A (insert 50 positive adjectives) half week - part one

[Anders Christian Siveb¾k]

Hi friends

I still have a feeling of sailing in my body, as i sailed a lot this last
days. 3 pm this afternoon I said goodbye to the 2 last of the 4 friends
I've spend this last half of this week with. 
It all started thursday - after having had my hair done for for this
occasion (it had gotten too long, as usual) I drove to struer railway
station to meet my two friends Søren and Thomas. Søren is a dcml-member,
founder of the Danish Donaldist Society (in cooperation with me), and
genreally a huge donaldist with a larger collection of weeklies than me.
Thomas is also on dcml, duckhunter, webmaster of www.ducburg.dk, and the
person together with whom I'm publishing a written Don Rosa-index soon.
Both have been my friends for years now - and we meet last at our summer
meeting in the donalidist club this summer. 
We shook hands, went to the car with the bagage and then went to take with
us some pizzas from a local place, that I have visited many times with 3
other good friends. 
Then the way went to Nissum, where I attend teacher's college. We first
went to the florr where I live, to eat our pizzas. Then we went for a walk
where I showed Thjomas and Søren around on the palces I come daily. Then
to the school magazines editing room. We have two computers there and we
used them for coming online and talking to friends on the mirc-channel
dcml. As time neared 9.30 pm we went to my dads car and started on the
trip to Hanstholm. 
When we got there we drove a bit around to find a good place to park. My
father had proposed to me to take the power of, so I did that. (Only a
couple of weeks ago someone had broken into it and tried to start it - but
well, it's a Tioyota from 1985 - not possible)
We then went to the ferry-information and got our boarding card - just as
we had gotten them Jesper Pedersen arrived with his grandparents. He's a
donaldist too, and one of the friends with whom we had spend the msummer
meeting earlier this year. He's webmaster of www.webdisney.dk and also a
Rosa-fan. 
We went upstairs and waited for a long time. Luckily we had enough to talk
about. I showed of the local paper with a 3-page article about our
Donaldist society and my interest in Donald. Søren was reading the
Donaldism by Jon Gisle, Thomas had made new prints of the coming Rosa
index and the next fanzine from our society. Both looked very great, we're
lucky to have such good lay-outers. 
Time goes slow when you're looking forward to something, biut the ferry
did arrive on time and we got on it, and found the large room with
sleeping chairs. After placing them we went for a trip on the boat and
took a walk in the taxfree shop and we also bought all the Duck-magazines
the reception had. Donald Duck & Co., the extra, called Mikke Mus, the
Donald pocketbook and the Skrue (Scrooge) pocket which carries reprints. 
We then went to sleep and had a very nice night with close to no waves at
all. Next mnorning at 7 it was the meaning of life for some lady in the
loudspeakers to wake us up, so we did... - we got breakfast - I bought a
juice with raspberry - names kjeft - this word is a synonym for mouth. To
tell someone to holde kjeft, is to tell them to shut up. Shut Up I then
set to Søren. Do it yourself said Søren - i am, I said and showed him the
juice. This would evolve a lot on the hometrip but now let's carry on. 
The time untill we arrived in Bergen, was spent on talking, reading in
different litterature and shopping. We learned that we would be in harbour
at 3.45 pm - 15 minutes later than planned. this later became half an hour
delay. 
When we arrived I was the frist to see our dear norwegian friend Sigvald
in the window in thew arrival hall. When we all got there we shook hands
with our friend, who we also meet last at the big summermeeting. Sigvald
had heard about our delay at around 3.20 - at 3.50 his friend from
University, where they both studied history turned up and offered
transport - but she had to fetch her car. Heidi Schjetne was her name, and
she was one of the many very nice persons we meet on the trip! Because of
the traffic she couldn't be back at the harbour before 4.20 where she
fetched us and we drove to the Greighall. - BTW 6 perople in one car is
not a very good idea, but maneged (says I, who was on the front passenger
seet...)
At 4.30 we arrived at the Grieghall where the Raptus-frestival took place.
After first trying a wrong entrance we found the right one and got our
tickets. 
We maneged to hear the last 5 minutes of an interview with Don that was
being made in the auditorium. Don was talking about the beginning of his
career - at the *same* time (somehow that impressed me) he was drawing a
Scrooge-head on a paper which was thrown on a large whiteboard. As he had
finished telling the story of the manifest destiny it was translated - and
in that moment, or so we saw it, Don drew some obscure signs in a speaking
buble coming from the Scrooge drawing. 
As the interview was finished we went to the podium where Don had stood. I
said to Don (with a slightly shaking voice perhaps, this was the first
time ever I talked to my favorite living Duck-artist) We from Duckhunt and
the danish donaldist society are here. - I mentioned Sigvald and Don asked
Sigvald if he had brought his artwork with him. Sigvald sure had! Don then
left for a short break and I took a few snapshots of Sigvalds fandrawing
(without the moustache) and it was even envyed by some other fans in the
room. 
We found to the way to the large room where we went down the stairs and
started to dstand in line. In the auditiorium one of the raptus-leaders
had told how one could buy a cardboard for 25 kr, and how this would go ot
a good purpouse. As we stood in line Søren, jesper and Thomas decided to
get themselves each one of these - but I didn't need one, as my finnish
friend was so kind to have Don make me a drawing last year. 
As we stood in line we talked a lot about finally being so close to the
cartoonist who is the favorite of many norwegians (and hopefully of many
of the ones standing in line - something tells me they really were :-).
When we reached the top of the dstairs and around a column I went over to
speak with some people at a table. I asked if they had any issues of the
Donaldist, as their table looked like one for fanzines. It showed that the
man at the table was Jan P. Krogh who is one of the norwegian donaldists
in the club for comic fans. He even told me about the museum where some 
rooms are dedicated to our dear ducks. I found that very interesting and
told about our danish donaldist society - We made an appointment of
contact between us. 
Already while on the stairs, Heidi, the friendly transporter and friend
started to interview Sigvald about the idea that he had send to Don some
years ago - which was published as a story (Gyro's first invention) in
weeklies 19 and 20 this year. We would later find out for what purpouse
this interview was done. 
Sigvald also went on a walk to find the issues with the story, and to look
for the Piped Piper of Duckburg for a danish friend who couldn't come on
this trip. 
Sigvald didn't find these comics, but the salesman recognized him as
Sigvald, a Rosa fan, as Sigvald has homepages online.
Jesper also took the chance to leave the line, as we kept his space, to
buy the Pertwillaby Papers book from the Gazette Bok publisher. 
Sigvald was showing his drawing to Heidi when other people standing in
line started to notice it too. At some point one third of the line in
front of us were looking on Sigvald's drawing instead of in the direction
of Don! :-) One of these people even took the chance to ask for Sigvald's
autograph. We smiled and were very proud of our norwegian friend!
The time started to get near 8, we had been standing in line for 2½ hours.
- The raptus-people in red (bosses) and yellow (unpayed helpers) t-shirts
had already told that it would be good if we only asked for autographs
from now on. We didn't mind that much - We had come mainly to meet Don,
and I myself to get a long-wanted autograph in my Lo$-book plus giving Don
the book I have written the preface for - Don is mentioned on the last
page several times. 
One of the red-tshirted people told that they were trying to find out if
the guards could stay longer than untill 8, where the festival was closing
for the day. 
Unluckily this showed not to be possible so at 10 to 8 we were asked if we
were a group, we answered yes and became the last people to get in front
of the signing table. To consider the thought that we could have been send
out with the many other disappointed fans is terrible - and we got as
annoyed with this as Don himself when he found out. It's not just done...
- they were offered to come again next day, with a line-number, but many
might have come only for one day like ourselkves.... - As sad as this was
to experience, as great it was to stand in front of Don for the second
time this day (friday the 13th if anyone should wonder - proving that this
is not a day of unluckyness for all). I finally got the long-awaited
autograph, in blue ink, and I gave Don the book with my preface, showing
the translated part, and my dedication in it. Next in line was Sigvald who
got his moustache added to the drawing together with a starling To
SIGVALD, in gold-ink. 
I took photoes while this happened, also as Søren, Jesper and Thomas were
getting autographs in their Lo$-books. It's no wonder that we all brought
our danish copy of this book - it's really great!
Don asked us to hang around so we did, while slowly being pushed out by
the raptus-people who vwere slowly getting more desperate (heck, it was
their job).
I did hint to one of them that on their homepage, when linking from the
name Don Rosa to a relevant page they actually link directly to Sigvald's
pages
http://duckman.pettho.com/ - also, in the program they call Don the
duckman. Now, I don't want to be, whatever you would call it, but
it could be claimed as plagiat or whatever that's called, but we were so
happy to be able to meet Don at the festival that we wont care at all of
it, no matter what it could be called. :-) We could just decide to be
proud, right?
So we stopped outside the glassdoors and waited. We saw Don coming down
the stairs - erm, i must admit i was somehow in extase when i saw Don
carrying "my" book under the arm. Sigvald went in again and chatted for a
short while with Don while Heidi made appointments with Don about an
interview next day (what they spoke about, and if the interview was made
I'm not sure I found out). Because Don came out and first we took pictures
of Don and Sigvald. Then I gave thomas my camera, and was also
photographed beside Don. - I'm glad Don had time for this, and that he
presented us for the people with him as friends and fans who will only be
here today. - Don had to go with the raptus-people, to dinner and we too
left. 

I'm cutting here to avoid making this too long. To be continued in next
mail. 

Hilsen/Yours
Anders Christian Sivebæk
Donaldist