You may have heard the news: due to rising paper prices, Gemstone's Walt Disney comics line will be reshuffling soon. The $2.95 Mickey Mouse and Friends and Donald Duck and Friends will go on hiatus, and several new high-profile titles and specials will appear in their stead. But these changes won't take effect till January, so for now you've got two more months of the classic-format books to enjoy.

We all know about the killer bee invasion that's been rumored for decades. Now Mickey Mouse and Friends #294 finds Mouseton occupied -- and protected -- by a super-powerful wasp! The Paul Murry-drawn “Red Wasp Mystery” chronicles the little-known title character, Mouseton's own super-effective superhero, and tells what happens when he vanishes... leaving Mickey and Goofy to take his place! Created in 1967, this adventure seemed an intentional effort by writer Cecil Beard to shake up the status quo. Not only did superheroics suddenly have an important place in Mouseton, ordinary bad guys Idgit the Midget and Dangerous Dan McBoo became near-supervillains to provide worthy opposition.
So seismic was “The Red Wasp Mystery” that foreign Disney licensees were unsure of how to deal with it. Dutch publisher Oberon minimized its impact by breaking it into smaller chapters. Scandinavian powerhouse Egmont simply avoided printing it for some thirty-odd years. But Brazilian publisher Editoria Abril loved it... creating follow-up stories that teamed the Wasp with other Disney superheroes. Join us for the original ”Red Wasp Mystery” ...then tell us if you want more!

Donald Duck and Friends #345 opens with “Guard Duty,” an outrageous yarn by Jeff Hamill and fan favorite Daniel Branca. Donald needs money for a Thanksgiving dance, and is determined to borrow the moolah from Uncle Scrooge. But unknown to Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie are already trying to earn their Unca the money -- by helping Scrooge defend his money bin against solicitors... Donald included!
Next on the docket is “The Tramp Steamer,” a rip-roaring Carl Barks classic! Sick of being fired from job after job, Donald sets up his own business, renting a ship and getting into cargo transport. Soon he's headed for Acapulco with a load of soap flakes... but his plans get derailed by a close whale encounter. When the big beast swims between Donald and his goal, our hero vows to catch the “big minnow” and sell it to an aquarium. You just know this is a bad idea... but Donald doesn't!
Rounding out our 32-page collection is another aquatically-themed tale, “Fish Face” by Stefan Petrucha (The X-Files). After aquarium-goer Goof spots a unique, Goofy-faced fish, we follow his increasingly desperate attempts to share the discovery with the world.

Gemstone is your source for new and vintage Disney greats. Order our titles online at http://www.gemstonepub.com/disney, http://www.amazon.com and http://www.walmart.com. Find them at RiteAid, Walgreen's or your local comic shop. And if you can't find a comic shop, no need to enlist the Red Wasp's super-help. Call Diamond Comics' Comic Shop Locator Service at 1-888-COMIC-BOOK.

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