Mickey Mouse between science and science fiction – EduINAF

In EduINAF we come back to talk about Mickey Mouse and science with Alessandro Pastrovichio

On the occasion of the release gamma factor In early June little mouseWe interviewed the author of that story Alexander Pastrovicchiowho appeared for the first time as a full author.
Alessandro first appeared in the pages of PKNA extension As ruler of Brother Lorenzo and after some stories about him Donald Duck month finally little mouse In 2001 with story written by Sesto Negro.
During his career, he lent his art to some epics, such as the famous Mickey wizardsis always posted in little mouseor later Diary of a Foolish KnightProduced by Disney and published in The Monthly Gazette donald duck.
First personal project proposed by Alessandro Pastrovichio to the Editorial Board little mouse However, he is one Great parody Which, in fact, may also be of interest to readers of EduINAF: trip to the moon It is, in fact, a reinterpretation in key Disneyana from a movie George Millis Which in turn is an interpretation of the famous two lunar novels Jules Verne.

On that occasion, the texts were entrusted to Bruno Ena. Can you tell us how the project originated and how it developed?
I’ve always been a fan of black and white and silent films from that era. One day, while re-watching A Trip to the Moon, I was struck by the idea that no one else in a Disney story had treated him and immediately thought that the playful, dreamlike vibe of Millie’s would be well-suited for some sort of “parody” of Disney with the ducks.
I also saw Millis’ second film – Journey Through the Impossible, decidedly less well-known than “Big Brother” – and pitched Mickey Mouse director Alex Bertani with the idea of ​​adapting the two feature films and tying them together with a single plot. Alex liked the idea and the wise and satirical pen of Bruno Ena was involved in the development of Objective, with whom she had already collaborated at the time of Saguaro for Bonelli.
To prepare to plot A Journey to the Moon and immerse myself in its atmosphere, I re-read the novels that inspired Melies’ work: Jules Vernes with From the Earth to the Moon and Wells with The First Men on the Moon.
I add a bit of curiosity: the appropriate means of linking the two films was the first novel that could be considered science fiction, a “true story” by the philosopher Samosata dating back to the second century in which reference is made for the first time to a battle between the inhabitants of the Moon (the Selenites) and the inhabitants of the Sun for the conquest of a planet Flower.

Although somewhat drifting imaginary From history, it already exists trip to the moon Science plays an important role. Presumably more northeast gamma factora story in three episodes published on little mouse ##3523-25. Can you give us an idea of ​​the scientific work behind such a complex story? What was the most difficult subject to deal with?
Since I was a child I have always been a fan of adventure novels, in particular those of Jules Verne who, in addition to great flavor, has always managed to give his works a scientific feel. I have always admired him as a visionary, his inspiration for the scientists and technological applications that came in later eras, and his prediction of the moon landing more than 100 years ago.
For Gamma, of course, it was very different as I wanted the story to be based on real science. It all starts from my passion for astrophysics, the book that gave me a boost in that sense was definitely “Space-Time Travel” by Nobel Prize winning writer Kip Thorne which I’ve been following since the discovery of gravitational waves.
The difficulties in adapting such complex themes to a Disney story were first of all simplifying the concepts so that they could reach everyone (from children to adults) without completely distorting them, and secondly, being able to find the necessary words by adapting them to brevitas of balloons.
In writing and dealing with gamma, there were more “rocks” to contend with, but definitely the more difficult subjects were wormholes, exotic matter, and the Tesseract, above all because I wanted to tie them together. The idea came from a 1988 article written by Kip Thorne and one of his students (Mike Morris) who theorized the “traversibility” of an Einstein-Rosen bridge kept “open” thanks to a spherical shell of exotic matter. Hence the idea of ​​having Gamma use the alien matter formula – which has become “topical” for humorous needs in comics – to open space-time galleries. The same objective subject is then randomly stimulated by Atomino photons, creating the legendary Tesseract which, in my story, becomes a doorway to the fourth dimension made up of objective matter. I have tried, as far as possible, not to break the laws of entropy, and although I could not dwell on my story for obvious reasons of comprehension and accessibility, Mickey Mouse and Enigma can only move forward in time, without actually mirroring reality. entropy.

In addition to some incomprehensible little “poetic licence”, you have done a great job of studying: this shows a great passion for science in general and astronomy in particular. How was this passion born? What do you particularly admire about science?
My passion stems from the attraction I’ve always felt towards subjects, but above all, the questions that astrophysics poses and poses to you. Astronomy is the science of mystery that physics is applied to in order to understand the universe. Humans have had, since the dawn of time, this impulse – which was then the engine that led to the greatest discoveries – to uncover and explain what really exists.

It seems right to say a few words in conclusion directly gamma factor. I was particularly intrigued by the references to other stories Disney Modern, but not only. Can you show us just a few references? And in general, how important it is for the author to also be her reader little mouse?
It all definitely starts from Floyd Gottfredson’s Mickey Mouse and the Cloud Man, which I was inspired by as far as Professor Enigm is concerned, and which I wanted to use in terms of graphics and character. Then obviously one of the key pieces was the story of Romano Scarpa, Mickey Mouse, and Delta Dimension, which finally ran through Mickey Mouse and the casti pioneers serving as a bridge to explain Otomino’s increased abilities.
Knowing the characters you use without distorting them and without forgetting what they have suffered in the past is essential because the audience, especially the most attentive and loyal, does not forgive omissions or poetic licenses without explanations or rationales. I feel like saying that reading is essential for any author, Disney or not, in general it is essential for all of us to be curious, watch movies, listen to music, and look at the endless possibilities that these times offer us. Only in this way can we be in constant change and growth, with firm roots but with an eye on the future.

After this last answer, I thank Alessandro Pastrovicchio for the patience and kindness he showed in responding to these curiosities. And of course, we will be eagerly awaiting Gama’s return to Topolinia backstage!