Disney-comics digest #289.

James Williams James_Williams at ESS.NIAID.pc.niaid.nih.gov
Mon Apr 4 21:10:31 CEST 1994


>"But THIS... this is the money I earned MYSELF... ALONE... while
>I travelled the globe for 50 years, singlehandedly discovering mines
>and starting factories!"

This is why I like your comics so much.  You comment that too many
people don't understand that the money bin is just Scrooge's private
fortune, not all of his money.  The problem is that many of these people
are writing stories featuring Scrooge McDuck.  One of the best things
about your stories is that you handle characterization so well.

>That's one of the few times I pulled off something I kinda like.
>Other times I am terribly embarrassed by how much my work SUCKS DONKEY
>PARTS!!!

Actually this is a very health attitude for a writer or artist.  You
constantly mention how much you dislike some of your older work and how
you could do it better now.  Since you aren't satistified with your
work you keep trying harder and getting even better.  The day that you
are satisfied with you work or don't care about your work is the day
you should retire from comics.

>2.  Scrooge frequently worries, with some apparent justification 
>(e.g., "The Pixilated Parrot"), that without the money in his money
>bin he will be only a poor old man.  Yet it is also clear that he has
>vast holdings elsewhere; remember the contest with Flintheart Glomgold,
>where their holdings are actually liquidated.  Presumably the answer is
>that he has vast requirements for current cash and cannot continue
>operations without the resources of his money bin.

Scrooge McDuck loves HIS MONEY, not being rich or spending money or
owning expensive stuff or being a status symbol.  Scrooge loves HIS
MONEY period.  In fact Scrooge hates the idea of spending money, owning
expensive stuff, or being a status symbol.  This is why Scrooge keeps
all of HIS money together.  This is why he counts it and plays with it. 
This money is what gives his life meaning (not those impersonal assests
held by Scrooge McDuck Inc.).  Even if he lost all the money in the
money bin, he would still be the worlds richest duck.  But, he would
have lost the only thing which matters to him.  And, in his eyes he
would be poor.

>This brings up a related question:  Why doesn't Scrooge just put 
>his money in banks and receive a return on his investment?  

Scrooge McDuck has more money in the bank or in assests then he does in
the money bin.  But, this is money earned by Scrooge McDuck the
company, not Scrooge McDuck the man.

There are two reasons Scrooge would never put his personal fortune in
the bank.  First, he couldn't bear life without his money.  Second, Why
would Scrooge care about earning interest?  He didn't earn it.  He didn't
toil for it.  Hence that money wouldn't have any meaning or value to
Scrooge McDuck the man.

>Note also that the volume has stayed under the 100-foot marker, though
>we know he has added to the money bin during that time.

Agreed.  This has never been addressed to my satisfaction.  I can imagine
a story where Scrooge McDuck finds some fabulous fortune and manages to
overflow the money bin.  The problem with such a story is that I cannot
see how it could have a happy ending.  

James William



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