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Topic: Rosa's retirement

(13 messages)
Baar Baar Jinx
I apologize if this has been discussed elsewhere, but I'm wondering ...
My understanding is that Don Rosa has retired because of his failing eyesight, which makes it hard for him to draw. However, what truly sets him apart and really makes him shine as a successor to Barks are his stories, as he himself admits to readily. He has often stated that he dislikes drawing, but when his eyesight was good, he still didn't want anyone else to draw his stories.
Now that his eyesight is the limiting factor in his ability to tell more Duck stories, has he ever reconsidered this? Has anyone ever brought up his possibly writing stories that other artists could draw (like Barks did towards the end of his comic career)? It really is a shame that we will never read another Rosa story. Or are there factors other than just his eyesight that led to his retirement?
Lars Jensen
Back in the day Don made his opinion very clear: he believes stories written and drawn by the same person have a certain something that stories written by one person and drawn by another do not. That's why he always insisted on drawing his own stories -- even though, as you wrote, he disliked drawing.
I can't speak for Don Rosa, of course, but I really doubt he's going to change his mind.
GeoX
I don't know--I think this too easily dismisses the importance of his extremely distinctive art. I'm trying to imagine some of his material as drawn in a more conventional style, and it's just not working for me.
Charlie Brown
Quote from user: GeoXI don't know--I think this too easily dismisses the importance of his extremely distinctive art. I'm trying to imagine some of his material as drawn in a more conventional style, and it's just not working for me.
I think the same. This stories come to life due to his storyline and art. Most gags only work because of the matching art. I don't think another author could do the same with a storyline written by Don Rosa.
Quackberg
I also belive he had said that he had a depression of some kind and couldn't think of funny stories anymore, so I don't think we'll see new comics by Don Rosa by that account and that of his failing eyesight.
Edit: Here is a link to the trailer where he talks about his depression: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2eVVAfXIxo
Baar Baar Jinx
Quote from user: Charlie BrownI think the same. This stories come to life due to his storyline and art. Most gags only work because of the matching art. I don't think another author could do the same with a storyline written by Don Rosa.
Under optimal conditions, I agree, of course. But if the choice is between no Rosa stories versus Rosa stories drawn by, say, Jippes or Gattino, I would selfishly plump for the latter. Barks' script-only later stories suffered from uninspired artists, but the redrawn Jippes versions are enjoyable, and I would be willing to give other artists a chance at Rosa scripts, given the circumstances, as long as Rosa was closely involved with the process. One can't ask an artist to compromise on his principles, however, so if Rosa still feels that way, that's that. I was just curious as to whether he had ever reconsidered.

Quote from user: QuackbergI also belive he had said that he had a depression of some kind and couldn't think of funny stories anymore, so I don't think we'll see new comics by Don Rosa by that account and that of his failing eyesight.

Edit: Here is a link to the trailer where he talks about his depression: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2eVVAfXIxo

I can't view that video, but your post serves to confirm for me that there is more than just his eyesight involved, which is what I suspected. I also seem to recall having read that there were issues relating to dealing with various licensees and Disney that made him feel it wasn't worth it overall anymore, but I don't remember the source. Does anyone have a link to an interview where he talks directly about his retirement?
Jano
Don has previously said he will *not* contribute any stories in any form to the Disney system anymore unless it changes (which it most likely won't, obviously). And the only artist he'd want to draw his stories (if the system actually ever *did* change) would be Marco Rota.
Mr. M
Some fans I know complain how Rosa last story wasn't as good as his usual stuff. I found it to be a pretty good "finally" for his series.... well, tht and "Old castle othe secret" any way.
One Rosa story I wanted to see was one more L&T B chapter to which Scrooge refrence in "A Little Something special" making a refrence to a event when he face the Beagle Boys in 1908... Rosa mentioned it was a story which he will tale one day but sadly he didn't.
I wish some new artists would start using some of Rosa creations like Matilda McDuck or Arpin Lusene...
Lars Jensen
Quote from user: Mr. MI wish some new artists would start using some of Rosa creations like Matilda McDuck or Arpin Lusene...
Matilda is Scrooge's sister who tends to McDuck Castle, right? If I wrote a story where, say, Scrooge visited the castle, I suppose I could use her... but what would she be able to contribute to the story that Scrooge couldn't?! I wouldn't want to have her stand around and do nothing.

As for Arpin Lusene, I actually have a story idea. I don't know whether I'll ever get around to writing it, though.
Mr. M
Actually after Dueys line in "A letter from home" - "Hey, mayby aunt Matilda will visit us in Duckburg one day" I went "Yhe! That would be some interesting stuff to see" but then agian a writer would have to have a very strong idea to brig her up agian. Still I woudn't mind if she become a recruting character in the duck uniers, even if it's not the same without Hortense who was much more fun characte...
As for the Arpin stuff - you have my blessing ;) I would love to see this character return more now and then
Matilda
Lars, here's a bit more from my earlier post, on female characters worth developing: Matilda McDuck: we know she's been in touch with Donald and the boys, and there could certainly be stories including her set before or after "The Old Castle's Other Secret/ A Letter from Home" (even if they couldn't, alas, depict her as married to Ludwig von Drake, which she is in my mind as well as in Don Rosa's). In the years between "The Empire-Builder from Calisota" and "The Old Castle's Other Secret," she could have had an interesting career involving travel and adventure (which would help explain why she hasn't been seen in Duckburg).
She is caring for the castle at the time of "The Old Castle's Other Secret," but she certainly could have done other stuff for years.
Lars Jensen
Quote from user: MatildaLars, here's a bit more from my earlier post, on female characters worth developing: Matilda McDuck: we know she's been in touch with Donald and the boys, and there could certainly be stories including her set before or after "The Old Castle's Other Secret/ A Letter from Home" (even if they couldn't, alas, depict her as married to Ludwig von Drake, which she is in my mind as well as in Don Rosa's). In the years between "The Empire-Builder from Calisota" and "The Old Castle's Other Secret," she could have had an interesting career involving travel and adventure (which would help explain why she hasn't been seen in Duckburg).

She is caring for the castle at the time of "The Old Castle's Other Secret," but she certainly could have done other stuff for years.

No publisher would let me write a story starring Matilda, though. Very understandably, too; some readers may like the character, but not nearly as much as the larger readership likes Scrooge, Donald, HDL, Gyro etc. Which leads to the question: why spend money on a Matilda story when they for the same money can get a much more popular Donald story?

Thus, Matilda would have to appear as a secondary character in someone else's story. Which means your suggested travel/adventure stories would be a no-go unless she traveled with, say, Donald Duck. And if I suggested that, I would probably be asked why Donald couldn't instead travel with a much better-known character: Grandma Duck.

Another problem is that no one (including me) wants to see LoS chapters done by anyone but Don Rosa, and if I wrote Matilda stories set somewhere in the Rosa chronology, that's effectively what I would be doing. Any story I would write with Matilda would have to be set in the present, not in the past, and have her be a secondary character to Scrooge/Donald/HDL etc. Which severely limits the number of worthwhile stories that could be told with her. Yes, I could do a story where Matilda arrives in Duckburg, looks up Scrooge and Donald and says: "Hi!" ...and then what? How does that set up an interesting story? To me, she just doesn't come off as a character that can generate a lot of stories. (Unlike Belle Duck, Magica etc. etc.)

Also: Ludwig has been established as being single in a number of sources, so even if I were allowed to use him, I wouldn't feel comfortable marrying him off to Matilda.
Matilda
Thanks for a very interesting response, Lars, which brings up lots of issues, several of which are new to me. Certainly, the tendency of publishers to stick with the known characters as leads reduces the possibilities for stories with strong female leads!
Last week I would have said, Donald wouldn't travel with Grandma Duck because she doesn't travel, she has to take care of the livestock on her farm. But then I read "Bananas," which I loved, so I have to admit that Grandma *could* travel and lead an adventure. Still don't think she would do it that often, though, and I can imagine Matilda having a job that would be much more conducive to interesting travel.
Personally, I have no problem with someone other than Rosa writing stories that fit into his timeline and use characters he has developed. (That's obvious, since I already suggested it.) I wouldn't think of it as a "LoS" chapter, especially if it didn't include Scrooge as a character. But I can certainly understand other writers not wishing to stick to his timeline and set stories in the 1950's.
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