Disney-comics digest #821.

Don Rosa donrosa at iglou.com
Sat Oct 21 07:18:00 CET 1995


JAMES:
        The illustration that you refer to, of the Ducks standing over
$crooge's grave, was a gag done about 5 years ago for a Duck fanzine. It
wasn't meant for public consumption. But I'm getting used to people taking
stuff not meant for public consumption and making sure it's seen by eyes it
was never meant for. I guess it's an honor to be in such a position that
people like to treat me like that.
        It was a simple line-drawing, not a "painted cover".
        And the story "Of Ducks and Dimes and Destinies", which I did 4-5
years ago, will be jokingly treated as "chapter 0" of the "Lo$" (mocking
modern American funnybook jargon) and be printed in the issue of U$ after
chapter 12.

MARCO:
        I think you may have misunderstood what the judge is reading. I had
him reading a copy of the dime-novel written by Pothole McDuck, "The Master
of the Mississippi". That was the title of the 2nd chapter of the "Lo$"...
but also in that chapter I showed that Pothole was writing that
pulp-magazine series when he retired from the river. So that's not a
mistake, UNLESS the Italian translator had the judge reading "The Life and
Times of $crooge McDuck, chapter 2". THAT would be a mistake!
        Another question about that grave scene? Again, this was meant as
just a gag for that fanzine, and the purpose behind the gag was NOT just to
show $crooge being dead, but that's another matter. However, it DOES reflect
my personal view of the Duck universe. I see Duck-time as being frozen
somewhere back in the 50s, otherwise all the Duckburg characters would be
old and gray (or dead). And I like seeing Duckburg as the same town in the
same time as it existed in when I was a kid. No, there was no actual story
ever done about $crooge's death, nor should there ever be.
        As for Barks' Fountain of Youth story, that might be what enabled
$crooge (in my view) to live to be 100. But remember, in that Barks story,
DRINKING from the Fountain only made you peppy. BATHING in it is what made
one young. Don't ask me to make sense of that --that's just how it was in
the story.
        Some people have tried to debate me as to whether I should have my
stories take place in the 50s, or whether the new stories take place in 1995
or whenever. But it's absolutely pointless to argue about it. I do my
stories with this built-in private joke because that's the way I intend to
do them, and nothing will change that. But I don't expect any other writers
to agree (and I would be rather puzzled if they did). Other Duck stories
from other writers/artists are taking place in the present. My stories take
place in the 50s. I would feel silly thinking I was doing stories of a 130
year old character, but that's just me. It's just like this whole "Lo$"
series -- nobody is forced to like it or accept it. There's a world of
different Duck writers and Duck stories -- variety is the spice o' life. I
hope people like my stuff, but I'm never offended if they don't. (I'm more
often puzzled that so many do!)
        So, yes, in my own lil' private version, I see $crooge as being long
dead by 1995. 
        And Marco -- will I see you next week when I visit Italy?

TODD:
        Interested in pre-Columbian history, eh? We'll need to make sure (if
you so desire) that you letter this "Lost Charts of Columbus" story! (Of
course, I'd hope to make sure you letter all my stories -- I'm no fool!) And
if you like Stonehenge, I also just did a Duck adventure all about THAT as well!

ODDVAR:
        I was thinking you were going to ask a question about the historical
elements of the "Columbus" story, but you're just asking about "staging" of
the action. I was very aware of the apparent short distance between the
helicopter and the bomb-site. But these funnybook panels must often be laid
out with "artistic license", particularly when one has such limited space as
I do in these overly-complex stories I force myself to do. I needed to show,
in a single tall panel, the helicopter dropping bombs and the reaction of
the people on the ground, and show both elements clearly so the reader could
see what was happening. To show it "to scale" would have rendered both
scenes so teeny-tiny that you couldn't tell what was what, which is hard
enough in reading one of my stories already, what with all that "needless
and irritating detail".
        And Oddvar -- will I see you next week when I visit Norway?

DANIEL V.E.:
        I don't know about that article you mention, but I imagine the
article writer got that idea from the same movie that *I* got my idea for
the "His Majesty McDuck" story. And strange that you should mention it since
I saw that movie just 2 days ago for the first time since long before I did
my $crooge story (around 1988). It's a 1946 (I believe) British movie titled
PASSPORT TO PIMLICO about a neighborhod in London that unearths a treasure
that shows that centuries ago the British crown granted a nobleman
independant title to whatever area he lived, making it the separate kingdom
of Burgundy.
        And Daniel -- will I see you next week when I visit Finland? (I know
you're not in Finland, but I was looking for a reason to remind people that
I'll be there soon.)




More information about the DCML mailing list