Barks/Rosa differences, and Gemstone

[deanmary]

    I think there are a number of ways in which Barks' view of Scrooge
was different than Rosa's.  I'll bring up one.  In my opinion, Barks'
Scrooge had acquiring and making money as his primary concern and
going on great adventures as a secondary concern.  Rosa's Scrooge
seems to put the great adventures first, and having and making money
second.  Say decades ago Scrooge went on a fantastic adventure and
found this very famous diamond that then was worth 1 million dollars.
Today however it is way more valuable and is worth 1 billion dollars.
I think Barks' Scrooge would quickly sell the diamond and be thrilled
to be 999 million ahead.  However Rosa's Scrooge would most likely
keep the diamond for the sentimental reason that it was a remembrance
of this great adventure.

    Which interpretation do I prefer?  I really don't have one as I
like them both.  The important thing is that while Scrooge make be
looked at somewhat differently by Barks and Rosa, I still have no
problem seeing them being the same character.  Imagine if Rosa made
stories where Scrooge was drawn as a totally different looking
character and had a vastly different personality: say he was always
poor, or was rich but always gave it all away to charity.  In that
case then Rosa would be then having a character that would be Scrooge
in name only, but was actually a totally different character.  However
I don't feel that Rosa or most other Duck writers present the Ducks in
such a way as they seem to be different characters.  It is more like
they look at the characters from a different viewpoint than as totally
different people.

    As for this debate of which reader like or dislikes Rosa, Barks,
Van Horn, etc. stories, perhaps I look at it too simply.  If there is
a story by *anyone* that I don't like, I can quit reading it and go on
to a story that I like.  And every Duck writer has stories I think
more highly of than others.  How couldn't that be the case?  After
all, if I was creative enough to write such stories, I am sure that
after I had written enough of them that there would be ones I would be
really proud of and others I would think weren't that great.

    Overall I think Gemstone is doing a fantastic job.  I get to buy 4
Disney comics each month and every other month a fifth title, Donald
Duck Adventures.  I think the stories have been quite good so far and
have been selected well.  I have never been much of a Mickey Mouse fan
and doubt I will every like Mickey stories as much as Duck stories.
That being said, I am enjoying the Mickey stories they are publishing
more than I have in a long time.  When I first tried the 3 panel
stories in Donald Duck Adventures, I had mixed feelings about them.
It has only taken a few issues though for me to not only accept the
different way these stories look but to actually look forward to them.
The "Black Orb" story in issue 3 was one of the better Disney stories
I have read in a while.  And this is coming from someone who has
little interest in fantasy and has never played role playing games.

    My biggest complaint about Gemstone so far comes in one word:
reprints.  I personally would like there to be *no* reprints in the
monthly comics.  Every time there is a reprint of a Barks, Rosa, or
Van Horn story it is a waste, at least to me.  To be fair Gemstone has
not gone overboard on reprints so far.  However, I was not happy to
see that US #331 will reprint Rosa's, "His Majesty, McDuck".  After
all, I not only have the original comic the story was in but I have a
second copy of the story in one of the 4 album collections Gladstone
II did of Rosa's earliest stories. So for me I am now spending $6.95
where 20+ pages are just wasted money for me.  Since I want the other
stories though I will bite the bullet and still buy it.

    In fact, if you gave me the option of having a great story
reprinted or a lousy new (new meaning new to North America) story I
would each and every time pick the lousy new one.  At least the lousy
new story can provide more entertainment than the reprint.  Say a
family member is going to buy me a videogame for my birthday.  My two
choices are a game that is fantastic but that I already have, or a
game that is pretty crummy but I do not have.  Well, neither is a
great choice, but if I had a choice I would pick the lousy game I
already did not have.  At least perhaps I could get some enjoyment out
of the game if only by making fun of how poor a game it is.  What at
all can I do with the great game I already have?

    However, I do realize that it is important for new readers
especially to be introduced to Barks stories.  After all, without his
stories, I doubt most us on this list would be Disney comic fans!  I
have 3 ways that Gemstone could present reprint stories that I think
would work better.

    One, reprint stories that have not been reprinted in a long time.
I realize that since Gladstone I about 20 years ago a great deal of
Barks stories have been printed in comic books.  However, I believe
there are still a number of stories that have *not* been reprinted in
the last 20 years .  Why not stick to reprinting stories that have not
been printed since before Gladstone I?  I realize that the ones that
have not been reprinted in the past 20 years probably are not among
his best work.  However I would rather have a lesser Barks story I do
not have than yet another copy of a great Barks story.

    Two, along with Mickey and Friends and Donald and Friends, add a
third monthly $2.95 title.  It could be titled something like "Classic
Disney Duck Stories" and be totally devoted to nothing but Barks
reprints.  This way people who did not have a copy of the story would
still really want this issue, but those of us with a copy of the story
could skip it.  This way you kind of have the best of both worlds.
Plus, I wouldn't have to spend $6.95 for an issue that to me is only
like getting say 40 pages due to the reprint.

    Three, start making trade paperback (TPB) collections of Barks,
Rosa, Van Horn, and many others.  This to me is the most surprising
thing that Gemstone *hasn't* done.  Even though I may have these
stories in individual comics, I would gladly buy a collection of
stories that I could nicely display on my bookshelf and pull down at
any time.  Also, this would be a fantastic way to get Disney comics
into libraries where there is a huge demand for comic books that
appeal to younger kids.  Of course perhaps there is some financial or
contractual reason Gemstone has not produced TPB's yet.  However, I
not only hope they are coming in the near future, but that they will
be a BIG part of Gemstone's future production.

    Despite my dislike for reprints, I still think Gemstone is doing a
great job.  And even if they continue reprints and don't go to TPB's,
I will support them 100% and buy just about everything they produce.

    As for people on the list possibly being offended, I doubt it will
happen with me.  I am used with my family and friends to often being
the person who is "out there" with non-mainstream ideas.  So if people
disagree with each and every point I made, that won't bother me a bit.
In fact, if lots of people *did* agree with me, that is perhaps when I
should be worried! :)  Also, what an incredibly boring place the world
would be if everyone agreed!  I like living in a world where people
have many different points of view.  I do not get upset when someone
disagrees with me, as there are times when I disagree with myself! :)
I know that sounds impossible, but somewhow it does seem to happen
from time to time...

Dean Rekich