Keskustelujen arkisto

As much as I enjoy this kind of discussion, I wouldn't like to see it
go on eternally, so this will probably be my final word on the matter.

And whatever anyone may have read out of my previous message, I don't
think that comics should be regarded as litterature. I DO think,
however that comics should not be judged in any different way than
other kinds of art/litterature.

Let me explain: Noone ever tried to compare the finer points of "War
and Peace" to those of "Lost in the Andes". That wouldn't be relevant,
nor would the opposite. But it is relevant to compare "War and Peace"
with other works of litterature of its time. And just as relevant to
compare "Lost in the Andes" to other comics of that time.

Don, of course, has a very relevant point in saying that comics should
just be read for pure enjoyment. That goes for his comics as well as
ANY good comics. But, again, why should that be different from any
kind of written litterature? Why would it be impossible to enjoy
Dostoyevsky or Kafka? After all, there is a reason that their works
have survived as classics. And that reason is NOT that they have been
analyzed into the bare bone by scholars.

OK, so comics are "escapist entertainment". To a certain level, I
agree! But to the same level, I consider Dostoyevsky to be escapist
entertainment. And there's nothing wrong with that.

/F

On Fri, 26 Nov 1993, Harry Fluks wrote:
> Juuso (welcome):
> > BTW, I checked the list and noticed, that none of the Lo$-
> > stories were published in USA, is there misinformation on the list or is
> > there going to be somekind of Lo$-collection?
> This matter has been discussed a lot here, of course. I think I'll take this
> opportunity to give a short summary:
> The Life of Scrooge consists of 12 stories. Don finished #12 a few weeks ago.
> Publications and publication plans:

[...]
> - Germany: the LO$ will be published in an album series, with new covers
> specially drawn by Don. First album to appear in January, 1994??

I have read LO$ #3 in Mickey Maus Magazine. I assume that other parts
will be published there as well? (Mickey Maus Magazine is a weekly
anthology title, similar to WDC&S. It usually contains four stories, with
puzzle pages, contests, trading cards, and all sorts of cool, fun stuff.)
It is published by Ehapa Verlag in Germany, and Egmont in Austria and
Switzerland.

Torsten Adair torsten at cwis.unomaha.edu Omaha, NE, USA

Dear Folks,

I noticed that no number was given for the Life of $crooge's
starting issue in the United States. This is US 285 (and US 284 is
coming out this week, so we have two months to go).

That's (amazingly) all for now.

Your friend,

David Gerstein

Juuso:
The first two chapters of Lo$ were not published in Finland or
Sweden because those countries' weekly Donald Duck editions do not
feature supplement issues. If you weren't aware of it, in Norway and
Denmark and (?) the weekly comics come inside a plastic bag including an
extra issue about once a month -- I don't think the issue is quite a
free extra... I believe the price on the regular issue is a bit more
that week. When they launched Lo$, the main office decided to try to
give it some sorta special send-off in one of these supplement issues --
however, they had never told me of such plans, and I'd made chapter one
a mere 15 pages. Therefore the main office sent the first TWO chapters
out together to be formed into a 48 page supplement issue. Now, the
countries that didn't HAVE these extra issues couldn't use that 48 page
batch of Lo$ -- but why didn't they use the 15 page chapter 1 by itself?
And then break chapter 2 into two parts as they did in Germany (where
they also don't have supplement issues). I can't think of any reason
other than some Egmont branches just don't put much thought into such
matters? They'd just as soon go on their merry way with the regular Duck
stories that they receive and not have to worry about any "special
series" nonsense which probably takes lots of trouble to deal with and
doesn't improve the always-excellent sales anyhow. When they received a
part 3 and realized this would be an ongoing series, why didn't they
fall back and try to use parts 1 & 2 rather than print a part 3 alone
which would be very puzzling to readers? There's no kind answer for that
one! Germany seemed to react properly -- when they couldn't use the
first two parts, then found that more chapters were coming, they stopped
for awhile to figure out the best way to proceed, then began using the
series as I mentioned. (Which answers a matter that Per, I think it
was, seemed unaware of in his discussion of the uses of Lo$ -- it HAS
all been printed in the German weekly, at least fully up to a point).
Anyway, I'm explaining the possible reasons why the local editors were
forced to make a decision, though I'm really unable to explain why they
made the odd decisions they did.
But DON'T blame the DANISH editors! THEY only commission the
work and supply it to the various publishing branches, one of which is
also in Denmark but not the same as the people I work for. It's those
local editors that decide what each country sees in its local Disney
comics. (Is any of that clear?!)

Dear Folks,

Don Rosa, discussing Disney comics in Germany, stated that
there, like Finland and Sweden, their weekly comic "also do[es]n't have
supplement issues."

Actually, Ehapa *does* put out supplements, but they simply do
it about half as often as other Egmont affiliates (about once every
two months, rather than once a month).

There have been such specials as:

"Micky Maus Super-Sommer-Sonderheft" (including the Barks MM
story "Riddle of the Red Hat" and some Danish Ducks);
"DuckTales" (actually a collection of Barks Scrooge shorts,
despite its title);
"Bundesliga-Stars 1992" (I kid you not, a full 32 pages of
photographs of soccer stars);
"Zurueck nach dem Steinzeit" (one of the three 44-page Egmont
time travel stories, by Vicar, published alone... I don't think the
other two have ever seen print there. This one wasn't printed with
the new Dutch opening and closing, though... just as it was originally
made, even though it felt incomplete);
and undoubtedly the best:
"Micky Maus und der Geist der Gorillas" (or: In Search of
Jungle Treasure, a Gottfredson story banned over here, presented
COMPLETE in the issue, in its original strip form (the book reads
oblong), together with a long article about Gottfredson). Talk about
a special... and all this for a mere 75 cents more than the regular
edition!)

So you see, there are special supplements in Germany. So why
did the Germans not make the Lo$ into the supplement that Egmont
offered them? Simple... they were planning to wait to print ANY Lo$
until they could launch it as an album series. It was not originally
to appear in the weekly comic. But eventually they decided it was
better to run it in the weekly first... why not make *MORE* money,
especially when in Deutschland people will buy ANYTHING with a Duck or
Mouse on it?

(BTW: Mickey has equal popularity to Donald in Germany... the
German weekly has battled the problem of too few Egmont MM stories by
re-reprinting many Paul Murry stories, and often the Germans won't
print the cover Egmont offers them in favor of doing their own MM
cover for the weekly... a good idea, but usually terribly drawn! In
Germany two of the three regular comics have Mickey's name in the
title, and as of this decade have given MM equal exposure on the
cover.)

Zassall for now...

Your pal,

David Gerstein

"The only way to get ahead of Mickey Mouse is to *run* in
*front* of him!"
<David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu>

David:

Are you telling me that it is permitted to use PERIODS in a
Disney comic??? When did that start? Lordy, two panels never go by that
I wish I was allowed to use a period instead of an exclamation! But
all-exclamations are the tradition.

And please take it easy on this "count down" to U$ #285! The
first chapter of Lo$ is only 15 pages and it's been said it's kinduva
slow start-off. You'll work yourself up into expecting WAR AND PEACE and
you'll be very disappointed in me!

And do you think an ape would NOT eat a flea if he found one?
Besides, lice are banned because Injuns have 'em.

I include a letter I got from a friend working in the National Library
Service of Norway. He is representing Norway in an international committee
on standards for paper so that it can be preserved. I hunger for your
comments, Don!

"To Geir Hasnes:

I received the special Donald Duck edition from Statsbygg (Norwegian State
Buidings institution), and was ordered to study it closely. Some people
there opinionated that 7 shelves of books were too much for as short a
person as Scrooge McDuck.

I have given this comment:

The National Library Service has studied closely the problems with seven
heights of shelves in the underground book store. The usual solution would
be an aeroplane stairway like tree construction, normally done in mahogany,
that can be moved around the store. If one chooses this underground as a
standard, and furnishes the libraries with mobile scaffolding, in oak or
other cheaper materials, one has to reckon with a distance of four meters
between the shelves to give room for manouvering. Eventually one may have
to organize separate courses in stairway manouvering.

Normally, rats and other rodents will concentrate on leather, parchment and
sugary book binder glue. Ruminants, on the other hand, can utilize
cellulose as nourishment. There must have been a special crossing of
cow/sheep and rat that has created the special Duckburg breed that has
preferred to digest the cellulose and until now has not touched the binding
materials. I look forward to learning more about the basis for this
sensational zoological development, that may be taken as yet one
confirmation of Darwinism."

+--- Don Rosa:
| Are you telling me that it is permitted to use PERIODS in a
| Disney comic??? When did that start? Lordy, two panels never go by
| that I wish I was allowed to use a period instead of an exclamation!
| But all-exclamations are the tradition.
+-------

My goodness! Here in Norway the all-exclamation style is reserved for
the super-heroes! Well, not strictly true, you can use either
ellipsis, question marks or exclamation marks! Fortunately, in Donald
Duck we are spared that style which I personally find very tiring to
read! Mind you, there are still more exclamation marks in Donald than
in your ordinary prose!

Kjetil T!