Keskustelujen arkisto

At 22:27:08 04/05/99 +0200, Paolo Castagno wrote:

>BTW, there were also interesting things, but very few... Last
>time I forgot to tell about a letter sent by Mario Gentilini to
>Luciano Bottaro about "Zio Paperone e il telescrocco", where is
>suggested the idea to substitute Ludwig von Drake to Hazel Witch,
>proposing also his (Gentilini's) point of view for the characters
>change. That's interesting... BTW, *WHY* did Gentilini sent this
>letter to Bottaro, since the story author seems to be Chendi?

Because, like you said... the author SEEMS to be Chendi. But is Bottaro.
This is what Bottaro told me last October 31st in Lucca: "Probably Chendi
never ever read this story"

;-)

Marco

http://marcobar.cce.unifi.it/Comics

I've put scans of the two rough Barks drawings published in Komix #131 at:
http://dias.cti.gr/~kyrimis/pics/don.gif
http://dias.cti.gr/~kyrimis/pics/dondaisy.gif

Perhaps someone can identify them.

Kriton (e-mail: (Email removed))
(WWW: http://dias.cti.gr/~kyrimis
-----
"Things are only impossible until they're not."
-----

Fellow Quackeroos:

With Scarpa's appearance in KOMIX this week, the choice is very clear:

"La gara da 100 dollari", TL #299, 1961 (the year in which I was born!); Art
& Story: Romano Scarpa. Greek re-print: KOMIX #131, May 1999---32, 3-tier pages.

*Story's synopsis*: A thrifty-conscious Scrooge is delighted to see that the
Bank of Duckburg is promoting the virtues of saving by sponsoring a
savings-contest! Looking to find out more details on this, Scrooge pays a
visit to the bank's President. The chap explains to Scrooge that the bank
will offer $100 to three different denizens of Duckburg known for their
squandering ways, every day for a month; if the $100 are invested profitably
or at least are saved within the day, the bank will forfeit this money;
otherwise, the $ will have to be refunded.

Scrooge congratulates the bank President for his noble idea, and sets out to
leave when he hears the man calling him "boss"! Yes, the bank belongs to
Scrooge, and upon hearing this, Scrooge changes his tune about the noble
idea *HIS* bank is financing. Hence, he calls off the contest, BUT the first
three $100 bills have already been mailed out to: (a) Donald Duck, (b) Filo
Sganga (a bungling entrepreneur rival to Scrooge, who usually fails in his
get-rich-quick schemes), and (c) the Beagle Boys! Scrooge realizes that in
order to get the $300 back, he'll have to find ways to make these people
SPEND the money (consume it) or "invest" it mindlessly, so they'll have to
re-fund it according to the contest's regulations.

Switch to Donald's house; these days, Don has a new fixation: a high-tech
walkie-talkie that the T.V. advertises constantly (even if his dream would
be a radio-transmitter). Bad thing is, he doesn't have the $100 to buy it!

A similar problem of being $100 short is faced by Filo Sganga, who dreams
about opening a business selling steel sculptures of modern, abstract
art-style that's an "in" thing.

And finally, the Beagles seem to have a sure-fire plan to rob Scrooge of his
money--only problem is, the need $100 to finance their plan!

Lo'and behold, the mail-man, as another "deus-ex-machina", brings $100 to
all three. Scrooge, at the same time, is making the rounds trying to
convince all three to spend ("invest") this amount. Donald is the one to
spend the dough immediately (at the kids' objection) by buying this
much-desired set of walkie-talkies from a street vendor, who just happens to
be a disguised uncle Scrooge!

In the meantime, Filo Sganga has set up his modern art business of making
steel sculptures by randomly glueing together pieces of steel! On their end,
the Beagles have used the $100 to buy a robot from Gyro that can replicate,
inch by inch, every motion it sees. Their plan is to plant this gizmo inside
Scrooge's Money Bin so it can "read" the lock-combination of his
maximum-security windows.

Following Scrooge as he goes to inspect how Filo Sganga has used the $100,
the Beagles notice that Scrooge has recently acquired a modern art
sculpture, placing it outside his jewelry vault and opposite a security
window! Hence, a Beagle dresses up as an "art collector" and manages to sell
to Scrooge an "art" piece that he bought from Filo using a fake check.

What has Donald been doing in the meantime? He has been roaming the steets
of Duckburg using his walkie-talkie to communicate with the kids, and
pretending to be in all kinds of dramatic situations. Don is really enjoying
his new "toy"! In another part of town, the "art collector" Beagle is
delivering the "valuable" art piece to Scrooge, asking him to place it
opposite the security window situated next to his jewelry vault, 'cause the
light gives that little extra to the sculpture!

As night shadows fall, Scrooge locks the security window and goes to bed.
The Beagles' robot has "read" the combination and immediately unlocks it.
The Beagles are waiting down the street, and they catapult a hose with a
cupping-end right to the open window! The hose is attached to an engine that
once turned on, starts to suck thru the hose and into a truck all the
contents of Scrooge's jewelry vault.

Guess who happens to be passing by at that time?! It's Donald, who at first
thinks the giant hose to be some kind of a monster, and as he gets closer to
inspect it better, he gets sucked into it! His screams about being sucked by
a monster, etc, is the straw the breaks the camel's back for the kids, who
just turn off their end of communication, and go to sleep. Hence, a few
moments later, when Donald realizes what's been happening and tries to tell
it to the kids, it's too late:they can't hear! Don is carried to the
Beagle's hide-out.

Next day, it's the day of reckoning: the three contestants must appear in
front of the bank's President to check how they fared with the $100. Scrooge
is present and has no idea yet of last night's burglary. With Donald absent,
the kids have to explain how their uncle spent the $100 on the
walkie-talkie. Verdict: refund the money.

Filo Sganga is there to show the $1,500 check he got from selling a
sculpture to a Beagle, but he soon finds out that it's a fake check.
Verdict: refund the money.

How about the Beagles? Well, they mailed a parcel containing a precious
stone and a note that reads as follows: "After seeking the advice of an
expert, we used the $100 to secure profits that can modestly be called
mythical. As proof we enclose a sample of our success!"

As the bank President gives accolades to the Beagles and Scrooge is thinking
that this $100 is lost, a phone call informs him that his precious stones
vault has been emptied! He rushes there and he's torn to pieces to think
that he advised and financed his own burglary!

It's then that the kids turn on their walkie-talkie to find out how their
playful uncle has been spending his time. At last, Donald can inform them
that he's buried, still undetected in a mountain of precious stones. Pretty
soon, an entire army surrounds and captures the Beagles. The story ends as
Donald enjoys a gift from uncle Scrooge for saving his precious stones: a
super-duper radio receiver-transmitter set!

*Observations*: Along with a couple other stories, "La gara da $100"
constitutes an "anomaly" in Scarpa's work for that period, in the sense that
a "typical" Scarpa story in the period 1955-1961 was a two-part "adventure"
story. Still, the story is a small jewel in itself.

Funny scenes: Donald literally drooling in front of the T.V. looking at the
walkie-talkie, the Beagle Boys playing with swings in front of their house,
and one of them stealing the mail-man's gold pen, Donald losing his
leaf-cover and exposing himself when he gets hold of the walkie-talkie set,
Scrooge exercising and lifting money-bags, and many, many others. The story
is a barrel of laughs.

A very enjoyable story!

Overall grade: A-

Cheers,

Archontis

Hi...
1. Anyone heard of the estimated relase date for the kavala story in europe???

2. Anyone interessted in an norwegian index for Don Rosas publications in norway??? I have it in both paper and electronical....Mail me and ill mail you a copy..

BTW: Don.. Have you made any other stories inbetween kavala and the lost mine..??? Or are there any old ones scheduled for print in europe soon???

Any plans for a visit to scandinavia this year???

Kind regards
Dag Ove Hoegstavoll...

A few days ago, Luca Boschi and Paolo Castagno were talking about
Expocartoon, which is held in Rome twice a year. Next edition should be
within this month, but I don't know exactly when. Could you please, (Luca,
Paolo or anyone else who happens to know it) inform us about it? Thank you !

I have another question, too. I'm sure it won't be a difficult one for some
of you.
I've seen - I think it was a "Journal de Mickey" dating back to the end of
the eighties- a story about ZORRO.
The characters were closely fashioned after the ones of the TV series, and
the style was very realistic.
I don't have this magazine myself, I only saw it, together with many
others, so I didn't look for a code on the first panel. I liked very much
the art, so I'm curious about who and when did it, and I would also like to
know how many "Zorro stories" have been made. Any clues? Thank you again !

Hi,

About 18 months ago I bought from Michael Naiman three first printing Uncle
Scrooge comics. I bought these in the expectation that I wouldn't be able to
track down their Australian counterparts, which is what I collect. However,
I now have these counterparts, so if anyone is interested in buying the
first edition ones, they are for sale. They are in the same excellent
condition that they were when I bought them from Michael; and they are:

Uncle Scrooge 56 "Mystery of the Ghost Town Railroad" ($60 American)
Uncle Scrooge 52 "The Great Wig Mystery" ($30 American)
Uncle Scrooge 60 "The Phantom of Notre Duck" ($30 American).

If anyone is interested, please email me privately.

David King.

The long-announced issue number ZERO of the new MMMM (=Mickey Mouse Mystery
Magazine) finally came out today here in Italy. It is scripted by Tito
Faraci and drawn by Giorgio Cavazzano, which should be enough for the
gourmets...

More comments tomorrow maybe. But just one question tonight. Mickey moves
to a city called ANDERville. Isn't ANDER the name of Donald Duck in some
North-European Country? And how could you translate that name? And does
this make sense in a mice story?

(So the questions were three after all...)

Marco

http://marcobar.cce.unifi.it/Comics