DCML digest, Vol 1 #238 - 13 msgs

[Don Rosa]

From: LACollectr at aol.com
>>>Does anyone know where I can find a copy of the Walt Disney Digest #21,
Feb
'70?  Or if not, can someone please describe the cover & cover artist?

Those covers were always a montage of smaller pictures or scenes depicting
the various stories reprinted in the issue. That particular cover has the
left third showing an upright bear with two cubs with the title "True Life
Adventure on Bear Island", the right two-thirds show a scene from Barks'
"Ice Taxi to Beaver Island" by Strobl, and there are a few other heads in
with the other titles showing in the strip across the bottom part of the
cover. Any original art that was used on these covers would be on separate
bits of paper.

From: "F. A. Elliott"
>>>>For that matter, awhile back there was some misunder-
standing over (I think) an opinion Don Rosa has about
Scrooge dying in 1967. Well, I'm pretty sure he's
means metaphorically because that's the year Carl
Barks retired from writing and drawing comics.

That drawing has been misunderstood to a certain degree due, as are most
all my problems, to this "Disney system". It was done for a fanzine 10
years ago when the editors asked a number of artists for an illustration
for the line "Hey, Daisy, whatever happened to Scrooge?". The other artists
came up with some rather bizarre gags, but I, naturally, could only take it
in a very serious manner and used it to illustrate what I do see as the
future in my version of this Duck Universe. The problem ensued that, since
this was a drawing of Di$ney Ducks, Disney publishers all over the world
started reprinting it without seeking my permission (which they are
theoretically not allowed to do since no one ever paid me for the drawing,
but Disney makes their own laws), and whenever it was reprinted hither and
yon the explanation of WHY the drawing was done was never given... the gag
framework was never explained... it was always shown "out of context". So a
great many readers naturally wondered why *I* would impose this image on
the world at large, not being told that it was the various Disney
publishers who were improperly imposing the unexplained scene on their
readership without anyone's permission. In such a system, it's always hard
to deal with or protect myself against the situation that my drawings and
texts, wherever they appear, are regarded by such publishers as their
personal property and, since they have Di$ney to stand behind as
protection, there's nothing I can do but wince. And after 13 years my
wincer is getting mighty sore.

>>>Is there a story to be told (imaginary or as you truly
see it) where we see the final days of Scrooge McDuck?
If yes, then how do you see it panning out?

I have this story in my head. I mentally add bits and pieces and ideas to
it as time goes by. I know how it ends. I'll decide to tell it (or decide
not to) someday when I retire or whatever. As to who will publish it.....
I'm sure Egmont won't, but somebody will be willing to. And there's always
the Internet... or whatever will replace it in 20 years. Sign up now and
I'll use my 2023 model Microsoft veeblefetzer to beam it directly into your
brains.