After Iwerks' departure, Disney was at first content to continue scripting the Mickey Mouse comic strip, assigning the art to Win Smith. However, Walt's focus had always been in animation and Smith was soon assigned with the scripting as well. Smith was apparently discontent at the prospect of having to script, draw, and ink a series by himself as evidenced by his sudden resignation.
Walt proceeded to search for a replacement among the remaining staff of the Studio. For unknown reasons he selected
Floyd Gottfredson, a recently hired employee. At the time Floyd was reportedly eager to work in animation and somewhat reluctant to accept his new assignment.
Walt had to assure Floyd that the assignment was only temporary and that he would eventually return to animation. Floyd accepted and ended up holding this "temporary" assignment from May 5, 1930, to November 15, 1975.
Walt Disney's last script for the strip appeared May 17, 1930. Gottfredson's first task was finish the storyline Disney had started on April 1, 1930. The storyline was completed on September 20, 1930 and later reprinted in comic book form as Mickey Mouse in Death Valley. This early adventure expanded the cast of the strip which to this point only included Mickey and Minnie.
Among the characters who had their first comic strip appearances in this story were Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horsecollar and
Black Pete as well as the debuts of corrupted
lawyer Sylvester Shyster and Minnie's uncle
Mortimer Mouse. The Death Valley narrative was followed by Mr. Slicker and the Egg Robbers, first printed between September 22 and December 26, 1930, which introduced
Marcus Mouse and his wife as Minnie's parents.
Starting with these two early comic strip stories, Mickey's versions in animation and comics are considered to have diverged from each other. While Disney and his
cartoon shorts would continue to focus on
comedy, the comic strip effectively combined comedy and adventure. This adventurous version of Mickey would continue to appear in comic strips and later comic books throughout the 20th and into the 21st century.
Floyd Gottfredson left his mark with stories such as Mickey Mouse Joins the Foreign Legion (1936) and The Gleam (1942). He also created the
Phantom Blot,
Eega Beeva, Morty and Ferdie, Captain Churchmouse, and Butch. Besides Gottfredson artists for the strip over the years included Roman Arambula, Rick Hoover,
Manuel Gonzales,
Carson Van Osten, Jim Engel, Bill Wright, Ted Thwailes and
Daan Jippes; writers included
Ted Osborne,
Merrill De Maris,
Bill Walsh, Dick Shaw,
Roy Williams, Del Connell, and
Floyd Norman.
The next artist to leave his mark on the character was
Paul Murry in
Dell Comics. His first Mickey tale appeared in 1950 but Mickey didn't become a speciality until Murry's first serial for
Walt Disney's Comics and Stories in 1953 ("The Last Resort"). In the same period
Romano Scarpa in Italy for the magazine Topolino began to revitalize Mickey in stories that brought back the
Phantom Blot and
Eega Beeva along with new creations such as the Atomo Bleep-Bleep.
While the stories at
Western Publishing during the
Silver Age emphasized Mickey as a detective in the style of
Sherlock Holmes, in the modern era several editors and creators have consciously undertaken to depict a more vigorous Mickey in the mold of the classic Gottfredson adventures. This reinnasance has been spearheaded by
Byron Erickson,
David Gerstein,
Noel Van Horn,
Michael T. Gilbert and
Cesar Ferioli.
Mickey was the main character for the series
MM Mickey Mouse Mystery Magazine, published in Italy from 1999 to 2001.
MICKEY MOUSE
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