Oops -- more for SIGURDUR:
As far as unusual stuff for Disney comics, what about the death
of $crooge's father in chapter 9? Did you see that one?
"The Son of the Sun" was about $crooge and Flintheart in a race
to find the temple of Manco Capac and the lost treasure of the Inca
Empire. The story can be most easilly recognized by the appallingly bad
artwork!
Author
Topic: 199404
(249 messages)
Don Rosa
Disney-comics digest #311.
Message 211 -
1994-04-27 at 08:03:49
Wilmer Rivers
Penny Wise (remember her?)
Message 212 -
1994-04-27 at 08:09:52
Forgive me for dragging up a topic which has been discussed on this
list before, but I would like to speculate further on the background of
Miss Penny Wise. You will recall that Per called our attention to this
interesting character last August. She was a spinster who made her only
appearance in WDC&S 164. Scrooge bemoaned the fact that she held a
promissory note (or something) of his and, if she should foreclose on
him, he would be left destitute. Per asked who Penny Wise was, and how
did Scrooge wind up owing her his entire fortune. No one had a good
answer for how this came about, although many people agreed that
Scrooge's protestations of his impending bankruptcy at her hands was
probably an exaggeration, and he well could have owed her a much smaller
sum. (Don Rosa, however, noted that Scrooge seemed to worry explicitly
that he did in fact owe her ALL his money.) The fact that he owed the
old maid any money at all had to be dismissed as a minor plot contri-
vance needed to set up a gag in a funny Donald story, and nothing that
anyone knew about Scrooge's background would suggest that his indebted-
ness to Miss Wise should be considered a legitimate part of the Barks
canon. However, I would like now to toss some new fuel onto that old
fire.
I offer for your consideration the possibility that Scrooge and Penny
Wise had been lovers, during their youth. On the basis of just what
"evidence" could one jump to such a reckless conclusion? The cover to
US # 1 (well, US FC # 368), no less. This cover, which properly intro-
duces us to Scrooge's world, shows him in a rowboat sailing through
"Money Lake Number 1". And what is the name of his rowboat? It is
shown very prominently on the boat's stern that it is named - you
guessed it - "Penny Wise". Now presumably this rowboat never leaves
Scrooge's money bin, so its name is a private matter to him. Why would
he name his boat after someone to whom he owed money? Would he even
have named it after a former business partner (who could certainly be
in the position of holding a promissory note), if that's what they were?
It seems more likely that he would name it after a lost sweetheart. Do
you suppose that in a moment of passion a young Scrooge might have made
a foolish promise to a certain young lady that he would someday give
her all that he owns? Might he have sealed that promise with a token
of some sort, or have put it into writing in a love letter? Could it
be that, in moments of solitude in his "money lake", he still has some
feelings of fondness towards her? Could it even be that - brace your-
selves - out of a sense of obligation over his old promise or out of a
still lingering affection, he actually helps support the old maid?!
Note that when Scrooge and Penny do meet in WDC 164, she declines to
take all his money, explaining that she already has as much money as
she wants or needs. Could this be because she already receives some
financial stipend from Scrooge? And in refusing to make him pay his
debt to her, could she be showing that the lingering feelings of
affection are in fact mutual?
O.K., I realize that Barks certainly never intended for us to place
any significance at all on this one-time character or on the name of
Scrooge's rowboat, and he almost certainly forgot (or didn't care) that
in two different contexts he made reference to the British expression
"Penny wise and pound foolish". No connection at all exists between
the US # 1 cover and the WDC # 164 Donald story, insofar as Barks is
concerned. But can't we make a connection anyway? Can we read between
the lines in the Barks canon and draw conclusions that he never intend-
ed? As someone (was it Hemingway???) once noted, "There's creative
writing, and there's creative reading." So can we speculate that the
relationship between Scrooge and Penny Wise, which led to this mysteri-
ous debt, was not purely a business one? In "Mickey's Christmas Carol"
(to drag up yet another concluded discussion from our archives), should
Miss Wise have played the role of Belle, the sweetheart whom Ebeneezer
Scrooge lost when he turned to the life of a lonely miser (and deep
down, misses still)? Will someday we be treated to the inside story on
the "Life AND LOVES of Scrooge McDuck"?
Wilmer Rivers
list before, but I would like to speculate further on the background of
Miss Penny Wise. You will recall that Per called our attention to this
interesting character last August. She was a spinster who made her only
appearance in WDC&S 164. Scrooge bemoaned the fact that she held a
promissory note (or something) of his and, if she should foreclose on
him, he would be left destitute. Per asked who Penny Wise was, and how
did Scrooge wind up owing her his entire fortune. No one had a good
answer for how this came about, although many people agreed that
Scrooge's protestations of his impending bankruptcy at her hands was
probably an exaggeration, and he well could have owed her a much smaller
sum. (Don Rosa, however, noted that Scrooge seemed to worry explicitly
that he did in fact owe her ALL his money.) The fact that he owed the
old maid any money at all had to be dismissed as a minor plot contri-
vance needed to set up a gag in a funny Donald story, and nothing that
anyone knew about Scrooge's background would suggest that his indebted-
ness to Miss Wise should be considered a legitimate part of the Barks
canon. However, I would like now to toss some new fuel onto that old
fire.
I offer for your consideration the possibility that Scrooge and Penny
Wise had been lovers, during their youth. On the basis of just what
"evidence" could one jump to such a reckless conclusion? The cover to
US # 1 (well, US FC # 368), no less. This cover, which properly intro-
duces us to Scrooge's world, shows him in a rowboat sailing through
"Money Lake Number 1". And what is the name of his rowboat? It is
shown very prominently on the boat's stern that it is named - you
guessed it - "Penny Wise". Now presumably this rowboat never leaves
Scrooge's money bin, so its name is a private matter to him. Why would
he name his boat after someone to whom he owed money? Would he even
have named it after a former business partner (who could certainly be
in the position of holding a promissory note), if that's what they were?
It seems more likely that he would name it after a lost sweetheart. Do
you suppose that in a moment of passion a young Scrooge might have made
a foolish promise to a certain young lady that he would someday give
her all that he owns? Might he have sealed that promise with a token
of some sort, or have put it into writing in a love letter? Could it
be that, in moments of solitude in his "money lake", he still has some
feelings of fondness towards her? Could it even be that - brace your-
selves - out of a sense of obligation over his old promise or out of a
still lingering affection, he actually helps support the old maid?!
Note that when Scrooge and Penny do meet in WDC 164, she declines to
take all his money, explaining that she already has as much money as
she wants or needs. Could this be because she already receives some
financial stipend from Scrooge? And in refusing to make him pay his
debt to her, could she be showing that the lingering feelings of
affection are in fact mutual?
O.K., I realize that Barks certainly never intended for us to place
any significance at all on this one-time character or on the name of
Scrooge's rowboat, and he almost certainly forgot (or didn't care) that
in two different contexts he made reference to the British expression
"Penny wise and pound foolish". No connection at all exists between
the US # 1 cover and the WDC # 164 Donald story, insofar as Barks is
concerned. But can't we make a connection anyway? Can we read between
the lines in the Barks canon and draw conclusions that he never intend-
ed? As someone (was it Hemingway???) once noted, "There's creative
writing, and there's creative reading." So can we speculate that the
relationship between Scrooge and Penny Wise, which led to this mysteri-
ous debt, was not purely a business one? In "Mickey's Christmas Carol"
(to drag up yet another concluded discussion from our archives), should
Miss Wise have played the role of Belle, the sweetheart whom Ebeneezer
Scrooge lost when he turned to the life of a lonely miser (and deep
down, misses still)? Will someday we be treated to the inside story on
the "Life AND LOVES of Scrooge McDuck"?
Wilmer Rivers
Mikko Henri Juhani Aittola
Price of comics
Message 213 -
1994-04-27 at 09:47:30
This is for all those living outside U.S.
I was just wondering how much you have to pay
for your American comics with taxes, shipping and all.
Here in Finland $1.50 books are around $2.5,
$2.00 books around $3.25, $2.50 books around $4.00
and $10 books around $14.
/Mikko
I was just wondering how much you have to pay
for your American comics with taxes, shipping and all.
Here in Finland $1.50 books are around $2.5,
$2.00 books around $3.25, $2.50 books around $4.00
and $10 books around $14.
/Mikko
Mattias Hallin
Price of comics
Message 214 -
1994-04-27 at 10:56:47
MIKKO:
At my local dealer's, I pay 12,50 Swedish kronor per US dollar, at a time
when the official rate of exchange is something like 7,75 kronor per dollar;
though I also hold a membership card at my dealer's, which entitles me to 15%
off of anything I buy there -- both comics and pocket books which are their
main stock, but also any hardcover book I'd care to order from anywhere in the
world.
Now, I could easilly get around this, by subscribing directly from Gladstone,
as I actually used to do, in which case I would only pay the flat rate of
exchange perdollar, plus whatever it is that Gladstone adds for postage and
handling. This however would have several drawbacks, the main one being that
Gladstone ships their subscriptions by surface mail, while my dealer gets his
copies flown in -- which makes a difference of a mere two months! -- but a
further negative aspect would be that I wouldn't help supporting BOTH
Gladstone's Disney Comics AND my dealer; and I wouldn't care for that
particular outlet to go out of business since they give me EXCELLENT service
both with comics and ordinary books -- nor would I of course like to see
Gladstone stop printing Disney comics!
KJETTIL:
I didn't get around to compiling those adressess yesterday, as I
promised; but I'll try to be quick about it!
DON:
I'll try to be quick about those comments I promised you, too; but I've
still to get my hands on part 1 of Lo$ 11 -- I missed that one in the week it
was for sale, so I'll have to order my copy (and yours too) straight from
Serieforlaget's back-issue service. But I'll get back to you on the subject!
All my best to all
Mattias
!==============================================================================!
!* Mattias Hallin ** <Mattias.Hallin at Jurenh.lu.se> ** Phone: +46 46-14 84 43 **!
!* Trollebergsvagen 24 B ***** Work: Lund University, Box 117, S-221 00 Lund **!
!* S-222 29 Lund, SWEDEN **************************** Phone: +46 46-10 71 37 **!
!==============================================================================!
!***** "Oh, the villain onward stole... While a wicked smile he smole!" ******!
!==============================================================================!
At my local dealer's, I pay 12,50 Swedish kronor per US dollar, at a time
when the official rate of exchange is something like 7,75 kronor per dollar;
though I also hold a membership card at my dealer's, which entitles me to 15%
off of anything I buy there -- both comics and pocket books which are their
main stock, but also any hardcover book I'd care to order from anywhere in the
world.
Now, I could easilly get around this, by subscribing directly from Gladstone,
as I actually used to do, in which case I would only pay the flat rate of
exchange perdollar, plus whatever it is that Gladstone adds for postage and
handling. This however would have several drawbacks, the main one being that
Gladstone ships their subscriptions by surface mail, while my dealer gets his
copies flown in -- which makes a difference of a mere two months! -- but a
further negative aspect would be that I wouldn't help supporting BOTH
Gladstone's Disney Comics AND my dealer; and I wouldn't care for that
particular outlet to go out of business since they give me EXCELLENT service
both with comics and ordinary books -- nor would I of course like to see
Gladstone stop printing Disney comics!
KJETTIL:
I didn't get around to compiling those adressess yesterday, as I
promised; but I'll try to be quick about it!
DON:
I'll try to be quick about those comments I promised you, too; but I've
still to get my hands on part 1 of Lo$ 11 -- I missed that one in the week it
was for sale, so I'll have to order my copy (and yours too) straight from
Serieforlaget's back-issue service. But I'll get back to you on the subject!
All my best to all
Mattias
!==============================================================================!
!* Mattias Hallin ** <Mattias.Hallin at Jurenh.lu.se> ** Phone: +46 46-14 84 43 **!
!* Trollebergsvagen 24 B ***** Work: Lund University, Box 117, S-221 00 Lund **!
!* S-222 29 Lund, SWEDEN **************************** Phone: +46 46-10 71 37 **!
!==============================================================================!
!***** "Oh, the villain onward stole... While a wicked smile he smole!" ******!
!==============================================================================!
Mattias Hallin
Well, whaddya know?!
Message 215 -
1994-04-27 at 14:48:07
ALL:
A little digression here -- i jes' heard on the Swedish National Radio,
program 2 (which is the main channel for classical and/or narrow and/or
"cultural" music) a modern composition by a student composer at the Royal
Academy of Music in Stockholm; and the piece was titled "Magica de Hex" --
which of course is Magica's name in Swedish. Well, whaddaya know!?!
(I'm not necessarily saying, though, that y'all should try to hear it --
'twarn't THAT good, though not that bad either.)
Hmm...?
Mattias
A little digression here -- i jes' heard on the Swedish National Radio,
program 2 (which is the main channel for classical and/or narrow and/or
"cultural" music) a modern composition by a student composer at the Royal
Academy of Music in Stockholm; and the piece was titled "Magica de Hex" --
which of course is Magica's name in Swedish. Well, whaddaya know!?!
(I'm not necessarily saying, though, that y'all should try to hear it --
'twarn't THAT good, though not that bad either.)
Hmm...?
Mattias
Mattias Hallin
What else, then?
Message 216 -
1994-04-27 at 14:57:57
TRYG:
You asked the other day why we use English on this list -- but what else
could we do? How many would understand Swedish, f'rinstance, which is the
language of our "moderator" (I'll call him that for want of a better word --
remember, I'm translating this into English; or rather I don't as much
TRANSLATE into English as I THINK in English when I write this -- even though I
know Per doesn't actually MODERATE our list, but just makes sure it's running,
or sumpin' like that) not to mention Finnish!
I don't really think this is a problem, though -- most of us seems to get by
fairly well in English, don't you think?
All my best!
Mattias
You asked the other day why we use English on this list -- but what else
could we do? How many would understand Swedish, f'rinstance, which is the
language of our "moderator" (I'll call him that for want of a better word --
remember, I'm translating this into English; or rather I don't as much
TRANSLATE into English as I THINK in English when I write this -- even though I
know Per doesn't actually MODERATE our list, but just makes sure it's running,
or sumpin' like that) not to mention Finnish!
I don't really think this is a problem, though -- most of us seems to get by
fairly well in English, don't you think?
All my best!
Mattias
Ajd105
A question and a warning
Message 217 -
1994-04-28 at 03:17:44
First of all, a question, which maybe David can answer:
Who is responsible for the distribution of Gladstone comics in
Australia? Not the direct stores, who I assume get their stuff
airfreight from the US distributers (Marvel?), but the news-stand
copies. The reason I ask is that up until a few months ago, every
newsagent (seller of magazines and newspapers) had copies of the
Gladstone titles, but lately, and I have checked about a dozen now,
there are none to be seen! Just Marvel and DC, and the usual English
comics. What's happened? It is a bit annoying that casual buyers don't
have access to these comics, especially given the historically strong
interest in Disney comics here. (We had our own reprints from 1947-1975,
and I have most of the Barks classics in this form.)
Now a warning:
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE DISNEY CORPORATION
If the Disney corporation gets it into its corporate head to object to
Don Rosa's Life of Scrooge series and curtail its english language
publication, then it wouldn't surprise me at all if someone felt
strongly enough about this to personally swim the pacific ocean with a
box of matches in his teeth and burn down Disneyworld. You have been
warned...
(Ok, I probably don't feel quite that strongly, and anyway, I don't
think I could even swim to New Zealand with a grapefruit balanced on a
noodle, but this spectre of Disney interference really annoys me. They
seem to want their characters to be blancmange-like cutsie types who
never do anything even remotely controversial, even when their bad
actions are justly punished [as sounds to be the case in Don's LoS 11].
As a result, the average Disney comic story is really dull. Here I mean
the typical European story which to me at least, pad out the issues
around the worthwhile Rosa, VanHorn and Barks stories. Sorry guys, but
that's how it strikes me.)
Andrew Davies
P.S. Exellent creative reading on the behalf of the member of this group
(sorry I didn't note who it was...) with the "Pennywise" link. It really
fits.
Who is responsible for the distribution of Gladstone comics in
Australia? Not the direct stores, who I assume get their stuff
airfreight from the US distributers (Marvel?), but the news-stand
copies. The reason I ask is that up until a few months ago, every
newsagent (seller of magazines and newspapers) had copies of the
Gladstone titles, but lately, and I have checked about a dozen now,
there are none to be seen! Just Marvel and DC, and the usual English
comics. What's happened? It is a bit annoying that casual buyers don't
have access to these comics, especially given the historically strong
interest in Disney comics here. (We had our own reprints from 1947-1975,
and I have most of the Barks classics in this form.)
Now a warning:
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE DISNEY CORPORATION
If the Disney corporation gets it into its corporate head to object to
Don Rosa's Life of Scrooge series and curtail its english language
publication, then it wouldn't surprise me at all if someone felt
strongly enough about this to personally swim the pacific ocean with a
box of matches in his teeth and burn down Disneyworld. You have been
warned...
(Ok, I probably don't feel quite that strongly, and anyway, I don't
think I could even swim to New Zealand with a grapefruit balanced on a
noodle, but this spectre of Disney interference really annoys me. They
seem to want their characters to be blancmange-like cutsie types who
never do anything even remotely controversial, even when their bad
actions are justly punished [as sounds to be the case in Don's LoS 11].
As a result, the average Disney comic story is really dull. Here I mean
the typical European story which to me at least, pad out the issues
around the worthwhile Rosa, VanHorn and Barks stories. Sorry guys, but
that's how it strikes me.)
Andrew Davies
P.S. Exellent creative reading on the behalf of the member of this group
(sorry I didn't note who it was...) with the "Pennywise" link. It really
fits.
HATHAWAY
LOS help
Message 218 -
1994-04-28 at 03:21:34
Hi -
Hmmmm - it seems there is some concern that (at least?) one of the
parts of the LO$ series might not get to American readers due to
typical Disney Co. touchiness (how come they're so blind in some
areas and so oversensitive in others??? - never mind, don't nobody
bothering answering). Now me, I'd be _really_ tee'd off if I could
only read 80% or 90% of the story and be denied the full set.
(Yes I know I have some of the collector's mania for completeness,
but I follow the only good rule for collecting - buy something
for yourself because you like it yourself. Eventually all those speculators
who buy stuff they wouldn't want to read or own themselves are going
to find out they are stuck with stuff nobody, not even themselves, want.)
So, is there any chance that maybe, someone on the other side
of the ocean, who is getting their sets of the (what is it part 11?)
series, could possibly set aside a few extra copies they could make
available to folk like me in case we can't get them here when it
comes time? I'd be glad to trade or otherwise recompense for the
trouble. I'd like to have to full set eventually, even if it's
not all in English/American.
Wm. Hathaway
Baltimore MD
Hmmmm - it seems there is some concern that (at least?) one of the
parts of the LO$ series might not get to American readers due to
typical Disney Co. touchiness (how come they're so blind in some
areas and so oversensitive in others??? - never mind, don't nobody
bothering answering). Now me, I'd be _really_ tee'd off if I could
only read 80% or 90% of the story and be denied the full set.
(Yes I know I have some of the collector's mania for completeness,
but I follow the only good rule for collecting - buy something
for yourself because you like it yourself. Eventually all those speculators
who buy stuff they wouldn't want to read or own themselves are going
to find out they are stuck with stuff nobody, not even themselves, want.)
So, is there any chance that maybe, someone on the other side
of the ocean, who is getting their sets of the (what is it part 11?)
series, could possibly set aside a few extra copies they could make
available to folk like me in case we can't get them here when it
comes time? I'd be glad to trade or otherwise recompense for the
trouble. I'd like to have to full set eventually, even if it's
not all in English/American.
Wm. Hathaway
Baltimore MD
Tryg Helseth
Disney comics in the USA
Message 219 -
1994-04-28 at 03:52:14
Wilmer Rivers wrote:
>stones, Harveys, and Archies). She then turned to the cashier, pointed
>to LOS # 1 (which obviously had obviously no significance to her), and
>asked, "These aren't like regular comics, are they? I mean, people
>don't collect them and they won't ever be worth anything, will they?"
Wilmer, your story reminds me of a visit I made to a comic store here about
10 years ago. Someone had brought in some comics for sale on consignment.
A couple of kids (about 10-12 years of age) glanced through the comics and
promptly dismissed them as "nothing but silly stuff." I then looked at the
comics which were mostly Dinsey and other funny animal comics from the '50s
and found some that I considered classics. To each their own, I thought at
the time.
Today when I visit that same store I see kids (sometimes with checkbook
bearing mothers in tow) selecting comics for what seems like purely
speculative value; when I see that, I thankful the when I was a kid we
didn't place monetary value on comics like that--we bought them to read
and enjoy. On the other hand, I really wonder how long Disney comics can
survive in that kind of market--if the kids shun them, where are the future
readers going to come from?
>The clerk mumbled something about "Well, some people buy them [after
>all, he had just seen ME pick up several!], but they don't have much
>collectable value.." and then the mother gave the clerk her kid's
>superhero titles, paid for them, and left. I really wanted to shout
>at her, "Won't be worth anything? How much is a great story ever
>worth?", but I refrained from saying anything, since it was obvious
>that she wouldn't have had a clue about what I meant. The idea that
>you might buy a comic book just to read the story and enjoy the art
>was completely alien to her, and I assume that it was likewise alien
>to her son, who must have picked his list of titles based on price
>speculation published in the fan-boy press. If customers continue to
>make their purchasing decision based on "collectability", how much
>longer will it be before this store joins all the others in this area
>in using that rack space for "hot" titles rather than for Gladstones?
>And, when this kid eventually sees that his comics AREN'T escalating
>in price as he had supposed, how much longer will he continue to buy
>any comics at all? And what will happen to the stores then? Unless
>kids start buying comics simply because they want to read them, with no
>regard to "investing", then soon enough there will be no comics industry
>left in the USA at all, I fear...
>
>Wilmer Rivers
Tryg Helseth <trygve at maroon.tc.umn.edu> Minneapolis, MN, USA
or <tryg.helseth at tstation.mn.org>
"I wish they all could be Calisota Ducks!" -The Beach Drakes
>stones, Harveys, and Archies). She then turned to the cashier, pointed
>to LOS # 1 (which obviously had obviously no significance to her), and
>asked, "These aren't like regular comics, are they? I mean, people
>don't collect them and they won't ever be worth anything, will they?"
Wilmer, your story reminds me of a visit I made to a comic store here about
10 years ago. Someone had brought in some comics for sale on consignment.
A couple of kids (about 10-12 years of age) glanced through the comics and
promptly dismissed them as "nothing but silly stuff." I then looked at the
comics which were mostly Dinsey and other funny animal comics from the '50s
and found some that I considered classics. To each their own, I thought at
the time.
Today when I visit that same store I see kids (sometimes with checkbook
bearing mothers in tow) selecting comics for what seems like purely
speculative value; when I see that, I thankful the when I was a kid we
didn't place monetary value on comics like that--we bought them to read
and enjoy. On the other hand, I really wonder how long Disney comics can
survive in that kind of market--if the kids shun them, where are the future
readers going to come from?
>The clerk mumbled something about "Well, some people buy them [after
>all, he had just seen ME pick up several!], but they don't have much
>collectable value.." and then the mother gave the clerk her kid's
>superhero titles, paid for them, and left. I really wanted to shout
>at her, "Won't be worth anything? How much is a great story ever
>worth?", but I refrained from saying anything, since it was obvious
>that she wouldn't have had a clue about what I meant. The idea that
>you might buy a comic book just to read the story and enjoy the art
>was completely alien to her, and I assume that it was likewise alien
>to her son, who must have picked his list of titles based on price
>speculation published in the fan-boy press. If customers continue to
>make their purchasing decision based on "collectability", how much
>longer will it be before this store joins all the others in this area
>in using that rack space for "hot" titles rather than for Gladstones?
>And, when this kid eventually sees that his comics AREN'T escalating
>in price as he had supposed, how much longer will he continue to buy
>any comics at all? And what will happen to the stores then? Unless
>kids start buying comics simply because they want to read them, with no
>regard to "investing", then soon enough there will be no comics industry
>left in the USA at all, I fear...
>
>Wilmer Rivers
Tryg Helseth <trygve at maroon.tc.umn.edu> Minneapolis, MN, USA
or <tryg.helseth at tstation.mn.org>
"I wish they all could be Calisota Ducks!" -The Beach Drakes
Tryg Helseth
What else, then?
Message 220 -
1994-04-28 at 03:52:47
Mattias Hallin wrote:
> You asked the other day why we use English on this list -- but what else
>could we do? How many would understand Swedish, f'rinstance, which is the
>language of our "moderator" (I'll call him that for want of a better word --
>remember, I'm translating this into English; or rather I don't as much
>TRANSLATE into English as I THINK in English when I write this -- even though I
>know Per doesn't actually MODERATE our list, but just makes sure it's running,
>or sumpin' like that) not to mention Finnish!
Mattias:
I agree it makes perfect sense to have a common language for this mail
list. I just though that it is ironic that the chosen language is English
as it seems that Disney comics are not so popular in English speaking
countries. (Well Canada and the U.S., anyhow--I can't speak for Great
Britain, Australia, etc.)
>I don't really think this is a problem, though -- most of us seems to get by
>fairly well in English, don't you think?
I don't think it's a problem -- I know it would be a problem for me if the
conversations were in Swedish, though... :)
>a modern composition by a student composer at the Royal Academy of Music in
>Stockholm; and the piece was titled "Magica de Hex" -- which of course is
>Magica's name in Swedish. Well, whaddaya know!?!
Let me guess! The admission price is one thin dime! :)
Tryg Helseth <trygve at maroon.tc.umn.edu> Minneapolis, MN, USA
or <tryg.helseth at tstation.mn.org>
"I wish they all could be Calisota Ducks!" -The Beach Drakes
> You asked the other day why we use English on this list -- but what else
>could we do? How many would understand Swedish, f'rinstance, which is the
>language of our "moderator" (I'll call him that for want of a better word --
>remember, I'm translating this into English; or rather I don't as much
>TRANSLATE into English as I THINK in English when I write this -- even though I
>know Per doesn't actually MODERATE our list, but just makes sure it's running,
>or sumpin' like that) not to mention Finnish!
Mattias:
I agree it makes perfect sense to have a common language for this mail
list. I just though that it is ironic that the chosen language is English
as it seems that Disney comics are not so popular in English speaking
countries. (Well Canada and the U.S., anyhow--I can't speak for Great
Britain, Australia, etc.)
>I don't really think this is a problem, though -- most of us seems to get by
>fairly well in English, don't you think?
I don't think it's a problem -- I know it would be a problem for me if the
conversations were in Swedish, though... :)
>a modern composition by a student composer at the Royal Academy of Music in
>Stockholm; and the piece was titled "Magica de Hex" -- which of course is
>Magica's name in Swedish. Well, whaddaya know!?!
Let me guess! The admission price is one thin dime! :)
Tryg Helseth <trygve at maroon.tc.umn.edu> Minneapolis, MN, USA
or <tryg.helseth at tstation.mn.org>
"I wish they all could be Calisota Ducks!" -The Beach Drakes
David A Gerstein
"The House of Mystery"
Message 221 -
1994-04-28 at 06:58:13
Dear Folks,
Don to Sigurdur:
"As far as unusual stuff for Disney comics, what about the
death of $crooge's father in chapter 9 [of the LO$]? Did you see
that one?"
Actually, death was a common motif in the Bill Walsh-written
MM stories of the mid-'40s (FG was still drawing them then, but not
writing them).
In "The World of Tomorrow" (recently printed by Gladstone),
Mickey finds himself in a land of robots. One female robot, Mimi,
falls in love with him. Toward the end of the story, when Mickey is
fighting with Pete and is about to be shot by him, Mimi leaps between
the two. She takes the shot, which (fired from a futuristic gun)
reduces her to only so many wheels and bolts. Later Mickey and Minnie
mourn near her remains, which they have placed on a cushion -- they
MAY have put a flower there for her, too, although I don't remember.
In "The Pirate Ghostship" Greatbeard the pirate, an ancestor
of Pete (this is a time-travel story) is fleeing a volcano's eruption
with MM toward the climax when the urge overcomes him, and he runs
back to take just one chest of treasure along as well. He is buried
by the lava.
Finally, in "The House of Mystery," the villainess, an evil
scientist named Drusilla, is consumed in flames when her mansion burns
to the ground. As he realizes she is done for, her caretaker, a
wizened coot named Jeremiah who clearly feels affection for her, races
inside to be with her when it happens. "She was so great, and so
horrible," says Minnie. "She came from the past, and now she's gone
back to it..."
I'd say that the emotional moments in Bill Walsh's stories are
the best thing about them... otherwise they're wildly inconsistent. I
far prefer stories that Gottfredson wrote as well as drew, although I
do like Walsh's work more than the writing done for most comic-book
Mouse stories...
Much earlier, in 1932's "Mickey Mouse Sails for Treasure
Island," Mickey is under the _belief_ that Minnie has been killed, and
spends several strips basically lying on his arms and crying for her.
She's perfectly okay, though, as it turns out...
And there's the great scene in 1936's "Mickey Mouse in the
Foreign Legion" wherein Pete has sent MM out into the desert to die,
and his boss tells him that he will be himself shot if Mickey passes
on. Pete's reactions to the apparent discovery that Mickey is dead,
and in the immediately succeeding parts, comprise my favorite sequence
in a FG story (although it's not my favorite FG _story_ per se).
Barks tried for a scene like this in "King Scrooge the First,"
did he not? And Dell deep-sixed it with some cheap gag... easy to do
when the story isn't DRAWN yet.
* * * * *
On to another topic. This can be summed up as follows: We
look back fondly at the days when Disney comics, as published by Dell
then, were infinitely successful in the United States.
Yet the stories Dell had produced for them, aside from Barks and
early Murry, contain a remarkable number of clinkers after about 1950.
Yet 1953 was when their sales *peaked.*
I know that a lot of Egmont's scripts may be poor as well, but
I hope I'm not floating alone when I say that in general, the art
quality of material in the new Northern European (Egmont/Oberon)
Disneys is far, far superior to the general quality from Dell.
Do others feel differently? I just can't muster the
enthusiasm for Strobl and Bradbury that some seem to have. I like
Hubbard's work, but not his renditions of the central characters (DD,
MM, US, and such). I even tend to dislike Murry's art after about
1958, although there are some exceptions.
I realize that nostalgia is powerful, but do some people like
this work for any other reason than that they grew up on it? (I'm
*NOT* trying to attack nostalgia, which I think is good, or Strobl
fans, for that matter -- I'm merely wondering.)
PLEASE don't take this as a flame!!!!!!!!!!!!
David Gerstein
"My airplane exploded! Mickey done it! Gimme yer gun,
Squinch... I'm gonna clean out Mickey Mouse *right now!*"
<David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu>
Don to Sigurdur:
"As far as unusual stuff for Disney comics, what about the
death of $crooge's father in chapter 9 [of the LO$]? Did you see
that one?"
Actually, death was a common motif in the Bill Walsh-written
MM stories of the mid-'40s (FG was still drawing them then, but not
writing them).
In "The World of Tomorrow" (recently printed by Gladstone),
Mickey finds himself in a land of robots. One female robot, Mimi,
falls in love with him. Toward the end of the story, when Mickey is
fighting with Pete and is about to be shot by him, Mimi leaps between
the two. She takes the shot, which (fired from a futuristic gun)
reduces her to only so many wheels and bolts. Later Mickey and Minnie
mourn near her remains, which they have placed on a cushion -- they
MAY have put a flower there for her, too, although I don't remember.
In "The Pirate Ghostship" Greatbeard the pirate, an ancestor
of Pete (this is a time-travel story) is fleeing a volcano's eruption
with MM toward the climax when the urge overcomes him, and he runs
back to take just one chest of treasure along as well. He is buried
by the lava.
Finally, in "The House of Mystery," the villainess, an evil
scientist named Drusilla, is consumed in flames when her mansion burns
to the ground. As he realizes she is done for, her caretaker, a
wizened coot named Jeremiah who clearly feels affection for her, races
inside to be with her when it happens. "She was so great, and so
horrible," says Minnie. "She came from the past, and now she's gone
back to it..."
I'd say that the emotional moments in Bill Walsh's stories are
the best thing about them... otherwise they're wildly inconsistent. I
far prefer stories that Gottfredson wrote as well as drew, although I
do like Walsh's work more than the writing done for most comic-book
Mouse stories...
Much earlier, in 1932's "Mickey Mouse Sails for Treasure
Island," Mickey is under the _belief_ that Minnie has been killed, and
spends several strips basically lying on his arms and crying for her.
She's perfectly okay, though, as it turns out...
And there's the great scene in 1936's "Mickey Mouse in the
Foreign Legion" wherein Pete has sent MM out into the desert to die,
and his boss tells him that he will be himself shot if Mickey passes
on. Pete's reactions to the apparent discovery that Mickey is dead,
and in the immediately succeeding parts, comprise my favorite sequence
in a FG story (although it's not my favorite FG _story_ per se).
Barks tried for a scene like this in "King Scrooge the First,"
did he not? And Dell deep-sixed it with some cheap gag... easy to do
when the story isn't DRAWN yet.
* * * * *
On to another topic. This can be summed up as follows: We
look back fondly at the days when Disney comics, as published by Dell
then, were infinitely successful in the United States.
Yet the stories Dell had produced for them, aside from Barks and
early Murry, contain a remarkable number of clinkers after about 1950.
Yet 1953 was when their sales *peaked.*
I know that a lot of Egmont's scripts may be poor as well, but
I hope I'm not floating alone when I say that in general, the art
quality of material in the new Northern European (Egmont/Oberon)
Disneys is far, far superior to the general quality from Dell.
Do others feel differently? I just can't muster the
enthusiasm for Strobl and Bradbury that some seem to have. I like
Hubbard's work, but not his renditions of the central characters (DD,
MM, US, and such). I even tend to dislike Murry's art after about
1958, although there are some exceptions.
I realize that nostalgia is powerful, but do some people like
this work for any other reason than that they grew up on it? (I'm
*NOT* trying to attack nostalgia, which I think is good, or Strobl
fans, for that matter -- I'm merely wondering.)
PLEASE don't take this as a flame!!!!!!!!!!!!
David Gerstein
"My airplane exploded! Mickey done it! Gimme yer gun,
Squinch... I'm gonna clean out Mickey Mouse *right now!*"
<David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu>
Mikko Henri Juhani Aittola
Disney-comics digest #312.
Message 222 -
1994-04-28 at 14:56:04
David wrote:
> Why did only one person enter the poll I posted about two
> weeks ago? I can post it again if anyone wants...
The reason I didn't enter the poll is simple. I don't know
what to answer your questions. I buy Gladstone's comics
quite randomly. I get a book if it has story by William Van
Horn or Don Rosa - if I don't have a Finnish version already.
I also decided to buy the Lo$ series.
I usually skip the Bark's stories because I don't know if
I have 'em already. Maybe I should buy one of those books
that contains all info where and when was the stories published.
I am also planning to buy Carl Bark's library or CBL in color,
but I just can't afford it. I hope someday I can...
Don wrote:
> As to how much attention the editors pay to what they do in
> Europe, sometimes I'm afraid they aren't trying very hard. Of course, I
> can't READ the issues I receive from Denmark or Norway, but I can see
> the COLORING (which is the same in all Egmont countries). And I can see
> something wrong in many spots...
I just thought if it is ok to forward your comments to our
publisher...let me know.
Mattias wrote:
> At my local dealer's, I pay 12,50 Swedish kronor per US dollar, at a time
> when the official rate of exchange is something like 7,75 kronor per dollar;
Damn! I have to use a calculator to find out what the hell you pay
for those comics.... :)
/Mikko
> Why did only one person enter the poll I posted about two
> weeks ago? I can post it again if anyone wants...
The reason I didn't enter the poll is simple. I don't know
what to answer your questions. I buy Gladstone's comics
quite randomly. I get a book if it has story by William Van
Horn or Don Rosa - if I don't have a Finnish version already.
I also decided to buy the Lo$ series.
I usually skip the Bark's stories because I don't know if
I have 'em already. Maybe I should buy one of those books
that contains all info where and when was the stories published.
I am also planning to buy Carl Bark's library or CBL in color,
but I just can't afford it. I hope someday I can...
Don wrote:
> As to how much attention the editors pay to what they do in
> Europe, sometimes I'm afraid they aren't trying very hard. Of course, I
> can't READ the issues I receive from Denmark or Norway, but I can see
> the COLORING (which is the same in all Egmont countries). And I can see
> something wrong in many spots...
I just thought if it is ok to forward your comments to our
publisher...let me know.
Mattias wrote:
> At my local dealer's, I pay 12,50 Swedish kronor per US dollar, at a time
> when the official rate of exchange is something like 7,75 kronor per dollar;
Damn! I have to use a calculator to find out what the hell you pay
for those comics.... :)
/Mikko
Per Starback
Desperately seeking Fabio
Message 223 -
1994-04-28 at 15:18:47
> I seem to have lost Fabio's e-mail address,
Have you got it yet? Anyway, it's gadducci at di.unipi.it.
-- "
Per Starback, Uppsala, Sweden. email: starback at minsk.docs.uu.se
"Life is but a gamble! Let flipism chart your ramble!"
Have you got it yet? Anyway, it's gadducci at di.unipi.it.
-- "
Per Starback, Uppsala, Sweden. email: starback at minsk.docs.uu.se
"Life is but a gamble! Let flipism chart your ramble!"
James Williams
Marvel's Disney Comics
Message 224 -
1994-04-28 at 17:31:25
The latest Comic Buyer's Guide contains an overview on most American
comic book publishers. The section on Marvel Comics lists five Disney
comics which they will publish - The Little Mermaid, Beauty and The
Beast, Aladdin, Gargoyles (based on a Disney Afternoon cartoon which
will premier this fall) and The Disney Afternoon (which I assume
is an anthology).
James Williams
comic book publishers. The section on Marvel Comics lists five Disney
comics which they will publish - The Little Mermaid, Beauty and The
Beast, Aladdin, Gargoyles (based on a Disney Afternoon cartoon which
will premier this fall) and The Disney Afternoon (which I assume
is an anthology).
James Williams
Harry Fluks
Various ('diuerse'?)
Message 225 -
1994-04-28 at 18:40:52
There were some problems with my mail today, so let's see if this arrives...
Languages
~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, when I want to reply to a message on this list, I can't find
the right English words. Then, when I reconsider my reply, I decide it
is not worth the effort of looking up the words, so I skip the message.
So language *is* a barrier sometimes... but I saves you all a lot of
unnecessary Fluks messages!
Gladstone poll
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David:
> Why did only one person enter the poll I posted about two
> weeks ago?
Mikko:
> The reason I didn't enter the poll is simple. I don't know
> what to answer your questions.
Apart from being quite busy, I basically agree with Mikko. I buy a comic
as a single issue and I wouldn't be able to choose the best *title* out
of the six. Also, I never gave much attention to letterers, scripters (apart
from Gerstein and Decker 8-) and colourists.
Mikko said:
> I buy Gladstone's comics quite randomly. I get a book if it has story by
> William Van Horn or Don Rosa - if I don't have a Finnish version already.
That's slightly different with me: I *always* buy the Rosa issues, except
the issues that have only a Rosa cover. I like to compare the different
versions in different languages of Don's work.
Barks index
~~~~~~~~~~~
Mikko:
> I usually skip the Bark's stories because I don't know if
> I have 'em already. Maybe I should buy one of those books
> that contains all info where and when was the stories published.
Or have a look at our ftp information. We have a Swedish Barks index, and
it should not differ that much from a Finnish one. Also, a complete list
of Barks' WDC ans Uncle $crooge stories is on ftp. (And soon to be expected:
a complete USA Barks index, generated by a program of the Disney comics
Database)
> I am also planning to buy Carl Bark's library or CBL in color,
> but I just can't afford it. I hope someday I can...
Yeah, they're expensive. In Holland, those albums cost 3 times as much
as a Dutch Barks album of the same quality...
Colours and colors in Rosa's stories
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don complained about the European colouring of the Life of Scrooge part 11.
But part 2 of the Lo$ has been coloured much better in Europe than it was
done by Gladstone! Gladstone had all the background characters the same
color, while Egmont coloured every "irritating" detail separately!
One question, Don: in the Egmont version, the Beagle Boys had sweaters with
all kinds of colours before they went to jail (and got numbers), and orange
sweaters afterwards. In the Gladstone version, the sweaters were orange from
the start. Which was your intention?
--Harry.
Languages
~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, when I want to reply to a message on this list, I can't find
the right English words. Then, when I reconsider my reply, I decide it
is not worth the effort of looking up the words, so I skip the message.
So language *is* a barrier sometimes... but I saves you all a lot of
unnecessary Fluks messages!
Gladstone poll
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David:
> Why did only one person enter the poll I posted about two
> weeks ago?
Mikko:
> The reason I didn't enter the poll is simple. I don't know
> what to answer your questions.
Apart from being quite busy, I basically agree with Mikko. I buy a comic
as a single issue and I wouldn't be able to choose the best *title* out
of the six. Also, I never gave much attention to letterers, scripters (apart
from Gerstein and Decker 8-) and colourists.
Mikko said:
> I buy Gladstone's comics quite randomly. I get a book if it has story by
> William Van Horn or Don Rosa - if I don't have a Finnish version already.
That's slightly different with me: I *always* buy the Rosa issues, except
the issues that have only a Rosa cover. I like to compare the different
versions in different languages of Don's work.
Barks index
~~~~~~~~~~~
Mikko:
> I usually skip the Bark's stories because I don't know if
> I have 'em already. Maybe I should buy one of those books
> that contains all info where and when was the stories published.
Or have a look at our ftp information. We have a Swedish Barks index, and
it should not differ that much from a Finnish one. Also, a complete list
of Barks' WDC ans Uncle $crooge stories is on ftp. (And soon to be expected:
a complete USA Barks index, generated by a program of the Disney comics
Database)
> I am also planning to buy Carl Bark's library or CBL in color,
> but I just can't afford it. I hope someday I can...
Yeah, they're expensive. In Holland, those albums cost 3 times as much
as a Dutch Barks album of the same quality...
Colours and colors in Rosa's stories
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don complained about the European colouring of the Life of Scrooge part 11.
But part 2 of the Lo$ has been coloured much better in Europe than it was
done by Gladstone! Gladstone had all the background characters the same
color, while Egmont coloured every "irritating" detail separately!
One question, Don: in the Egmont version, the Beagle Boys had sweaters with
all kinds of colours before they went to jail (and got numbers), and orange
sweaters afterwards. In the Gladstone version, the sweaters were orange from
the start. Which was your intention?
--Harry.