UNCLE SCROOGE #286

David A Gerstein David.A.Gerstein at williams.edu
Sun Apr 10 02:49:13 CEST 1994


	Dear Folks,

	Don asked me to offer criticism on LOS part 2 as it recently
appeared in these parts.  I'm offering my comments here, so everyone
can add their own details if they want.

	#1.  Scrooge's steamboat-owning uncle Angus is only named
Angus on the first page of this story... and NEVER called that in the
previous chapter!  I don't mind learning that his real name is Angus,
but in the previous chapter we heard only "Pothole."  I was completely
confused at first.  I opened the comic saying, "Here's where we'll
meet Scrooge's uncle Pothole" -- and then the references to "Angus"
completely stymied me until I was informed that this was a nickname.
If a McDuck's real name can be "Swamphole" or "Roast," it is not
immediately apparent that "Pothole" is only a nickname.

	#2.  Coloring error.  The only panel showing Seafoam's gold
teeth showed them as white.  I hope that will be changed for the
album.

	#3.  I don't actively dislike the blanket yellow coloring
except in a single panel, in which the ducks shown are not in the
background or extreme foreground but colored that way anyway.  (One of
the panels where they are in the boat.  I have to admit I can't say
offhand which one...)  Think of how much worse it could be, though.
Look at the miserable coloring on the story "The Sultan of Phud" in
USA #25.  We have everyone in the background a FLUORESCENT BLUE, which
makes them stand out like a canteloupe in a strawberry patch.  The LO$
is getting a great coloring job, I'd say.  BUT...
	Gladstone's printing quality is going notably downhill.
Colors are excellent, but I never see a Gladstone comic anymore in
which at least some pages have the colors printed quite some distance
outside of their outlines!  The extreme example was DD 283 -- the
"Lillehammer" story and the accompanying Sunday strips -- but it has
been occurring consistently since then as well, if in not such extreme
form.  I'd say it was most notable in LO$ 2 on two pages:  the first,
and then the page where the top half showed the inside of the 
_Brennan Whyte_ (it's most evident there on Scrooge).
	Disney Comics' comics always had impeccable matchup jobs of
colors and outlines.  The first few months of Gladstone's new ones
did, as well, but at this point it has gotten irritatingly bad.
Gladstone REALLY oughtta complain to their printer (which is
reportedly the same guys who printed Disney's issues, although the
paper and height of the comics would seem to contradict that).

	#4.  Back to LO$ 1 -- a big mistake.  On the last page,
Scrooge is given Great-Uncle Seafoam's gold teeth, as well as the
McDuck heirloom watch.  The dialogue implies that the WATCH was
Seafoam's as well -- but the article you wrote for US 285 implies
otherwise!  I DON'T have the "Heirloom Watch" story accessible to me
at present, so I can't verify who the watch is from, but I know that
your article is correct, Don, but the story itself is wrong.

	#5.  I didn't mind the sound effects.  I LOVE the lettering,
although my favorite modern lettering is that of Teresa Davidson -- who
lettered all Egmont Rosas for Disney.  (BTW -- although I praise her 
lettering on its own terms, did anyone here notice that she redrew the
word balloons almost entirely in three Rosa stories -- "Island at the 
Edge of Time," "Super Snooper Strikes Again," and "The Duck Who Fell 
to Earth"?  In all cases, making them smaller and adding surrounding 
art, not always well -- note seats in airplane in "Edge of Time" in 
particular.  Still, I loved her fine work on "Xanadu" and others.
Wish Gladstone would use her talent.)

	#6.  In all, a fine, fine story.  BTW, I haven't seen any more
of the LO$ than this, due to the deprived state of American readers.
Does Argus McSwine (I mean the omnipresent slick, moustachioed Pig
Villain) appear in the LO$ at all?  Any plans to use him in the
future, either?  That certainly WASN'T McSwine in "War of the
Wendigo," although not having the story in English, I don't know what
he WAS called (he's Rufus Ruffel in German).  What's this guy's name?

	Well, that's my 0.02.  BTW, Don, now that I've answered your
questions, will you enter my Gladstone poll?  I didn't expect you
would, but I'm trying my best to convince you ;-)

	So long, all.

	David Gerstein
	<David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu>



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