Hi Don, I'm new to the disney comics alias and its a pleasure to see
you on the internet (via Compuserve). I'll quickly say that although
I'm not the most knowledgeable collector of your work, you are the
closest to a modern day Barks that I've seen. Thanks for all of the
new stories and I'm loving your life and times series. I'm confused by
all of the first Europe then US publishing of your stories. What
country do you hail from?
Also, something that would be truly cool is (if you're fairly PC savvy)
is a 256 color WIndows bitmap of one of your duck covers or panels to
use as Windows wallpaper? Any chance?
Hey thanks for the great art, and best of luck!!
Rick Engle
Author
Topic: 199404
(249 messages)
Rick Engle
Your work at disney...
Message 61 -
1994-04-08 at 01:40:42
DANNY CATRON
No subject
Message 62 -
1994-04-08 at 03:26:12
subsSUBSCRIBE disney comics
d. catron at msuacad.moerhead-st.edu
d. catron at msuacad.moerhead-st.edu
David A Gerstein
Return to Blaggard Castle
Message 63 -
1994-04-08 at 03:36:41
Dear Folks,
Jas. Williams said, "David, you are our resident Mickey Mouse
expert. What did you think of [Disney Adventures comic strip 'Return
to Blaggard Castle']?"
"I had two major problems with the story. First, Mickey seems
extremely out of character. Mickey is a modest person, but in this
story he doesn't feel all that odd going to a place which is little
more than a museum dedicated to his bravery. Mickey is too humble to
be involved in such a place."
By "involved" you suggest involved in running or owning it. I
never caught wind of this. Meanwhile, he seemed plenty confused by
what was going on -- very UNcomfortable in the renovated Blaggard
Mansion.
"Also, Mickey is to intelligent to fall for such an obvious
plot."
This was my major problem with the story's concept. But then,
Mickey sure takes a long time to figure out the Gleam's plot in the
1941 FG "Gleam" story. After about two weeks of pacing around his
room trying to figure it out -- "Inspector Casey says I acted like a
monkey and a kangaroo... and HE acted like a trained seal... and then
neither of us remember a THING about it!" -- it's Goofy who
figures out the scheme that time. "I saw that in a vaudyville act
years ago, Mick! It's called hyppnertism!" The FG Mouse is not the
boring know-it-all that infests a lot of made-for-comics stories.
"Second, as usual the Phantom Blot was totally out of
character. The Phantom Blot's speciality is espionage. Having him
spend a fortune to rebuild the castle made no sense."
The Blot was a spy in the very first story made about him.
Romano Scarpa did the second one -- "The Blot's Double Mystery" in
1954 (first printed here, 1988). In that excellent tale, the Blot's
main goal was to get revenge against Mickey. Other Italian stories
may have followed the same tack (I don't know).
The 1991 "Phantom Blot Bedtime Story" was supposed to come
after the Scarpa story. Many of its concepts were the most
Gottfredsonian of anything to appear in MICKEY MOUSE ADVENTURES (note
that the story was NOT by Marv Wolfman), and it had the Blot trying to
steal a gem -- sorta like the Hope Diamond, something REALLY valuable
-- and when Mickey thwarted that, the next half of the story was about
his attempt to get revenge. Revenge against Mickey is at least as
important for the Blot as is pulling off a scheme to get wealth,
through espionage or other means.
I hope this satisfies you on the Blot's motivation.
So how did the Blot rebuild that castle? Simple -- just got away
with some minor crime, sold whatever he'd stolen for a wad of money,
then hired someone else to do the building! The only thing he had
to do himself was draw those pictures which he had up on the wall,
then make a mere tape recording of some narration to go with them.
You can bet it was Ecks, Doublex, and Triplex who made the helmets
which Minnie and Horace wore.
That explained, what did I think of the story? I think it
should have been twice as long. It just progressed at a chaotic pace
where more reflection and hesitation was needed. But this is Disney
ADVENTURES. The writer (David C. Weiss) was working under the
constraint that stories for that comic have to be 24 pages or under.
It was the best he could do. I'd say it was a big improvement over
all the original stories in MMA, even the above-average Blot tale
mentioned before.
(Not that I didn't have a problem with the MMA Blot story --
its major flaw was the Marvel-like way the story was laid out (and
the Marvel-like way MM acted at times). Another flaw was in the art
-- I was really irritated that the artist put a hood on the Blot's
daughter (and, I believe, a stuffed animal this little girl was
holding), making the notion of the Blot's disguise into a goofy joke.
That I didn't go for...)
With time I'll give Egmont a Blot story -- but I haven't
thought of one yet. I will NOT use the daughter from the MMA story as
I view her as apocryphal, even if she worked there. In the meantime,
I'm going to be doing some stories with Horace, Butch (from "Circus
Roustabout" -- did you read WDC&S 585?), Monty (from "Love Trouble"),
and a new character from Egmont, a Neighbor Jones-like antagonist for
Mickey named Muscles McGurk (depicted as a hog). I can just imagine
Mickey vs. this Neighbor Jones type! Mickey doesn't exactly have a
temper like Donald's, but you can bet he'll let this big dope have it
when necessary... (I think he ought to have a real name, too, though,
not just this nickname Muscles -- I like Malchisidec, as much as I'm
sure McGurk would hate it ;-) We'll see what Egmont thinks -- he isn't
my creation.)
That's all for now, folks. I'm sure I've overstayed my
welcome!
Your friend,
David
<David.A.Gerstein at williams.edu>
Jas. Williams said, "David, you are our resident Mickey Mouse
expert. What did you think of [Disney Adventures comic strip 'Return
to Blaggard Castle']?"
"I had two major problems with the story. First, Mickey seems
extremely out of character. Mickey is a modest person, but in this
story he doesn't feel all that odd going to a place which is little
more than a museum dedicated to his bravery. Mickey is too humble to
be involved in such a place."
By "involved" you suggest involved in running or owning it. I
never caught wind of this. Meanwhile, he seemed plenty confused by
what was going on -- very UNcomfortable in the renovated Blaggard
Mansion.
"Also, Mickey is to intelligent to fall for such an obvious
plot."
This was my major problem with the story's concept. But then,
Mickey sure takes a long time to figure out the Gleam's plot in the
1941 FG "Gleam" story. After about two weeks of pacing around his
room trying to figure it out -- "Inspector Casey says I acted like a
monkey and a kangaroo... and HE acted like a trained seal... and then
neither of us remember a THING about it!" -- it's Goofy who
figures out the scheme that time. "I saw that in a vaudyville act
years ago, Mick! It's called hyppnertism!" The FG Mouse is not the
boring know-it-all that infests a lot of made-for-comics stories.
"Second, as usual the Phantom Blot was totally out of
character. The Phantom Blot's speciality is espionage. Having him
spend a fortune to rebuild the castle made no sense."
The Blot was a spy in the very first story made about him.
Romano Scarpa did the second one -- "The Blot's Double Mystery" in
1954 (first printed here, 1988). In that excellent tale, the Blot's
main goal was to get revenge against Mickey. Other Italian stories
may have followed the same tack (I don't know).
The 1991 "Phantom Blot Bedtime Story" was supposed to come
after the Scarpa story. Many of its concepts were the most
Gottfredsonian of anything to appear in MICKEY MOUSE ADVENTURES (note
that the story was NOT by Marv Wolfman), and it had the Blot trying to
steal a gem -- sorta like the Hope Diamond, something REALLY valuable
-- and when Mickey thwarted that, the next half of the story was about
his attempt to get revenge. Revenge against Mickey is at least as
important for the Blot as is pulling off a scheme to get wealth,
through espionage or other means.
I hope this satisfies you on the Blot's motivation.
So how did the Blot rebuild that castle? Simple -- just got away
with some minor crime, sold whatever he'd stolen for a wad of money,
then hired someone else to do the building! The only thing he had
to do himself was draw those pictures which he had up on the wall,
then make a mere tape recording of some narration to go with them.
You can bet it was Ecks, Doublex, and Triplex who made the helmets
which Minnie and Horace wore.
That explained, what did I think of the story? I think it
should have been twice as long. It just progressed at a chaotic pace
where more reflection and hesitation was needed. But this is Disney
ADVENTURES. The writer (David C. Weiss) was working under the
constraint that stories for that comic have to be 24 pages or under.
It was the best he could do. I'd say it was a big improvement over
all the original stories in MMA, even the above-average Blot tale
mentioned before.
(Not that I didn't have a problem with the MMA Blot story --
its major flaw was the Marvel-like way the story was laid out (and
the Marvel-like way MM acted at times). Another flaw was in the art
-- I was really irritated that the artist put a hood on the Blot's
daughter (and, I believe, a stuffed animal this little girl was
holding), making the notion of the Blot's disguise into a goofy joke.
That I didn't go for...)
With time I'll give Egmont a Blot story -- but I haven't
thought of one yet. I will NOT use the daughter from the MMA story as
I view her as apocryphal, even if she worked there. In the meantime,
I'm going to be doing some stories with Horace, Butch (from "Circus
Roustabout" -- did you read WDC&S 585?), Monty (from "Love Trouble"),
and a new character from Egmont, a Neighbor Jones-like antagonist for
Mickey named Muscles McGurk (depicted as a hog). I can just imagine
Mickey vs. this Neighbor Jones type! Mickey doesn't exactly have a
temper like Donald's, but you can bet he'll let this big dope have it
when necessary... (I think he ought to have a real name, too, though,
not just this nickname Muscles -- I like Malchisidec, as much as I'm
sure McGurk would hate it ;-) We'll see what Egmont thinks -- he isn't
my creation.)
That's all for now, folks. I'm sure I've overstayed my
welcome!
Your friend,
David
<David.A.Gerstein at williams.edu>
Don Rosa
Disney-comics digest #293.
Message 64 -
1994-04-08 at 07:20:07
HARRY:
I'm still not sure if you understand what I've been saying or
what is going on.
The fact that Gladstone pays me to do covers and write text
pieces proves they are willing to "reward" me? How do you figure it's a
reward? I do them a cover and they pay me. I'm not getting paid for
nothing. I get paid no extra because I'm "me"... and I do it just to
help Gladstone out and make the publication of my stories in my own
country look (?) better -- I would make more $ if I spent that time
working for Egmont, so again, I'm losing money instead of gaining it as
is what normally is supposed to happen when somebody's work is deemed
"popular". And what Gladstone pays for those text pieces -- believe me,
they are GIFTS. I wrote a one page intro for Disney's "Rosa album" and
they paid about $300; those "Lo$" texts for Gladstone pay 1/10th that
much. I do those just for the opportunity to explain my thoughts to the
readers.
And I was trying to explain about those trips to Europe. I DO
pay for those trips by losing a week of work, and making my wife spend a
week alone at home way out in the lonely country. And these are not
trips where I am given an opportunity to do any sightseeing. They would
be strictly "work", though I do enjoy that work. I wouldn't pay a week's
wages to take trips to Europe -- not because it's not WORTH a week's
wages, but because I don't get paid enough to be able to afford losing 3
or 4 week's wages per year taking these trips. Yet, how can I refuse?
Perhaps Egmont's only interest in me is as a publicity source, so I'd
better cooperate with them. As I said, I don't make them money in extra
sales.
And you can't compare the fact that I am not reimbursed fairly
to the fact that those folks in those art-studios who do Ducks and
other comics are not reimbursed. They are not creating their work by
themselves start to finish. And they are not being called on to skip
paychecks for publicity tours. They are parts of teams. And yet, those
studios ARE paid more than I am per page, because the heads of those
studios must be able to hire the workers and still have some $$ left
for himself (Vicar, Diaz, etc.). Egmont pays them more because THAT
work is the backbone of their comics. Egmont couldn't exist with out
those studios. They'd never miss my work.
MATTIAS:
I'm sure I'm not reading you correctly, since I know you know
your stuff. But you're not suggesting that there's any question that
"Speedy" was originally Donald, right? You knew that he was Donald until
Barks was told to redraw the art, right?
And you are quite wrong in assuming that the low-selling
American comics do not (as logic would suggest) result in low profits
for the publishers and creators. Someone, was it Torsten, started to
explain to you how well some single issues of American comics sell --
bit that's only a few very rare cases. Most American super-hero comics
sell pathetically bad per capita as compared to comics anywhere else in
the world. But it's HOW they are sold in America that explains the
windfall profits!!! The magazine distribution system is by-passed for
one thing. For another, no comic is printed until AFTER all the buyers
have ordered their copies -- if 137,549 issues are ordered, that's how
many are printed, thereby eliminating the incredible waste inherent in
normal magazine distribution and non-American comic publishing, where
something like twice as many issues are published than will ever be
sold, due to the losses incurred in national distribution. And yet, even
though having eliminated national distribution and waste from the
equation, American comics would turn handsome profits at any price, they
are sold for prices ranging from $2-$5, simply because the collectors
will pay it and still buy 20 copies of each issue.
Seriously! The American comic book market is an absolute DREAM
for making money off a tiny cult of buyers! It's a modern miracle! Like
printing money. That's why so many people are getting rich off such low
sales. And this is the system that I must exist in, even if the system I
work in is the one from 40 years ago.
The first word I heard about my Swedish trip was from Daniel
Atterbom, not anyone at Egmont. Can you guess that this is one MORE bit
of irritation... that Egmont was so sure I'd come that they were
announcing it before they even asked me?!?! That's how it sounds.
Originally, the trip was to be just for the weekend of October 29/30 at
Goteborg (sic?). Next Norway decided to save a plane fare and have me
go visit them for some publicity after Goteborg. Then Daniel asked if
I'd hang around an extra week to go to the Stockholm show. Then
Egmont-Sweden, when they finally got around to calling me, said they
wanted me starting Oct. 26 for more publicity. With flight time, this is
now a full 2 week trip. I can't see how I can afford this, and I'm still
waiting to hear from Egmont again. We'll see what happens.
JAMES WILLIAMS:
I LIKE how you think. Judging by your idea of what happened in
$crooge's life -- what his life was like pre-Bear Mountain, and what
meeting DD & HDL meant for him -- you're gonna LOVE part 12 of the
"Lo$". That's PRECISELY how I tell it.
I'm still not sure if you understand what I've been saying or
what is going on.
The fact that Gladstone pays me to do covers and write text
pieces proves they are willing to "reward" me? How do you figure it's a
reward? I do them a cover and they pay me. I'm not getting paid for
nothing. I get paid no extra because I'm "me"... and I do it just to
help Gladstone out and make the publication of my stories in my own
country look (?) better -- I would make more $ if I spent that time
working for Egmont, so again, I'm losing money instead of gaining it as
is what normally is supposed to happen when somebody's work is deemed
"popular". And what Gladstone pays for those text pieces -- believe me,
they are GIFTS. I wrote a one page intro for Disney's "Rosa album" and
they paid about $300; those "Lo$" texts for Gladstone pay 1/10th that
much. I do those just for the opportunity to explain my thoughts to the
readers.
And I was trying to explain about those trips to Europe. I DO
pay for those trips by losing a week of work, and making my wife spend a
week alone at home way out in the lonely country. And these are not
trips where I am given an opportunity to do any sightseeing. They would
be strictly "work", though I do enjoy that work. I wouldn't pay a week's
wages to take trips to Europe -- not because it's not WORTH a week's
wages, but because I don't get paid enough to be able to afford losing 3
or 4 week's wages per year taking these trips. Yet, how can I refuse?
Perhaps Egmont's only interest in me is as a publicity source, so I'd
better cooperate with them. As I said, I don't make them money in extra
sales.
And you can't compare the fact that I am not reimbursed fairly
to the fact that those folks in those art-studios who do Ducks and
other comics are not reimbursed. They are not creating their work by
themselves start to finish. And they are not being called on to skip
paychecks for publicity tours. They are parts of teams. And yet, those
studios ARE paid more than I am per page, because the heads of those
studios must be able to hire the workers and still have some $$ left
for himself (Vicar, Diaz, etc.). Egmont pays them more because THAT
work is the backbone of their comics. Egmont couldn't exist with out
those studios. They'd never miss my work.
MATTIAS:
I'm sure I'm not reading you correctly, since I know you know
your stuff. But you're not suggesting that there's any question that
"Speedy" was originally Donald, right? You knew that he was Donald until
Barks was told to redraw the art, right?
And you are quite wrong in assuming that the low-selling
American comics do not (as logic would suggest) result in low profits
for the publishers and creators. Someone, was it Torsten, started to
explain to you how well some single issues of American comics sell --
bit that's only a few very rare cases. Most American super-hero comics
sell pathetically bad per capita as compared to comics anywhere else in
the world. But it's HOW they are sold in America that explains the
windfall profits!!! The magazine distribution system is by-passed for
one thing. For another, no comic is printed until AFTER all the buyers
have ordered their copies -- if 137,549 issues are ordered, that's how
many are printed, thereby eliminating the incredible waste inherent in
normal magazine distribution and non-American comic publishing, where
something like twice as many issues are published than will ever be
sold, due to the losses incurred in national distribution. And yet, even
though having eliminated national distribution and waste from the
equation, American comics would turn handsome profits at any price, they
are sold for prices ranging from $2-$5, simply because the collectors
will pay it and still buy 20 copies of each issue.
Seriously! The American comic book market is an absolute DREAM
for making money off a tiny cult of buyers! It's a modern miracle! Like
printing money. That's why so many people are getting rich off such low
sales. And this is the system that I must exist in, even if the system I
work in is the one from 40 years ago.
The first word I heard about my Swedish trip was from Daniel
Atterbom, not anyone at Egmont. Can you guess that this is one MORE bit
of irritation... that Egmont was so sure I'd come that they were
announcing it before they even asked me?!?! That's how it sounds.
Originally, the trip was to be just for the weekend of October 29/30 at
Goteborg (sic?). Next Norway decided to save a plane fare and have me
go visit them for some publicity after Goteborg. Then Daniel asked if
I'd hang around an extra week to go to the Stockholm show. Then
Egmont-Sweden, when they finally got around to calling me, said they
wanted me starting Oct. 26 for more publicity. With flight time, this is
now a full 2 week trip. I can't see how I can afford this, and I'm still
waiting to hear from Egmont again. We'll see what happens.
JAMES WILLIAMS:
I LIKE how you think. Judging by your idea of what happened in
$crooge's life -- what his life was like pre-Bear Mountain, and what
meeting DD & HDL meant for him -- you're gonna LOVE part 12 of the
"Lo$". That's PRECISELY how I tell it.
Mattias Hallin
Disney-comics digest #293.
Message 65 -
1994-04-08 at 11:06:20
"I'm sure I'm not reading you correctly, since I know you know
your stuff. But you're not suggesting that there's any question that
"Speedy" was originally Donald, right? You knew that he was Donald until
Barks was told to redraw the art, right?", Don asked me.
Of course! That was what I what I meant to say, ALONG with the fact that there
is no absolute INTERNAL evidence in the story, as I recall it, that this so --
I particularly DON'T find the Gladstone Gander-reference conclusive, as David
seemed to -- but I do NOT argue with the FACT that Donald was replaced by
Speedy, because Barks was told to; I was just being 'noxious to David (naughty
me! For shame!)
"The first word I heard about my Swedish trip was from Daniel
Atterbom, not anyone at Egmont. Can you guess that this is one MORE bit
of irritation... that Egmont was so sure I'd come that they were
announcing it before they even asked me?!?!"
Don -- have you considered asking either or BOTH Egmont and/or Daniel
Atterbom/Seriefr{mjandet and/or Sture Hegerfors/Svenska Serieakademien for a
FEE, apart from all-expenses-paid (which, at least, I dearly hope they pay
for)? I mean -- to the con-arrangers (Atterbom and/or Hegerfors) you ARE a
rather valuable piece of attraction, that should be worth something, even
though they're on small budgets -- and at LEAST Daniel should be able to/have
the decency to grasp that a week of work is a week of work, and that you have a
hard time losing that income.
And if you do publicity stunts for Egmont at those fairs, like staying in their
exhibition boot, or signing things for "their" customers, or such -- that, too,
should be reimbursed!
All my best!
Mattias
your stuff. But you're not suggesting that there's any question that
"Speedy" was originally Donald, right? You knew that he was Donald until
Barks was told to redraw the art, right?", Don asked me.
Of course! That was what I what I meant to say, ALONG with the fact that there
is no absolute INTERNAL evidence in the story, as I recall it, that this so --
I particularly DON'T find the Gladstone Gander-reference conclusive, as David
seemed to -- but I do NOT argue with the FACT that Donald was replaced by
Speedy, because Barks was told to; I was just being 'noxious to David (naughty
me! For shame!)
"The first word I heard about my Swedish trip was from Daniel
Atterbom, not anyone at Egmont. Can you guess that this is one MORE bit
of irritation... that Egmont was so sure I'd come that they were
announcing it before they even asked me?!?!"
Don -- have you considered asking either or BOTH Egmont and/or Daniel
Atterbom/Seriefr{mjandet and/or Sture Hegerfors/Svenska Serieakademien for a
FEE, apart from all-expenses-paid (which, at least, I dearly hope they pay
for)? I mean -- to the con-arrangers (Atterbom and/or Hegerfors) you ARE a
rather valuable piece of attraction, that should be worth something, even
though they're on small budgets -- and at LEAST Daniel should be able to/have
the decency to grasp that a week of work is a week of work, and that you have a
hard time losing that income.
And if you do publicity stunts for Egmont at those fairs, like staying in their
exhibition boot, or signing things for "their" customers, or such -- that, too,
should be reimbursed!
All my best!
Mattias
Lasse Reichstein Nielsen
From RoC
Message 66 -
1994-04-08 at 11:18:26
Digest #288:
Mark posted a preview on the April releases. Do they really sell in April?
Last I heard, the 60 years issue (DD #286) was scheduled for June.
I'm kinda looking forward to it, but usually I must wait a couple of weeks
more before my issue arrives from Fantask in Copenhagen. Sigh.
Digest #290:
James about William van Horn's "Magica's Missin' Magic":
>How did the story end when translated into other languages? **SPOILER**
>In the english version the bug is singing "Brother Can You Spare A
>Dime?". It is a good joke but it relies on a song which I doubt would
>be familar to most Europeans. Likewise since the song is from the
>depression era, I wonder how many children reading the story got the
>joke.
The Danish translator Niels S"ondergaard has great fun with van Horn's
stories. Here's his version reverse-translated:
"You probably won't believe this, but it's a cockroach singing:
'I'm bust and havin' a hard time, so gimme a dime.'"
I don't seem to recall ever hearing those lyrics in any language though.
Digest #282:
Mikko about 'giant sized' Finnish issue:
>Finnish 'K94-13' is different. It has 36 pages (normal is 32
>including covers.)
>
>It has a feature of making of the Disney cartoon with lots of cats
>in it. (Aristocats?). Plus two full-page scenes from the movie.
>
>Comic stories are:
>
>DD D92325
>BB D93090
>DD WR/WDC 151 A
>MM D92399
>
>So, no Van Horns here.
Finnish issues take almost two weeks to reach me here in Denmark, so the
latest I've seen is #12, but I'll bet the van Horn (D 93052) is in issue
#14 along with D 91314, D 92542 and D92399. And that'll take all 31 pages.
(I won't renew my subscription on Aku Ankka, it's too predictable!)
Al Hubbard's adaption of Aristocats also hit #13 as supplementary issue
in both Norway and Denmark to coincide with it's reopening in theatres.
Digest #291:
Harry about... something.
>But they COULD (re)print some very good Bad Wolf stories from Holland in WDC!
>Dick Matena and Wilbert Plijnaar did some excellent stories in 1976 and
>1977. With the help of Daan Jippes. The stories certainly deserve a reprint!
I bought two albums by Matena, about a viking called Grote Pyr (what's a pyr?)
They are almost twenty years old too, but very unlike the Wolf stories.
Please update your DUTCH-INDEX on lysator, Harry, now that we're TWO people
reading the Dutch books!
And if the money-bin discussion is waning, here's our next topic:
What happened to Lil' Bad Wolf's mother... not to mention his two brothers!?
<oLe 'RoC' Reichstein Nielsen, c/o Lasse 'Spot' R.N. (lrn at daimi.aau.dk)>
Mark posted a preview on the April releases. Do they really sell in April?
Last I heard, the 60 years issue (DD #286) was scheduled for June.
I'm kinda looking forward to it, but usually I must wait a couple of weeks
more before my issue arrives from Fantask in Copenhagen. Sigh.
Digest #290:
James about William van Horn's "Magica's Missin' Magic":
>How did the story end when translated into other languages? **SPOILER**
>In the english version the bug is singing "Brother Can You Spare A
>Dime?". It is a good joke but it relies on a song which I doubt would
>be familar to most Europeans. Likewise since the song is from the
>depression era, I wonder how many children reading the story got the
>joke.
The Danish translator Niels S"ondergaard has great fun with van Horn's
stories. Here's his version reverse-translated:
"You probably won't believe this, but it's a cockroach singing:
'I'm bust and havin' a hard time, so gimme a dime.'"
I don't seem to recall ever hearing those lyrics in any language though.
Digest #282:
Mikko about 'giant sized' Finnish issue:
>Finnish 'K94-13' is different. It has 36 pages (normal is 32
>including covers.)
>
>It has a feature of making of the Disney cartoon with lots of cats
>in it. (Aristocats?). Plus two full-page scenes from the movie.
>
>Comic stories are:
>
>DD D92325
>BB D93090
>DD WR/WDC 151 A
>MM D92399
>
>So, no Van Horns here.
Finnish issues take almost two weeks to reach me here in Denmark, so the
latest I've seen is #12, but I'll bet the van Horn (D 93052) is in issue
#14 along with D 91314, D 92542 and D92399. And that'll take all 31 pages.
(I won't renew my subscription on Aku Ankka, it's too predictable!)
Al Hubbard's adaption of Aristocats also hit #13 as supplementary issue
in both Norway and Denmark to coincide with it's reopening in theatres.
Digest #291:
Harry about... something.
>But they COULD (re)print some very good Bad Wolf stories from Holland in WDC!
>Dick Matena and Wilbert Plijnaar did some excellent stories in 1976 and
>1977. With the help of Daan Jippes. The stories certainly deserve a reprint!
I bought two albums by Matena, about a viking called Grote Pyr (what's a pyr?)
They are almost twenty years old too, but very unlike the Wolf stories.
Please update your DUTCH-INDEX on lysator, Harry, now that we're TWO people
reading the Dutch books!
And if the money-bin discussion is waning, here's our next topic:
What happened to Lil' Bad Wolf's mother... not to mention his two brothers!?
<oLe 'RoC' Reichstein Nielsen, c/o Lasse 'Spot' R.N. (lrn at daimi.aau.dk)>
Harry Fluks
Some uninteresting remarks about a Danish story
Message 67 -
1994-04-08 at 13:29:12
David asked:
> Harry notes that the last page was removed from "Hidden
> Valley"'s original version when it appeared in US 285. I can't think
> of a more conclusive ending than the one there! What was the original
> ending like?
I was only half right when I added that comment in the 'gladstone-disney.index'
file. A page's worth of panels is missing, including the last panel of the
story. In that (page-wide) panel Scrooge exhibits the pearls and Glomgold
is laughed at.
The original story (D 4660) was in two 6-page parts. The second part had an
introductory half-page splash panel. This panel is skipped along with two
panels from page 2 and the final panel, so in total a page was skipped.
When I saw the USA reprint, I *knew* the (quite abrupt) ending was not like
this originally.
--Harry.
> Harry notes that the last page was removed from "Hidden
> Valley"'s original version when it appeared in US 285. I can't think
> of a more conclusive ending than the one there! What was the original
> ending like?
I was only half right when I added that comment in the 'gladstone-disney.index'
file. A page's worth of panels is missing, including the last panel of the
story. In that (page-wide) panel Scrooge exhibits the pearls and Glomgold
is laughed at.
The original story (D 4660) was in two 6-page parts. The second part had an
introductory half-page splash panel. This panel is skipped along with two
panels from page 2 and the final panel, so in total a page was skipped.
When I saw the USA reprint, I *knew* the (quite abrupt) ending was not like
this originally.
--Harry.
Sigurdur Hrafn Gislason
Duck Psychoanalysis!
Message 68 -
1994-04-08 at 14:24:59
Don't duck artists have to follow some general guidelines concerning
duck character attributes? Of course they must since the characters
are so consistent between stories...and yet not.
Sometimes the ducks act so utterly out of character that it hurts.
Let me try if I can pinpoint Donalds most obvious characteristics.
Donald Duck:
Hot-tempered (goes without saying)
Law-abiding (except when he is driving)
Vain (always wants bigger and better to impress others)
Sport fan (at least here in Europe, he constantly goes to soccer matches)
Caring for his family
Lazy
In love with Daisy (though other girls may catch his eye)
Loves fishing
Uneducated
Unlucky (think I nearly forgot that one)
Poor (Nearly forgot that one too!)
Uncle Scrooge
HD&L
Daisy
etc.
I think that covers most of his attributes. Now I realise that you guys
are much more into these characters so please continue my analysis on
our heroes. I would like to see if I forgot something about Donald or if
your ideas on him and the other ducks differ from mine.
--Sig
--
duck character attributes? Of course they must since the characters
are so consistent between stories...and yet not.
Sometimes the ducks act so utterly out of character that it hurts.
Let me try if I can pinpoint Donalds most obvious characteristics.
Donald Duck:
Hot-tempered (goes without saying)
Law-abiding (except when he is driving)
Vain (always wants bigger and better to impress others)
Sport fan (at least here in Europe, he constantly goes to soccer matches)
Caring for his family
Lazy
In love with Daisy (though other girls may catch his eye)
Loves fishing
Uneducated
Unlucky (think I nearly forgot that one)
Poor (Nearly forgot that one too!)
Uncle Scrooge
HD&L
Daisy
etc.
I think that covers most of his attributes. Now I realise that you guys
are much more into these characters so please continue my analysis on
our heroes. I would like to see if I forgot something about Donald or if
your ideas on him and the other ducks differ from mine.
--Sig
--
Harry Fluks
Matena and Wolves
Message 69 -
1994-04-08 at 14:27:44
Ole (ah! You're still there) about... something.
> I bought two albums by Matena [who also did a lot of Dutch Wolf sories],
> about a viking called Grote Pyr (what's a pyr?)
Pyr is the Frisian abbreviation of 'Peter' (like the Swedish 'Per' 8-)
So "Grote Pyr" could be translated with "Big Pete"...
> They are almost twenty years old too, but very unlike the Wolf stories.
Somewhere in the 70s, Matena changed his drawing style, not only in
his Disney work. BTW: only a few of his EARLY Bad Wolf stories are very
good. The countless stories he did later are at most average.
> Please update your DUTCH-INDEX on lysator, Harry, now that we're TWO people
> reading the Dutch books!
I'll send Per a new version. I update my own copy constantly.
> What happened to Lil' Bad Wolf's mother... not to mention his two brothers!?
I don't think the three mean wolves from the Silly Symphony are brothers of
our Li'l Wolf, let alone that he is one of them.
And his mother went on a vacation with the mother of Donald's nephews, the
mother of Daisy's nieces, the mother of Morty and Ferdie and some other
mothers of Disney comics characters...
--Harry.
> I bought two albums by Matena [who also did a lot of Dutch Wolf sories],
> about a viking called Grote Pyr (what's a pyr?)
Pyr is the Frisian abbreviation of 'Peter' (like the Swedish 'Per' 8-)
So "Grote Pyr" could be translated with "Big Pete"...
> They are almost twenty years old too, but very unlike the Wolf stories.
Somewhere in the 70s, Matena changed his drawing style, not only in
his Disney work. BTW: only a few of his EARLY Bad Wolf stories are very
good. The countless stories he did later are at most average.
> Please update your DUTCH-INDEX on lysator, Harry, now that we're TWO people
> reading the Dutch books!
I'll send Per a new version. I update my own copy constantly.
> What happened to Lil' Bad Wolf's mother... not to mention his two brothers!?
I don't think the three mean wolves from the Silly Symphony are brothers of
our Li'l Wolf, let alone that he is one of them.
And his mother went on a vacation with the mother of Donald's nephews, the
mother of Daisy's nieces, the mother of Morty and Ferdie and some other
mothers of Disney comics characters...
--Harry.
Mattias Hallin
Tunes'n'ticks
Message 70 -
1994-04-08 at 15:14:25
HIYA, Y'ALL!
I went 'n got mah copy yesterday of WDC xxx -- well, the latest
issue, that with van Horn's "Magica's Missing Spell" -- which has been subject
to some discussion on this list lately.
Well, for one thing I'm European, by far too young to remember the Great
Depression in '29, and all that -- but I have to confess a rather complete
familiarity with the minor classic "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime", first made
popular/famous through a Bing Crosby recording c. 1930 (it's a great recording,
too!). But then again, given my self-acknowledged weird taste in music, this is
neither surprising (that I know the tune, I mean!) nor probably very
representative of the modern young European male (I mean to say, I must have
played that tune several hundred times by now -- it's part of my basic
repertoir). So I guess I'll have to agree that the gag is at least half wasted
on anyone who don't know the tune. Of course, you can still ASSUME that there
must BE such a tune, so to anyone with a bit of imagination, the BASIC part of
the joke/punchline will still work.
Apart from that, I both liked and didn't particularly care for this story. It's
neatly done, of course, as VH tends to, and, well... But also, I think it does
rely a BIT heavily on that punchline, which is one with a drawback, even in
English (I'll get back with a report on the Swedish translation, once I get the
details from Stefan Dios). Also, I'll have to agree with those who say that
VH's Ducks are a bit lacking in personalities and dimensions -- he DOES tend to
revert to the "stereotypes" of the Ducks, rather than to treat them as real
human beings...
Well...
All my usual!
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 **!
!==============================================================================!
!**************** "Quick! Go outside! I must change my dress!" ****************!
!==============================================================================!
I went 'n got mah copy yesterday of WDC xxx -- well, the latest
issue, that with van Horn's "Magica's Missing Spell" -- which has been subject
to some discussion on this list lately.
Well, for one thing I'm European, by far too young to remember the Great
Depression in '29, and all that -- but I have to confess a rather complete
familiarity with the minor classic "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime", first made
popular/famous through a Bing Crosby recording c. 1930 (it's a great recording,
too!). But then again, given my self-acknowledged weird taste in music, this is
neither surprising (that I know the tune, I mean!) nor probably very
representative of the modern young European male (I mean to say, I must have
played that tune several hundred times by now -- it's part of my basic
repertoir). So I guess I'll have to agree that the gag is at least half wasted
on anyone who don't know the tune. Of course, you can still ASSUME that there
must BE such a tune, so to anyone with a bit of imagination, the BASIC part of
the joke/punchline will still work.
Apart from that, I both liked and didn't particularly care for this story. It's
neatly done, of course, as VH tends to, and, well... But also, I think it does
rely a BIT heavily on that punchline, which is one with a drawback, even in
English (I'll get back with a report on the Swedish translation, once I get the
details from Stefan Dios). Also, I'll have to agree with those who say that
VH's Ducks are a bit lacking in personalities and dimensions -- he DOES tend to
revert to the "stereotypes" of the Ducks, rather than to treat them as real
human beings...
Well...
All my usual!
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 **!
!==============================================================================!
!**************** "Quick! Go outside! I must change my dress!" ****************!
!==============================================================================!
Mattias Hallin
Swedish Brothers Won't Spare Dimes
Message 71 -
1994-04-08 at 18:08:26
HELLO, ALL!
As per promise, I've checked with Stefan Dios about his translation
of the punchline to "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime". What he did was change the
gag/pun for a similar, but weaker pun/gag. He has HD or L (whomever) say that
the box contains "En tr{mask, som nynnar 'Kronbruden'". Litterally, this means
"A woodworm, humming /a tune called/ 'The Crown Bride'". This is a pun on the
fact that $crooges dime isn't a dime in Swedish, but a Swedish krona --
although it does, which Stefan freely admits, not contain any specific or
direct appeal to $crooge to part with his first krona, or any krona for that
part. "Kronbruden"/"The Crown Bride" is a genuine piece of music, though!
Someone wanted to know, right?!
Hmm...
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 **!
!==============================================================================!
!** "Say don't you remember? They called me 'Al'! It was 'Al' all the time! ***!
!*** Say, don't you remember? I'm your pal!! Brother, can you spare a dime?" **!
!==============================================================================!
As per promise, I've checked with Stefan Dios about his translation
of the punchline to "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime". What he did was change the
gag/pun for a similar, but weaker pun/gag. He has HD or L (whomever) say that
the box contains "En tr{mask, som nynnar 'Kronbruden'". Litterally, this means
"A woodworm, humming /a tune called/ 'The Crown Bride'". This is a pun on the
fact that $crooges dime isn't a dime in Swedish, but a Swedish krona --
although it does, which Stefan freely admits, not contain any specific or
direct appeal to $crooge to part with his first krona, or any krona for that
part. "Kronbruden"/"The Crown Bride" is a genuine piece of music, though!
Someone wanted to know, right?!
Hmm...
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 **!
!==============================================================================!
!** "Say don't you remember? They called me 'Al'! It was 'Al' all the time! ***!
!*** Say, don't you remember? I'm your pal!! Brother, can you spare a dime?" **!
!==============================================================================!
Rick Engle
Duck Psychoanalysis!
Message 72 -
1994-04-08 at 19:50:34
Hmmm, I agree that Donald is poor, but there are many strange
situations where Donald comes up with wads of cash out of thin air to
finance his whims and trips around the globe. And the cash doesn't
come from Unca Scrooge.
Rick
----------
From: Sigurdur Hrafn Gislason <netmail!shg at rhi.hi.is>
To: <disney-comics at Minsk.DoCS.UU.SE>
Subject: Duck Psychoanalysis!
Date: Friday, April 08, 1994 11:24AM
Don't duck artists have to follow some general guidelines concerning
duck character attributes? Of course they must since the characters
are so consistent between stories...and yet not.
Sometimes the ducks act so utterly out of character that it hurts.
Let me try if I can pinpoint Donalds most obvious characteristics.
Donald Duck:
Hot-tempered (goes without saying)
Law-abiding (except when he is driving)
Vain (always wants bigger and better to impress others)
Sport fan (at least here in Europe, he constantly goes to soccer matches)
Caring for his family
Lazy
In love with Daisy (though other girls may catch his eye)
Loves fishing
Uneducated
Unlucky (think I nearly forgot that one)
Poor (Nearly forgot that one too!)
Uncle Scrooge
HD&L
Daisy
etc.
I think that covers most of his attributes. Now I realise that you guys
are much more into these characters so please continue my analysis on
our heroes. I would like to see if I forgot something about Donald or if
your ideas on him and the other ducks differ from mine.
--Sig
--
situations where Donald comes up with wads of cash out of thin air to
finance his whims and trips around the globe. And the cash doesn't
come from Unca Scrooge.
Rick
----------
From: Sigurdur Hrafn Gislason <netmail!shg at rhi.hi.is>
To: <disney-comics at Minsk.DoCS.UU.SE>
Subject: Duck Psychoanalysis!
Date: Friday, April 08, 1994 11:24AM
Don't duck artists have to follow some general guidelines concerning
duck character attributes? Of course they must since the characters
are so consistent between stories...and yet not.
Sometimes the ducks act so utterly out of character that it hurts.
Let me try if I can pinpoint Donalds most obvious characteristics.
Donald Duck:
Hot-tempered (goes without saying)
Law-abiding (except when he is driving)
Vain (always wants bigger and better to impress others)
Sport fan (at least here in Europe, he constantly goes to soccer matches)
Caring for his family
Lazy
In love with Daisy (though other girls may catch his eye)
Loves fishing
Uneducated
Unlucky (think I nearly forgot that one)
Poor (Nearly forgot that one too!)
Uncle Scrooge
HD&L
Daisy
etc.
I think that covers most of his attributes. Now I realise that you guys
are much more into these characters so please continue my analysis on
our heroes. I would like to see if I forgot something about Donald or if
your ideas on him and the other ducks differ from mine.
--Sig
--
David A Gerstein
GLADSTONE 1ST-YEAR POLL (IMPORTANT)
Message 73 -
1994-04-09 at 00:43:20
Dear Folks,
Gladstone's first year is a mere three comics from being over.
Since I won't have so much time left before the end of my school-year
(and easy E-Mail access) at the point that those three have come out,
I'm commencing the following project now.
This is a poll concerning readers' reactions to Gladstone's
comics. I'll be fashioning the results into a document which I'll make
sure the editors at Gladstone receive. I beg you to write answers to
each of my questions which are as long, as complimentary, or as
critical as you want; the answers will appear anonymously to protect
the innocent, with contributors' names -- separated from their
comments -- all listed at the end of the document.
I'm hoping to get your answers by the end of April, which
gives us a little over three weeks. I'M HOPING THAT EVERYONE, LURKERS
AND FREQUENT WRITERS, AMERICANS AND FOREIGN READERS OF GLADSTONE'S
COMICS, WILL CONTRIBUTE!!! HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO BE HEARD!
Send your responses directly to me, folks. The e-mail address
is: David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu
The questions pertain to Gladstone's six normal comics only.
Albums are not included (unless relevant to question #14).
And the questions are:
* * * * * *
1. List Gladstone's six comics in order by favorite, and
explain (if you want) why each title is ranked as it is. To make
things easier, no need to choose just one as the best or worst: list
them in the following groups of two.
a. Your favorite two Gladstone comics
b. The "middle" two comics
c. Your least favorite two comics
2. Describe your favorite new story (or old story not
previously published in the U. S.) that Gladstone has printed, and why
it was your favorite. This includes all foreign stories.
3. Describe your favorite old story (that is, having
previously appeared in America) that Gladstone has printed. Why was
it your favorite?
4. Describe least favorite new story (same qualifications as
#2).
5. Describe least favorite old story, which has previously
appeared in the U. S., that Gladstone has used.
6. Which modern creator(s) would you most like to see more from?
(Note: Don Rosa doesn't qualify -- sorry, Don! -- because Gladstone
already seems to have a policy of printing everything he does.
Scarpa, Rota, and Jaime Diaz count in this category even though many
of their stories are old, because the current stories by them are
being published here for the first time.)
7. Which modern creator(s) would you most like to see less
from? (Same qualifications as #6)
8. Which creator of "vintage" American stories would you
most like to see more work by? If you have comments about more than
one artist, feel free to express them.
9. Which creator(s) of "vintage" American stories would you
like to see less work by?
10. Who are your favorite and least favorite letterers?
11. Who are your favorite and least favorite colorists?
12. Describe your favorite and least favorite Disney comic
characters, who you would most like to see more appearances by, and
who you'd like to see less.
13. Any other comments about Gladstone's comics which you
would like to share with them here?
14. Do you have a single favorite comic that Gladstone has
published? If so, which one, and why?
* * * * *
I'm awaiting your replies, folks.
Your friend,
David Gerstein
<David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu>
Gladstone's first year is a mere three comics from being over.
Since I won't have so much time left before the end of my school-year
(and easy E-Mail access) at the point that those three have come out,
I'm commencing the following project now.
This is a poll concerning readers' reactions to Gladstone's
comics. I'll be fashioning the results into a document which I'll make
sure the editors at Gladstone receive. I beg you to write answers to
each of my questions which are as long, as complimentary, or as
critical as you want; the answers will appear anonymously to protect
the innocent, with contributors' names -- separated from their
comments -- all listed at the end of the document.
I'm hoping to get your answers by the end of April, which
gives us a little over three weeks. I'M HOPING THAT EVERYONE, LURKERS
AND FREQUENT WRITERS, AMERICANS AND FOREIGN READERS OF GLADSTONE'S
COMICS, WILL CONTRIBUTE!!! HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO BE HEARD!
Send your responses directly to me, folks. The e-mail address
is: David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu
The questions pertain to Gladstone's six normal comics only.
Albums are not included (unless relevant to question #14).
And the questions are:
* * * * * *
1. List Gladstone's six comics in order by favorite, and
explain (if you want) why each title is ranked as it is. To make
things easier, no need to choose just one as the best or worst: list
them in the following groups of two.
a. Your favorite two Gladstone comics
b. The "middle" two comics
c. Your least favorite two comics
2. Describe your favorite new story (or old story not
previously published in the U. S.) that Gladstone has printed, and why
it was your favorite. This includes all foreign stories.
3. Describe your favorite old story (that is, having
previously appeared in America) that Gladstone has printed. Why was
it your favorite?
4. Describe least favorite new story (same qualifications as
#2).
5. Describe least favorite old story, which has previously
appeared in the U. S., that Gladstone has used.
6. Which modern creator(s) would you most like to see more from?
(Note: Don Rosa doesn't qualify -- sorry, Don! -- because Gladstone
already seems to have a policy of printing everything he does.
Scarpa, Rota, and Jaime Diaz count in this category even though many
of their stories are old, because the current stories by them are
being published here for the first time.)
7. Which modern creator(s) would you most like to see less
from? (Same qualifications as #6)
8. Which creator of "vintage" American stories would you
most like to see more work by? If you have comments about more than
one artist, feel free to express them.
9. Which creator(s) of "vintage" American stories would you
like to see less work by?
10. Who are your favorite and least favorite letterers?
11. Who are your favorite and least favorite colorists?
12. Describe your favorite and least favorite Disney comic
characters, who you would most like to see more appearances by, and
who you'd like to see less.
13. Any other comments about Gladstone's comics which you
would like to share with them here?
14. Do you have a single favorite comic that Gladstone has
published? If so, which one, and why?
* * * * *
I'm awaiting your replies, folks.
Your friend,
David Gerstein
<David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu>
Don Rosa
Disney-comics digest #294.
Message 74 -
1994-04-09 at 15:02:52
MATTIAS:
Oh!!! Absotively! Posilutely! Daniel Atterbom is a prince of a
fellow!!! He understands my "problem" completely!!! Yes, he is trying to
get me to name a fee of some sort to appear at the Stockholm show, but I
just won't hear of it! How GREEDY that would make me seem! If anyone
should pay a fee, it's the Egmont branches!
My immediate editor, Byron, constantly tells me to charge those
branches a fee, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Even THAT would
feel greedy, as I am treated so nicely and enjoy myself so much. This is
all still like my HOBBY which is what it was all my life until 1987 --
being paid to do the Duck stories is one thing, but being paid to "be a
Duck fan" at the Egmont booth or at the Stockholm show or any places
like those -- I'd feel beastly!
Am I griping about a "problem" and then refusing to accept
solutions? YES! If it was a simple matter for me to demand pay for these
lovely trips, where would my problem be? But that's the whole reason I
brought it up. I want someone to wave a wand and hit on the secret
answer. I see the problem but I can't get myself to accept the solution
as it involves being paid for "nuthin", which I've got some
philosophical problem with. When I got married, I "eloped", because I
can't tolerate the idea of friends and relatives lavishing me with
expensive gifts -- the way American couples treat their wedding
presents as booty they richly deserve and which they coordinate with
stores to make certain each gift is different and exactly right...to me
it's quite despicable. Fortunately, I've gotten through life thus far
without a dead relative willing me valuables -- I probably would not
accept such stuff, I dunno.
Anyway, there, that's the problem. I'm waiting for Egmont to
offer me pay -- but I will NOT demand it. We'll see what happens.
UNCLE $CROOGE #286:
I hope folks here will be nice enough to discuss, along with
that singing flea, this new American edition of "Master of the
Mississippi" (Lo$ #2) which just came out in U$#286; I, as always, want
to know how my fellow Barks fans feel about what I'm doing in this
series (though it's rather late to CHANGE anything, I guess).
I just got my copy yesterday by driving into town and buying
one. At first glance-through, I'm STILL greatly disturbed by seeing the
Ducks with all that brown hair, but I trust that will END with this
chapter! I was somewhat disappointed in a few panels where many shots of
riverboats or figures are all colored a blanket yellow or blue... maybe
I wore the colorist out with all the other detail? The color "glows"
they achieve with their modern methods are quite nice... though I
really still dislike the modern GARISH coloring in these new comics,
with the coloring overpowering the art so much; I like the old PALE
Dell coloring. And I was disturbed by many of the sound effects which,
though they were nicely lettered, were MUCH too big and loud!
But my first glance through always shows me all the things I
DIDN'T like. Gladstone's version is, of course, THE version of these
stories. I'm very pleased and flattered with all the care they've taken
to produce and color and letter it. All the background lettering is
very nice, all in the proper 1880s style. And, I've checked carefully,
and, good or bad, you can be ASSURED that every word of dialogue is my
original version -- not a syllabubble has been changed.
When you see the story, tell me what you think of those "loud"
sound effects and the yellow-blanket-coloring. Do these only look bad
to me since I'm too unobjective about it all?
Oh!!! Absotively! Posilutely! Daniel Atterbom is a prince of a
fellow!!! He understands my "problem" completely!!! Yes, he is trying to
get me to name a fee of some sort to appear at the Stockholm show, but I
just won't hear of it! How GREEDY that would make me seem! If anyone
should pay a fee, it's the Egmont branches!
My immediate editor, Byron, constantly tells me to charge those
branches a fee, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Even THAT would
feel greedy, as I am treated so nicely and enjoy myself so much. This is
all still like my HOBBY which is what it was all my life until 1987 --
being paid to do the Duck stories is one thing, but being paid to "be a
Duck fan" at the Egmont booth or at the Stockholm show or any places
like those -- I'd feel beastly!
Am I griping about a "problem" and then refusing to accept
solutions? YES! If it was a simple matter for me to demand pay for these
lovely trips, where would my problem be? But that's the whole reason I
brought it up. I want someone to wave a wand and hit on the secret
answer. I see the problem but I can't get myself to accept the solution
as it involves being paid for "nuthin", which I've got some
philosophical problem with. When I got married, I "eloped", because I
can't tolerate the idea of friends and relatives lavishing me with
expensive gifts -- the way American couples treat their wedding
presents as booty they richly deserve and which they coordinate with
stores to make certain each gift is different and exactly right...to me
it's quite despicable. Fortunately, I've gotten through life thus far
without a dead relative willing me valuables -- I probably would not
accept such stuff, I dunno.
Anyway, there, that's the problem. I'm waiting for Egmont to
offer me pay -- but I will NOT demand it. We'll see what happens.
UNCLE $CROOGE #286:
I hope folks here will be nice enough to discuss, along with
that singing flea, this new American edition of "Master of the
Mississippi" (Lo$ #2) which just came out in U$#286; I, as always, want
to know how my fellow Barks fans feel about what I'm doing in this
series (though it's rather late to CHANGE anything, I guess).
I just got my copy yesterday by driving into town and buying
one. At first glance-through, I'm STILL greatly disturbed by seeing the
Ducks with all that brown hair, but I trust that will END with this
chapter! I was somewhat disappointed in a few panels where many shots of
riverboats or figures are all colored a blanket yellow or blue... maybe
I wore the colorist out with all the other detail? The color "glows"
they achieve with their modern methods are quite nice... though I
really still dislike the modern GARISH coloring in these new comics,
with the coloring overpowering the art so much; I like the old PALE
Dell coloring. And I was disturbed by many of the sound effects which,
though they were nicely lettered, were MUCH too big and loud!
But my first glance through always shows me all the things I
DIDN'T like. Gladstone's version is, of course, THE version of these
stories. I'm very pleased and flattered with all the care they've taken
to produce and color and letter it. All the background lettering is
very nice, all in the proper 1880s style. And, I've checked carefully,
and, good or bad, you can be ASSURED that every word of dialogue is my
original version -- not a syllabubble has been changed.
When you see the story, tell me what you think of those "loud"
sound effects and the yellow-blanket-coloring. Do these only look bad
to me since I'm too unobjective about it all?
David A Gerstein
UNCLE SCROOGE #286
Message 75 -
1994-04-10 at 03:49:13
Dear Folks,
Don asked me to offer criticism on LOS part 2 as it recently
appeared in these parts. I'm offering my comments here, so everyone
can add their own details if they want.
#1. Scrooge's steamboat-owning uncle Angus is only named
Angus on the first page of this story... and NEVER called that in the
previous chapter! I don't mind learning that his real name is Angus,
but in the previous chapter we heard only "Pothole." I was completely
confused at first. I opened the comic saying, "Here's where we'll
meet Scrooge's uncle Pothole" -- and then the references to "Angus"
completely stymied me until I was informed that this was a nickname.
If a McDuck's real name can be "Swamphole" or "Roast," it is not
immediately apparent that "Pothole" is only a nickname.
#2. Coloring error. The only panel showing Seafoam's gold
teeth showed them as white. I hope that will be changed for the
album.
#3. I don't actively dislike the blanket yellow coloring
except in a single panel, in which the ducks shown are not in the
background or extreme foreground but colored that way anyway. (One of
the panels where they are in the boat. I have to admit I can't say
offhand which one...) Think of how much worse it could be, though.
Look at the miserable coloring on the story "The Sultan of Phud" in
USA #25. We have everyone in the background a FLUORESCENT BLUE, which
makes them stand out like a canteloupe in a strawberry patch. The LO$
is getting a great coloring job, I'd say. BUT...
Gladstone's printing quality is going notably downhill.
Colors are excellent, but I never see a Gladstone comic anymore in
which at least some pages have the colors printed quite some distance
outside of their outlines! The extreme example was DD 283 -- the
"Lillehammer" story and the accompanying Sunday strips -- but it has
been occurring consistently since then as well, if in not such extreme
form. I'd say it was most notable in LO$ 2 on two pages: the first,
and then the page where the top half showed the inside of the
_Brennan Whyte_ (it's most evident there on Scrooge).
Disney Comics' comics always had impeccable matchup jobs of
colors and outlines. The first few months of Gladstone's new ones
did, as well, but at this point it has gotten irritatingly bad.
Gladstone REALLY oughtta complain to their printer (which is
reportedly the same guys who printed Disney's issues, although the
paper and height of the comics would seem to contradict that).
#4. Back to LO$ 1 -- a big mistake. On the last page,
Scrooge is given Great-Uncle Seafoam's gold teeth, as well as the
McDuck heirloom watch. The dialogue implies that the WATCH was
Seafoam's as well -- but the article you wrote for US 285 implies
otherwise! I DON'T have the "Heirloom Watch" story accessible to me
at present, so I can't verify who the watch is from, but I know that
your article is correct, Don, but the story itself is wrong.
#5. I didn't mind the sound effects. I LOVE the lettering,
although my favorite modern lettering is that of Teresa Davidson -- who
lettered all Egmont Rosas for Disney. (BTW -- although I praise her
lettering on its own terms, did anyone here notice that she redrew the
word balloons almost entirely in three Rosa stories -- "Island at the
Edge of Time," "Super Snooper Strikes Again," and "The Duck Who Fell
to Earth"? In all cases, making them smaller and adding surrounding
art, not always well -- note seats in airplane in "Edge of Time" in
particular. Still, I loved her fine work on "Xanadu" and others.
Wish Gladstone would use her talent.)
#6. In all, a fine, fine story. BTW, I haven't seen any more
of the LO$ than this, due to the deprived state of American readers.
Does Argus McSwine (I mean the omnipresent slick, moustachioed Pig
Villain) appear in the LO$ at all? Any plans to use him in the
future, either? That certainly WASN'T McSwine in "War of the
Wendigo," although not having the story in English, I don't know what
he WAS called (he's Rufus Ruffel in German). What's this guy's name?
Well, that's my 0.02. BTW, Don, now that I've answered your
questions, will you enter my Gladstone poll? I didn't expect you
would, but I'm trying my best to convince you ;-)
So long, all.
David Gerstein
<David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu>
Don asked me to offer criticism on LOS part 2 as it recently
appeared in these parts. I'm offering my comments here, so everyone
can add their own details if they want.
#1. Scrooge's steamboat-owning uncle Angus is only named
Angus on the first page of this story... and NEVER called that in the
previous chapter! I don't mind learning that his real name is Angus,
but in the previous chapter we heard only "Pothole." I was completely
confused at first. I opened the comic saying, "Here's where we'll
meet Scrooge's uncle Pothole" -- and then the references to "Angus"
completely stymied me until I was informed that this was a nickname.
If a McDuck's real name can be "Swamphole" or "Roast," it is not
immediately apparent that "Pothole" is only a nickname.
#2. Coloring error. The only panel showing Seafoam's gold
teeth showed them as white. I hope that will be changed for the
album.
#3. I don't actively dislike the blanket yellow coloring
except in a single panel, in which the ducks shown are not in the
background or extreme foreground but colored that way anyway. (One of
the panels where they are in the boat. I have to admit I can't say
offhand which one...) Think of how much worse it could be, though.
Look at the miserable coloring on the story "The Sultan of Phud" in
USA #25. We have everyone in the background a FLUORESCENT BLUE, which
makes them stand out like a canteloupe in a strawberry patch. The LO$
is getting a great coloring job, I'd say. BUT...
Gladstone's printing quality is going notably downhill.
Colors are excellent, but I never see a Gladstone comic anymore in
which at least some pages have the colors printed quite some distance
outside of their outlines! The extreme example was DD 283 -- the
"Lillehammer" story and the accompanying Sunday strips -- but it has
been occurring consistently since then as well, if in not such extreme
form. I'd say it was most notable in LO$ 2 on two pages: the first,
and then the page where the top half showed the inside of the
_Brennan Whyte_ (it's most evident there on Scrooge).
Disney Comics' comics always had impeccable matchup jobs of
colors and outlines. The first few months of Gladstone's new ones
did, as well, but at this point it has gotten irritatingly bad.
Gladstone REALLY oughtta complain to their printer (which is
reportedly the same guys who printed Disney's issues, although the
paper and height of the comics would seem to contradict that).
#4. Back to LO$ 1 -- a big mistake. On the last page,
Scrooge is given Great-Uncle Seafoam's gold teeth, as well as the
McDuck heirloom watch. The dialogue implies that the WATCH was
Seafoam's as well -- but the article you wrote for US 285 implies
otherwise! I DON'T have the "Heirloom Watch" story accessible to me
at present, so I can't verify who the watch is from, but I know that
your article is correct, Don, but the story itself is wrong.
#5. I didn't mind the sound effects. I LOVE the lettering,
although my favorite modern lettering is that of Teresa Davidson -- who
lettered all Egmont Rosas for Disney. (BTW -- although I praise her
lettering on its own terms, did anyone here notice that she redrew the
word balloons almost entirely in three Rosa stories -- "Island at the
Edge of Time," "Super Snooper Strikes Again," and "The Duck Who Fell
to Earth"? In all cases, making them smaller and adding surrounding
art, not always well -- note seats in airplane in "Edge of Time" in
particular. Still, I loved her fine work on "Xanadu" and others.
Wish Gladstone would use her talent.)
#6. In all, a fine, fine story. BTW, I haven't seen any more
of the LO$ than this, due to the deprived state of American readers.
Does Argus McSwine (I mean the omnipresent slick, moustachioed Pig
Villain) appear in the LO$ at all? Any plans to use him in the
future, either? That certainly WASN'T McSwine in "War of the
Wendigo," although not having the story in English, I don't know what
he WAS called (he's Rufus Ruffel in German). What's this guy's name?
Well, that's my 0.02. BTW, Don, now that I've answered your
questions, will you enter my Gladstone poll? I didn't expect you
would, but I'm trying my best to convince you ;-)
So long, all.
David Gerstein
<David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu>