- Still Fond Of The Mouse -- what's not to love?
Movies.
- Penn & Teller's Magic & Mystery Tour -- not a movie, but well worth a viewer's attention.
Music.
- Up For It, Keith Jarrett Trio -- this disc has become a Christmas staple around here.
Books.
- The Inexorcisable John Gardner -- I still get the odd e-mail responding to this post.
- Sin City: It's Miller Time -- '05 was a banner year for some Frank Miller fans. I had reservations.
- Tijuana Straits by Kem Nunn -- one fan squawking, indeed. Nunn's latest, Chance, is terrific, btw. Highly recommended.
- Moon Palace by Paul Auster -- a novel I return to.
Video Games.
- Virtual Reality: Too Much Is Not Enough -- "getting the visuals right" remains a fixation for big-money video game developers who really ought to know better.
- I'm listing! My Top-Ten Most-Missed Californian Pleasures -- here.
- Off-line Revelations Rising -- what's Brian Eno got to do with bread-baking?
- Fresh Dialogue In The Star Wars Galaxy -- introducing Mr. Pah-ping!
- Masculinity -- thoughts on being a hetero-Menno dude (and dad (and P.K.)) in the 21st Century.
- The Artist -- a figure from my childhood.
- Pumpkin-Gutting -- sniffle.
- The Bookstore Lady -- God love you, Fran Pishker.
- A Good Crokinole Board Is Hard To Find -- Believe it or not, this post still generates the most Google traffic.
I'm starting my own cult.
- The Mennonite/Calvinist Drinking Game -- initiate with caution.
On the Mickey Mouse Post:
ReplyDeleteBy the time I encountered Floyd Gottfredson, I was too old to really appreciate it. I think I was about 15. A collection of his "best of" works was being sold at the Disney store, along with interviews and commentaries also included in the book. It was alright for what it was, but I was too old to get completely immersed in it.
There was actually a commentary on the suicide strips, though. According to the version Floyd Gottfredson told in that book, the whole thing was Walt's idea. Walt thought it would be hilarious to have a bunch of strips in which Mickey tried to kill himself, but kept failing. Floyd Gottfredson was aghast, but went along because Walt was the boss. He said he was surprised no one complained about it--but apparently no one did complain about it , and they got away with it.
I just did a Google search to make sure my memory wasn't playing me false. (It was some 20 years ago that i had this book), and sure enough...
ReplyDeletehttp://io9.gizmodo.com/5920675/back-in-the-day-mickey-mouse-attempted-suicide-and-fought-opium-smugglers
Nice work! Guess I'll have to change the story behind my tattoo now. Suggestions?
ReplyDeleteI don't know...in a way, the fact that it was all Walt's idea makes the story all the better...
ReplyDeleteI agree. I find it all very charming. I have to wonder if someone hasn't drafted a history of Disney akin to Gibbon's history of the Roman Empire. The first 30 years -- the origin story, really -- were a pretty crazy time.
ReplyDelete