An Italian comic based off the potential series
Maximum Horsepower was a proposed animated series to be featured on The Disney Afternoon programming block in the 1990s and starring Horace Horsecollar. It was the brainchild of writer Tad Stones.
Plot
The premise justifies Horace Horsecollar's lack of appearances in cartoons after the 1930s. In 1939, Horace, jealous of Mickey Mouse's popularity compared to his own, had grown tired of playing minor roles in cartoon shorts. It does not help that Mickey had replaced Horace as supporting player with the likes of Donald Duck and Goofy. Then Horace learns that Mickey is going to appear in a segment of Fantasia, so he decides to go directly to Walt Disney's office to demand a role in that movie as well in hopes of moving becoming a bigger star. He doesn't get far, however, as he is suddenly spirited away by a race of aliens and sent to another galaxy. These aliens have chosen him as their new champion. Ever egotistical, Horace plays along, bluffing his way through dangerous intergalactic situations, all the while trying, but never really succeeding, in coming up with ways to return home.
Development
According to Jim Hill, the idea for this series never made it past the pitch phase, as Disney wanted to focus on expanding the brand, which resulted in other series such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Timon & Pumbaa.[1]
Trivia
- In 1998, one issue of the Italian comic magazine "Disney MEGAzine" featured on the cover Horace surrounded by a race of aliens. Inside is a story called Incontri ravvicinati (Close Encounters), which may have taken some inspiration from the proposed TV series.
