Don Rosa on the Disneyana Convention

[David A Gerstein]

	Dear Don (and everyone),

	Re:  Disneyana Convention -- I AGREE!!!  Chip 'n' Dale fandom
eludes me, but more generally, I really am sick of people who don't
really understand the sophistication of the characters, but run up the
price by buying things they consider "cute".... for massive prices,
partly because that makes "status" nowadays.  I became interested in
the 1930s Mickey Mouse through a mixture of cartoons and Gottfredson
strips, identified with him immediately and *kept* reading the comics,
so that's why *I'm* a collector.  It's not just that he's an
attractive-looking cartoon character (although I think he *is* a
good-looking character when he's well-drawn!).

	But due to that kind of "junkie" collecting, *I* can't afford
the things I'd *like* to get!  (Like a copy of 1930's MICKEY MOUSE
BOOK, which has exploded in price since its affordability in
reading-copy form ten years ago!  Or early WDC&S issues... I can
certainly *find* them, but it's a struggle to find them in such poor
condition that I can afford them -- that is, $25 and under, in most
cases.)

	As for Donald, the concept of him "throwing walnuts at Chip
'n' Dale" raises something that I would like to hear folks out about:
After Barks left the Disney story department, Donald was absolutely
never the same!  He lost his pretentions to grandeur (most evident in
"Fire Chief," my favorite Duck cartoon) and became a very formulaic,
bullying character.
	In fact, when Jack Hannah began directing, he began to play up
the formerly-obnoxious critters who Donald dealt with as heroes and
sympathetic characters.  By the end of the series, Donald had become
the *villain* of his own cartoons.
	Chip 'n' Dale entries in the series are the best example of
this, although the chipmunks themselves do even the score a bit by
being not wholly lovable.
	I actually think Jack Hannah didn't have a very broad
conception of Donald Duck.

	What do you folks think?

	Say, Don, do you have issue numbers for the coming Olympic
story or the Life of Scrooge as they'll be printed by Gladstone?
Might you be able to divulge them?

	Sincerely,


	David Gerstein