Paul Murry

Paul Murry (born November 25, 1911 in Stanberry , Missouri , † August 4, 1989 in Palmdale , California ) was an American comic book and animator . He was best known for his work for Disney , which mostly dealt with Mickey Mouse .

biography

Paul Murry was born on November 25, 1911 in Stanberry, Missouri. He worked as a farmer until he was 26 years old. He then worked for almost a year in the advertising department of a printing company in St. Joseph after the owner of the company saw a drawing of him with which he had decorated the answer to a competition. At the end of 1937 he applied for an advertisement at the Walt Disney Studios as an animator. After making some trial drawings, it was recorded in the studios in early June 1938. There he worked under Fred Moore on several short films with Mickey Mouse as well as on the feature films Dumbo and Pinocchio .

In early 1943, Bob Grant, who was drawing comic strips for the Sunday pages at the time, was drafted into the military. In his place, Murry took over the strip, who initially had José Carioca and later Panchito Pistoles as a hero. At the same time, Murry supported Floyd Gottfredson in 1944 with the drawings of the Mickey Mouse daily strips. Among other things, Murry was involved in the story The House of Mystery . In 1945 and 1946 he finally drew a few Sunday pages with Hansi Hase.

From 1946 to 1949 Murry worked as a farmer again. Then he returned to the Walt Disney Studios on short notice. In early 1950 his first stories with Donald Duck appeared in Dell's Walt Disney's Comics and Stories . His first story with Mickey Mouse appeared in Vacation Parade 1 in July 1950. At the same time, Murry drew cartoons for joke papers such as Gags , Pepper and Charley Jones' Laugh Book Magazine . Following this, the artist tried his own newspaper trip together with copywriter Dick Huemer . The strip, entitled Buck O'Rue , was released from January 1951 to December 1952.

In 1953 Murry began a long and fruitful collaboration with the copywriter Carl Fallberg . Her long stories with Mickey Mouse, which were published in the series Walt Disney's Comics and Stories and Mickey Mouse , are particularly outstanding . The stories in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories were divided into several parts, mostly in three booklets. This division into several parts was also retained in the German version. In addition to these long stories with Mickey Mouse, Murry also drew many shorter stories with almost all Disney characters, such as the little bad wolf. From 1959 Murry also drew a few stories with Woody Woodpecker .

For Murry, the 1960s were marked by three events in particular. In the multi-part series The Return of the Phantom Blot ( Walt Disney's Comics and Stories 284 - 287) the black phantom celebrated its return, which had previously made readers shudder on the newspaper strips in the 1930s. At the same time, Gold Key started the magazine series The Phantom Blot , the seven issues of which were all designed by Murry. Murry was also the graphic inventor of Supergoof . This figure was so successful that the magazine series named after it was published for 20 years.

Finally, Murry's collaboration with Dan Spiegle for the three-part series Mickey Mouse Super Secret Agent is remarkable . This appeared in Mickey Mouse 107-109. Micky and Goofy work as secret agents in this series. You act in a real world, surrounded by human-looking characters. While Murry drew Mickey and Goofy, the rest was drawn by Spiegle. The first of these three stories first appeared in German in Mickey Mouse Comics 32.

The 1970s saw the slow decline of Disney comics in the United States. Less and less new material was printed in the various issue series. Instead, reprints were used. Nevertheless, new stories arose sporadically, including those by Murry. Murry's last Mickey Mouse story for the Mickey Mouse series was published in 1980 and for the Walt Disney's Comics and Stories series in 1982. Murry spent the last years of his life with "music, natural history, farming and sometimes just plain doing nothing". He died on August 4, 1989 in Palmdale, California.

style

Murry was known for his long Mickey Mouse stories and, next to Floyd Gottfredson, shaped this character by far the most. He was also known for being able to draw a multitude of different characters perfectly like no other.

He drew the character Mickey Mouse from two sides. On the one hand, in the WDC, as a brave, always ready adventurer, and on the other hand, in Mickey Mouse magazine, helpless, confused and a little idiotic. He was particularly fond of playing Pluto, who did not leave his master's side in adventure comics and intervened in crucial situations. Likewise, Goofy, the mouse's best friend, who gradually became more and more clumsy. Murry especially shaped him, because he let him twist and bend in an incomparable way.

The artist was also known for his expansive, detailed backgrounds and his careful way of working. His drawings are rather rough.

Paul Murry's multi-part for Walt Disney's Comics and Stories

The following list contains the multi-part series that Paul Murry mostly designed together with Carl Fallberg for Walt Disney's Comics and Stories (hereinafter: WDC). They were printed in WDC from 1953 to 1973.

• The Last Resort (in WDC 152-154)

in German under the title The peaceful holiday resort in MM 28/1957 - 2/1958 and in MM 17 - 19/1984

• The Lens Hunters (in WDC 158-160)

in German under the title Film Expedition in Africa in MM 43 - 45/1958

• The Case of the Vanishing Bandit (in WDC 161 - 163)

in German under the title Schatten über Zirkus Zacharias in MM 12 - 14/1967 and in Micky Mouse Comics 13 (2013)

• The Mysterious Crystal Ball (in WDC 164 - 166)

in German under the title The look into the future in MM 23 - 25/1995

• The Lost Legion (in WDC 167-169)

in German under the title The trap in MM 40 - 42/1967

• The Magic Rope (in WDC 170-172)

in German under the title Das indische Zauberseil in MM 5 - 7/1959

• Ridin 'the Rails (in WDC 173 - 175)

in German under the title Die braven Eisenbahner in MM 38 - 40/1960 and in MM 23 - 25/1980

• The Lost City (in WDC 176-178)

in German under the title Der liebe Bandit und der Böse Bandit in MM 35 - 37/1967

• Yesterday Ranch (in WDC 179-181)

in German under the title Die Ranch "Zur guten alten Zeit" in MM 16 - 18/1958

• The Marvelous Magnet (in WDC 182-184)

in German under the title Der Negativmagnet in MM 17 - 19/1959 and under the title Der Anti-Magnet in MM 25 - 27/1977

• The Vanishing Railroad (in WDC 185-187)

in German under the title The Disappeared Railway in MM 17 - 19/1957 and in MM 45 - 47/1988

• The Case of the Hungry Ghost (in WDC 188-190)

in German under the title The hungry ghost in MM 17 - 19/1973

• The Pirates of Tabasco Bay (in WDC 191--193)

in German under the title Die Piraten von Tobasco in MM 14 - 16/1959 and under the title Die Piraten von Tabasco in MM 6 - 8/1978 and in MM 10 - 12/1990

• The Great Stamp Hunt (in WDC 194--196)

in German under the title The hunt for the red-brown ones in MM 12 - 14/1961, MM 34 - 36/1982 and in MM 28 - 30/1999

• The Legend of Loon Lake (197-199)

in German under the title Kein Schatz am Elchsee in MM 26 - 28/1968

• The Phantom Fires (in WDC 200-202)

in German under the title Arson in Golden City in MM 18 - 20/1967

• The Crystal Ball Quest (in WDC 203, 204)

in German under the title Die Hellsehkugel in MM 35 and 36/1958

• The Sunken City (in WDC 205-207)

in German under the title Die versunkene Stadt in MM 4 - 6/1968 and in MM 15 - 17/1989

• The Mystery of Lonely Valley (in WDC 208-210)

in German under the title The secret of grandma’s holiday ranch in MM 8 - 10/1959

• The Castaways of Whale Bay (in WDC 211-213)

in German under the title Der Schatz in der Walfischbai in MM 36 - 38/1959 and in MM 17 - 19/1978

• The Idol of Moaning Island (in WDC 214-216)

in German under the title Die Seufzerinsel in MM 46 - 48/1960 and in MM 52/1984 - 2/1985

• The Threat of the Stone-Eaters (in WDC 217-219)

in German under the title Die Expedition in die Anden in MM 42 - 44/1959

• The Monster of Sawtooth Mountain (in WDC 220-222)

in German under the title Das Schneegespenst in der Rocky Mountains in MM 2 - 4/1960 and in MM 50 - 52/1981

• Alaskan Adventure (in WDC 223-225)

in German under the title Adventure in Alaska in MM 10 - 12/1960 and in MM 43 - 45/1977

• The Fantastic Fog (in WDC 226-228)

in German under the title Der Nebelgenerator in MM 34 - 36/1960 and in MM 18 - 20/1979

• The Bar None Ranch (located in WDC 229-233); Remake of Gottfried's story of the same name

in German under the title Kater Karlo strikes in MM 44 - 48/1962

• Pineapple Poachers (in WDC 234-236)

in German under the title Die Ananasräuber in MM 21 - 23/1967

• An Education for Thursday (in WDC 237-241); Remake of Gottfried's story of the same name

in German under the title Mickys Gast aus Afrika in MM 41 - 45/1961

• Mickey's Strange Mission (in WDC 243-245)

in German under the title A difficult task in MM 20 - 22/1968

• The Moon-Blot Plot (in WDC 246-248)

in German under the title Assentat auf dem Mond in MM 26 - 28/1962

• The Golden Touch (in WDC 249-251)

in German under the title Der Stein der Weisen in MM 32 - 34/1962

• The Great Giveaway Mystery (in WDC 252-254)

in German under the title Die Große Schenk-Welle in MM 38 - 40/1962

• The Mystery of Misery Mesa (in WDC 255-257)

in German under the title The Secret of Misery Mesa in MM 2 - 4/1963

• The Missing Merchantman (in WDC 258-260)

in German under the title Das Verschollene Schiff in MM 8 - 10/1963

• The Incredible Box Top Plot (in WDC 261-263)

in German under the title The secret of the box lid in MM 30 - 32/1963

• The Treasure of El Dorado (in WDC 264-266)

in German under the title Der Schatz des El Dorado in MM 53/1966 - 2/1967 and in MM 22 - 24/1981

• The Secret of the Ancient Incas (in WDC 274-276)

in German under the title The Secret of the Old Inkas in MM 5 - 7/1965 and in MM 29 - 31/1983

• Undercover Mountie (in WDC 277-279)

in German under the title Die Scharlachroten Reiter in MM 46 - 48/1965 and in MM 27 - 29/1984

• The Return of the Phantom Blot (in WDC 284-287)

in German under the title The false phantom in MM 30 - 33/1965 and in MM 17 - 20/1983

• The Phantom Ship (in WDC 290-292)

in German under the title Das Geisterschiff in MM 29 - 31/1966 and in MM 39 - 41/1985

• Trapped on Wreckers Reef (in WDC 296-298)

in German under the title Die Super-Puste as a supplement to MM 37 - 42/1966

• The Treasure of Oomba Loomba (in WDC 313-316)

in German under the title Der Schatz von Umba Lumba in MM 46 - 49/1968

• The Red Wasp Mystery (in WDC 317-319)

in German under the title The Mask of the Superhero in MM 46 - 48/1998

• Lair of the Zoomby (in WDC 320 - 322)

in German under the title The Black Geier in MM 36 - 38/1968

• Trapped in Time (in WDC 323 - 326)

in German under the title Verirrt in Raum und Zeit in MM 29 - 32/1968

• The Case of the Dazzling Hoo-Doo (in WDC 330-332)

in German under the title Moderner Hudu-Zauber in MM 37 - 39/1969 and in MM 1 - 3/1990

• Peril at Panther Pass (in WDC 333 - 335)

in German under the title Treffpunkt Pantherpass in MM 27 - 29/1969

• The River Pirates (in WDC 336-338)

in German under the title Die Flußpiraten vom Ohio in MM 47 - 49/1969

• The Strange Case of Professor Zero (in WDC 339 - 341)

in German under the title Der seltsame Fall des Professor Null in MM 5 - 7/1970

• The Secret of Shipnappers' Cove (in WDC 342-344)

in German under the title The Hunt for the Green Teapot in MM 15 - 17/1970 and in MM 28 - 30/1992

• The Sinking City (in WDC 345-347)

in German under the title Die sinkende Stadt in MM 33 - 35/1970

• The Sorcerer of Donnybrook Castle (in WDC 351-353)

in German under the title Der Zauberer von Burg Zundelstein in MM 50 - 52/1970 and in MM 13 - 15/1992

• Chief Bigfoot and the Ghost Warriors (in WDC 354-356)

in German under the title Die Geisterreiter in MM 10 - 12/1971 and under the title Die Geisterreiter vom Geierberg in MM 25 - 27/1993

• Journey to No-No Land (in WDC 357 - 359)

in German under the title Die Reise nach No-istan in MM 19 - 21/1971 and in 8 - 10/1994

• The Sign of the Scorpion (in WDC 360 - 362)

in German under the title Daszeichen des Skorpions in MM 6 - 8/1972

• The Mystery of the Counterfeit Masters (in WDC 363 - 365)

in German under the title Bildfälscher am Werk in MM 49 - 51/1971

• Kingdom in the Clouds (in WDC 366-368)

in German under the title The Kingdom in the Clouds in MM 20 - 22/1972

• The Viking Stone Mystery (in WDC 370 - 372)

in German under the title Der Schatz by Gunnar Gabelbart in MM 40 - 42/1973

• The Pirates of Port Placid (in WDC 374-376)

in German under the title Adventure at Sea in MM 12-14/1974 and under the title Adventure in the Caribbean in MM 18-20/1994

• The Golden Helmet (in WDC 377-379)

in German under the title Der Wikinger-Helm in MM 17 - 19/1974 and in MM 23 - 25/1991

• Message in a Nutshell (in WDC 380 - 382)

in German under the title The message in the nut in MM 5 - 7/1974

• The Mystery Monster from Smoggy Bog (in WDC 383 - 385)

in German under the title Das Ungeheuer vom Unkenmoor in MM 12 - 14/1975 and in MM 42 - 44/1991

• The Old Pirate's Mansion (in WDC 386 - 388)

in German under the title Das Piratennest in MM 22 - 24/1975

• The Case of the Talking Tooth (in WDC 389-391)

in German under the title Die Plauder-Plombe in MM 1 - 3/1975 and in MM 33 - 35/1991

• Flight of the Dragon (in WDC 392-394)

in German under the title Die Dracheninvasion in Donald Duck (paperback) 195 (remounted)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Alberto Becattini, in: PROFILI ALBUM 2 , Lucca of 2002.
2. ^ For example, the September 3, 1944 Strip
3. ^ For example, October 22, 1944 Strip
4. ↑ Inducks: The House of Mystery
5. ↑ For example Strips from 14.-28. October 1945
6. ↑ For example in WDC 115
7. ↑ Inducks: Vacation Parade 1
8. ↑ Cover of the reprint on Buck O'Rue
9. ↑ Inducks: Little Wolf of Murry
10. ↑ Woody Woodpecker by Murry
11. ↑ Inducks: The Phantom Blot
12. ↑ Inducks: Super Goof
13. ↑ Super Secret Agent series
14. ↑ Inducks: Walt Disney's Comics and Stories
15. ↑ Gottfried's Bar-none Ranch
16. ↑ Gottfried's An Education for Thursday
17. ↑ Comic Guide: Mickey Mouse Supplement 41

Web links

• Tom Appleton: Mouse came from Missouri. Paul Murry, the most important Mickey Mouse artist in the Disney world, was born 100 years ago.
• Here's the classic Mickey Mouse of Paul Murry
• Murry's Pepe and Pepito
• Murry in Corteggiani's Blog (1)
• Murry in Corteggiani's Blog (2)