Keskustelujen arkisto

I like that Don Rosa did this. That's the spirit.

Quote from user: Roger NorthThat is weird. I never heard of Matilda De Spell. Maybe you mean Minima De Spell. I saw her in the Duck Tales comic titled Dime After Dime which I have in Disney Adventures #6 and The Disney Cartoon Tales Duck Tales volume with the same name as the aforementioned story.
You're right. I got mixed up. Minima is the niece from DuckTales comic and the one in the painting. Matilda is an another Magica's niece created in Italy. ;)

Quote from user: CoolwaterI never found something particular funny or marvelous about the whole idea of costuming Goofy of all people as a superhero who has mighty strength and flies around in the air after eating peanuts that grow in the garden behind his house. "Super Goof" then still belongs to the Mouse world, and one may take pleasure in a Super Goof story's trash value.
I couldn't disagree more. Super Goof is, to me at least, an inherently funny concept: "What if Superman's civilian identity wasn't Clark Kent... but Goofy". When written well (in my opinion), Super Goof stories should be Goofy with superpowers in Mort Weisinger-style adventures. Random example: http://coa.inducks.org/story.php?c=W+SG+++22-01 . More than 30 years after I read that story, I still remember it fondly.

And I don't understand your use of the phrase "of all people". If the superpowers had gone to the know-it-all detective Mickey of the 1960s or the Don Rosa Scrooge McDuck or someone else who could be taken seriously as a hero, then I could understand your dislike. I really don't want competent, intelligent and mature superheroes in my Egmont weekly. But giving superpowers to a good, but eccentric guy like Goofy is genius. The potential for him fouling up is enormous! Would you have preferred the infallible 1960s Mickey Mouse?

Quote from user: CoolwaterThe existence of characters like Scamp or Little Hiawatha in Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse magazines, however, I always used to regard as hardly more than paper waste.
Ouch! Well, I disagree (and not because I've written a handful of Scamp stories myself). Yes, there are lots of not-that-interesting Scamp stories, but there are many more good ones. Just look at Al Hubbard's stuff. When I was asked to write Scamp stories, I admit I was a little nervous at first... but Scamp has an incredibly rich universe (some of which you can see at http://coa.inducks.org/universe.php?c=Scamp ). There's tons of potential for enjoyable Scamp adventures, trust me.

Little Hiawatha has a great setting, some good characters and has also provided some enjoyable stories. Just look at the 1960s Dutch material.

Quote from user: Lars JensenNot if you look at http://coa.inducks.org/story.php?c=W+US+++12-01 . Here, Barks had Scrooge celebrate his 75th birthday.
Okay, I think I can accept that, although in Rosa's universe, which takes place in the 1950s, he would be in his eighties (since Rosa has him born in 1867). Of course, no reason to accept Rosa as canon.

Quote from user: Lars JensenQuote from user: Baar Baar JinxAnd Brigitta seems to be much younger, maybe in her thirties or forties.
I'd say she's in her 60s or early 70s.
What is that based on? Was her age ever explicitly stated by Scarpa (who I suppose is the only writer whose work can be considered "canon" with respect to Brigitta since he created her)? She always seemed to be portrayed as younger to me. But then, I guess the Ducks don't look their age. Even Barks wrote a story where all Scrooge had to do was shave off his whiskers and take off his glasses, and he was a dead ringer for Donald, supposedly half a century younger than him (or maybe swimming in money has anti-oxidant properties we never knew about!).

Quote from user: Lars JensenNo, Brigitta actually likes Scrooge. She's one of a very few people who know that Scrooge underneath his tough-as-nails exterior is a good person. And she knows this not because she has heard it from Scrooge himself... but because that's what her heart tells her. (Yes, very romantic, isn't it?)

I implied this in a story I wrote a few years ago, but perhaps I should make it more explicit in a future story...
Scrooge may be a good person, but he is clearly not interested in Brigitta romantically, at least as their relationship has been portrayed in the admittedly few (all Scarpa) stories I have read. Nevertheless, she keeps throwing herself at him, and he treats her poorly in return, setting up the "humor" in these stories. That's where the somewhat misogynistic aspect of this situation that I alluded to earlier comes into play, I think, and makes Brigitta look like a very weak, pitiful character. You may be right, it may not really have much to do with Scrooge being rich; Scarpa could easily have created a similar character in love with, say, Gladstone (it's hard to see Donald being such a jerk consistently, although he certainly has portrayed such tendencies on occasion). Scrooge being wealthy and so much older (at least as I have been interpreting it) just adds a level of "creepiness" to it.

Quote from user: Lars JensenQuote from user: Baar Baar JinxI really don't think giving Scrooge an outrageously obsessed unrequited love adds to the overall universe positively; the fact that Scarpa has Donald and the boys scheme with her makes it all the more grating.
When they scheme with Brigitta it's because they believe she would be good for Scrooge. And they're right. Scrooge just can't/won't realize this.
I would argue that's a matter of opinion. Yes, we're talking about cartoon ducks here, but if you were Brigitta's friend in real life, would you encourage her to continue to pursue Scrooge despite how he keeps treating her because "he's a nice person deep inside"?

Quote from user: Lars Jensen[quote=Baar Baar Jinx]with Brigitta it's just a disturbing one-sided yearning
Who says it's one-sided? There have been several examples of Scrooge doing things that he would never have done if he didn't have some kind of warm feelings for her. Just look at http://coa.inducks.org/story.php?c=D+2006-273 (written by me) where Scrooge breaks up her relationship with Flintheart Glomgold.

Not that Scrooge would ever admit to liking Brigitta, of course...
Brigitta makes no bones about her desire for Scrooge. She declares it to the world in hyperbolic, exaggerated ways, making a spectacle of herself. Regardless of whatever "warm" feelings Scrooge may have deep inside, he outwardly abuses her, treats her like dirt and humiliates her. This does not seem to be a healthy match to me.

It looks like you have a fondness for this character, as exemplified by the fact that you have written stories that attempt to flesh her out, which I do respect. I would definitely read your stories if they are ever published in the US. But it doesn't change the fact that IMHO, she is fundamentally an ill-conceived, poorly written, one-joke character.

Quote from user: Gerd SyllwasschyQuote from user: Baar Baar JinxShe always seemed to be portrayed as younger to me.
I never had a problem with Brigitta's age. Just look at her old-fashioned hairdo and the spinster-style necklace she's wearing. She is definitely a generation older than, say, Daisy.
Yeah, maybe it's the coloring, but I always imagined Brigitta as being about 45-50. Definately older than Donald, Fethry, Gladstone, or Gyro, but not as ancient as Scrooge, Ludwig, or Grandma. Without the Barks example given above, you could say Scrooge is in his 60s. That's still pretty far apart, but it's how I imagined it.

First of all: I agree with what Ramapith wrote.

Quote from user: Baar Baar JinxQuote from user: Lars JensenNot if you look at http://coa.inducks.org/story.php?c=W+US+++12-01 . Here, Barks had Scrooge celebrate his 75th birthday.
Okay, I think I can accept that, although in Rosa's universe, which takes place in the 1950s, he would be in his eighties (since Rosa has him born in 1867). Of course, no reason to accept Rosa as canon.
OK, I think I've figured out the problem. If you believe there is a canon in Duck comics -- one or more creators whose stories are True -- then you will quickly come across stories that simply cannot be canon. In this case, if you believe that Don Rosa is canon, then Romano Scarpa isn't (at least not as far as Brigitta MacBridge is concerned) since Rosa has clearly stated that Brigitta doesn't exist in his stories. On the other hand, if you believe Carl Barks is canon, then Rosa isn't canon (at least in the case of Scrooge's age), since Rosa doesn't believe Scrooge is only 75.

This doesn't mean Don is wrong, of course -- there's nothing wrong with believing that Scrooge is in his 80s and that Brigitta doesn't exist. It doesn't mean Scarpa is wrong either -- it's perfectly OK to believe in Brigitta MacBridge. And Barks isn't necessarily wrong about Scrooge being 75. But if you believe Rosa is canon, then you never again need to concern yourself with Brigitta MacBridge. And if you believe Barks is canon, then you never again need to concern yourself with Scrooge being in his 80s.

Personally, I believe all Disney comics and facts are canon. Well... the parts I like, anyway. The rest I merely accept as being other creators' beliefs.

Quote from user: Baar Baar JinxQuote from user: Lars JensenQuote from user: Baar Baar JinxAnd Brigitta seems to be much younger, maybe in her thirties or forties.
I'd say she's in her 60s or early 70s.
What is that based on? Was her age ever explicitly stated by Scarpa (who I suppose is the only writer whose work can be considered "canon" with respect to Brigitta since he created her)?
The first Brigitta MacBridge story ("Zio Paperone e l'ultimo balabù") was published in 1960. In this story, it is stated that Scrooge and Brigitta knew each other in 1898 -- that is, 62 years earlier. Depending on how young Brigitta was in 1898, she is at least 62 years old. Probably older.

Quote from user: Baar Baar JinxScrooge [...] is clearly not interested in Brigitta romantically, at least as their relationship has been portrayed in the admittedly few (all Scarpa) stories I have read.
Well, as I wrote in a previous post: if Scrooge was totally determined to get rid of her, he probably could have done so by now.

Quote from user: Baar Baar JinxNevertheless, she keeps throwing herself at him, and he treats her poorly in return, setting up the "humor" in these stories. That's where the somewhat misogynistic aspect of this situation that I alluded to earlier comes into play, I think, and makes Brigitta look like a very weak, pitiful character.)
Well, yeah, I agree with this one (to a degree). To me, at least, Brigitta pursuing Scrooge can be funny if seen occasionally... but if all we see of Brigitta's interactions with Scrooge is her acting like a lovesick puppy, dedicating her life to becoming Scrooge's wife... then she quickly comes across to the reader as being pathetic. The solution is to give her other interests as well and to dampen her love for Scrooge a bit. She should be able to talk to Scrooge as an equal, as a mature and intelligent woman... not as a lovesmitten one-dimensional character.

Quote from user: Baar Baar JinxQuote from user: Lars JensenQuote from user: Baar Baar JinxI really don't think giving Scrooge an outrageously obsessed unrequited love adds to the overall universe positively; the fact that Scarpa has Donald and the boys scheme with her makes it all the more grating.
When they scheme with Brigitta it's because they believe she would be good for Scrooge. And they're right. Scrooge just can't/won't realize this.
I would argue that's a matter of opinion. Yes, we're talking about cartoon ducks here, but if you were Brigitta's friend in real life, would you encourage her to continue to pursue Scrooge despite how he keeps treating her because "he's a nice person deep inside"?
No, I wouldn't. In real life, if Scrooge treated her like dirt, I would advice Brigitta to stay away from him, and I would scold Scrooge for being a jerk. Which the boys have done more than once. But in Disney comics Scrooge isn't always a jerk and time is constantly wound back (or so it seems -- just look at how many Christmas parties the boys have been at), so it's understandable that Donald and the boys only remember Scrooge having been a jerk towards Brigitta a couple of times at most.

That said, Scrooge being abusive for no reason other than Brigitta saying she loves him isn't very sympathetic, no. Perhaps there is a way to fix that, though...

Hello everybody,
Since many of you wrote me asking infos about the book created by Papersera for Don, I think this could be the right place to notify you all that (after some troubles with the printing company...) the book is now ready and available to all of you.
For the first time the Papersra's book is both in Italian and English, and features articles and drawings from Don Rosa's fans.. but you can readthe book's content by yourself at this address:
http://www.papersera.net/papersera/DonRosa.php
Enjoy and -please- let me know what you think about it!
Ciao,
- Paolo