Mickey's Miniature Grandpa

Mickey's Miniature Grandpa is a strip in the British adult comic Viz. Its appearance in the magazine has been sporadic; first appearing in 1989 and appearing very occasionally ever since. It is written and drawn by Davey Jones.

It is a parody of the large number of "small people" in British children's comics, and specifically of Peter's Pocket Grandpa, a strip which used to appear in The Dandy. The difference being that Mickey Marston's grandfather is merely convinced that he's four inches tall - in reality he is a completely normal-sized person. He never realises this however, and constantly acts as if he's really this size, to the detriment of Mickey; most strips feature him trying to climb onto Mickey, nearly injuring him in the process. Worsening the fact is that Mickey's mother continually refuses to acknowledge her father's obvious insanity, a satire on people's attitudes when their loved ones become mentally ill. Despite his delusions, Grandpa is sometimes able to convince others that he is four inches tall as well, such as in one adventure where after he dies suddenly a doctor suggests that the family bury him in a matchbox to save on a coffin being made for his tiny body. It's humour is similar to Balsa Boy in that they both portray elderly men with insane delusions that they are living in a magical, fairytale world - resulting in real-world consequences.

See also

• Grandpa In My Pocket