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[paw broon]

In 1990, the Italian comic Topolino featured a story where Mickey marries a witch.  This created a huge scandal.  As Robb is our resident Disney expert, I wonder if he'd like to shed any light in this. 
This link is to the Italian comic site fumettologica - I can't seem to translate it for you:-
https://www.fumettologica.it/2022/02/topolino-ho-sposato-una-strega-fumetto-disney/

[Robb_K]

In 1990, the Italian comic Topolino featured a story where Mickey marries a witch.  This created a huge scandal.  As Robb is our resident Disney expert, I wonder if he'd like to shed any light in this. 
This link is to the Italian comic site fumettologica - I can't seem to translate it for you:-
https://www.fumettologica.it/2022/02/topolino-ho-sposato-una-strega-fumetto-disney/

Very interesting!  I am a "Barksist" and "Donaldist", rather than a big Mickey Mouse fan, and almost all the stories and book titles, on which I work, are from The Donald Duck Universe", rather than "The Mickey Mouse Universe", which rarely cross paths in comic book form.  And, in addition, in The Netherlands, Mickey Mouse was never even remotely as popular as Carl Barks' Donald Duck was, which drove the entire Disney Comic Book industry there since its beginning in 1952. And, on top of that, during my time of reading (1949-today), I read mainly the Disney books from 1940 on, Barks' Donald Duck stories were the big driver of US Disney Comics' sales, as well.  So, I've always loved The Duck Universe stories much more.  And, to be honest, I only loved Floyd Gottfredson's artwork and the storywriting of his writers.  I never liked Paul Murry's Mickey Mouse artwork, although I did read those stories up until the end of the first few years of Gold Key Comics, when the artwork became completely boring.

As far as the Italian Disney franchises' portrayals of The Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse Universes,  I really can't stand the special Italian style of their writing and artwork, which is busy, cluttered, and has characters seemingly ridiculously high and hyper on speed, gesturing all over the place, and seemingly leaping and flying all over the pages.  Other than Romano Scarpa's work from the 1950s and early 1960s (which I DO like and collect), which seems to have been inspired by Gottfredson's classic period style, I can't even LOOK at it, let alone, read it.  So, I had NO idea that Mickey got married to ANYONE, let alone, a witch.  But, that sounds like a one-off occurrence for a single story, which would be considered as an anomaly separate from the accepted ("official") Mickey Mouse Universe (and history) canon.

It is likely a similar situation to that of my own story in which Uncle Scrooge is forced by an 1850s small US town's law, to legally marry an evil scheming, crooked female lawyer, who was just trying to get hold of half his multiplajillions of Dollars.  The marriage actually goes through legally, before a Justice of The Peace.  But, at the end of the story, after the lawyers' crimes are discovered, and she is proven NOT to be Scrooge's fiancee from the 1890s, the Judge legally annuls the wedding just before the villain is hauled away to the hoosegauw.  I suspect that the Italian story in question is something along those lines, that involves Mickey's wedding being annulled at the story's end, or saga's story series' ending. 

I can read an Italian story and get the gist of it, and understand fully what is going on, using an Italian dictionary on hand.  But, I don't really have the interest, nor time to want to read the story.  I'll take a look at the Italian Blog's blurb's comments and report back.  But this is a subject for which i have no interest.

[paw broon]

Thanks Robb. I read about this in the Italian class this week and wondered if you knew about it.  It caused a huge scandal and most of the media covered it. There were repercussions in Disney Italy and I think the pages were ordered to be destroyed.
I understand your lack of interest but if you have any opinion on the subject it'd be good to read it.

[The Australian Panther]

I never liked Paul Murry's Mickey Mouse artwork, although I did read those stories up until the end of the first few years of Gold Key Comics

Storytelling - narrative and  character -  has always been my touchstone for good comics. If you read Disney comics regularly - and I did - Barks Scrooge and Donald set the bar. There were only a few Micky stories that were memorable, 'The Giant Ants' ' The Skeezix [car] story, the Phantom Blot and a few more. Little of Gottfredson got reprinted, although I remember the 'flying island' story. The Gold Key 'new' Mickey stories were dull and second-rate. Paul Murray's art was excellent, as was his visual characterization but the stories were not very engaging. Great to look at but dull.       

[profh0011]

Interesting.

Meanwhile, I've got both Mickey Mouse EDGAR ALLAN POE books from Italy (English language editions), with 8 Poe stories adapted to Mickey Mouse style.

[SuperScrounge]

Prof, I'm now imagining Mickey bricking up Donald in a wall for the crime of being more popular. 

[paw broon]

Now there's a thought
The story caused huge ructions and Disney through Eisner called for resignations and asked for the pages to be destroyed. The story has never been reprinted despite the sales increase around the issue. That's how big this all got.  If anyone is curious enough to see this nonsense, the story is available on a couple of Italian sites.

[crashryan]

Well, I found a copy of "Ho Sposato Una Strega" and read it. I don't understand the uproar. It's kind of a cute story with a few smiles attached. The ending, a variation on the old "it was all a dream" cop-out, ensures that everything in the Mouse Universe remains unchanged. What caused such a scandal that the Great God Eisner demanded that heads should roll? The Company's reaction is easy to understand. They're in it for money, and if backlash against the story threatened their bottom line, they'd get all self-righteous to stay on the winning (profit-producing) side.

As for what sparked the original brouhaha, I can think of two possibilities. For one, the Moral Thought Police who to this day scrutinize juvenile literature for wrong thinking. I'd lay odds that the whole source of their outrage would be the panel showing Mickey sitting on a double bed taking off his shoes while Samantha changes clothes. Doesn't that suggest that--gasp!--Mickey will have sex with his wife? Oh, think of the children!! Lest you think my suggestion is far-fetched, remember that for decades American movie couples weren't allowed to share an onscreen bed for that very reason.

The second possibility, equally silly, is that the My Character Thought Police were offended because this is not Mickey Mouse! What they really mean, of course, is "This is not my Mickey Mouse!" They can't accept a character not acting like the character they loved when they were kids. It's crazy how personally people can take this sort of thing. Disney characters especially seem to attract this kind of absolutism, as witness the outcry over Minnie Mouse wearing pants. The "one bed" resistance may have dimmed with time but thanks to the Internet the passion for My Way or the Highway has grown to cosmic proportions. People rant and even threaten lives over female Doctor Who's, gay superheroes, Black Green Lanterns, the "woke culture" bogeyman, and any other straw man who'll stand in for their basic argument: "My way my way my way my way goddammit!"

I imagine that as a kid I wouldn't have thought twice about "I Married a Witch," unless it was to note how it ripped off the Bewitched TV show. It's an imaginary story. I mean, when I was a kid Superman married Lois Lane, Lori Lemaris, and heaven knows who else without planting Evil Thoughts in my mind. It takes adults to raise the kind of Sturm und Drang that pummeled poor Mickey Mouse.

[The Australian Panther]

If we start at the beginning - always a good place to start - This was Oked, printed and distributed, but some one - and I emphasise 'one' must have read it and complained. That is all it takes.
I think, once the brouhaha had blown up and there was plenty of negative publicity, that the Disney parent company would have acted. Robb can verify this, if true, but I believe that Disney - more so than so Marvel or DC - would have a 'book' defining their major characters and what is permissable. Strict guidelines, so they have a means to act in cases like this.
There was also the unauthorised underground, uncensored  US Mickey Mouse comics that Disney came down on quite hard.
Mickey and the Pirates
https://library.osu.edu/site/40stories/2020/01/15/mickey-and-the-pirates/
Disney today has done a complete 360 degree turn in terms of what it stands for.
Questions will be asked about why Donald lives with three underage boys, and about the real relationship between Micky and Goofy.
Just wait!
Real life is always more unbelievable than fiction.                 

[Robb_K]

Well, I found a copy of "Ho Sposato Una Strega" and read it. I don't understand the uproar. It's kind of a cute story with a few smiles attached. The ending, a variation on the old "it was all a dream" cop-out, ensures that everything in the Mouse Universe remains unchanged. What caused such a scandal that the Great God Eisner demanded that heads should roll? The Company's reaction is easy to understand. They're in it for money, and if backlash against the story threatened their bottom line, they'd get all self-righteous to stay on the winning (profit-producing) side.

As for what sparked the original brouhaha, I can think of two possibilities. For one, the Moral Thought Police who to this day scrutinize juvenile literature for wrong thinking. I'd lay odds that the whole source of their outrage would be the panel showing Mickey sitting on a double bed taking off his shoes while Samantha changes clothes. Doesn't that suggest that--gasp!--Mickey will have sex with his wife? Oh, think of the children!! Lest you think my suggestion is far-fetched, remember that for decades American movie couples weren't allowed to share an onscreen bed for that very reason.

The second possibility, equally silly, is that the My Character Thought Police were offended because this is not Mickey Mouse! What they really mean, of course, is "This is not my Mickey Mouse!" They can't accept a character not acting like the character they loved when they were kids. It's crazy how personally people can take this sort of thing. Disney characters especially seem to attract this kind of absolutism, as witness the outcry over Minnie Mouse wearing pants. The "one bed" resistance may have dimmed with time but thanks to the Internet the passion for My Way or the Highway has grown to cosmic proportions. People rant and even threaten lives over female Doctor Who's, gay superheroes, Black Green Lanterns, the "woke culture" bogeyman, and any other straw man who'll stand in for their basic argument: "My way my way my way my way goddammit!"

I imagine that as a kid I wouldn't have thought twice about "I Married a Witch," unless it was to note how it ripped off the Bewitched TV show. It's an imaginary story. I mean, when I was a kid Superman married Lois Lane, Lori Lemaris, and heaven knows who else without planting Evil Thoughts in my mind. It takes adults to raise the kind of Sturm und Drang that pummeled poor Mickey Mouse.

From where do those people think children come?  We can't even show anyone holding a gun, hitting anyone, or eating meat, anymore!  All of which were allowed when I started working on Disney Comics.  I wrote a couple great stories involving Huey, Dewey, and Louie overcoming a small gang of bullies (the morals were correct) as bad antisocial behaviour was punished in the end, yet it was rejected.  The reason given was that "We don't want to show bad feelings from people to towards others.  We're not allowed to show the real World!  Where do the rule-makers think children live??? 

Also, I produced a story that had a long flashback with Scrooge McDuck in The Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890s, dealing with a crooked gold mine claim jumper, who flashed a pistol when wanting to do his illegal deeds or intimidate people, but never fired it, yet the story was rejected for having a gun.

Thanks for giving the description of the story.
Can you please send me a PM with an address or link to where I can read it?  Or, if that's not possible, scan the pages and send them to me so I can read it?

[The Australian Panther]

Lest you think my suggestion is far-fetched, remember that for decades American movie couples weren't allowed to share an onscreen bed for that very reason.

That censorship came from the far right.

We can't even show anyone holding a gun, hitting anyone, or eating meat, anymore!  All of which were allowed when I started working on Disney Comics.  I wrote a couple great stories involving Huey, Dewey, and Louie overcoming a small gang of bullies (the morals were correct) as bad antisocial behaviour was punished in the end, yet it was rejected.  The reason given was that "We don't want to show bad feelings from people to towards others.  We're not allowed to show the real World!  Where do the rule-makers think children live???

Also, I had a story that had a long flashback with Scrooge McDuck in The Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890s, dealing with a crooked gold mine claim jumper, who flashed a pistol when wanting to do his illegal deeds or intimidate people, but never fired it, yet the story was rejected for having a gun. 

That current censorship is coming from the extreme left. 360 degree turnaround.
And those who impose the current censorship intend it to be absolute. 

[bowers]

Interesting comments by one and all! Several valid points were made. I'm not really sure which side of the political spectrum is to blame. I personally see no difference in wing-nuts from the left or right- they tend to be absolutists. By questioning their beliefs or disagreeing with them, I automatically become their enemy! They're trying so hard to save me from myself and my unenlightened views! So, I just ignore them all and live my own life, reading what I damn well please. Cheers, Bowers

[narfstar]

The censorship from the far left has become extreme and prevalent. Conservative speakers are not even allowed to speak on campuses. Recent YALE free speech program had to have the conservatives escorted away without being allowed to speak. They basically describe hate speech as any speech that they disagree with. It is so sad what is going on in colleges today. They are producing mindless group think to lead the next generation.

[paw broon]

Thanks for that bowers, the voice of reason.