The River of Time

In honor of Mickey's 93rd birthday, I decided to review the Italian classic The River of Time. A direct sequel to "Steamboat Willie," the story has received plenty of kudos for its portrayal of the Mickey/Pete relationship. Written by Francesco Artibani and Tito Faraci with art done by Corrado Mastantuono. Does it live up to the hype of a #154 ranking on Inducks? Follow along as the whistle blows and find out! 

Firstly, the setting itself is of particular interest. While many Mickey comics have been influenced by animation, this is one of the few stories (that I know of) that are directly connected with a short. Now for anyone who has watched "Steamboat Willie," you will realize that this story mostly borrows from the concept and does not continue the plot. Well, not that the short had much plot. In other words, it is creating from whole cloth. Is the tale spun any good? 

From the very beginning, the reader is engaged in the story. It opens with a worker finding the Steamboat Willie's plaque. The scene shifts to Pete invading Mickey's adobe and just chilling out on the couch as Mickey groggily mumbles about home defense. 

 

Which is immediately followed up by this amusing little comedic bit with Mickey insisting to Minnie (on the phone) that he isn't being held hostage by Pete. 

Now I am not an expert on new school Mickey/Pete relationship in some Italian stories but from what I gleamed from various stories and posts is that they are generally portrayed as a friend/enemy type relationship. Which is certainly an interesting take. Since my apprenticeship in Mickey Mouse comics started with Gottfredson and Scarpa where Pete has no moral issues with death threats against the Mouse and his friends, this idea of them having a weird "it is not personal, just business" kinship doesn't cotton well. 

Granted, continuity doesn't really exist in Disney comics outside of specific story arcs but it is hard to knit together 1930s Peg-Leg Pete becoming the modern, friendlier Pete. The same character who gleefully threatened to rain down acid rain in The Delta Dimension and laughed hardily at sending Mickey to his plunging doom in The Mail Pilot seems miles away from the merry joking version seen here. Not to mention, Mickey being nonchalant about Pete breaking into his house. 

The story here makes it work but I would say it works because the relationship was present in "Steamboat Willie" itself. Pete (though not identified as such in the short) is a bully but not a hardened criminal. Coming from the short's world, the reader can understand why Mickey doesn't feel threatened. 

Quick note: the story is peppered with great little details from the animated short. Check out the whistles. 

Mickey agrees to team up with Pete to recover the wreck of the famed steamboat. He heads to the dock to enlist the services of a ship and conveniently reveals the backstory of the wreck. Once again, the event of the short are intermixed with the narrative. Mickey was kicked off the deck so Pete could conspire with his thieving partner Jud Fishbone. The stop at the dock was so Pete could rat out his partner to the local sheriff. 

One thing to note about this story is how sarcastic Mickey can be. It is a dramatic recounting of the climatic crash of the ship and while his captain friend waxed poetic about the event, Mickey refuses to view it in a romantic light. 

This attitude of Mickey continues as he and Pete prepare for their departure. Pete arrives dressed in a cutesy sailor suit saluting the spirit of the sea. Mickey calls out his captainship and mocks the rubber parrot on his shoulder. (Viewers of "Steamboat Willie" will remember the parrot that constantly mocked Mickey.)

Yet once the two reluctant partners set off the journey, Mickey transitions into the happy-go-lucky spirit while Pete reverts into a grump. The strength of each character is on full display. Their actions are within the established parameters. Mickey whistling happily at the wheel is one of the iconic scenes of Disney animation (Disney animated movies use it as their logo) so to see Pete whack him across the head during it is a gentle satire on how different the comics are from animation. 

As Mickey and Pete start a scuffle over the boat, someone watches from shore. This character and his friend will serve as a bit of a pseudo-audience for Mickey and Pete's antics. They offer some commentary as they think it is all an act and not a tense partnership between two enemies seeking resolution for past wrongs. It is the little touches like this that elevates this story beyond the typical Disney comic. Plus the plus as Uncle Walt said. 

Part One ends with the contentious duo reaching Devil's Elbow, the site of the sinking. With the audience sitting on the rocks and the boat in anchor all the players are set for round two. 

Part Two opens with a glorious shot of the sunken Steamboat Willie. The art in this mixes crazy lines and gorgeous scenes to expert effect. It almost feels animated. The kinetic struggle between Mickey and Pete as they jostle like children to see the sunken ship displays character. It is amusing but has gravitas. 

Having established that the ship is below and able to salvage, they decide to delay until the next day. Which means it is time for pathos! With their unknown audience watching, Pete asks Mickey if they ever could have been friends. Now while the silent panels definitely provide a sense of who knows, I must quibble with the idea. 

I don't see how the lawful and upstanding Mickey could be friends with Pete without continuously trying to break him to the side of right. Mickey certainly has patience (see his friendship with Butch in the 1930s and dealing with Goofy on a daily basis) but I cannot see Mickey being OK with thieving. Pete has a rap list a mile long and while he does have a (mostly) stable relationship with Trudy, it is a relationship that shares a mutual interest in crime. If Pete wasn't a thief? Sure, he might be crude and rough but Mickey isn't a surface guy. However, actual crime changes the game. 

Anyway, the touching scene is interrupted by the reality that the deck is on fire. 

Jud Fishbone, Pete's sold out partner, arrives and tricks the motley duo by claiming to be a talent agent and that his prison number is a telephone number. It is interesting how superfluous he feels to the story.

The next day, Pete attempts to raise the Steamboat Willie using the crane attached to the ship. It fails in spectacular fashion much to the amusement of the threesome on the shore especially to the two bumpkins who are still convinced they are watching a play. The red-haired hick plays the role of the Shakespearean Fool by providing wisdom on how a clown is sad between the smile. Pete is dismayed but Mickey showing off his trademarked optimism has an idea. 

Mickey takes a giant tent canvas and places it in the ship. He has Pete pump it up while the entire time he delivers a spiel on the science behind it. You can tell why Mickey and Pete have been dueling for 90+ years. They just have a connection. 

Mickey's idea works to perfection and the duo celebrates their success only for Jud Fishbone to arrive bearing a gun and a determined expression. 

But one page later and he is easily taken down by Mickey (with some assistance from the bumpkins' dog). So on one level, this feels disappointing and anti-climatic. Clearly, any random thief could provide the same action. But Fishbone's appearance is ultimately second to the emotional Mickey-Pete plot. His existence is important to the past actions that led to the sinking of the Steamboat Willie. A lengthy duel would only overshadow that point. 

So everything seems all wrapped up but Mickey suddenly remembers what would have caused the explosion that led to the sinking. Realizing it wasn't his doing, he rushes back to the ship to find Pete fetching a wooden container. 

Having been confronted by the hero, Pete follows proper villain protocol and details his reasoning. It is a bit convoluted and frankly I don't see how sinking the ship was really the best way to hide his theft. But it is Pete and planning has rarely been one of the character's strengths. 

Mickey pieces the rest of it together and realizes Pete needed him to obtain the proper license for salvaging. Pete feeling the conversation complete attempts to leave but Mickey halts him by asking to see what the treasure is. 

They open the container to discover that the hole in the bottom ensured that valuable ruby has probably ended up in the belly of a perch. It is a twist in the grand tradition of Disney comics where the treasure often goes unclaimed by all parties. And the bumpkins are discovered by a butler and they return to a feast at a mansion. 

With the engine down, Mickey and Pete are stuck on the river until the next day. The final page has Pete offering his bag of snacks (a callback to an earlier discussion about Pete's gluttony) and Mickey after slight hesitation takes a handful to end the story on a reflective note. 

Classic stories are classic stories just not for their laughs or plot or art but for the feelings they evoke inside their readers. Disney comics are famous for providing two-dimensional animated characters with three-dimensional personalities. This story among others showcases why the love for the medium has been earned. Mickey isn't just a happy fellow dancing along to a syncopated beat. He feels anger when Pete attempts to pull tricks, guilt when he thinks he was responsible for the Steamboat Willie sinking, he has a sarcastic sense of humor, and drive for justice. Pete is also allowed to experience a full range of emotions. He is lighthearted in his sailor's suit, he is despondent when the level fails to work, and upset when Mickey gives him the cold shoulder. In this story, we are watching two old companions coming to terms with their past. We all have been there even if our experiences didn't involve an iconic steamboat. 

Two ears up!