Disney-comics digest #375.

[Don Rosa]

ANDREW:
	I have a very easy answer to your comments about my covers... I
would never argue with you. I've never claimed to be a good artist or to
know anything about composition. I agree that Van Horn's super-simple
cover designs are far more eye-pleasing and attention-grabbing than
mine, which probably drive more tired eyes away than attract them. And
if I could allow myself to do Van Horn style covers, I could do three
per day rather than one every two days, and make lots more $$$.
	But my intention is not to do covers which are eye-pleasing or
help sell extra comics to make Disney more money. My only intention is
to cram as much detail into the scene as I can... to dazzle the Duck
fans who are pleased to see someone willing, even EAGER, to put so much
needless extra effort into such low paying and thankless work, just
because he loves it. If that sells fewer comics, that hardly matters to
my royalty-less wallet; and I couldn't care less if it's not the fine
cartooning that I never claimed it was.
	So, Andrew, I agree with your advice completely, and I hope
you'll never see me follow it.

	More specifically, the little oval portraits on the cover were
my idea to somehow visually link all the Lo$ covers together in a
visually recognizeable series. Again, my intention was NOT to make the
cover visually appealing, and if the ovals are spoiling the lay-out,
even if I might regret that, I'll still continue putting those
portraits on all 12 covers no matter what.
	I checked the cover for Lo$ #3, and I need to disagree with you
on at least this one. I thought I'd drawn $crooge with his mad, beady
eyes staring towards the upper-right, directly at the Grizzly... and
that's the way it looks to me. But maybe it's only because I know what I
intended, and that's what I see.
	And yes, I know duckbilled dinosaurs had no teeth. I pointed
this out to both Erickson and Clark, saying that I wanted an evil
looking skull, but liked the duck-bill gag... and they both opted to
leave it all as is. Besides... *I* never said that was a duck-billed
dinosaur; T.R. said it was. So... he was wrong. Write to him in care of
Mount Rushmore.