Disney-comics digest #311.

David A Gerstein David.A.Gerstein at williams.edu
Wed Apr 27 01:53:18 CEST 1994


	Dear Folks,

	Sigurdur Gislason wanted to know what "Son of the Sun" was
about.  Well, this is a story of how Uncle Scrooge and Flintheart
Glomgold race each other to find lost gold of the Inca Indians.  They
discover the great temple of Manco Capac, who ancient legends called
the "Son of the Sun and the Keeper of the Inca Gold."
	This was Don Rosa's first story.
	Meanwhile, the Bear Mountain story you mentioned is in fact
the final chapter of the LO$.  What you read was indeed part 11.  That
last one is coming up soon, for you.  (It'll be a year and a half
until we LUCKY Americans get to read it...)

	Wilmer Rivers described his experience at the ONE comic shop in
his hometown which even CARRIES Gladstones (in which a mother and a
comic shop owner talked condescendingly of Disney comics).
	Well, I'll tell you, it's like this.  Most towns I've visited
have a single stronghold for Disney fans, where the Gladstone comics
do very good business.  The other shops either carry Gladstones or
don't, but Disney business is usually poor with them because ALL the
Gladstone fans seem to concentrate at the other shop.
	In Santa Barbara, the shop that sells a lot of Gladstones also
has good prices on old Dells, and a good selection of older
Gladstones.  The other shop has a poor selection of back issues,
and charges an arm and a leg for all of them (particularly the Dells,
which are horribly overpriced).

	What is strange is that the American comic fanboy-magazines do
not hold a pariah on all humorous comics.  Only on Disney comics.  For
example, Jeff Smith's "BONE" series, VERY MUCH in the Disney tradition
-- in fact, Smith usually mentions Barks as his prime influence -- is
constantly lauded and built up by the media.  Some magazines have even
said, "We always try to draw attention to products we feel you should
see that you otherwise wouldn't be looking at, so therefore..." etc.
when writing about BONE.  It seems as if the fan media wants to build
up this series in particular for some reason.  I like BONE and think
it deserves the praise, but I am at the same time infuriated that not
even a passing nod has been given to the LO$.

	I think Gladstone could do some things to improve their sales.
They need to run ads which actually contain panels from the stories,
just like the European comics do.  This actually gets the reader
interested in the story... they don't only see its cover.

	Next, Gladstone should advertise in the fanboy magazines such
as HERO and WIZARD (the two that most blatantly ignore their comics).
I think the ads should use a new approach, as described above.  I
believe I have heard that Gladstone can't afford to advertise there,
but that's what I was told before they began the new Barks sculpture
series, which has apparently been a runaway success for them.
Gladstone should also advertise in DISNEY ADVENTURES.  (Although I
have heard the same story -- that they can't afford the ad rates...)

	Can Gladstone really not afford such ads?  I expect that Bruce
Hamilton is a multi-millionaire, although I don't have any PROOF of
that.  Maybe he could stand to drop a few dollars where it would help,
even when that isn't part of the money that his Gladstone budget
usually includes.
	
	If Disney had never taken over from Gladstone, does anyone
think that Gladstone would be more successful now?

	In any event, GLADSTONE NEEDS TO ADVERTISE MORE, I think.  The
real problem is that most people are not even AWARE of their comics.
I think that the comics' bimonthly schedule is one of the causes of
that...

	One interesting note, though.  The LO$ has sold out like
wildfire at all the comic shops I know that carry Gladstones.  John
himself tells me that the series is a big success for them.  And for
the first time since early 1990, Overstreet's "Comic Price Guide
Monthly Supplement" magazine has "plus" signs next to most of the
Disney series (exception: DONALD AND MICKEY) indicating that interest
is apparently rising.

	Why did only one person enter the poll I posted about two
weeks ago?  I can post it again if anyone wants...

	David Gerstein
	<David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu>



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