Preview–Mighty Mouse returns to save the day

Here I come to save the day!

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Mighty Mouse, who first appeared in short animated films from Terrytoons for 20th Century Fox throughout the 1940s, including one that was nominated for an Academy Award. So what better time to bring back the powerful mouse who can protect Pearl Pureheart from Oil Can Harry, and maybe even save us all? Dynamite Comics is answering the call with a new monthly series beginning today with an initial story arc that deals with bullying.

Mighty Mouse was created by Ralph Bakshi (known also for Fritz the Cat, the animated The Lord of the Rings, and the Kim Basinger flick Cool World) and Paul Terry, whose cartoons with sound beat Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie to cinemas in 1928 (one of the first animators to use cel animation). Mighty Mouse would appear as part of the Saturday morning cartoon line-up in various versions in each of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. A rather odd update, the 1980s version would feature a crossover episode with Bakshi’s Mighty Heroes characters, a group of middle-aged lawyers that included a superhero called Diaper Man, and comedian Andy Kaufman would make famous for another generation the Mighty Mouse theme song in a skit for Saturday Night Live in the 1970s. Marvel Comics produced a 10-issue comic book series in 1990-1991.

Today, writer Sholly Fisch and artist Igor Lima are bringing the classic mouse to the 21st century. It’s a book for kids of all ages–the kind of comic book to introduce young kids to the medium. A boy is getting bullied in school, and he’s a young artist and fan of the classic Mighty Mouse cartoons. As he is watching television, a portal across dimensions interferes with his show, and with the characters within the television. The third wall is breached as a boy meets his hero.

Dynamite tapped Alex Ross and Neal Adams for some classic-styled covers with a cover by interior artist Igor lima, a classic image cover, and a coloring book variant. Trapped in an alien world, where not even the laws of physics work the way they should. The only person who even believes you exist is a young kid whom no one will listen to. Yet, you’re the shining light that this drab, cynical world needs to restore its color and life. Oh — and you’re a cartoon mouse.

Here is a preview of Issue #1 of Mighty Mouse: