Paul Terry's Mighty Mouse Comics #41

(May 1953)

Terrific Value! (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

40 Airplanes / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Space Pirates (Table of Contents: 2)

Mighty Mouse / comic story / 16 pages (report information)

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Chapter I For several months, spies from the Claw Gang have been puzzled by the enormous amount of work being done in Mouseland under the leadership of Mighty Mouse.

Feature Logo

Mighty Mouse [St. John Logo with Character]

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; science fiction; superhero

Characters

Mighty Mouse; Mitzi Mouse; various mouse workers; members of the Claw Gang; Professor Edam; various mouse astronauts; The Claw; Professor Ohm

Synopsis

Professor Edam and Mighty Mouse lead an effort to establish a space station as "the first step in [the mouse community's] journey to the Moon". A fleet of spaceships blast off with the materials necessary to construct the space station, escorted by Mighty Mouse. Preventing a meteor from colliding with the ships, Mighty Mouse is diverted, allowing Professor Ohm and the Claw Gang to take over the space station project, and use the mice as slave labor. Once constructed, Ohm uses the space station to threaten Earth.

Keywords

bomb; hijacking; outer space setting; secret project; space pirates; space station

Indexer Notes

Story is divided into three chapters.

The idea of the mice establishing a space program begins here and carries forward into the lead stories of issue #42 https://www.comics.org/issue/241844/ and issue #44 https://www.comics.org/issue/241846/

One Mouse in a Million (Table of Contents: 3)

Mighty Mouse / comic story / 16 pages (report information)

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Boy! Professor Ohm's new noiseless motor makes this thing fly quiet as a bird - and Mitzi doesn't hear me coming!

Feature Logo

Mighty Mouse [St. John Logo with Character]

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; superhero

Characters

Mighty Mouse; Mitzi Mouse; The Claw; Professor Ohm; The Claw's interceptor squadron; giant; giant's servants; dragon; various knights

Synopsis

The Claw and Professor Ohm, with Mitzi as their captive and Mighty Mouse in pursuit, escape to the year 1056 in Ohm's time machine. They materialize in a medieval land ruled by a giant, and form an alliance with him. The Claw becomes the giant's chief knight and Ohm functions as a sort of "wizard". Can Mighty Mouse overcome the combined forces of The Claw and Professor Ohm, the giant and his dragon, and an army of knights?

Keywords

castle; dragon; giant; jousting tournament; kidnapping; knights; medieval setting; time machine; time travel

Indexer Notes

Story is divided into three chapters.

The dial on Professor Ohm's time machine displays year-settings of 1056 for "Past", 1952 for "Present", and the far off year of 2000 for "Future". At the extreme end of "Future" is the unimaginable year of 5000.

Unexpected character bit: The medieval time period would seem to agree with The Claw. He finds that he actually likes being a knight... albeit an evil one.

The Mysterious Stranger (Table of Contents: 4)

Mighty Mouse / comic story / 6.5 pages (report information)

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Art Bartsch (signed)

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Art Bartsch (signed)

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Far away from Terrytown, in a big city house, a little mouse makes a startling discovery.

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Mighty Mouse [St. John Logo without Character]

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; superhero

Characters

Mighty Mouse; Elmer (mouse); unnamed mouse; cat

Synopsis

Two mice discover an issue of Mighty Mouse Comics and enjoy the way he knocks cats around. The cat of the house hears the mice laughing, grabs the comic, is horrified at the cat-clobbering images therein, and tosses the mice out of the house. Mighty Mouse gets wind of this, and is not about to let his two new readers down.

Reprints

• from Mighty Mouse Comics (St. John, 1947 series) #12 (August 1949)

Keywords

cat; comic book; meta humor; mice

Indexer Notes

Meta Moment: Inside *this actual issue* of a Mighty Mouse comic book, one mouse excitedly introduces another to a *fictional* issue of "Mighty Mouse Comics", hyping it thusly: "Wait'll you look inside and find out what he does to cats." In a few pages, the mice will get to see it up close and personal.

Slinky (Table of Contents: 5) (Expand) /

James Industries, Inc.; Slinky / comics-form advertising / 0.5 page (report information)

The Big Splash (Table of Contents: 6)

Gandy Goose / comic story / 1 page (report information)

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Golly, this water sure feels good.

Feature Logo

Gandy Goose [St. John Logo without Character]

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals

Characters

Gandy Goose; Sourpuss

Synopsis

Gandy doubts that Sourpuss will join him for a swim, as cats hate water. But Sourpuss shows him how to swim - cat-style.

Reprints

• from Mighty Mouse Comics (St. John, 1947 series) #12 (August 1949)

Keywords

doing-something-their-own-way; swimming; swimming pool

Fisherman's Luck (Table of Contents: 7)

Sourpuss / comic story / 1 page (report information)

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Art Bartsch (signed as AB)

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Art Bartsch (signed as AB)

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You're never going to catch any fish with that old stick.

Feature Logo

Sourpuss [St. John Logo]

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals

Characters

Sourpuss; Gandy Goose

Synopsis

Sourpuss derides Gandy's fishing method, but not for long.

Reprints

• from Mighty Mouse Comics (St. John, 1947 series) #12 (August 1949)

Keywords

doing-something-their-own-way; fishing; know-it-all

Young's Toy Fair (Table of Contents: 8) (Expand) /

Young Products / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[The Sad, Sad Songs of Pearl Pureheart] (Table of Contents: 9)

Mighty Mouse The Perils of Pearl Pureheart / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

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Connie Rasinski (signed)

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Connie Rasinski (signed)

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Featuring -- Mighty Mouse, Pearl's protector...

Feature Logo

Mighty Mouse The Perils of Pearl Pureheart [St. John Logo 1]

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; superhero

Characters

Mighty Mouse; Pearl Pureheart; Oil Can Harry; customers at "Oil Can Harry's Cafe" (cats); swordfish

Synopsis

Oil Can Harry kidnaps Pearl Pureheart and hypnotizes her into singing sad songs for the money-throwing customers at "Oil Can Harry's Cafe".

Reprints

• from Mighty Mouse Comics (St. John, 1947 series) #12 (August 1949)

Keywords

cafe; hypnotism; kidnapping; melodrama; sad songs; singer; stage show

Indexer Notes

As Harry plays a sad tune on his violin, tearful customers shower the hypnotized Pearl with money. Pearl’s heart-breaking lyrics include:

“Oh, Papa Dear, don’t strike me – ‘cause your whiskers I did burn. T’was just a little joke of mine, so please don’t look so stern.”

“You hit me once before today – it wasn’t fair of you – I really didn’t mean to let – the cat fall in your stew.”

Go West, Young Mouse, Go West (Table of Contents: 10)

Mighty Mouse / comic story / 7.5 pages (report information)

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Jim Tyer

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Jim Tyer

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Stirring tales have been told about the men and women who won the west but none have noted the heroic efforts of the staunch MICE who starved and sacrificed...

Feature Logo

Mighty Mouse [St. John Logo without Character]

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; superhero

Characters

Mighty Mouse; wagon train settlers (mice); Cat Indians; stampeding buffalo; The Great God Bartsch

Synopsis

In pioneer days, a wagon train of mice (three tiny wagons, pulled by a grasshopper) slowly makes its way to California facing an attack by "Cat Indians", who intend to sacrifice the prettiest young mouse to their "Great God Bartsch". Mighty Mouse battles what a caption describes as "millions and millions and millions of ferocious felines" to save the day.

Reprints

• from Mighty Mouse Comics (St. John, 1947 series) #12 (August 1949)

Keywords

buffalo; cats; comic absurdity; creator reference; heroics; historical setting; Indians; meta humor; mice; sacrifice; settlers; wagon train; western setting

Indexer Notes

In an old Terrytoons cartoon, this idea would have been played fairly straight with just a few visual gags thrown in for some levity. But, as with many of the Tyer-drawn Terrytoons comics, it becomes a wonderful exercise in nonsensical silliness. The captions in the first two panels set the tone, before any of the absurdist action begins.

The first line itself is [A:] almost endless (it goes on much longer than that entered above as “First Line of Dialogue or Text”) and [B:] reads as if it’s going to be played straight… until you come to an unexpected kicker at the end:

“Stirring tales have been told about the men and women who won the west but none have noted the heroic efforts of the staunch MICE who starved and sacrificed mid hunger, fatigue and merciless sun – bested the terrible Cat Indian tribes and strove, whisker, tail and claw to clutter up the Golden State of California.”

The same sort of kicker awaits us at the end of caption two:

“Yes, in 1846, these westerning rodents were as brave and hardy as many of the pioneer humans that they sought to plague and pester.”

The tale’s meta-momentum reaches its height with the introduction of the Cat Indians’ ruler – The Great God Bartsch! Drawn by Tyer as a large, stony-faced, squinty-eyed, sitting human, rather than as a cat, this character (incongruously inserted into an already-incongruous series of events) is clearly a parody/tribute reference to prolific Terrytoons animator and comic book artist Art Bartsch – whose work appears in this very issue!

Lots of Fun and Money! With this Television Bank (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

Seagee Co. / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Dizzy Dog Show (Table of Contents: 12)

Heckle and Jeckle / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

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I say old boy, what an opportunity to make some easy money!

Feature Logo

Heckle and Jeckle [St. John Logo without characters]

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; humor

Characters

Heckle; Jeckle; Dimwit; Mr. Spandangle (dog show runner); dog show judge; other dog contestants

Synopsis

Heckle and Jeckle make Dimwit up as a rare "Spotted Siberian Spaniel" to win first prize at a dog show.

Reprints

• from Mighty Mouse Comics (St. John, 1947 series) #12 (August 1949)

Keywords

best-laid-plans; disguise; dog show; prize; trickery

Pleased to 'Mitt' You! (Table of Contents: 13)

Dinky / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

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Let's see if you can catch this fast one!

Feature Logo

Dinky (Duck) St. John Logo with character

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals

Characters

Dinky Duck; two duck kids; Billy Bantam (bully kid); Reggie Rooster (Billy Bantam's pop);

Synopsis

Two duck kids, picked on by bully Billy Bantam, turn to Dinky for physical training.

Keywords

bully; gym; intimidation; physical training; revenge

Indexer Notes

An unusual role for Dinky, as *he* is, more often than not, the little guy who gets picked on.

Cheese Bound (Table of Contents: 14)

Gandy and Sourpuss / text story / 2 pages (report information)

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typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

"Bing Bang! Cling Clang!" was the sound of metal striking metal, and it came from the field in back of Gandy's house.

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; humor

Characters

Gandy Goose; Sourpuss; Dr. Albert Holstein (rocket scientist); Susie; Susie's father

Synopsis

Gandy and rocket scientist Dr. Albert Holstein have built themselves a moon rocket. Sourpuss takes off in the rocket in order to look like a hero in the eyes of his girlfriend Susie, and to satisfy his newly-developed cravings for cheese - since he's heard the Moon is made of it.

Keywords

best-laid-plans; cheese; moon flight; rocketship

Hokey Hero (Table of Contents: 15)

Mighty Mouse / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

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Goin' to see m' girl Susie -- Yup - Yup - sure like that gal --

Feature Logo

Mighty Mouse [St. John Logo with Character]

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; superhero

Characters

Mighty Mouse; Ooky; Susie; two black cats; two orange cats

Synopsis

Ooky, a scrawny, simple country mouse, is in love with Susie, who idolizes Mighty Mouse. To impress her, Ooky dresses up as Mighty Mouse with balloon-padding for body and muscles. Susie easily sees through the ruse, just as some cats attack.

Keywords

cats; disguise; mice; muscles

Indexer Notes

By the way he's written, Ooky's speech suggests him to be a "Mortimer Snerd" or Looney Tunes "Beaky Buzzard" type of character.

Talent Test (Table of Contents: 16)

Mighty Mouse / activity / 1 page (report information)

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Catch the mice. Two persons can play this game.

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; superhero

Characters

Mighty Mouse

Keywords

connect-the-dots; drawing tips; games; puzzles

Indexer Notes

A page of games, puzzles, connect-the-dots, and drawing tips hosted by Mighty Mouse.

The Golden West (Table of Contents: 17)

Mighty Mouse / comic story / 16 pages (report information)

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A coupla more miles and we'll make camp.old fella!

Feature Logo

Mighty Mouse [St. John Logo with Character]

Genre

anthropomorphic-funny animals; superhero

Characters

Mighty Mouse; Mitzi Mouse; The Claw; Professor Ohm; Nugget Nick (Mitzi's uncle); Nugget Nick's burro; old desert rat; members of The Claw's gang; buzzards

Synopsis

In search of a legendary lost gold mine, The Claw and his gang capture Mitzi's uncle, the old prospector Nugget Nick. After a severe beating, Nick reveals that only Mitzi knows the whereabouts of the mine. Mitzi refuses to divulge the mine's location to The Claw because it is situated directly beneath a peaceful settlement of mice, whose homes would be destroyed if word of the gold ever got out. Among the perils Mighty Mouse overcomes are being shot with Professor Ohm's high-powered ammunition, and being fed to a family of buzzards.

Keywords

buzzards; gold; gold mine; kidnapping

Indexer Notes

Story is divided into two chapters.

Given-Given (Table of Contents: 18) (Expand) /

Wilson Chemical Co.; Cloverine Brand Salve / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

An Amazing New Plan! Make Friends... Make Money! (Table of Contents: 19) (Expand) /

Harford Frocks / advertisement / 1 page (report information)