Lo$ No. 9/Kalle Anka & C:o 45/93

[Mattias Hallin]

Don,

you asked for opinions on Lo$ part 9 - here are my pieces'o'eight's worth:

That is a BEUATIFUL ending, I think. Of course, it rather softens the impact of
$crooge's father's death, top show him happily entering after-life, but
nevertheless I think you've done a very good job of (almost) showing the death
of a (almost) main character in a Disney-comic. The death of $crooge's mother
was implied, I think, already in an earlier part (the Klondyke triptych) and
confirmed here in the graveyard scene; but the last-but-one panel MUST to my
knowledge be the first time any Disney-comic dealt with the natural passing
away of one of it's protagonists - and letting us glimpse the body too...

By the way - does this in anyway reflect your personal beliefs about death and
an eventual afterlife? Or is that none o' my dang business?

It's also interesting to notice how the "spirit" of the deceased appears much
younger than the living man (duck) did the night before...

And huccome $crooge's mother (or rather - her spirit) has the smaller, rounder
not-yet-touching-the-beak eyes that you've said that you use to make a duck
look young/childish as opposed to adult? AS does also ONE of his sister's (the
elder, I think?) but NOT the other... Is this intended to signify female
beauty? Meaning perhaps that Hortense is not quite as good-looking as her mothe
and sister, perhaps? It actually DOES give an impression sort of along those
lines, I think - and come to think of it, it must BE kinda tricky to make a
duck look more beautiful than the next, considering their facial build...

Oh, well...

All my best! 

Mattias