Midlife Mouse, the Satirical Disney Fantasy by Indie Author Wayne Franklin
Bill Durmer is in over his head. He has lost his family business. He blames himself for a disaster that befalls his hometown. And in the mother of all midlife crises, Bill does what any sane husband and father would do: he runs away to Walt Disney World. There he finds himself the subject of a turf war between factions of eccentric Disney fans who believe him the fulfillment of a mysterious prophecy. This is the world of Midlife Mouse, the new novel from filmmaker Wayne Franklin, now available at the Kindle store for only $1.99 through June 14 and at most online bookstores.
Franklin weaves actual Disney history with his created mythology to synthesize a world as vivid as it is richly imaginative. Set in an alternate version of 2010, the story uses the aftermath of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as a catalyst for Bill’s flight into fantasy. “I was writing the first draft in the summer of ’10,” Franklin says of the book, set partially in the fictional coastal town of Decent Chance, Alabama, “and reality broke in on my little invented world.”
A recent convert to Disney fandom, Franklin focuses his satirical, family-friendly fantasy on the visionary spirit of Walt Disney, which he believes to be all but lost to corporate bureaucracy. He also examines the nature of fandom, exploring through an eccentric cast of characters what would happen if the fans ruled the World.
The combination has resonated with readers and reviewers alike. The book currently holds five-star ratings on both Amazon and Goodreads, reached the top-10 of satire titles and is listed as a “hot new release” on the Kindle store, alongside the likes of satirist Carl Hiaasen and Helen Fielding’s latest Bridget Jones title.
Reviewers have said the book is “filled to the brim with charm and graceful humor,” “hilarious and brilliantly executed,” and described it as “part Big Fish, part Disney lore and all heart,” referring to the classic Daniel Wallace novel adapted into a Tim Burton film. Disney bloggers have praised Franklin for his “fantastic command of the language,” affectionately dubbing him a “Disney geek of the highest order.”
A native of Mobile, Alabama, Franklin has made a career in the commercial production industry in Birmingham for two decades. He is a founder of the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, creator of the Southern culture blog real-southern.com and co-producer/co-director of the award-winning music documentary, Duke & The King. In addition to other titles, he is currently writing Midway Mouse, the sequel to Midlife Mouse.
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