Disney Comics: 75 Years of Innovation (Various, 1930-2004)

As The Gremlins didn’t take more than an hour or so to get through, I next picked up another Disney fictional ‘quickie’ in the form of the anniversary compendium of stories from 75 Years of Disney Comics. Again, there was an interesting introduction covering the history and popularity of Disney comics around the world, before a varied selection of reprinted stories from 1934 to 2003 from the US, South America and Europe.

It was fascinating to see how detailed the artwork was and continues to be, and how the stories are not just enjoyable for children. The language and situations had me chuckling to myself on several occasions, and the simple plots were fun and engrossing. It was particularly interesting to see a strip starring The Gremlins, who apparently had a life beyond Dahl’s book, despite them having no basis in a finished feature film. Other characters included Jose Carioca, from The Three Caballeros, and Uncle Scrooge McDuck – both characters who have thrived in the comics after only brief roles on screen.

Stories involving Mickey Mouse, Horace Horsecollar, Donald and his nephews, Pluto, and Brer Rabbit were all enjoyable and well drawn. The differences in style through the years or between countries were mostly subtle, and it was good to see how times have changed, and how some things have stayed the same. What’s really positive is that the language of Disney and by extension Disney comics is timeless and universal.