Donald Duck's early comicstrip co-stars: Donna & Mac

[Armando Botto]

Hi Rich,

> As was told to me, Donna was Donald's comic-strip co-star, especially in
the British magazine "Mickey Mouse Weekly" from May to August 1937.

As far as I know, the British one was the *only* appearance of Donna Duck as
DD's co-star in a *story*... Donna was also featured in the one-page
text+illustrations version of "Don Donald" in the "Good Housekeeping"
magazine (Jan. 1937), in the 4-page text version of the cartoon in issue #3
of WDC&S (Dec. 1940), and in at least one illustration in the "Life of
Donald Duck" book (early 40es).

> It was insinuated, though I may have misunderstood, that Donna was NOT
believed to have been the same character as Daisy who didn't actually appear
in comics until Nov. 4, 1940 in the "Donald Duck" Sunday comic strip which
followed the theatrical release of "Mr. Duck Steps Out" inwhich Daisy first
appeared earlier that same year.

My sources (Becattini and Boschi) concur in saying that Donna Duck is a
different character from Daisy.
Also, it must be noted that Al Taliaferro had both Daisy and a Mexican
duck-lady "on stage" at the same time in a sequence of daily strips from
August 1951 (I only have the Italian translation, so I can't tell if the
name "Donna" was used that time, too).

> Then there is the case of Donald's second comics co-star.  Donna was
replaced as Donald's co-star by a sailor named Mac until May 1940 when, I
presume, Donald's Nephews took over, followed by Daisy. Who was Mac?  What
was his species?

All the info I have about Mac come from Becattini's "Disney Comics" book.
Mac was a Scottish sailor, who met Donald and Donna aboard a steamer in June
1937. As for his species, he's a dog, I suppose...

> If he was a sailor, can we assume that the adventures he shared with
Donald took place during Donald's time in the Navy?

Nope. Donald and Mac's stories had strange and wildly imaginative settings:
the Wild West, the Arabian Nights, 5000 Fathoms Under the Sea, the Moon, and
even the planet Venus.

> Does anyone have a picture of Mac that they could share with the rest of
us?

I'll scan an image from Alberto's book, and gladly send it to anyone who
volunteers to put it online.
One final note: William A. Ward was the artist who drew all of Donna and
Mac's stories.

Ciao,
Armando
(who would really like to see those British stories reprinted somewhere,
some day...)