A close second to The Song of the Screamin’ Cowboy. I don’t think Disney made this one up, but I could be wrong. Certainly it’s not the only song about Pecos Bill floating around. This upbeat tune described the folk hero in typical larger-than-life terms. “While reclinin’ on a cloud high over Texas, / with his gun he made the stars evaporate. / And when he saw those stars declinin’, / well, he left one brightly shinin’ / as the emblem of the Lone Star Texas State.” Once again there is also some pretty nifty yodeling. “Yippie-i-ay-i-ay, yippie-ie-oh-oh-oh-oh, for the toughest critter west of the Alamo.”

I'm An Old Cowhand (From The Rio Grande): Goofy is especially well equipped to sing this song about a misfit of a cowboy. He’s a happy fella, just not really what you might expect out of a guy who calls himself a cowhand. “I’m a cowboy who never saw a cow, / never roped a steer ‘cause I don’t know how, / and I sure ain’t fixin’ to start in now, yippie-ki-o-ki-ay.”

Git Along, Little Dogies: Another cowboy classic. Pretty straightforward; like most of the short and simple well-known tunes here, it’s fine but not very exciting.

A Cowboy Needs a Horse: Again Donald, Mickey, Goofy and the man trade off, and this time the kids join in. The song lists all of the things that a cowboy needs to survive but concludes that ultimately, a cowboy doesn’t need very much at all to make do in life.

Don't Fence Me In: Another one of my favorites, this is an upbeat song about a cowboy pleading to be allowed freedom from fences. “I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences, / gaze at the moon till I lose my senses, / I can't look at hovels and I can't stand fences. / Don't fence me in.”

Donald Duck, the Wrangler: I wonder if Donald’s feeling gypped that his song is the second-to-last in the album? Donald’s infamous temper is put to good use in this amusing song, where he is pinned as more of a villain than a hero. “You’ve never heard a more discouraging word / than when Donald Duck the Wrangler is about.”

Happy Trails: The perfect ending to the album, this gentle classic leaves the listener with a blessing and an invitation to return to the album whenever they want, which, for me, at least, is often. “Happy trails to you until we meet again.”

It may not be the most sophisticated album out there, but it is satisfying. So go out and grab a copy for your little cowboy, or the little cowboy you once were. You’ll be glad you did.