Disney-comics digest #298.

Don Rosa 72260.2635 at CompuServe.COM
Wed Apr 13 06:22:00 CEST 1994


DAVID:
	I never knew that Egmont had used the same name for all the
appearances of the pig-villain in their editions. Interesting. But
you're also saying that when Gladstone reprints those Barks stories,
they CHANGE the names, all to "Argus McSwine"??? With the policy of
never tampering with the originals, I'd find that surprising.
	But if a single name is choses, that's not such a bad idea...
however, I would STRONGLY vote AGAINST "Argus McSwine". I get a bit
weary of Barks' constant use of gag Scotch names (McThis, McThat), when
he could sometimes vary it with an Irish O'this or O'That... or
something Italian (as he did with Magica and the one DeLardo use). In
fact, in times past when I've heard fans give a single name to the
pig-villain, it's been Porkman DeLardo, not McSwine. I find Porkman
DeLardo much more interesting for some reason, maybe just because I'm
tired of all the Mc's. And it's not pronounced "Pork-MAN", like a
super-hero -- it's "Porkmin"; at least that's how I pronounce it.

MATTIAS:
	I'm not sure what your advice or attitude is about this Swedish
trip I'm being offered. You do see my point, I guess, that losing a week
or two of work a year on such trips is one thing, but the trip to Sweden
will be extending my lost work time for the year into the 5 or 6 or
even 7 week range. It's just not a matter of whether it's a good deal
by then -- it's just getting close to dangerous when I have a hefty
mortgage to meet every month without fail. I mean, if I won a lottery
prize of a free 2 month super-deluxe world cruise, I couldn't accept
that either -- this is pretty much the same thing. The bills don't stop
just because the pay does.
	And please don't think that Egmont ever TELLS me what to do,
when to sit in the booth, what reporters to talk to, etc., when I'm
there. They always ASK me if I'd LIKE to do such and such. Of course,
it's not "Would you like to meet this reporter or go on a tour of
Gothic churches" or something; I know who's paying the bills, and I
would never think of NOT doing exactly what they wish every moment of
every day. (The only thing I ever resented was, as you've recalled, the
"don't do free sketches for your fans", which I won't ever again
tolerate.) 
	I THINK I've come to some logical decision on the matter. I
still can't think of asking the local publishers to pay me a fee to
visit and be treated like semi-royalty -- that's unthinkable. And I
still won't refuse to come -- as I said, my only value to Egmont might
be as a source of publicity, so I'd better cooperate! What strikes me as
the logical answer is to ask the division I work for to UP my page rate
to the max. Vicar and them get the higher page rate because of their
being the backbone of the comics; I could suggest that I deserve that
same pay for the apparent need of me for publicity. Then that extra few
bucks per page would cover the lost work weeks. Does that make sense?
The problem is that these are TWO DIFFERENT DIVISIONS of one company,
each with their own separat budgets... and the division I work for has
no need of me for publicity, so my reasoning would be lost on them.
What to do.......
	And remind me when your American trip is, and whether you'll be
visiting me. I need to put it on my calander so I won't agree to do
another @#$%$ trip just when you come past!

RON EVRY:
	Hey -- thanks for those magazines you sent! 
	But now... are you saying that you saw the UNCLE $CROOGE #286
(the Lo$ #2 issue) disappearing off the Walmart racks? How is that
possible? It just came out at the direct-market comic stores... it can't
be at the regular newsstand-distributed areas for weeks yet! Surely
Walmart gets the Marvel-logo Gladstones, not the direct-sales issues,
right?






More information about the DCML mailing list