R: Pete

Luca Boschi cnotw at zen.it
Tue Jan 16 14:35:29 CET 2001


Hi, Marco!

> May I summarize in the following way the results about Pete the villain?
>
> Pete with a visible wooden leg = Peg-leg Pete (mostly in daily strips)
> Pete with no visible wooden leg = Black Pete (mostly in comic books)

Right.
>
> I understand that anyway Gottfredson still called him "Peg-leg Pete" even
> after he hid the wooden leg.

Yes, because, later, the wooden peg-leg was drawn by him again! So, the
changement lives only for some years. In the Eega- Pflip's Strange Power
story Pete has the peg-leg again. The story was suggested by Gentilini to
the italian artists as a model for the character. so, in the Italian
stories, the peg-leg survives for many years on. In the early 60s everyone
still uses it. See, TOPOLINO E LA DROGA DIABOLICA (if I welle remember),
where Mickey discovers thar Pete is... himself, even if disguised, from the
wooden leg.
>
> By the way, in Italy the name always stayed "Pietro Gambadilegno", which
> means "Peter with a wooden leg". But I remember at least one instance of an
> Italian translation (in the late '60s, at the time of the lazy, lazy, lazy
> translator who murdered Barks' "not-so-ancient mariner) where Pete is
> called "Pietro il Nero" (i. e. "Black Pete")... No reference, sorry, it's
> just in my mind...

Actually, I  was surprised by that "strange" translation, too. It was a
Fallberg - Paul Murry story, around 1963 - 64, maybe with Mounties, maybe
mooses or sort of. It shouldn't be difficult to identify it.

Luca



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