Tintin through the lens of Mickey Mouse

 Thanks to Humble Bundle, I have been reading Fantagraphics Disney Masters series, which are reprints of old Disney comic books, many of which are from Europe.

Honestly, other than Carl Barks and Don Rosa, I don’t have much interest in Disney comic books, although I do find it fascinating how that medium has been much more successful in countries that aren’t the U.S. If the world wasn’t on fire, I wouldn’t be reaching for this level of escapism. I look forward to a time when I don’t feel the need to read ancient Mickey Mouse comic books.

With that said, almost all of these stories are decades old. When I think about about other reprinted comic books I’ve read from the 1950s, these hold up surprisingly well. Particularly when you consider that they were aimed at a younger audience than horror or superhero comics.

I’m actually enjoying the Mickey Mouse work more than the duck works. I think that is because Barks and Rosa have spoiled me for quality stories about Donald and Uncle Scrooge. 

I kept thinking, though, that the Mickey as a detective stories reminded me of something. Particularly the ones drawn by Paul Murray. And then I realized that they reminded me of Tintin!

Oh, I’m not saying that they were as good as Tintin. After Herge really got rolling, the quality of the art and stories was something else. And they definitely can’t compare to extensive research Herge famously did. 

However, Mickey as an adventurer definitely has the same feel as Tintin. They tap into the same archetype. A moral paragon who is hyper competent but still supposed to be an Everyman. Which also means everyone else around them has to provide the conflict and interest lol

In the adventure stories, Mickey is always paired up with Goofy. Which makes Goofy take on the jobs of both Snowy and Captain Haddock. Which makes sense because Goofy is both a dog and the big guy.

And, yes, I definitely consider Captain Haddock a richer and deeper character than this vision of Goofy and one with much more interesting family friendly profanity. (Heck, I forget he’s a relative latecomer to the stories since I view him as so intrinsic to Tintin) However, I read the notes and the editors discussed on how Goofy was necessary to make the stories funny because this version of Mickey isn’t funny.

Which then made me appreciate both Captain Haddock and Snowy more because that explanation helped me understand their roles in the Adventures of Tintin. Tintin is too bland and competent. We need a klutzy terrier and a recovering alcoholic of a sea captain to keep us on our toes.

The Disney Masters series hasn’t made me discover hidden masterpieces. It actually made me appreciate other works like Tintin or Carl Barks duck work more. However, they are a pleasant distraction.