Disney Masters

Fantagraphics launched the Disney Masters Series with Vol. 1: The Delta Dimension in May 2018. Since then they have published a few new volumes in the Disney Masters series each year. Volumes have been alternating between the central character and story being Mickey Mouse related or Donald Duck/Uncle Scrooge.

Fantagraphics presents Disney Masters – acclaimed artists from around the world working in the grand Walt Disney tradition. Many of these stories are new to American readers and appear here for the first time in English. Fresh new artwork, fresh new adventures, and fresh new laughs!

Disney Masters Vol. 13: Mickey Mouse: The Sunken City

Book Description:

Seven recolored comics tales starring Mickey, Goofy, and the Gang!

Mickey and Goofy are lost at sea, and they get caught in a pitched battle between buccaneer Pete and sneaky submarine commander Captain Grapple. At stake: the ancient gold of Port Rancid, a pirate stronghold that sank beneath the waves ― and is now guarded by a pack of very jealous sea monsters! Then, Mickey and Goofy have their hands full with a host of mystery puzzlers ― from canoe-going ghosts in “Legend of Loon Lake” to hi-tech arsonists in “The Phantom Fires” to a piratical parrot in “The Castaways of Whale Bay!” Full-color illustrations throughout.

Disney Masters Vol. 13: Mickey Mouse: The Sunken City will be released by Fantagraphics on 11/3/20.

This edition of the Disney Masters series is 176 pages. This volume’s featured Disney Masters are Paul Murry (artist) and Carl Fallberg (writer). All of these stories were originally published in English in the United States in 1957 and 1958.

A short but detailed biography on the Disney Master artist, Paul Murry, is included at the back of this volume.

Disney Masters Vol. 13: The Sunken City is available in hardcover and Kindle\Comixology versions. A link to buy this book can be found at the end of this review.

The next five volumes in the Disney Masters series have already been announced and are available for preorder:

Disney Masters Vol. 14: Donald Duck: Follow the Fearless Leader

Disney Masters Vol. 15: Mickey Mouse: New Adventures of the Phantom Blot

Disney Masters Vol. 16: Donald Duck: Jumpin’ Jupiter

Disney Masters Vol. 17: Mickey Mouse: New Adventures of the Phantom Blot

Disney Masters Vol. 18: Uncle Scrooge: Jumpin’ Jupiter

Included Stories

There are 7 stories included in Disney Masters Vol. 13:

• The Sunken City
• The Legend of Loon Lake
• The Phantom Fires
• The Crystal Ball Quest
• The Mystery of Lonely Valley
• The Castaways of Whale Bay
• The Idol of Moaning Island

In The Sunken City, Mickey and Goofy go for a ride on Goofy’s new boat, the Phoebe B. Beebe. They meet a treasure hunter named Captain Grapple by accident when their anchor snags his submarine, the Sea Monster. Captain Grapple is after a treasure from a pirate city of Port Rancid which sank into the sea during an earthquake hundreds of years ago. If our heroes want to get away with the treasure and their lives, they are going to have to get passed Pete.

Mickey makes a surprise visit to Goofy at Fort Moosejaw in Canada where Goofy is training to be a Canadian Mountie. Goofy and Mickey get stranded near Loon Lake while looking for a Mountie horse that has gone missing. They will have to solve The Legend of Loon Lake to clear themselves from the local people’s suspicions that Mickey and Goofy are there to bring bad luck to their tribe, the Moosefaces.

Chief O’Hara enlists the services of Mickey and Goofy to go undercover and help the chief’s brother with a case in The Phantom Fires. Random fires are popping up all over town of Peaceful Valley, and Mickey and Goofy are out of towners who just want to go fishing. They soon become the prime suspects of the fires so they need to solve the case for the chief’s brother quickly or they will be the only fish on the hook.

Mickey is in search of a crystal ball for Minnie to use for a costume party in The Crystal Ball Quest. When the only crystal ball left in town breaks, Mickey finds a real gypsy that has a special crystal ball that is wanted by people other than Mickey.

Mickey and Goofy visit Grandma Duck’s Dude Ranch in The Mystery of Lonely Valley. All of the animals on her ranch are acting all screwy and out of sorts which is scaring her customers away. It is up to Mickey and Goofy to solve the mystery of what unnatural event is happening to cause the odd behaviors of the animals.

Goofy is willed a talking parrot by his great uncle Winjammer in The Castaways of Whale Bay. The parrot knows the location of valuable cargo of ambergris which is a substance used in making perfumes. Goofy and Mickey set sail to see to find the ambergris treasure; however, they are going to have to outwit Captain Squidd whom is also after the parrot and the treasure.

Pete has a scheme to trick Island natives into bringing him riches of pearls in The Idol of Moaning Islander. Mickey and Goofy are brought along on Pete’s mission against their consent. It is up to Mickey and Goofy to foil Pete’s plan yet again.

Final Thoughts

We have been so busy catching up with all of the Disney Duck comics that we had not had a chance to check out what Mickey has been up to during the classic years of Disney comics. We are going to definitely correct that by diving into all of the Disney Masters Mickey volumes like Scrooge McDuck dives into his money bin. There my mind goes thinking about ducks again. Here is something that I learned from this volume. These comics were originally published in 1957. The mid to late 1950s were a different time for Mickey Mouse. The Mickey Mouse animated shorts went on a long hiatus starting in 1953. In 1955, the long published Floyd Gottfredson comic strip ended. The original Mickey Mouse Clubhouse launched in 1955 and ran until 1959. So these comics were essential in being original Mickey Mouse adventure content that people could get their hands on during this important time period for Disney and Mickey Mouse. Besides all of these stories in this volume of Disney Masters being entertaining, they serve as a great Disney history lesson for the time period. Thanks Paul Murry and Carl Fallberg!

I love the Disney Masters series because we get treated to stories and illustrations from other great Duck comic creators besides the legendary Barks and Rosa. We may have never had a chance to read these stories outside of Fantagraphics’ Disney Masters series.

I am definitely looking forward to reading future volumes of Fantagraphics’ Disney Masters series.

You can purchase Disney Masters Vol. 13 at the link below:

Disney Masters Vol. 13: Mickey Mouse: The Sunken City

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