Keskustelujen arkisto

Hi Hoy,

Thanks for forwarding that along. My subscription to CBG usually
comes a couple of weeks late. The delivery is very odd, sometimes.
I'll get two or three issues in the same week or even on the same day
and then nothing for a month.

>I'm guessing that Gladstone's printing of the Disney-banned "War of the
>Wendigo" story in their last issue was a final "gift" to us fans and Don Rosa.

I'm beginning to guess they printed it to spite Disney. One last thumb
to the nose of the Disney people. . . A parting shot, if you will. But
that's mere conjecture on my part. (With a little bit of wishful thinking
mixed in.)

>I'm sure Augie or others closer to the situation have more details than this,
>but most of it was news to me and I wanted to share.

Nope. We know the same. =)

Thanks again,
-Augie

A HAPPY, comic-book-fun-filled New Year to all!!!

I just returned on-line after a full week of catching up with comic book
reading! Boy, what fun I have had! I read tons of piled up "Zio Paperone"
and "I Maestri Disney" (thanks to Paolo and Franco!), tons of selected back
issues of the Greek "Miky Maus" and "Klasika" with Scarpa stories, and many
piled up issues of the French "Mickey Parade". It's what I'd call comic book
nirvana!

First off, let me thank those of you who were so kind and prompt to answer
my queries of my previous posting. Scarpa's "Il clavicembalo scrivano"
eluded me only because of its two-parter appearence here in Greece. I see
that it had originally published as a one-part story.

KRITON:

>What's wrong with Mickey Parade? Judging from the few issues that I have
>(223 to 225), they are nothing like "Klasika". I don't know if the leading
>stories by Scarpa are an exception because of Mickey's 70th anniversary,

Well, the Scarpa Mickey stories that have appeared in MP throughout 1998
were indeed a tribute to Romano Scarpa. I enjoyed them greatly as they
filled an important hole in my Scarpa colllection, and it was nice to see
some of these stories in color, as I had them only in B&W from Comic Art. MP
without its monthly Scarpa fix will certainly be "poorer". (BTW, I just
received the December issue, publishing two Scarpa stories: "Topolino e la
Magnon 777", TL #1027-28, 1975, and "Paperino e le 'pitto-paperi boom", TL
#2173, 1997. Is the second one Scarpa's LAST story for Disney Italia? Is
that the one where Scarpa has hidden an "ADIOS" to his readers? I recall a
discussion to that effect in this List recently).

>Incidentally, I believe that the issue to which Archontis was referring
>was not one of Klasika, but of "Megala Klasika" (big classics), whatever
>the difference happens to be. By coincidence, I also happened to buy it
>recently, so that I could read the second half of the typewriter story,
>whose first part I'd read ages ago,

Yes, it was from "Megala Klasika", but the issue was part of the SAME
Klasika series. For a period, they were published every 3 months and each
issue was thicker. The normal, bi-monthly schedule to which they have
reverted again, is again called "Klasika". I think that it's probably
worthwhile to invest some time digging for back issues of this title. Just
over the holiday season I bought a few back issues that had printed Scarpa's
"La pista delle pistole" from TL #336, 1962, and "L' uomo di Altacraz",
TL#380-381, 1963.

But I'd like to dwell a bit more on Scarpa. Frank Stajano has divided Romano
Scarpa's comic-book history into a number of periods. What fascinates me
even more, are the probable reasons for the big changes that have occurred,
especially after 1964-65 in the quality of his stories. Please bear in mind
as you read the following that I'm an "amateur" on Scarpa, as I haven't read
all of his stories, but I think I've read enough to be able to write a
coherent review of his work.

First observation: around 1962, Scarpa started drawing other writers'
stories. I think that the early to mid-60s constitute an important dichotomy
for Scarpa's creative processes. Between 1956 and 1961, Scarpa was both
writing and drawing his stories, with a few exceptions. During this period,
Scarpa gave us some of his masterpieces--they were probably all great works:
stories like "I gamberi in salmi", "La leggenda dello 'scozzese volante'",
"L' unghia di Kali", "La collana Chirikawa", "L' ultimo Balabu", "Le
lenticchie di Babilonia", "Topolino imperatore della Calidornia", "Topolino
nel favoloso regno di Shan-Grilla", "La fiama eterna di Kalhoa, "Il colosso
del Nilo", "La farfalla di Colombo". Great stories that have a special
place in my heart.

Then came a period when Scarpa started drawing other people's scripts. This
period starts with "La pista delle pistole" on a script by Dalmasso. For the
next 12-13 years or so, Scarpa would mostly draw but not write. The early
part of this period I'd call the transition period, both in story and art
quality. But then, somewhere after 1964-65, something drastic seems to
happen, mainly in his drawing of the Ducks: they become elongated and lose
much of the zest and distinctiveness they posessed earlier, while his art
becomes much simpler. At the same time, he draws very few Mickey stories. My
question: WHY? Why did Scarpa concentrate on drawing the Ducks and abandoned
writing his own scripts? Was it of his own choice? Was it the dictum of his
editors? Did his story-well run dry, as Barks would say? Whatever the
reason, however, that string of masterpieces of the late 50s-early 60s would
never repeat itself.

I managed to locate quite a few of Scarpa's stories from the late 60s and
70s. Most are mediocre, in both art and story quality. Art-wise, it's
interesting to note that Mickey continues to have many of his early
qualities, while undergoing similar changes. However, I believe that
Scarpa's Mickey remains distinct even today, while his Ducks reached rather
low depths especially in the 70s. I started reading "Gastone e il chiodo
paperingio", TL #984, 1974, the other day, and I put it aside after 4-5
pages: it was just that bad, on a story by a Maria L.! And then, I just
couldn't stop reading "Topolino e la Magnon 777", TL #1027-28, that he both
wrote and drew in 1975! Lack of consistency is what characterized him during
that period.

Scarpa's greatness, however, and his affinity for the Mouse shinned through
in the early 90s: four years ago, I had bought a special one-shot
publication called "Miky Mysterio" (this title has since become regular),
that printed under a single cover Scarpa's "L' enigma di Brigaboom" TL
#1779-91, 1990, and "La banda dello sternuto" ("The sneeze gang"), TL
#1800-10, 1990. For some reason I had put that book aside and did not read
it until....last week! I was *IMPRESSED*. These stories are up to par with
the great Mickey stories of Scarpa's golden years! Mystery, suspense,
imaginative art, great jokes, great plots, sensitivity to modern concerns
like the power of advertising and the problem of polution and the
environment. And I rushed out to find the MM issues printing his third MM
story in strip form, "Gli uomini vespa", TL #1853-59, 1991.

Forgive my Scarpa rambling--it's just that I spent a good part of my Xmas
break reading many of his stories. But as I mentioned above, I managed to
read more Italian stuff, and among these I'd like to mention here how
impressed I was by Massino De Vita's sample of stories I read. First, let me
mention that prior to a couple of months ago, while I were aware of his
existence (sic), for some reason I brushed him aside. Samples of his work
were printed here in Greece in MM, Klasika, and Almanacco, but I never gave
him a second look, until...a blessed soul from Italy sent me "I Maestri
Disney" #6, dedicated to him. I was hooked! The stories printed in that
issue, "La pietra di sagezza", Topolino Piu, 1984, "La graande impresa", TL
#1696, 1988, and the Indiana Pipps story "Il ritorno dei Big-Foot", TL
#2086, 1995, opened my eyes to a great "universe"! I was so impressed by
this guy that I rushed out to locate as many of his stories in back issues
of Almanacco and MM. I was able to find most of his Indiana Pipps stories
and a few others. While I must say that the Indiana Pipps stories based on
Bruno Sarda's scripts become rather predictable, they are above average.
Other than "Il ritorno dei Big-Foot", my second favorite Indiana Pipps story
by Massimo is one called "The Ivory Seal", TL #2048, 1995, but it could have
also been titled "Guardians of the Sacred Library"! In that story, Indiana
Pipps and Mickey go after the Sacred Library of the ancient peoples of the
Hindu Valley, and find it somewhere in Nepal. Massimo's art is among his
most imaginative and expressive in this one! Now, I'm really looking forward
to the next IMD to be published next week, that will be once again dedicated
to De Vita, and shall print a few of his time-machine stories! (Talking
about IMD, if Luca Boschi is listening, my humbleness has a reprint request
for a future Carpi issue: how about "The Trompets of Jericho", from 1960?)

Lemme see, do I have anything else to add? Oh yes--I recall about a year
ago, this List discussing a Xmas story where on Xmas eve, Duckburg is
"frozen" by a ray-gun concocted by Gyro Gearloose. The effect is to last for
36 hours, and to "save" Xmas for the denizens of Duckburg, Mickey (who also
appears in this story) uses a Gyro-built clock that can move time: forward
and backward. So, he moves first Duckburg forward by 36 hours, and before
Scrooge has time to fly to New York (where it's still Dec. 24) to buy stocks
and make a killing two days later, Mickey returns the clock back again to
Xmas eve. The story is called "Double Xmas" and was printed in the Xmas
issue of the Greek MM. The only code I can detect is "I". It has 41 pages,
3-tiers to a page. Any more info on that one?

Well, I better stop for now, lest you think I have nothing better to do than
ramble on about these paper characters! :-)

Cheers,

Archontis

As this list knows, the Norwegian media has taken the
50 year anniversary for "Donald Duck & Co." quite
seriously. All major newspapers have written long
articles, Donaldists have been interviewed on radio,
and so on. And in excellent prime time, in the for
Norwegians so central "romjul" (the sacred period
between December 24 and December 31, where all we are
supposed to do is to focus holistically on the
central issues in life, spend time with one's families,
ski 50 km a day, read the books one got for Christmas,
and then turn in to a very short list of selected
cultural television and radio programmes), our "TV2"
channel devoted a full hour to DD's first 50 years
amongst us.

The result was ... ok. Resonably well done, but not
extravagantly spectacularly well done, imVho. The programme
host Knut Borge is among the best TV can come up with, imho,
and I admire his every kilogramme. He was a memorable sight
in Donald costume. Reasonably informative but rather too short
conversations were held with Jon Gisle (author of "Donaldismen"),
Finn-Erik Vinje (professor of linguistics, giving the
magazine high marks for language), Erik Hoerthe (collector
and knowledgeable fan), Jan P. Krogh (likewise, and
administrator of the comic books gallery/museum in Oslo),
Erik Dyrkorn (occasional translator of Disney stories),
Thomas Hylland-Eriksen (professor of anthropology). Dorthe
Skappel was adequate in her Dolly outfit; she visited
Egmont Koebenhavn and helped us understand how the magazine
is being produced. Byron "Eriksen" was interviewed too.

Marco Rota was present, and made a short simplistic story
on the spot. His English is not fluent, and he didn't really
communicate. D.R. would have been a better choice. Otherwise
the work of both Barks and Rosa was discussed, to a
limited extent.

Less fortunate were the minutes spent with the panel of
self-proclaimed Donaldists; author Vigdis "Hjort", politician
Doerum and comedian Skolmen. The idea was good but the
panelists not up to it, really.

Finally I must mention that I was quite shocked to see
the programme being interrupted half-way with a ... (!shock!
sequence of commercials !shock!). What country is this?
I had never experienced this before in Norway. [We had
zero zero commercials on TV until this our second national
channel went on air in 1992, and I knew TV2 had commercials,
but I seriously thought the agreement was and is that
they would never interrupt a programme!]

Nils Lid Hjort

I'm delurking for a moment to thank Gladstones for going out with style.
I was pleasantly amazed to see two of Don's stories in the last
Gladstone comics. And for one to be the banned "War of the Wendigo"!
Great! And "Cutty Sark" too, which I had given up hope of seeing
anytime soon. Loved that Captain and his camera, Don.

So, many thanks!

Mike Rhode
(Email removed)

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

From: "Misha"
>>>Hmm... I suppose that's true. Yet as I tried to explain in my previous
post
I still feel it's not impossible to counter arguments such as: 'It's too
far-fetched', even when it's said by someone devoid of imagination.

Okay, fine. Wonderful. No one said anything here or anywhere else to the
contrary.

> . (Let's see now: "cowboy" means
> cowboy, "kaptajnen" means captain, "p=E5" means of, "Cutty Sark"
means
> Cutty Sark, how hard can it be?...)

Well.. "p=E5" could also mean "on"... ;-)

Steamboat Willie

Since I posted one message about this, I am responsible for posting a
follow-up:
In the German printing of my "Cowboy Captain of the Cutty Sark", I am now
told that the name "Cutty Sark" *will* be used for the Cutty Sark, and a
footnote will be employed to explain the apparently strange sounding name to
the younger readers.

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Happy, happy, joy, joy.