Was there ever a number one green Mickey Mouse Elah?

In recent years, a real legend has spread among comic book fans and collectors: that of Mickey Mouse n.1 “Elah” . Considered by some to be the rarest and most sought-after reprint of the famous first issue of Mickey Mouse, it has become an object of desire… and of fraud. But how much truth is there in this story? And what are the recent discoveries about this mysterious reprint?

Mickey Mouse #1 Elah: The Birth of a Myth

It all started in 2009, when a copy of Topolino No. 1 appeared on a well-known auction site with the “Elah” logo printed on the back. The price of this reprint immediately reached dizzying figures. Unscrupulous sellers began to pass it off as a “super-rare” variant, asking more than 300 euros for a cellophane-wrapped copy , while a similar reprint, without the Elah logo, was usually worth little more than a few euros.

The story goes that this edition was offered as a gift by the famous confectionery company Elah, which in the 1930s had collaborated with Disney and Mondadori. But there is a problem: neither Disney nor Elah have ever confirmed having produced this version , fueling suspicions and theories among collectors.

The First Discoveries and the Doubts of the Experts

Collectors and experts moved to investigate, purchasing some copies to examine them closely. And what they discovered was surprising: everything indicated that the Mickey Mouse No. 1 “Elah” was, in fact, a cleverly packaged fake.

The clues begin with the cover. According to the analysis, a counterfeiter would have scanned the cover of a reprint from the 90s, modifying it with a photo editing program to add the Elah logo and the wording “homage”. The image is blurry and with cold color tones, typical of a digital print or even a color photocopy.

But that's not all: the inside of the comic also showed clear signs of manipulation. The reprint appears to come from a 1994 Disney edition, and in some cases from a 2005 Corriere della Sera reprint. The original staples have been removed, leaving the holes visible, and replaced with others to join the inside to the "new" cover.

The Mystery of Artisanal Cellophane Wrapping

Another suspicious detail concerns the cellophane wrapping: a professionally “blistered” package should adhere perfectly to the comic thanks to specific machinery. In this case, however, the cellophane wrapping appears poorly executed, more similar to an envelope than to a sealed package.

The Truth About Mickey Mouse N.1 Elah

As the analysis progresses, the truth becomes clearer and clearer: the Mickey Mouse N.1 Elah is a fake. It is a product created to deceive the most passionate collectors, exploiting their desire to own a “rare” and “unfindable” piece.

The legend of Mickey Mouse #1 Elah may be fascinating, but it turned out to be a scam, a false attempt to ride the wave of collecting. Stay alert and remember: all that glitters is not gold, even if it looks like a rare Mickey Mouse!