DID YOU KNOW?
The first issue of Topolino Magazine came out on December 31st, 1932! 89 years ago!
By the time in newspaper format, it was published by Giuseppe Nerbini for the first three years and then by Mondadori. It was not only the first magazine to publish Mickey Mouse's stories in Italy, but in the world since it anticipated by a month the American Mickey Mouse Magazine!
Mickey Mouse (and by extension Disney comics) was the only one to be spared by the fascist government's banishment of American comics in 1938. Looks like Mussolini himself added by hand at the end of the decree "eccetto Topolino" ("except for Mickey Mouse").
The newspaper ceased publication during the hardest years of the war from 1943 to 1945, it never stopped publication since then. In 1949 the newspaper got converted into a new pocket comic book (the one we know today) and started over from issue #1.
Happy birthday, Topolino!
