Dienstag, 12. Oktober 2021

[Comics] The Great Crown Jewel Robbery

"Mickey, Minnie and the Great Crown Jewel Theft"



I said that I love reading review posts on Disney comics by established bloggers such as GeoX, Review or Die, Disney Comic Randomness, not forgetting Joe Torcivia and also the sadly deceased Chris Barat. So, I've taken up GeoX' ('s?) example of writing about a story that's not published in English and translating some dialogue from the language I read it in, which is normally German. I don't want to claim I can write reviews as well as the aforementioned bloggers can, and I don't want to enter any competition either. I'm mainly interested in highlighting some stories that have not been published widely, and I'm starting with a favourite of mine. In fact, I've written about this story several times before (always in German though), so you'd think I've figured out how to do it…


The story I'm talking about takes place in London. Is it "very British"? Yes, I'd say so, but of course the Brits never had a chance to read it. The story of Disney comics in Great Britain is a history in itself, and not a great one (David Gerstein broke it down here). It's funny to talk about this story in the wake of Brexit, but hey – London has been one of the world's most important cities, and I doubt Brexit is going to erase that (even though I still think it was an awful idea to start with, but oh well).


You'll notice that the colouring isn't so great. Although a lot of Italian Disney comics have been re-colored over the years (especially in Greece), this one has so far evaded the honour (possibly because the Greeks never printed it). Too bad - Giovan Battista Carpi was arguably at his artistic peak sometime during the 80s (remember "That Missing Candelabra", "War and Peace" etc.) and his art, beautifully detailed and atmospheric, could really shine with new, more precise and diverse colours. But this is the way it was done in Italy during those times (that said, "War and Peace" certainly received a better colouring, and is hardly improvable).


Also, the choice of scans isn't entirely intentional; these are the pages I scanned for my German review, then edited. Because I'm lazy and have little to no desire to make even more scans, I simply used all I scanned way back then for this post. This also means that there are spoilers, if you haven't read it yet & plan to do so.


Now, let's begin at the beginning... ((C) Francis Rossi / Bernie Frost)


I've always liked detective stories. My favourite children's book was one that dealt with minor "crimes" and the efforts to solve the puzzle, and the crime mystery is, in my opinion, one of the essential columns of the Disney comic. Anyone who thinks otherwise should come with a warning sign… and definitely not be working for Disney! Some of Carl Barks' best (Duck) stories were crime mysteries, sometimes mixed with a touch of gruesomeness (see "The Old Castle's Secret" for one of THE best Disney comics of all times), but for the most part, Mickey is the main expert on these matters. The tradition goes back to the venerable Floyd Gottfredson, who was responsible for turning Mickey Mouse from a funny animation star into a character who could survive complex and 'serious' comic stories. The influence of Gottfredson's comic strips on future generations has often been written about, and unlike the USA (where Paul Murry's less entertaining Mickey overtook the scene, before there were some attempts to artificially re-create the Gottfredson spirit in the 1990s) or Northern Europe, Italy never lost the connection to those formative stories. Gottfredson's work repeatedly gets reprinted in Italian, and the most important Italian Disney cartoonist Romano Scarpa was a dyed-in-the-wool Gottfredson fanatic who often wrote in the strip format and also did some covers for classic Gottfredson tales.


Scarpa's influence, through his various inkers, friends and pupils (especially Luciano Gatto, Giorgio Cavazzano, Sandro Del Conte, Maurizio Amendola, Valerio Held, Giuseppe Dalla Santa and Casty), is felt even today – although Cavazzano's stylistic development probably was even more important in the long run. On the other hand, there was something of a concurrent "school" that was more rigid, and more based on copying poses from Barks, Taliaferro, Gottfredson or (probably also self-made) model sheets. Scarpa, of course, didn't draw with any boundaries; such was his talent that he could create incredibly dynamic panels full of movement – but at times, it also meant that his artwork could look deformed compared to the "originals", exactly because Scarpa created his own interpretation and didn't adhere to any set rules.


The school I'm talking about includes Giovan Battista Carpi, Giulio Chierchini, Luciano Bottaro, Tiberio Colantuoni and Guido Scala. Although Carpi became a teacher to many young artists, late in his life, his pupils (e.g. Andrea Freccero or Anna Marabelli) either didn't follow his example much or disappeared from the Disney scene after a few years (e.g. Laura Bozzano). Only the exceptional Francesco Guerrini could be seen as a modern torch-bearer, but even here Carpi's influence is more implicitly felt.


Anyway, let's get to the story then. INDUCKS isn't entirely sure on whether Osvaldo Pavese wrote it alone, or Carpi co-wrote it; I wouldn't be surprised if it's the latter, since Carpi did have a knack for epic stories, although Pavese's work is severely undervalued on the whole. His writing is well worth checking out.


There were not one but two covers for both issues of "Topolino" that contained part 1 and 2 of the story, although neither were drawn by Carpi himself – but Marco Rota is no slouch either:


Cover of Topolino 1507: "Il tesoro della corona storia thrilling"

Strepitoso successo! Il tesoro della corona 2.da parte


We start out with Mickey and Minnie enjoying their holiday trip in London. If they knew what was coming…


Immediately we're hit by Carpi deftly handling the cultural icons of London, with the center image of the first page (one single panel) being neither Mickey nor Minnie, but the Tower Bridge. Although it's secondary to the plot, it shows the care that Carpi invested into the comic. The slow pace of the story might put some readers off, but I think it helps to set the atmosphere and makes it feel "authentic". The attention to detail is what sets this apart from so many commissioned comics (especially from Egmont) that try to stick in as many sights of one city as possible. Here, though, it flows very naturally; ironically, not concentrating on the plot all the time makes for a more realistic read.

Mickey and Minnie getting a tour on a bus through London. They see the Tower, the Westminster Palace and Big Ben.

Tourist guide: To your right, you can see the legendary London Tower!

Minnie: The scene of gloomy and gory stories! Shudder!


Mickey (MM henceforth): True, but now it's a museum, Minnie!

Minnie (MI): A museum, you say?


MM (or guide?): Yes! Nowadays, you can see the famous crown jewels there!

MI: Oh, I'd love to see them!


MM: We'll do that tomorrow, Minnie! I'm sure we'll need an entire day just to visit the Tower!


Guide: And now, ladies and gentlemen, a short pause to take photographs!

MI (?): Good idea!


MM: Oh Minnie! Aren't you gettin' tired of photographing everything?

MI: Well, I happen to enjoy it!


MI: Besides, it's a way to capture something for later!

MM: OK, I hear you!


[Soon after…]


Guide: This is the Westminster Palace, the House of Parliament with its clock tower, the famous Big Ben!

MI or someone else: Great!


MI: And where are we going to next?

Guide: To Hyde Park, one of the nicest parks in London Town!


~~


While the plot isn't important at the beginning, various elements do appear on the first few pages. After the romantic boat ride through Hyde Park (Mickey and Minnie are the perfect couple here, which some may find a bit boring, but Minnie's no Daisy; constantly having her argue with Mickey doesn't make sense to me), they visit Madame Tussaud's and come across the wax figure of "Captain" Thomas Blood. The whole tourist group later visits the Indian restaurant. And if you thought this was a totally police-focused story, you could not be more mistaken!

[In the evening…]

MI: Say, why don't we try something truly exotic!

MM: That's a very good idea, Minnie!


MM: What do you think of a saap-skewer from the grill?

MI: Oh, that sounds lovely!


MM: Twice grilled saap skewer, please!

Waiter: A good choice!


[Shortly afterwards…]

Waiter: Here you are!

MM: Oh! Um! Thanks!


MI: What… what is that?

Waiter: Fresh snake from the grill!


MI: Snake??

Waiter: For the next course, perhaps a delicious omelet with…


MM: Oh, er… let's just stick with plain eggs!

Waiter: As you wish!


Waiter: We've got gull's eggs Nepal style, frog eggs in the Himalayan way…

MI: Oh no!


MM: Erm, I think we might prefer totally normal fried eggs!

Waiter: Ack! What??


MM: I think he's offended now!


[After eating…]

MI: Can you photograph me, please?

MM: Of course! We simply have to record this "snake dinner" for posterity!


~~


Somewhat ridiculous sequence, as it consists of clichés about apparently inedible "exotic" food, but I admit I do find it mildly amusing. Anyhow, the next day, it's time for a visit to the Tower, as has already been announced before. We see the famous ravens (a topic that was recently taken up by Francesco Artibani and Lorenzo Pastrovicchio, in a story that features both Ellsworth and his adoptive son Ellroy!), meet a grumpy guard and then go visit the crown jewels.

MM: The "Imperial State Crown"!


MM: It consists of over 3000 crown jewels and was crafted in 1838!


MM: The fabled "Black Star Ruby" was worked into it.


MM: And this is the well-known "2nd Star of Africa"!

MI: How many carats, Mickey?


MM: Oh, just 317, Minnie!

MI: Wow, that's frightful!


MM: Why that?

MI: Well, such precious stones surely attract thieves, don't they!


Guard: Impossible, Ma'am! The museum is well-protected!


Guard: We've got an ultra-modern alarm system, steel-reinforced doors, and, last but not least, us Warders in the Tower!


MM: Well, but Captain Blood got in too, didn't he!

Guard: Yes, but he failed even without anti-theft devices!


Guard: You hear that?

MM: That sure sounds solid but…


MM: …with today's thieves, you never know!


[The visit goes on…]


MM: This is where it goes into the basement!

MI: Something special in there?


Blogger's note: The 2nd Star of Africa is one of the largest diamonds in existence. The largest one is also shown!


Again, you can tell how well Carpi did his research: The uniforms of the Yeoman Warders look exactly like they do in reality (a few simplifications for the comic format notwithstanding).

MM: Well, it's been said that the ghost of Queen Anna Boleyn has been haunting this dungeon!

MI: Really?


MI: Mickey! Where are you!


MI: Mickey! Don't leave me alone!


MM: Woohoooo! Minniieee! Boohooooo!

MI: EEEEEEEK!


MI: Help! A ghost!


MM: Oh no! I've overdone it and terrified her!


MM: Minnie! Wait! It was just a joke!


MM: Minnie! Stop!


(Slam!)

MM: Minnie!


(Slam!)

MI: Mickey! Mickey!


~~


Notice how well Carpi switched from happy-go-lucky, friendly tourist surroundings to dark doom with no advance warning. And yet, it's so effortlessly done that you might not even notice it if I didn't tell you so. Also, notice how Carpi's Mickey is not anywhere near the boring spoilsport that he's often seen as; the scene of him giving Minnie a fright could be straight out of Gottfredson.


So Mickey is locked in a place where poor Anne Boleyn might still be spooking around. (By the way: This, along with the quick mention of Henry VIII. earlier – Minnie's face says it all – is a good example of briefly touching upon stuff that is way too dark for a Disney comic, without disturbing anybody... after all, it doesn't tell you anything that you don't already know, and if you don't know yet, it just goes by unnoticed. I think it's really well done.)


Though what's more spooky is the coincidence: Just a few minutes after this misadventure, the alarm goes off. A guard says the crown jewels were stolen. Enter Police Inspector McKey, a type that couldn't be more "typically British" with his trenchcoat, bowler hat and umbrella. Not forgetting a decidedly grumpy personality. (I'm not sure if the name McKey is a German invention – it's a stroke of genius in any case, as it's phonetically very similar to "Mickey"!)

MM: Finally! I'd already pictured I'd have to spent the night in that place!


MM: Whoa- what's up with YOU?

Police officer: You come with US, young man!


MM: But… I'd been locked in there by accident!

Police officer: You can tell that to the inspector!


[Soon after…]

Police officer: He'd been hiding in the Martin Tower!

MM: What the heck are you mumbling there?


Inspector McKey: Oh-kay, young man! What have you got to tell us?

MM: Very simple! I was locked there by accident!


[After explaining…]

McKey: And that's what you call an alibi?

MM: Alibi? Why do I need an alibi?


MM: I'll gladly pay a fine if I have to!


Guard: Good joke, mate!

McKey: The cost for the theft of the crown jewels will be a bit higher, I think!


MM: Theft of the crown jewels? Who did that?

McKey: That's what I'd like to know from YOU, young man!


MM: And how would I know that?

McKey: Your explanations are awfully thin…


~~


Long story short, the police don't believe Mickey and want to put him in a cell until the evidence has been collected. Scotland Yard is already looming on the horizon (and drawn ominously, with black clouds in the background – some subliminal message there, eh, Carpi!). Obviously Mickey is totally not OK with this; 1) he's innocent, 2) he knows how long a process like this can take and 3) he knows too well that the actual thief will be more than happy to get out of the picture until it's way too late. It doesn't help that Mickey was talking about thieves during the visit to the Jewel House, especially since the thief has signed as – you guess it – "Captain Blood"!


(Notice also, that Mickey's facial expression in the eighth panel is clearly a nod to late-period Gottfredson stories.)


So what does Mickey do? If you've read "The Blot's Double Secret", you'll know the answer: Escape and try to solve the crime while hiding from the police. And of course, this is London: Mickey can't simply go hide at Goofy's house or count on Chief O'Hara's support (although that's debatable anyway). He's now very dependent on Minnie's skills. And of the many positive aspects of the story, Minnie's portrayal is one of the most noticeable ones. She's worried about Mickey, of course, but totally excels at helping him get a disguise, and making various investigations. It still takes Mickey's inventiveness and experience (e.g. calling Minnie at the hotel with a different voice as "Aunt Mimmie" and warning her that the police will have her under surveillance), but essentially the two are a perfect match and compliment each other really well. (This is also why I tend to sigh when Casty uses her as a boring female stereotype, as it feels like more than one step backwards, despite the general quality of Casty's plots. But I digress.)


So, this story shows that Minnie can hold her own as a detective, although it still hinges on some lucky coincidences (and her love of photographing!) that she finds the connection.

MI: But... the guy who's speaking to him, is…


(Blogger's note: This is where part 1 ended, but the German printing didn't make much fuss about it. Thankfully, the title page of part 2 wasn't cut as is so often the case, even if it means looking at some rather empty art – obviously, since the Italian original had a cliffhanger and a sum-up)


~~


So, slowly, we're putting the puzzle together. Mickey's still a suspect on the run, so meeting up with Minnie isn't the easiest thing, but they somehow manage. Again, there's a reason why the title has both Mickey and Minnie as titular "heroes"; based on this, Minnie could be a detective in her own right (and Mickey even admits so, saying that she always had a good instinct). I love that there's no competition or bad feelings about this; other writers could have had Minnie be annoyed at Mickey for the rest of the story, leaving him out in the cold. Nope. And though there's nothing romantic about the situation, look at distressed Minnie giving Mickey a surprise hug and telling him to be careful. D'aw!


And lest you thought the story was lacking in humour, Carpi sticks in funny details here and there. There's some literal monkey business in the zoo that doesn't detract from the main action, not unlike Don Rosa's "side plots" (but not as elaborate).


Eventually, we're due a showdown. And Carpi exceeds himself at thickening the atmosphere. Basically, it gets thicker and thicker with each page. Not even the humorous sign on the side of the "Odeon" can alleviate that.

[Shortly afterwards…]

MM: There's the theatre! Ah, Shakespeare's on!


MM: The Sheik seems to like the classical drama!


Timothy (admission guy): What do you want?

MM: Er… balcony, once, please!


~~


Would you think that Mickey is the guy who falls asleep during a Shakespeare play? Well, now you know!


It turns out that the thief may be a criminal genius, but he's also a big-headed guy who didn't really consider that few people would want anything to do with such hot loot. Let alone finding somebody who's rich enough to pay for it. This is where the sheik comes in; the thief had thought him – a lover of costly jewelry – a potential buyer. Nope, it turns out that the sheik, even if he might not have the best morals, is not interested in buying some of the most well-known jewels in the world, although he might as well have expressed interest at first. He's actually so concerned about this that he vows to leave England "this night", which strikes me as an unusually realistic line for a Disney comic.


The showdown between Mickey and the thief is just stunning. I'd love to show the whole sequence because it's so captivating, but I don't want to completely spoil the story for those who haven't read it yet. Anyway, Mickey seriously underestimates the guy – his detective expertise ensures that he gets him to admit doing the deed, but he can't hold his own against such a dangerous and cunning person.

MI: Mickey!?

Telephone caller: No, here's a friend of Mickey!


Caller: You're Minnie, right?

MI: Yes, but has something happened to Mickey?


Caller: No, no, don't worry, Miss Minnie! He just can't use the phone right now!

MI: But why?


Caller: Er… he's gotta watch that geezer, you know who! And he needs you!

MI: What am I supposed to do, then?


Caller: You should come to the Odeon Theatre! With photos and negatives!

MI: What photographs?


Caller: You know! The photos from the restaurant and the Tower!

MI: A-ha! So then you must be Mr. Thompson?


Caller: Mr. Thompson? Er… yes, that's right, that's who I am!

MI: Good, I'm coming!


Caller: Fantastic! I'll wait for you backstage! See you there!


[Minnie's smart, you see, and she laid a trap for her caller…]

MI: Good to know! Mickey never told me anything about some 'Mr. Thompson'!


MI: I gotta hurry!


MI: But I won't arrive empty-handed!


MI: I'll take this – just in case!


~~


That facial expression in the eighth panel. Man, this guy IS dangerous. Watch out, Minnie!

"Thompson": Here am I, Miss Minnie!

MI: O…okay, Mr. Thompson!


~~


I actually get goosebumps looking at that panel. So well done. The speech bubble coming from an invisible place hidden by shadows, and a really frightened Minnie in front… amazing bit of staging. The whole page actually, too bad I only scanned the lower third…


Minnie again shows that she's just as capable as Mickey, and attacks Mr. Bad Guy with a pepper pot, which results in her being chased by the crook with a sword (!) and later a pistol…


Did I mention that the bad guy is a criminal genius? There's lots of evidence throughout the story. Given how much he shines in all his menacing irritativeness, it's actually a shame he was destined to be a one-shot character. You rarely see such colourful characters in Disney comics, especially when it comes to bad guys. And even when he was already supposedly "caught", he makes for an escape, adding another unexpected sequence to the story and giving us this hilarious nugget (that's Mickey stuck in a large vase, in case you're wondering):

(Tlang!)

MM: Heeelp! Get me out of this thing!


MM: Stop the thief! He's escaping!


MM: Ooph!

Guard: Halt! Everyone stop!


~~


In the next panel, Mickey utters the classic line "I'm falling! Help! A parachute! Quick!" 😂 Straight out of the best slapstick movies. Arguably it wasn't necessary for the story, but it makes it more fun. Why complain? Well, Mickey and Minnie getting invited to Buckingham Palace and being honored by Her Majesty, the Queen herself is perhaps a tad bit over-the-top, but what other way could this have ended?


So, if you like detective stories, or if you want to read one that isn't written after the most obvious formula, or if you want to see a lot of London in a Disney comic (there really is a lot), or if you want to see Minnie in one of her best roles… you might still want to read this comic despite my spoiling it to you!


PS: The art is so good that at least two different artists copied poses from the story in their own comics! :-)