Baron Itzy Bitzy

[David A Gerstein]

	Dear Folks,

	Well, I'm back.  I've finished Scarpa's "Uncle Scrooge and the
Lentils from Babylon," so it's on target for U$A 30 as planned.  It's
the longest Duck story ever to appear in this country (outside of
Disney's DT series, but those weren't "real" Duck stories), clocking
in at 71 pages.  I fixed a few bad errors in the plot, but large
portions of the story are simply gold.  I'm looking forward to its
printing here.

	In the meantime, I also wrote an article titled "Lights Before
Dawn" about the pre-Barks Italian Duck adventures, which will appear
in DD 286.  It's illustrated by a Pedrocchi drawing and a panel from
one Gottfredson story which influenced "The Secret of Mars":  "Mickey
Mouse Sails for Treasure Island."  This is the FIRST time ANY panel
from this story has been reprinted in the U. S.  Sadly it is banned,
so we may never see the whole thing.

	Mark Semich noted that "Magica's Missin' Magic" "includes, as 
one of its main characters, the whistling flea, Baron Itzy Bitzy.  I
know that I've read a previous Van Horn story with this flea in it - 
does anyone know off hand which story this was?"

	There have been two:  US "Lost on a Dog," in US or USA at some
point c. 1988, and then the DuckTales "Whistling Ghost," in
Gladstone's DT 10.  The first was just a short gag story, but the
second was a long tale that was truly inspired (esp. for Van Horn).
Yeah, that's right -- continuity between the Barks and DT universes,
at least Van Horn's version of the DT universe.

	I view Van Horn's DT stories as the best argument why
Launchpad should be considered a legitimate add-on to the Barks world.
His characterization in those stories is very distinct from Donald;
meanwhile, Van Horn added NONE of the discordant elements that DT
introduced in his DT stories:  I don't believe Webby ever appeared;  I
think only Duckworth and Launchpad (and the absence of Donald) made
them DT stories.  Also note:  Van Horn used Duckworth in a DD story in
1990: "Snore Losers."

	Thank you, Don, for recently acknowledging Gottfredson's 
stature on the Mouse, by the way.  I don't like the idea of MM being a
fictional character in DD's world, BTW... I prefer him to exist, but
if you don't want to show him, or Goofy, or Clarabelle, EVER, in your
Duck stories, that's fine.

	As for Van Horn's views on that, he seems to perfectly accept
Mickey being in with the Ducks.  The cover to DD 286 pictures Donald
and Mickey, only.  No HDL or U$ -- in fact, I was shocked to see that
THIS was the cover... looked like a D&M cover to me, and I asked John
if the wrong image had been submitted to PREVIEWS for the ad.  "Nope,"
he said, "that's not a D&M cover, that's DD 286 all right."

	A fine cover (shows MM as fireman having just extinguished the
sixty candles on DD's birthday cake), but I would have preferred, for
example, a huge closeup of DD's face by Barks, surrounded by small
images of DD by other artists, with sunbeams in the background a la
the old cartoons;  or else a scene of Donald being feted by many
characters, not just Mickey.

	Well, time to go have lunch.  The dining hall is closing soon,
and I've gotta fill up!

	Your friend,

	David Gerstein

	"I'm de Fuller Brush Man.  I'm givin' g'way free semple."
	<David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu>

	P. S.  (For Fabio)  THANK YOU!!!!!  I will send a more
detailed letter about your package tomorrow!!!  THANK YOU!!!!
WHOOOOOPPEEE!!!