Talking Disney (Mickey,Donald and the Goof) Sing to the tune of "Talking Baseball (Willie,Mickey and the Duke) by Terry Cashman

VERSE 1

A young man named Walter
Once swore he'd never falter
In his mission to make pictures talk and sing.
When riding in a train,
It popped into his brain,
To turn a little visitor in his office into the Next Big Thing!

I'm talking Disney, Snow White and Tummi Gummi..*
Talking Disney, Pinocchio's no dummy!
Dumbo and Bambi and Peter Pan,
They know 'em all from Cleveland to Japan.
Especially Mickey, Donald and the Goof.


VERSE 2
The Mouse hit the big time,
And it became a big crime
Not to laugh with Mickey and his friends.
Then Walt went all out.
Snow White made people shout
With joy that was never likely to see an end!

I'm talking Disney, theme parks and television,
Talking Disney, the answer to all wishin'.
Haunted Mansion and the Pirate Crew,
And don't forget the Country Bears revue,
Or even Mickey, Donald and the Goof.
 VERSE 3
If only Walt were still here,
He would have breathed a sigh of pride.
Cable networks for all ages,
Broadway plays on many stages,
Brand new animated shorts,
And ESPN Sports.

VERSE 4

Just try to contain it,
Or try to explain it.
There's no way to keep it in a box.
Disney's on the move.
Mickey got back his groove.
There's ABC, Marvel, Lucas and now there's FOX!
I'm talking Disney, Spider-Man and Peter Griffin!**
Talking Disney, Bart Simpson and Lisa with him!
Avengers, the X-Men,and SHIELD.
Disney is a force that will not yield.
We thank you, Mickey, Donald and the Goof!
I'm talking Mickey, Donald and the Goof! (DISNEY! DISNEY! DISNEY!)
And don't forget, it all started with a Mouse.

*The lovable, gluttinous buffoon from DISNEY'S ADVENTURES OF THE GUMMI BEARS (NBC, 1986)
**The Family Guy of the show of the same name.

See ya real soon!
Steve

My Love-Hate Relationship With Publishers

Yeah, I know, I was SUPPOSED to write a retrospective on Five Stevetastic Years, but Life got in the way, as is its wont. I PROMISE I will have it for you by Christmas at the absolute very max.

There are certain publishers whose work and commitment to excellence I respect, among them Marvel and DC who made comics what they are today and recognize the need for sophisticated graphic storytelling, and The New York Times Company, because, of course, it publishes THE template for intelligent, impartial journalism and continues its century-plus-old mission to report "without fear or favor."(Google also counts as a publisher to a certain extent,otherwise, why would you be reading this?)

As for the publishers on my shirt list, (You know me, I don't want to offend anybody!) they include certain parties that will go unnamed but either (A) rejected some of my greatest literary efforts or (B) charge a G at least for one of the great oxymorons of our day, "self-publishing." I used to self-publish books all the time! I used to scribble a few words, add a few pictures, (OK, so they weren't Picasso!) and voila, books written and published by me, myself, without having to pay a king's ransom. Also on that list are the entities that axed some of the greatest papers I had the pleasure to read, the World Journal Tribune, the Trib, the latter-day iteration of the Sun, and The National Sports Daily. Today, it is my extreme DISpleasure to welcome tronc (sic, and they make me VERY sic), who fired half the editorial staff (including many of America's most respected sports columnists) of the New York Daily News, New York's Hometown Newspaper. The News never hesitated to tell you not only the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, even if it DID P.O. a lot of people, including a certain president. More than just a local paper, it was a cultural icon, immortalized by Broadway tunesmith Frank Loesser, inspiring Superman's employer, the Daily Planet, and introducing beloved Sunday morning funny page characters such as Dick Tracy, Moon Mullins, Smokey Stover, and one of my all-time faves, Brenda Starr, Reporter. The News should have been sold to a company that TRULY cares about a free press and not just telling both sides of the story, but ALL sides, (I'm talking to you, Google! Why didn't Sergey and Larry mount their white horses, ride up to 4 New York Plaza, and save the day?) but, instead, it was gutted by some knuckleheads from Chicago, a city that has made no secret of its hatred for us New Yorkers.

For taking the New York out of the Daily News, (Daily SNOOZE is more appropos now!) tronc, you are now one of Steve's Publishers Who Can Pucker Up On Steve's Posterior/ (Wish you could do SOMETHING to change my mind!)

Yours For Happier News, (Especially in Toronto, ON)
Steve