Disney-comics digest #154.

David A Gerstein David.A.Gerstein at williams.edu
Fri Nov 12 03:52:28 CET 1993


	Dear Folks,

	A few things to say today.


	The theft of Don's #1 Dime
	=== ===== == ===== == ====

	This was shameful to read about.  Don, did you try combing the
rug for the thing?  I'm not sure exactly what that cabinet looked
like, and if it had no door to it, then perhaps the maid swept a dust
mop across the shelves and knocked Old #1 to the floor.

	But then again, she may be melting it down somewhere by now
(sorry, Don... I'm not making light of the theft, but just couldn't
help it after *you* mentioned Magica.  Actually, I'm bothered by this
just as YOU were)

	I take it then that 1875 is the year you've put on Scrooge's
real Old #1?  (Remember, I haven't seen the Lo$ yet except one German
chapter... actually, that's the first, so I have no excuse for not
knowing the date!  So I can go out and get myself one now?  Maybe I can
actually make a case for it like Scrooge has ;-)


	Disney sales in the U. S.
	====== ===== == === == ==

	John Clark told me that his new comics ALREADY sell MUCH
better than Disney's did -- about twice as well.  He prints over
100,000 of them now, as opposed to Disney which printed about 60,000.

	I thought there was some country in Scandinavia where the
weekly WDC&S equivalent sold near the mid-'50s Dell equivalent of
4,000,000 copies.  Does this happen anywhere anymore?  Recent
discussion pegged the number at 250,000 but I think it may be much
larger.

	250,000 was, by the way, the press run of WDC&S #1, which was
published on August 28, 1940, the day of my Dad's birth!  (If you look
at the annual publication info in the 1940s Dells, they establish the
publication date for each issue as being the 28th day of the month two
before the cover month.)


	Don's cover to USA #24
	===== ===== == === ===

	Actually, I saw this when I visited John Clark in July, but I
didn't get a good look at it then.  Now that I've bought it... Don, the
cover was in many ways among your best.  Two minor criticisms;  the
nephew nearest to the camera was seen from the side and lacked his
usual round forehead for a lumpy 1960s-Barks-style one.  I prefer it
the other way, which is more consistent with your usual
Duck-drawing-style anyway.  Also, Scrooge's face looks somehow flat --
I mean as if it were a drawing of his face from the front that had
been turned 45 degrees.
	Other than that, a swell cover, particularly Donald and the
one nephew who was letting out a yell.  (You do Duck double-takes very
nicely.  All together now:  GREAT HOWLIN' CRASHWAGONS!)


	The DD Birthday story
	=== == ======== =====

	Don... maybe you should tell John Clark yourself about that DD
60th-anniversary story you're doing.  I told you I'd tell him last
week, but have been unsuccessful at reaching him.  (But then, he MAY
call me soon... I just sent a dialog to him for some late-1994 U$
issue, so he'll have something to talk to me about.  Anyway, I'd call
him if I were you... this is a story he'll want to know about before
you'd normally send him a copy, since he'll be scheduling that issue
not too long from now.)


	My Review:  US 283
	== =======  == ===

	A fine Barks story, of course (first reprint in regular comics
since 1981).  I absolutely loved the Beagle Boys story -- it was clear
that this was one Gary Gabner really enjoyed, since he pulled a great
(con?) job on it.  The Gyro story was adequate (very, very bland art),
but one that Gabner must *not* have liked since his dialog was dry 
and dull.  The dialog was okay on the third Danish story, "Old
Friend," but I found it a TERRIBLE plot with EXCREABLE art.

	Grades:  FOXY RELATIONS A;  A HARD DAY'S THIEVING A-;  SKATE
LATE C;  OLD FRIEND D-.


	My Review:  DM 21
	== =======  == ==

	The Donald story was okay... but I'm actually beginning to
numb to Barks ten-pagers, even many good ones.  Unlike in Europe, just
because the ten-pager is constantly in print in an album DOESN'T mean
that it won't oust a good Dutch story (or some other person's
potential creation) from one of the regular comics at any time.
Grade:  A (for quality).
	The Mickey and the Sleuth story was very funny... but don't
take that to mean that I felt it was good that it was reprinted.  The
humor had nothing to do with Mickey, who was so obviously playing a
role here that he even spoke stilted stage lines ("Egad!  I do believe
there is a pigeon feather in my soup!").  When MM gets his name in the
comic's title, he should be the lead character in his own story.  This
could have been *anyone's* role.  Grade:  C.


	My Review:  USA 24
	== =======  === ==

	"The Little Gronins" had excellent artwork but a dull and
sometimes INCOMPREHENSIBLE dialog job.  The Gronins never explained
why they thought Scrooge was going to flood their village -- he was
cutting down TREES, right?  And the final gag about the mayor taking
the Gronins for HDL was harmed badly by the fact that HDL were all
visible in the panel.  Grade:  C-.
	"Trapped Lightning" is a favorite of mine since it's a Barks
story with MM characters in it.  (I know -- they weren't ORIGINALLY to
be there -- but I like it just the same.)  Grade:  B.
	"The Minus de Milo" had a VERY GOOD dialog writer (a new
guy!)... his humor was first-rate.  My only problem was that he was
far too WORDY -- some balloons had TWO unrelated lines, whereas one
woulda been enough.  But I'll give him time.  Grade:  B-.


	I'll shut up for now... I've gone on yammering long enough and
you're probably all sick and tired!  BTW:  Fabio... any interesting
revelations on Pedrocchi these days?

	Your friend,


	David







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