Mickey Mouse: Viva Mous-olini!

October 1, 1932, saw the release of "Bugs in Love," A Walt Disney animated short. It was directed by Burt Gillett and was to be the last of the Silly Symphonies to appear in black-and-white. This was the occasion for an unlikely full-page ad the studio took out that day in The Hollywood Reporter. The unfortunate text reads, "Viva Mous-olini! The New Dictator of Marquee Fashions." Fashions?

The art is still more unfortunate. Mickey Mouse, who represents the Disney studio, does not appear in the animated short. He, the "new dictator," is shown with his right arm raised in a Roman salute, also known as a Fascist salute (which the Germans had already adopted as the Nazi salute). Minnie Mouse's own comment, with its not-very-clever play of words on marquee for marquis, indicates the lack of seriousness with which this advertising copy was conceived. The ad is tone-deaf toward fascism, certainly, but that might have been forgivable in the America of 1932. The ad's main message is decidedly apolitical: that enough people throng to all Disney shorts, whether Mickey Mouses or Silly Symphonies, to make every one of them profitable. So why the raised arm? It has to be for humor.

In 1932, October 1st was also the first day (and second evening) of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. The red letters above the Reporter's masthead wished readers a good holiday—in transliterated Yiddish! In retrospect, this was not the right moment to belittle fascism, if there ever was a right moment.

In an eBay listing, a photo fo the full spread shows the full Disney ad. The militaristic crowd in the photo is returning Mickey's Roman salute.

The million-dollar asking price is surely wishful thinking on the part of this copy's eBay seller. A reasonable Best Offer might be entertained. You never know.

Mickey Mouse
eBay listing accessed August 29, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/395434900609?_skw=Disneuy&itmmeta=01K211DPXPJP81E007HHRWFKBM&hash=item5c11c1bc81:g:h5YAAOSwsEVmlhZ6&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAAwFkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1eEs3T5N7nnJm%2Bi9ZX9Mc8jNYfN3ohrzT24TkWiRb4GpyI%2BSQqNwkndXDU7BSKDZA8b6kxsWgpjL29iWLv

UkdRtghhldWufnsZd5TR3cZj%2F7kRI8%2FHzsLKQf2jjJWsSvTIPMuExGB94LMFgX2PPBBQ9UG6IA46PTaoV%2F3F%2FMpHXrBbNq2gnHUp%2B20hIKhuHbWES99rgFPPW3i1j5U%2Flc7WDHevnWOLAUBFb%2FerWYaTdxg%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4LztqGQZg

Mickey Mouse
eBay item description

"Bugs in Love" (1932)

A Walt Disney Silly Symphony

A 1935 Disney Gala

in Mussolini's Italy

05048

Fred Moore: Mickey Mouse Contrite

An animation drawing by Fred Moore was sold earlier this month at Heritage Auctions. It is a strong image of Mickey Mouse in his greatest roll as the Sorcerer's Apprentice in "Fantasia" (1940). Although this is not a production drawing, Mickey is apparently expressing to Yen Sid, the sorcerer, that he regrets his overreach as an apprentice. Well done, Mickey.

Fred Moore
Heritage sale of August 11, 2025

https://comics.ha.com/itm/animation-art/production-drawing/fantasia-the-sorcerer-s-apprentice-mickey-mouse-animation-drawing-by-fred-moore-walt-disney-1940-/a/7398-20100.s?ic2=mytracked-lotspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyTrackedLots-101116#

Note:  If you want to know why the animators called the sorcerer Yen Sid, just read his name backwards.

05038

A Copy of Mickey Détective Signed by Walt Disney

French bookseller Librairie Le Feu Follet of Paris offers a first edition of Mickey Détective—the title no doubt has an online translation—that was signed by Walt Disney himself. It is priced at $5,569.89 plus $35.27 shipping.

Walt Disney
AbeBooks listing accessed July 28, 2025

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/Mickey-D%C3%A9tective-Walt-DISNEY-Hachette/32253475377/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=viewbook

The price in US dollars seems fairly random, but in euros it is also unconventional.

Walt Disney
AbeBooks item description

05016

Woodland Café Dancing Couple Animation Drawing

Yesterday an animation drawing from Walt Disney's animated short "Woodland Café" (1937) was sold at Heritage Auctions. A caterpillar couple—or perhaps they're earwigs—is shown tearing up the dance floor. The art is from the lively opening of the Silly Symphony. The couple must be doing the jitterbug.

Sold!

Video still at 1:57

"Woodland Cafe" (1937)

Walt Disney Studios

 04645

Disney Trading Pin: Mouse Hands Holding a Heart

Those gloves! They're unmistakeable, but are they his or hers? Does it even matter? A very simple Disney Trading Pin makes its case for love. Happy Valentine's Day.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Disney-DLR-Mickey-Hands-holding-Heart-I-love-Mickey-Pin-UH-6951-/374397774490?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

04584

The 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

I no longer brave the elements and the crowds to attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade but it happily goes on just the same without me. Here is a small sampling of photos courtesy of Uki and Friend who did not shrink from the festive multitude or the mild November weather.

Bluey

Spongebob Squarepants & Gary

Sinclair's Dino

Celebration Gator

Leo

Goku

Magic Meets the Sea

Stuart the Minion

Uncle Dan

Elf Pets

Pikachu & Eevee

Heartwarming Holiday Countdown

Palace of Sweets

Macy's Singing Christmas Tree

04513

Glen Keane: A Pocahontas Specialty Drawing

Disney animator Glen Keane presented this drawing of Pocahontas and Grandmother Willow to fellow animator Pres Romanillos (1963-2010) on his fortieth birthday. Keane was supervising animator for "Pocahontas" (1995). The drawing is dated 2003.

Pocahontas
Stuart Ng Books listing accessed October 18, 2022

https://stuartngbooks.com/pocahontas-specialty-drawing.html

Note:  The drawing is still available at the time of posting.

04465

Bobby London: An Air Pirates Convention Sketch

A convention sketch by underground comix artist Bobby London was signed and inscribed to one John Taylor on July 6, 1975. At the time, London's Dirty Duck and Weevil characters were appearing monthly in National Lampoon. Here they are shown encountering a genie in a bottle who appears as a sinister Mickey Mouse. This is an Air Pirates reference. The copyright-infringing underground collective was still involved in the ongoing Disney lawsuit. Dirty Duck had also made an appearance in Air Pirates #1.

Bobby London
Hake's Auction listing of March 22, 2023

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/price-result/dirty-duck-and-weevil-color-original-art-by-bobby-london/

Although Hake's Auctions gave the sketch a $700 to $1,000 presale estimate, it sold at auction for $155 ($183.02 with the premium).

04434