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
Young adult fiction writer Aidan Chambers and his wife Nancy were the recipients of a wonderful copy of In the Night Kitchen (1970) personalized for them by author Maurice Sendak in the summer of 1971. The book includes an original drawing of Mickey, the boy whose dream transports him into the night kitchen (in a matter reminiscent of Winsor McCay's Little Nemo entering Slumberland). Mickey is shown standing and looking pretty delighted here as he presides over the book's inscription "with pleasure."
Maurice Sendak AbeBooks Listing Retrieved September 14, 2018
The good news is that this copy is still available from Shapero Rare Books in London. The bad news is that the price has gone up just a bit since last year.
Note:Attempted Bloggery is on the lookout for more books by Maurice Sendak graced with his original drawings. Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:
A copy of Maurice Sendak'sIn the Night Kitchen (1970)boasts an original sketch of Mickey—yes, he's named for the well-known mouse—proudly clutching a milk bottle. The image is echoed on the back of the dust jacket and on the front board cover. This superb copy of the twenty-fifth anniversary edition of the book, published at $15.95, is currently listed on AbeBooks for $1,195.
Maurice Sendak AbeBooks Listing Retrieved January 18, 2019
Note: There is scarcely anything better that could have happened to a book by Maurice Sendak than for the author to have added an original sketch for a young fan. Those young fans who find themselves now all grown up are encouraged to forward images of such sketches suitable for blogging. At press time, as we old-timers sometimes still call it, this book was still available for purchase. Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:
