Keskustelujen arkisto

I thought the DUCKTALES episode "All Ducks on Deck" portrayed Donald in a
very Barksian way--Don desperately wanting to impress the nephews with
his stories of Navy heroism, and the nephews then finding out his true
position in the Navy and trying to help him become a hero. That episode
was also unusual in that it utilized a Gottfredson villain--the Phantom
Blot himself. He was more of a cackling "mad scientist" type in the
episode, and the characterization was in keeping with the comics Blot,
but it was interesting to see him appear.

Mentioning the Blot brings up the Mickey villains again. Jonathan asks if
Ecks, Doublecks, and Triplex have been used in any other stories--as far
as I know, David Gerstein has used them twice, in BATS IN THE BELFRY and
the Mickey birthday story THE PAST IMPERFECT. A question--are these three
scientists the only Disney villains with world conquest in mind? That
would make them probably the most grandiose villains Mickey or the Ducks
ever faced. Of course, Pete wanted to take over the world in WORLD OF
TOMORROW, and--oh yes, I'm forgetting Dr. Vultur. I've always been
fascinated by THE PIRATE SUBMARINE--maybe because it was one of Mickey's
"biggest" cases, with the stakes being the entire world. I was glad to
see Gerstein use Dr. Vultur in PAST IMPERFECT, and it would be
interesting to see him in another story, with a new plan for world
conquest. His character, a combination scientist/military despot, had
some real possibilities.

I like both Shyster and Squinch, but I haven't had many chances to see
Shyster--I only know him from the Abbeville translations of DEATH VALLEY
and THE SACRED JEWEL. I understand Gottfredson brought him back for
MYSTERY AT HIDDEN RIVER in the 1940's--is that another of the
"disallowed" Mickey stories? I believe there's at least one Pete and
Squinch story (JUNGLE TREASURE?) that is also "disallowed."

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> From: "KUR" <ggk at wp.pl>
> Subject: Flintheart Glomgold meet's J.Rockerduck
> Did sombody remember a story in with actualy Glomgold meet face to face
> Jhon. Rockerduck?

I am not familiar with the bajillions of European Duck stories that have
been produced, but this wouldn't be very likely, eh? I do know that Glomgold
is a character in the American/N.European comic book Duck Universe, while
Rockerduck is a character in the Italian comic pocketbook/digest Duck
Universe. When it became necessary to start creating new Duck stories when
Western's production dropped off, the Italians picked Rockerduck while the
Scandinavians picked Glomgold to develop into a main character as $crooge's
#1 rival. There's no reason to have them both, is there? I've always thought
it might not have even been a good idea to use Rockerduck in chapter 3 of my
"Lo$" as I'm working within the comic book Universe, but I knew I'd never
use him again, and I still wanted to pay homage to a famous character
developed by my countrymen.

> From: Olaf Solstrand <olaf at andebyonline.com>
> Subject: Re: Arpine Lus?ne.
> Actually, I once included him in a script - but Byron Erickson
> had me remove me
> again. And he was right as always. I used Lusene in a way that
> didn't give the
> character the value he deserved - a short pop-in role, where he
> was used for a
> short plot in a single page and arrested in the end of that same
> page. Lusene's
> not made for such small roles - he should be a major villain.

That might be so if Byron says so, but I think your main "mistake" was to
have Lusene being *arrested*. Arpin Lusene has never been arrested and never
will. He is not even proven to be the Black Knight since the BK has never
been caught.

> From: kimba1962 at comcast.net
> Subject: DuckTales
> Don Rosa's comments...I don't happen to agree with his
> specific interpretation of "DT" as an "unauthorized and fanciful"
> take on the Barks world,

Go back and reread -- that's not what I wrote. I said that I considered
doing a comic book story where "DuckTales" existed in the comics as an
"unauthorized and fanciful version of $crooge McDuck's life" which he
objected to... I did not write that it was an "unauthorized take on the
Barks world" by Disney. How could they do an unauthorized version of
something they completely own?

> From: "Jonathan H. Gray" <jongraywb at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: DuckTales
> re: Launchpad McQuack: Maybe if
> Mr. Rosa does do his DT story he could introduce him that way: As a
> certified pilot playing an actors role for extra money and...

I must not be typing firmly enough. I never said I would do a "DuckTales"
story, and I never will. I said I'd considered doing a story where
"DuckTales" was a fictitious TV series in Duckburg... had I done so, this
Launchpad would have been a TV character played by Dash Riprock or somebody
in heavy face and body makeup.
But like I said, the only time to do that story was about 1989. Too late
now.

Did this Holloween issue (the very first issue) actually ship? My shop
only got the first Mickey Mouse & Friends but no DD&F. I checked a
couple other shops in my area and the book didn't arrive there either.

Is it just late off the presses (I hope) or did I actually miss it?

Thanks,

Rich Bellacera

Daniel,

> are [Ecks, Doublex, and Triplex] the only Disney villains with world conquest
> in mind? That would make them probably the most grandiose villains Mickey or
> the Ducks ever faced.

In Egmont stories, the Phantom Blot makes attempts at world conquest
too. And you yourself already thought of Dr. Vulter, whom the Italians have
brought back several times...
Rumor has it that Kat Nipp, between rounds of tying guys' tails in
knots, dreams of world conquest too. But I suspect it's just a rumor. (-;

> I understand Gottfredson brought him back for MYSTERY AT HIDDEN RIVER in the
> 1940's--is that another of the "disallowed" Mickey stories?

The question of which stories are "disallowed", and which are not,
changes depending what country you're in; what manager at Walt Disney
Consumer Products is in charge of censorship at the time; and whether you
(as the editor of a Disney reprint book) are willing to censor the story to
make the reprint allowable? or not.
Some censors in the past may have objected to "Hidden River" in some
way, but there's no telling whether today's censors will object now.
The British DISNEY MIRROR reprinted "Hidden River" in the early 1990s,
in the original English, with one or two strips cut out. As an Egmont
editor, I reprinted "Hidden River" in a 1998 European Mickey anniversary
book, though I was asked to censor one strip.

But I'd rather not go into more detail here. Do remember my earlier
posting
http://stp.ling.uu.se/pipermail/dcml/2003-September/024866.html
in which I outline why I think it's too risky to discuss, on a publicly
archived forum like this one, the matter of which stories might be banned,
and why.

> I believe there's at least one Pete and Squinch story (JUNGLE TREASURE?) that
> is also "disallowed."

I can say that it was disallowed at some points in the past, but I don't
want to speculate about the situation as it stands now; not when I might
create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
E-mail me in private, Daniel, about "Jungle Treasure" and other stuff!
I've got another letter of yours to deal with, too.

Best, David

Hey Don,

> When it became necessary to start creating new Duck stories when
> Western's production dropped off, the Italians picked Rockerduck while the
> Scandinavians picked Glomgold to develop into a main character as $crooge's
> #1 rival. There's no reason to have them both, is there?

Gawrsh! For me there's a reason.

Flintheart Glomgold, from my point of view (of course, yours may
differ!) is dangerous to Scrooge by virtue of being Scrooge's mirror image,
at least up to a point. Flinty is out to take Scrooge's place as the world's
richest duck, and while Flinty may be a scoundrel, he does act toward his
goal in part by mirroring Scrooge's own thrift and other miserly habits (c.
f.: string-saving). When Scrooge brags about how much money he saved last
Monday, I imagine Glomgold would like to say he'd saved more? and if he has,
he's then successfully threatened Scrooge.
John D Rockerduck, from my point of view, is dangerous to Scrooge by
virtue of being Scrooge's opposite. Rockerduck cares nothing about being the
world's richest duck; instead, he wants to beat Scrooge at business, and he
aims to do it by spending and splurging where Scrooge will not.
While reclusive Scrooge (and for that matter, Glomgold) care little
about public image, I see born-rich Rockerduck traveling the city in a limo
like a playboy, showering gifts on influential people, buying his way to a
cachet of high-class celebrity in exchange for the cushy business deals it
will win him in return.
When Scrooge tells Rockerduck how much money he saved last Monday, I
imagine John D replying that he SPENT the same amount... and in doing so,
gained such-and-such edge over some McDuck corporation. If he has, he's then
successfully threatened Scrooge.

The above description is an effort to establish how I see Flinty and
John D differing when they're realized correctly. There are a lot of duck
stories out there, though, that confuse the two, with creators showing
Rockerduck as a tightwad or Glomgold as a spendthrift when the plot requires
same. For many, the theory that Scrooge only needs one rival seems to be
followed by a corrolary: "...and that rival is whatever we say he is at any
given time". That doesn't work for me...
Now, you did suggest in your last letter, Don, that Scrooge only needs
one rival, but I also know you respect character consistency and integrity
110%. So perhaps now you understand why some of us like the idea of Scrooge
having two very different enemy tycoons, at least when characterized
properly.

Note, BTW, that I speak only for myself here. Official Egmont policy is
that with only a rare exception, Glomgold appears in weekly-format stories,
Rockerduck in pocket stories. The rule is itself a symptom of creators
blurring the two characters together over the years (and no, rules such as
this aren't easy to change).

David

Jonathan, Daniel, and others,

> [Launchpad] has so much potential and its a shame to see a character such as
> his wasted
[snip]
> I'd be THRILLED BEYOND BELIEF if just one of the modern day Duck
> artists/writers took it upon themselves to remedy that situation and
> "officially" introduce him.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), it's not always a matter of artists and
writers taking it on themselves to remedy a given situation. Publishing
houses are involved in the comic production process, too. And they make
decisions that story creators and editors have to obey.

In the case of Launchpad McQuack, Egmont's affiliate publishers surveyed
reader reaction around 1997 and came to the decision that Launchpad was
unpopular. The publishers asked Egmont Creative A/S to stop using Launchpad
in new duck stories, and so we duly had to ask our writers and artists to
stop using him.
Whether you like this decision, of course, hangs on what you think of
Launchpad. Some writers/artists/editors/readers (myself included) were fond
of him, while others were glad to see him go.

Egmont (and for that matter, the F- and S-coded creators) did produce a
*lot* of Launchpad stories, though? enough that if, say, American readers
wanted to see some, there's quite a large supply out there.

David

In a message dated 9/28/2003 6:01:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
dcml-request at stp.ling.uu.se writes:
Gemstone's publishing a "new in America" Launchpad story in, I think,
Donald Duck and Friends #309. (The uncertainty is that I'm writing this
at home, where absolutely no Gemstone production materials exist, and
it's the weekend, during which the memory of what goes on at the office
is largely purged until Monday.) It's only a backup, and hardly likely
to revive Launchpad's comic book fortunes by itself, but we like the
character, and think he deserves a shot.
Huh. I'm kinda surprised he's covered by your liscense. Didn't I read
somewhere that it doesn't cover the more modern characters?

A few days ago the segment of the DuckTales movie was discussed
where the genie makes Scrooge think whether his money or his life
itself is more important. I had thought that the writers must have been
inspired by Jack Benny's old version of this dilemna. Jack Benny was
a very popular commedian on radio in the 1940s and early television in
the 1950s. He had developed a persona as being very frugal and tight
with his money. In one episode, a robber confronts him with a pistol, and
demands "Your money or your life". The robber, of course, is not
referring to his total wealth, but just the money in his wallet, and perhaps
his wristwatch, etc. Jack Benny does not respond to this demand.
The robber prods him to hurry (and had over his wallet). But Benny
responds "I'm thinking it over!" He hadn't decided the choice posed by
the robber's demand.
I just got Gemstone's US322, and came across this quote in
"Dime and Dime Again" part 2. "Root-te-toot! Root-te-toot! I'm a girl from
the institute!" This seemed very familiar, and sure enough, this
line is recycled from a Barks story---who knows which one?