+Postage Due+Disney-comics digest #169.

[Don Rosa]

Juuso:
	The first two chapters of Lo$ were not published in Finland or
Sweden because those countries' weekly Donald Duck editions do not
feature supplement issues. If you weren't aware of it, in Norway and
Denmark and (?) the weekly comics come inside a plastic bag including an
extra issue about once a month -- I don't think the issue is quite a
free extra... I believe the price on the regular issue is a bit more
that week. When they launched Lo$, the main office decided to try to
give it some sorta special send-off in one of these supplement issues --
however, they had never told me of such plans, and I'd made chapter one
a mere 15 pages. Therefore the main office sent the first TWO chapters
out together to be formed into a 48 page supplement issue. Now, the
countries that didn't HAVE these extra issues couldn't use that 48 page
batch of Lo$ -- but why didn't they use the 15 page chapter 1 by itself?
And then break chapter 2 into two parts as they did in Germany (where
they also don't have supplement issues). I can't think of any reason
other than some Egmont branches just don't put much thought into such
matters? They'd just as soon go on their merry way with the regular Duck
stories that they receive and not have to worry about any "special
series" nonsense which probably takes lots of trouble to deal with and
doesn't improve the always-excellent sales anyhow. When they received a
part 3 and realized this would be an ongoing series, why didn't they
fall back and try to use parts 1 & 2 rather than print a part 3 alone
which would be very puzzling to readers? There's no kind answer for that
one! Germany seemed to react properly -- when they couldn't use the
first two parts, then found that more chapters were coming, they stopped
for awhile to figure out the best way to proceed, then began using the
series as I mentioned. (Which answers a matter that Per, I think it
was, seemed unaware of in his discussion of the uses of Lo$ -- it HAS
all been printed in the German weekly, at least fully up to a point).
Anyway, I'm explaining the possible reasons why the local editors were
forced to make a decision, though I'm really unable to explain why they
made the odd decisions they did.
	But DON'T blame the DANISH editors! THEY only commission the
work and supply it to the various publishing branches, one of which is
also in Denmark but not the same as the people I work for. It's those
local editors that decide what each country sees in its local Disney
comics. (Is any of that clear?!)