I like to read the archives of Lil Abner, which are fed out day by day on comics.com, because I don't remember most of the old strip at all. Catching up on the last 3 days I am shocked to see that Ricky Rat, the star of Yappland (a version of Disneyland, but Al Capp softens the parody by calling the creator Hal Yapp, close to his own name)has been killed. He sacrificed his life in an attempt to help save a pig, Salomey the Hammus Alabammus. Ricky, the way, is the size of an actual rat, not person-sized, like the phonies running around in costumes in Florida and California. lilabner/archive

A short time ago, Farfur the mouse was also killed. This mouse was the Arabic version of Mickey Mouse, and starred on his own TV show. This show urges a pro-jihad propaganda on its young viewers. Farfur got killed by Israelis, and then his replacement, a bumblebee, quickly died because he wasn't allowed into an Israeli hospital when he needed medical care(very apt). The bumblebee has been replaced by a rabbit, whose chances for a long life probably aren't good. farfur on wikipedia

I kind of appreciate the creation of Farfur, but it was time for him to die. His ancestor, Mickey, used to be an entirely benign figure but now the Disney empire shines a different light; I don't know much about their doings so I won't characterize it. But the movies coming out from it for the last 15-20 years do not demonstrate the same high ethical messages Disney once did. They're full of spoiled, selfish children and adults. They are often morally ambiguous. And Mickey Mouse himself doesn't seem to have anything to do with anything anymore.

Farfur had this terribly falsetto, annoying voice. Mickey Mouse squeaks; Farfur whimpers. You can find bits of Farfur shows in videos online. He's about as appealing as a mime.

I'm just wondering if there is a relationship between the deaths of these 2 mice. Are all parodies of Mickey Mouse doomed?