Two interesting things from Wednesday:

[Don Rosa]

From: "Dan Shane" <danshane at bellsouth.net>
>>>As someone with some architectural training I might be able to...

This man is also the guy who has drawn the blueprint plans for the Money
Bin for me! All done on computer. VERY professional looking and gorgeous!
12 detailed floor plans and elevation views. Looking just like the real
goods, not like something you'd see in a comic book. I had more fun on this
project than anything else since the "Lo$. I can't wait for you to see
it... but even though he could download it to his "$CROOGE MCDUCK
HOMEPAGE", we will naturally wait until it's published worldwide in a few
months. (By the way, Dan's homepage recently crossed over 50,000 hits. We
really need to put more material on there! He has a "virtual tour" of my
"so-called studio" and Duck collection in the works with about 30-40
photos.)

From: pertti.ruismaki at datex-ohmeda.com
>>>I checked out the bins plans and I instantly noticed
that there was a WC installed.

Of course! Several on each floor! How could there not be?

>>>It seems that only Don Rosa has shown toilets in duck comics.

Wait till you see the "Beagle Boys vs. The Money Bin" story I sent in 2
weeks ago. 176-671 has quite an adventure in $crooge's private bathroom on
the top floor.

>>>I wonder if this is part of his
habit of bringing   duck universe closer to real life or has it somenting
to do
with his history in bathroom decoration business.

"Bathroom decoration business"??? Where did you get that? My company
installed terrazzo and marble and ceramic and quarry tile in commercial
institutions. This included installing entire walls and/or floors (not
"decorating") in almost any room or area inside or outside a building, the
bathroom being only one of them. (But I'll still sooner show a Duck in a
bathroom rather than in a war.)
In fact, according to these 1902 plans for the Money Bin, it seems that the
Keno Rosa Co. (which was established in 1900) was commissioned to supply
the ceramic mosaic floors in $crooge's private quarters.

Anyway, two interesting events yesterday:
First I received a copy of the German DONALD DUCK SONDERHEFT #171. It came
with a very nice letter from new editor Silvio Peter. He says that he had
taken over as editor recently and decided to revamp the title -- they had
used up all of the supply of unpublished Barks stories, and were ready for
a new direction. What it looks like is that he's following the lead of ZIO
PAPERONE and KOMIX, continuing the trend that Gladstone established as the
benchmark for all future Disney comics, by making the title into a very
nice looking magazine for collectors and comics fans of any age. There is
careful selection of stories from a range of writers/artists, articles,
*excellent* coloring and *excellent* (simulated) hand lettering. In fact,
he is employing the services of the ZIO PAPERONE letterer, Diego Ceresa,
and if you've seen ZP you know that they have just about the nicest
dialogue-balloon, sound FX and background lettering of any Disney comic.
So, now the world has a trio of superb Disney comics -- DONALD DUCK
SONDERHEFT, ZIO PAPERONE and KOMIX (and perhaps that other Italian "Disney
Masters" if it's still coming out?). Of course, PICSOU is also excellent,
but still in a slightly different style with a great deal of non-comics
related stuff, which is fine. While I'm on that topic, the editor of PICSOU
was having such great success with his more "collector and quality
oriented" version of that title that he was also assigned the larger LE
JOURNAL DE MICKY, so we may see a great new look for that magazine as well.
Now we just need regular magazines along these lines up in Scandinavia.

The second thing that happened which also indicates the recognition of
these comics as something for readers of all ages rather than just kiddies
was in a phone call I received from a book translator in Baltimore -- he is
working on a Swiss book about the history and mysteries of ancient Egypt.
And there is a mention in the book of Donald Duck and Uncle $crooge and
"The Guardians of the Lost Library". Being an American, this writer had no
idea what this was all about, but tracked down my name on the Internet and
called me... he primarily wanted to know the original English title of the
story, and he was also fascinated by what he'd read on the Internet about
how immensely popular these comics are in Europe (something no American
would ever imagine!). But I think it's cool to know that Barks' Ducks are
being casually referenced and mentioned in something like books on ancient
history!