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Donald Duck & Co # 8 - 2000

Egmont front cover, showing Donald in a ski lift, and at the same time
stuck on the top of an elk.

First story out is about Donald Duck (D 99034, 8 pages), written by
Paul Halas and drawn by Marsal.

Donald is tired of winter and snow, and decides to hibernate the rest
of the winter. If bears and hedgehogs can, why not him? He puts on all
the heat he can, and blows the electical system. The electrician won't
come out in the bad weather, so there he is. To get some heat he now needs
wood, and to get that he must go to the forest. He brings some honey
chocolate.
Out there, the car gets stuck in the snow, and Donald finds a cave in which
he can find shelter. And, oops, there's a bear (what a surprise...).
Fortunately the bear likes the chocolate, and they become good friends.
Donald is found and rescued. After the electrical system of his house is
repaired, he discovers that the bear has decided to stay there for the
rest of the winter.

I'm sure there is some point in this story, but I fail to see it.

Next is an old one-pager (KF-05-15-50).

The third story is about Mad Madam Mim (D 96331, 4 pages), written by
Paul Halas and Jack Sutter, and drawn by Millet.

Mim gets a new book from the witch book club. It's about doing magic
with weather. She starts by removing the winter, and lets the spring come
out (I wish I could do that). Soon it shows up that not everyone is happy
about this - like kids with their sleighs. Mim then creates some very
local winters for those who needs it.
Close by is a film studio which is about to make a winter scene. Only
problem is that their snow machines are out of function. One assistant has
noted Mim's local snow weathers, and they get her to the studio. It works
perfect for a very short time, until they discover that her snow is
actually cold, and breaks havoc in the studio.

This could have been pretty good, if there weren't about a million
Mim stories with similar story line. Is it impossible to make up
something new?

The fourth story is about Donald Duck (D 98408, 12 pages), written by
Per Hedman, and drawn by Colomer.

Scrooge wants something far out in an area of wilderness, and sends out
Donald and a professional guide to find it. He won't tell them what it
is, but he'll give them more information when they have reached the
place where it is. The guide is soon tired by Donald, who's not quite
as used to the wilderness as he is.
After a while Donald discovers that there's something mysterious about
the guide. He's talking to someone on a mobile phone, informing this
"someone" about the expedition.
Suddenly the new instructions are dropped from a helicopter, and Donald
and the guide fight to get to them first.
At the same time, Scrooge finds out that Donald's guide is not the one
he hired, but one who has been put in his place by Glomgold, to find out
what Scrooge is up to. The real one is then dropped at the same place by
the same chopper. Together they find what Scrooge wants - a few golden
flowers, which he intends to give to a collector (in return for something,
of course). Now it shows up that both guides are members of an organization
which protects rare plants, and none of them will pick the flowers.

Although quite classical, the idea isn't so bad. But why send Donald
and a guide all the way on the ground, when someone could have just gone
there with the helicopter?

Then a Mickey Mouse story (D 99096, 10 pages), written by Jeff Hamill,
and drawn by Ferioli.

Mickey is chosen to recieve this years prize for being a fellow human
being in Duckburg. What he has done, is to collect old computers, and
giving them to youth clubs that needed them. He's given a lot of attention
by other citizens, which makes him embarrassed. He did this because he
wanted to, not to get a prize for it.
The driver whos taking him in the mayor's limousine, to the reception where
he's to get the prize, is a very bitter man, and his behaviour is really
bad towards Mickey. Mickey tries to be nice to him, but after the driver
collided the car, he (Mickey) realises that he (the driver) is jealous of
him. All the time he does nice things to other people, but never is it
mentioned. But if a celebrity like Mickey does one nice thing, everybody
get to know it, and he gets a prize for it. Mickey tries to make up for
this by bringing the driver with him on the stage at the reception, and
telling that he'll share the prize with a person who all the time works
for the society. The result of this is that Mickey gets even more
attention for being unselfish, and the driver is forgotten. The driver
thinks Mickey used him to get more attention to himself, and is just as
mad as before.

This is a good story. It illustrates well and simple how some people work
for the society because they wants to, how the society needs heroes to
look up to, and how this sometimes can clash together when personal
feelings are messed into it.

Next is an old one-pager (KF 10-10-54).

Then a newer one-pager, about Goofy (D 93002). No credits, but the art
looks like Esteban.

Goofy puts snow chains on his car (it's winter), and claims that nothing
can stop him now. Because a road sign is covered with snow, he drives
against the direction on a one-way street, and has to stop for a snow
plough.

I suppose it was meant to be funny.

The eighth story is the second part of a Donald Duck story beginning in # 7
(D 99171), written by Andreas Pihl, and drawn by Colomer.

I will comment this when I've read it all, but so far I'll at least
say that this is one of the best Duck stories I've read in years!

Last is another old one-pager (KF-12-18-60).

Also with this issue was an extra with the story I-AL-6-1955 by
Guido Martina and Romano Scarpa.

J?rgen

Actually, IMHO, the Br'er speak was the speak of all southern illiterates,
Black or White, there are a few examples of this in some of Mark Twain's
writings. -Kathy

> J?rgen Andreas Bangor wrote:
> And another question, just because I'm curious. Being white, I have no
> problem with identifying myself with Donald Duck and all his everyday
> problems. Do black people (or people of any other race) indentify with
> him just as easily? I mean, I regard him as white, but being a feathered
> duck, the skin colour is sort of irrelevant.
>
I'm white and as a kid I identified myself with Gottfredsons Mickey
Mouse, who is black.
I think that what you identifies with is the personality and not the
skin color.
> (Hmm, just think of what will happen when Disney Co. realises that their
> main character is black. Maybe Disney Co. will ban itself :-) )
>
/J.

Jorgen sez
> And another question, just because I'm curious. Being white, I have no
> problem with identifying myself with Donald Duck and all his everyday
> problems. Do black people (or people of any other race) indentify with
> him just as easily? I mean, I regard him as white, but being a feathered
> duck, the skin colour is sort of irrelevant.
Being yellow, i've never even think of any skin colour of Donald and crew.
It will be very irrelevant. i think some (men) are white, some are black,
some are red (indians), and etc. and etc. but donald IMHO will claim himself
being duck. No color skin whatsoever thank you. Heck, you seriously don't
think the Beagle Boys are yellow and Mickey is black;-) The characters were
made to be universally accepted and so skin color doesn't apply here. Anyway
that's just my opinion.

Best,

The characters are mimicking black people's speech and behavior -
which makes them seen as "black people" (although being rabbits etc.).
Is this in itself offending?

My point is that the context the stories now would be published in (if
they were) is much different from the original context. Is it possible
for a child who reads the stories now, to see that they once pictured
a race of "lower value"?

And in a similar way, "Hiawatha" stories (or any stories with Indians)
are banned in the US, just because Indians could be offended by seeing
comic characters mimicking Indians.

It just doesn't make sense to me. I do understand that both black
Americans and Indians have a tough history behind them, but have this
weakened them to such extent that they can't bear to see a black or an
Indian comic character? I would appreciate an answer to this.

Hi Jorgen-

I understand your perspective. Perhaps in another hundred years
the Brer Rabbit and Hiawatha stories can be told in the USA in
the original form, and be accepted in their historical context.
In the interim, while many members of a previously discriminated
against ethnic group may not be so "sensitive" about it, others
are. One on-going example is the loud objections by some native
americans to American sports teams like the Braves or the Chiefs
being named in reference to indians, even though the names are
meant to imply courageous warriors. Similarly, in the original
Uncle Remus/Brer Rabbit stories, the rabbit was a very very
clever and inventive fellow. Go figure! I guess you have to
have walked a mile in their shoes for it to make sense. I can
only say that the majority of my black friends still feel they
are discriminated against, just not as openly as in the past.

Sonia

With a bit of a delay, here's what's in Komix #141 this month:

* A Donald Duck gag cover by Walt Kelly. You can see a scan at
http://dias.cti.gr/~kyrimis/pics/komix141.jpg .
* A three-page article titled "In the Footsteps of MarcoPolo", subtitled
"He was the Man with the millions. Now, a duck is following his
footsteps..."
* Carl Barks' "Treasure of Marco Polo".
* A three-page article titled "The Story of Pinocchio", subtitled "Walt
Disney's classic masterpiece closes 60 years of life this year."
* Don Rosa's "A Matter of Some Gravity".
* Floyd Gottfredson's "Aunt Marissa".
* A one-page collage of drawings by John Lotter (sp?) and Scott Seeto (sp?)
titled "Disney's Great Ladies", Komix' contribution to Woman's Day on
March 8. You can see a scan of this page at
http://dias.cti.gr/~kyrimis/pics/komix141a.jpg .
* A four-page article titled "The Great American School", subtitled
"The journey of comics on the other side of the Atlantic. (The Article's
title is contrived, so that it is reminiscent of the Greek title of the
"Police Academy" series of films.)
* A one-page article titled "From Cathay to Unsteadystan", subtitled
"Carl Barks, uncle Scrooge, and the treasure of Marco Polo".

Kriton (e-mail: kyrimis at cti.gr)
(WWW: http://dias.cti.gr/~kyrimis
-----
"Small though it is, the human brain may be quite effective when used
properly!"
-----

Hi, Sonia,

Thanks for your answer. I guess I'm just not familiar enough with
the situation of discriminated Americans to understand. This you
tell, about Indians complaining about names referring to Indians
it... it sounds just ridiculous to me.

Now, I do understand that a lot of non-white Americans still feel
discriminated, and in most cases I would support ways of fighting
against that. But, in my view, this banning hysteria must just
make things worse.

I do have some black friends, BTW, but they're all Africans, and
they don't seem to feel like they have much in common with black
Americans.

J?rgen

Donald Duck & Co # 7 - 2000

Dutch front cover, showing Donald's nephews in a hair dresser's
chair wearing big helmets, so the the hairdresser cannot cut their...
er... down?

The first story, about Donald Duck, (D 99049, 10 pages) is written and
drawn by William van Horn.

Again Donald's nephews come home with a lot of new Woodchuck medals,
this time bacause they have survived for two days in a wild valley.
Donald is not impressed. He can do that for twice as long time - and
he's going to prove it. If he can, he'll do the dish washing for a
month, and if he can't, the nephews will do it.
Donald has some luck, and quite a lot of misfortune. A big and furious
bear makes life in the valley a bit difficult. At last, but before the
four days have passed, Donald and the bear end up on a piece of timber
floating down a river. Closer to Duckburg they bump into a dinghy with
a couple of crooks who've kidnapped the city's mayor. Donald rescues him.
Donald hasn't stayed in the valley for four days, but he did come home
with a medal, so for a month they do the dish washing together.

Not much of a story, really, but a lot of good gags. And I like
van Horn's art better and better. He doesn't make Donald look like a
surrealistic lunatic anymore.

Next is an old one-pager (KF 03-08-53).

Then the Mickey Mouse story (History Re-Petes Itself, D 99156, 12 pages)
written by David Gerstein, and drawn by Romano Scarpa.

Mickey has gotten a mysterious invitation to a birthday party. It looks
a bit scary, but Mickey's too curious not to go. Suddenly he's grabbed
and pulled through a window by Black Pete. He has stolen a ray gun which
turns people into babies (who then grows into adults again in fourteen
days). Pete plans to use it on Mickey, and raise him as a scoundrel.
Unfortunately for Pete, he's hit himself. Mickey uses his idea, and
plans to raise him as an honest person. All his friends offer to take
their part of the raising. Little Pete shows up to be a real rascal, but
he's also cute and charming.
As the days pass, Pete grows older, and he starts to scare Mickey's
friends. Although he seems to act like a normal kid, he shows some
tendencies they don't like. On Pete's birthday, he and Mickey goes for
a canoe ride. Suddenly the canoe hits a rock in the river, and Mickey's
thrown into a water fall. Fortunately his backpack gets stuck on an old
branch. Now Pete reveals that he's kept his old personality all the time,
and has just pretended that he was growing up anew. He turns his back to
Mickey, and will just wait there until his birthday wish is fullfilled -
that the branch snaps and Mickey dies.
Then suddenly, Mickey hits him in the back. He's kept the ray gun, and
with it he gave the branch back its youth, and the strength to throw him
back up. Pete and Mickey start to fight on the edge of the water fall, and
it looks bad for Mickey. Then his friends suddenly arrive, and save him.
They had decided to give Black Pete another chance, and showed up at the
right time.
After it's all over Mickey wonders about how he'd liked Pete if he had
become honest. At the same time Black Pete sits in his cell trying his
best not to like Mickey.

As you'll see, I have spent more room on this story than I use to. It
deserves it. And it really deserves a lot more space, but you'd better
read the story yourselves to see.
With a very few exceptions I've thought your stories were pretty good,
David, but this time you've made a _really_ good one. Once you told me
(jokingly) that you put the characters into the story, and then let
their personalities run the story. It does show that this is what you've
been doing here. But it's not quite that simple, of course. A lot of
thinking is needed in creating the personalities, and then "living"
them. And created them, you have - based on stories by Gottfredson and
Scarpa. And this is, in my opinion, the only way to make a good story.
The writer has to somehow "live" the stories he's telling. Anyone can
write a simple Mickey story, based on the Murry mouse, for instance;
it's just to use a predefined plan. But to write a story which makes the
reader believe that this "is", that's a lot more demanding, and it's not
everyone's gift to be able to do it. Don Rosa does it with Donald and his
relatives (and so does Andreas Pihl, provided the story D 99171 starting
in this issue is not just an accident), and you, David, obviously have
acquired (through hard work, of course) the ability to do it with Mickey
and his universe. Good work! I hope we'll see more of this.

And the art. It wouldn't make justice to Scarpa just to say a few words
about it. One really have to see it. Normally I don't like to rate artists,
but some are of course much better than others. And now Scarpa is certainly
on top of my "favourite list" of Egmont Mickey artists - with Ferioli on
a very good second. It's the same with artists as with writers, I suppose,
that they need a strong relation with the character their drawing to make
it "live". And in Scarpa's case the relation is obvious. At the same time
the artist must be confident with the written story. Personally I'm drawing
much worse than Rosa, so I haven't the slightest idea how this works.
Still, after having read most Disney stories ever published in Norway, I
think I've got the ability to see whether an artist cares about the story
he's drawing or not. In this case he does.