Max Pezzali becomes a duck. Mickey Mouse dedicates an entire issue to him

From music with timeless hits, to timeless comics. Max Pezzali sign the newsstand issue of Mickey Mouse. And for the first time ever Panini Comics presents an issue of the weekly magazine entirely created by one of the most beloved characters in pop culture. On Topolino 3680 Max Pezzali also becomes the protagonist in the story Donald Duck and the Sound of Time and in the splendid collectible cover created by Alessandro Perina.

What happens when the author of hits that never stop being sung meets characters that never stop being read? On Topolino 3680 comic book store and on Panini.it from Wednesday 3 June – Max Pezzali takes the helm of the most loved comic magazine as “Director for one issue”.

An entire dedicated issue

An unprecedented encounter between music and comics, where the imagery of the 90s, timeless catchphrases and pop culture intertwine with the adventures of the weekly magazine published by Panini Comics. “And here I am at the helm of an entire issue of Mickey Mouse, a dream come true, like for a child going into a toy shop and being able to take anything. Upon receiving the keys to the kingdom I felt a great responsibility. Mickey Mouse is one of the most authoritative realities from the point of view not only of the quality of the stories, of the comic itself, but also of the sociological meaning behind every cartoon, every single character.

When Alex Bertani proposed a handover to me, I started thinking about how to ensure that this issue could conform to the level of such a high-end publication, but at the same time contain elements that told my story, in harmony with the world of Mickey Mouse”, says Max Pezzali.

From music that crosses generations, to comics that never stop speaking to the future: on the pages of issue 3680 of the weekly magazine Max Pezzali lives a new chapter of his “golden years”. After having held the helm of the Sanremo ship, today he leads – for an issue – the universe of Topolino magazine, intertwining passions, catchphrases and pop memories. Because certain stories, just like certain songs, never end: they remain, they transform and continue to be passed down, becoming a myth!

Un concept comic

“This issue of Mickey Mouse is a real gem, an experiment never done before. A concept comics built along the lines of a concept album, in which each rap history will present a kind of track and where each page will contribute to a larger surprising and choral story. Different and heterogeneous stories united by the same common thread (or soundtrack I if you prefer).

An unusual test. So “personal” that after 400 uninterrupted issues I decided, for a week, to get up from the director’s chair and enjoy Mickey Mouse from the armchair! I will leave it to Max Pezzali, an exceptional director, who brought a lot of energy and a precise idea of ​​narration to the editorial team”, comments Alex Bertani, Director of Mickey Mouse. All the stories arise from ideas, passions, ideas and themes dear to Max Pezzali, then developed by a team of talented Disney authors.

The issue opens with Donald Duck and the Sound of Time, written by Tito Faraci and illustrated by Alessandro Perina, with Pezzali as the protagonist in an unprecedented “paper version”. And there is also a curious twist of fate behind this meeting on the pages of Mickey Mouse: Tito and Max have known each other since university, united by a passion for comics, music and the search for a space where they can play.

Max Pezzali in duck version

“At a certain point we shared an unlikely rehearsal room in a building owned by a remote municipality in the lower Pavia area… And it didn’t go very well!”, says Pezzali. We continue with four self-contained works – Inspiration comes when you least expect it – North, South, West and East – created by Claudio Sciarrone, which see once again Max Pezzali in Duck version. The issue is completed by five other stories, all inspired by the passions, narrative universe and language of the artist: Kilometers of letters, written by Marco Nucci and illustrated by Davide Cesarello, Manetta and the team that always wins, written by Roberto Gagnor and Luca Usai, The duckling who read Rider Duck, written by Francesco Pelosi and illustrated by Giampaolo Soldati, Donald Duck and the hero’s long day, by Marco Nucci and Andrea Maccarini, and Old story, same friends, signed by Corrado Mastantuono as the complete author.

Naturally, the artist’s universe meets the Disney one also in the exceptional cover created by Alessandro Perina. The perfect beginning of the incredible journey that will guide readers in this special issue, in which Max Pezzali’s gaze and style become a story, transforming memories and passions into new stories to read, live and reread.