Credits

[Daniel van Eijmeren]

DON ROSA, 13-06-2004:

> I'm a bit perplexed by this idea that credits are not given in Disney 
> comics because the editors want to help the kiddies maintain the 
> charming idea that Donald Duck is a living being. Let's ignore the fact 
> that, even if Donald *was* a living & breathing creature, the child can 
> still plainly see that these are *drawings* of Donald Duck, not films 
> or photographs. But let's ignore that...

Indeed. All that's really important is that the comics are made by Disney, 
just like Windows is created by Microsoft, and E.T. by Steven Spielberg, 
etc.

Only few people care for credits when consuming products of big companies. 
Have many people do carefully read the credits after a movie is over? How 
many people do carefully read the detailed credits of a software programme?
Only freaks do.

Donald Duck is a DISNEY product, owned by DISNEY. People can plainly see 
that his adventures are in fact creations by different employees. But why 
would they care? Most people tend to yawn when they read such credits.

That's the risk of working and creating under an existant company, using 
its product lines and marketing strategies. Barks is credited for creating 
Scrooge, but he NEVER had to PROMOTE Scrooge. That's what Disney did. Barks 
created Scrooge, but DISNEY made Scrooge popular.

Of course, Scrooge also became populair because of being a great creation. 
But there are many, MANY other great - or even better - creations on this 
planet, unseen and forgotten, simply because no one knew how to SELL them.

And whenever Barks stepped out of the Disney path, his output became less 
popular. So, apparently, even the biggest freaks limit themselves to care 
only for Disney. How many people have read Barks's non-Disney stories? 
Have many people have really cared to even look for them?

> What child of even the earliest reading age (7? 8?) thinks Donald Duck 
> and Mickey Mouse are actual living creatures?

There are even ADULTS who tend to think that Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse 
are actual living creatures, copmplete with life-story, family tree and 
traumas.

> And... why are the full credits placed on every *other* children's book 
> ever published, even books about Santa and the Easter Bunny, for every 
> single reader, child or adult, to see?

Full credits placed on every *other* children's book ever published? This 
is not true.

--- Daniël

"For goodness, sake! Who's that guy - the PIED PIPER?"
(Which Barks story?) :-)

hint #1: It's NOT the unfinished Gyro story 'The Pied Piper of Duckburg'.
hint #2: "Hold on, boys! I had no idea it was THAT tasty!"
hint #3: "Look at the mice go for that cheese!"
hint #4: "Into the toolbox with you, young fellow! You cause too much 
         MISCHIEF!"