+Postage Due+Disney-comics digest #107.

[Don Rosa]

To Mark Semich:
	You didn't really drive all the way to Chicago just to see me,
did you? If so, you should have spent lots more time seein' me.
	I mistakenly gave you the impression that I've been to a
Disneyana convention and had a bad experience. My little stories of odd
experiences were from comics conventions. If I ever appeared at a
Disneyana convention, I would be a total unknown since I do those comic
books that the "Disneyana" fans don't know have ever existed... or if
they did, they must be done by Disney... and if they weren't, they
couldn't be any good because Disney is so wonderful and glorious and
marvi. Actually, for some reason I neglected to address that aspect in
my hurry to reply last time -- but the thing that might irk me the most
about the people in those Disney clubs and at those conventions is their
blind devotion to Disney as some sort of high-water mark for all earthly
goodness and light. Their devotion is so little based on defining
quality but on just loving all things Disney. I tried a few of their BBS
from time to time, but my stomach is quickly turned by this attitude as
well as all the pin-back button collectors and people bragging to each
other how they went to Disneyland for the 237th time (rather than going
someplace REAL for a change of pace, like a mountain or forest
someplace). 
	But I can't believe how I overlooked Steve's own words... of his
actual concious admission that Disney fans overlook Disney's misdeeds
because, whatever Disney has done, it's made Disney a SUCCESS and that's
the important thing. This is a definition of moral corruption. It's this
kind of thinking on a grand scale that makes the American morality what
a mess it is today. The end justifies the means since we can overlook
what we wish to laud the results. It's exactly this sort of attitude
that allows Disney to continue to cheat and bully freelance artists like
myself. If Disneyans fans would stand up to Disney as they and many
others should, and not simply IGNORE Disney's misdemeanors, maybe things
would change... and Disney would STILL be just as successful, but not as
evil. This sort of attitude makes the lives of people like me very
uncomfortable and far less rewarding than we deserve... so it's easy to
see how I could deeply resent that sort of thinking.
	But apart from that, my regard for Disneyana collectors comes
from meetings with them outside of Disneyana conventions. One very good
example is found in the books by some obscure (?) writer of collectibles
guides named David Longest. He has moved into writing books about Disney
toys and claims that he does so only because he is a devoted Disney fan
and collector and loves everything about Disney and how Disney is the
fulfillment of all our dreams and hopes and purity and light and... you
can imagine the hoaky, flowery adoration that these collectors lavish on
themselves as if they are supporting something just this side of heaven.
Then he goes on to say, after all that, that real Disney fans all know
not to collect any Disney toys newer than the 30s since they just aren't
very rare and aren't worth having around since they'll never be
valuable. It's painfully obvious what this guy is REALLY interested in.
	BUT-- Mark asked me some other questions. $crooge's accent?
Disney says $crooge has a Scottish accent? So? Did Disney have anything
at all with the creation or first 40 years of $crooge's existance? No.
So whatever Disney has to say about $crooge is THEIR "DuckTales"
Scrooge, not THE $crooge of the comic books, the REAL $crooge.
	Like everyone else, $crooge and Donald and HD&L have always
spoken in my mind with normal voices. But I was forced to deal with this
accent stuff in my "Life of $crooge" series; in part 1 I have $crooge's
family speaking with heavy accents, and $crooge speaking with a slight
accent. But I show that at age 13 he leaves Scotland and grows up as a
globetrotter, mostly in the English speaking areas of America,
Australia, South Africa, Canada, and such. The adult $crooge has NO
Scottish accent.
	And, Mark, where did you get that line "I am $McD of the clan
McD... there can be no other"???
	Also, you said my art on "War of the Wendigo" was "not
outstanding"... which is fine. But you can't say that without telling me
how or why or where it was not-so-good so I can improve! Oh, wait...
that was Fredrik who said that! So the question goes to Fredrik!
	And Fredrik askes when I started putting my "D.U.C.K."
dedication in my comics. It was in the last panel of the first one I
did, "The Son of the Sun"... but Gladstone removed it since it looked as
if it might be a signature. However, when they used that story in
certain foreign countries, you can see the dedication still there. 
	That dedication has been in every story I've ever done, in the
splash (first) panel after the first 2 stories... but early on at both
Gladstone and Egmont the editors removed it. Now that I hide it and have
explained what it is, it is no longer removed. I also started putting it
on the covers as well, beginning with the covers I did for Disney Comics
a few years ago.
	Any covers after that time, or any stories where you CAN'T
locate the dedication, just ask me and I'll either tell you where to
look or tell you it's not there to be found.

	There....that was a nice long letter. Now I leave for a week in
Oslo to meet with all sorts of dignitaries and ambassadors and have
signing sessions at major stores and all manner of stuff that the wild
Norwegian editor has arranged! I'll have lots of digests waiting for me
when I get home, eh?