Yesterday in Disney History: Mickey’s Comic Debut

January 14, 2015 ,

Yesterday we missed the anniversary of Mickey’s Comic Debut, but wanted to share the article from Jeffrey Epstein, Manager, Marketing and posted on the Disney Parks Blog.

Because Mickey Mouse is such a huge presence in Disney Parks around the world, we just had to share this special “mouse” moment in Disney history with you. We’re sure many of you are well aware that Mickey Mouse made his big screen debut in 1928 in the short “Steamboat Willie.” But just over a year later marked another milestone for our favorite mouse — he began a longtime run in newspapers across the country in his very own comic strip.

Mickey's First Comic
Click to enlarge image

After his auspicious debut, the country—and the world—fell in love with Mickey, so it didn’t take long for the little mouse to become a big cheese. There were more Mickey shorts, character merchandise, local Mickey Mouse Clubs and—on January 13, 1930—a comic strip, which celebrates its 85th anniversary today. Written by Walt Disney himself and drawn by Ub Iwerks, the earliest comics would follow Mickey’s adventures far and wide, starting with his attempt to build his own airplane. What could go wrong with that?

By the summer of 1930, the comic strip appeared in up to 40 newspapers across nearly two-dozen countries, helping to usher in Mickey’s golden age and establish the mouse as the foundation and universally recognized symbol of the Disney organization.

Here on the Disney Parks Blog we have the very first Mickey comic strip for you to see. And if you’d like to see more, head over to D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, where Steven Vagnini has pulled together the entire first week of Mickey comics! Trust us, you’ll want to see how this turns out!

 

Scott

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