"The New Yorker," . . "Walter James Mitty"@en . . . "Walter Mitty is a fictional character in James Thurber's short story \"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty\", first published in The New Yorker on March 18, 1939, and in book form in My World and Welcome to It in 1942. Thurber loosely based the character on his friend, Walter Mithoff."@en . "March 18, 1939" . "\"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty\"" . "\"The Old Man\" (in one fantasy)"@en .