Disney-comics digest #461-463

[DAVID.A.GERSTEIN]

      Dear Folks,

      Several things to chat about today.

      First, Don Rosa asked me if "Humperdink" appeared more than 
once as the name of Donald's grandpa.  As far as I remember, yes.  
Maybe not, but the fact remains that no other name was ever given 
(and furthermore, wasn't Grandma's name of Elvira only used once, 
too?  I seem to remember that's what we concluded when discussing it 
some months ago).  In the particular story I recall, Grandma was in 
need of money and decided to sell some antiques in her attic, but 
couldn't bring herself to get rid of them in the end because each of 
them reminded her of some great event in her life.  Humperdink was 
mentioned many times in this story.

      I just got British MICKEY & FRIENDS #41/1994 today.  It began 
with the Mickey hypnotism gag story ("Hocus Pocus Hypnosis," D93392), 
and I was completely shocked by it.  You see, I believe that this 
particular story was drawn by William Van Horn's son, Noel, who began 
working for Egmont about a year and a half ago.  (Don't hold me to 
that until I get further evidence -- but I believe this to be the 
case.)  It certainly owes a lot to Gottfredson art c. 1942.  The real 
difference is in the rather rough linework, but this artist will just 
take some time to get his style down pat.  I'm prepared.  Next, Mickey 
spends the entire story talking in 1930s Gottfredson-lingo!  For 
example:  "Yer eyes are growin' heavy!  Ya can't even keep 'em open!"  
And so forth (the dialogue wasn't altered much in Britain, it seems).  
Mickey even says "oh, fer gosh sakes" in one panel.  It's one of the 
"new" Egmont Mickeys, all right.  Sure is a shame that it contradicts 
a Gottfredson story -- and that, in general, the tale is unspectacular.  
But the fact remains that the spirit is willing.  I'm beginning to look 
forward to more... and if I'm right about this being Noel Van Horn, 
he is apparently the guy who is going to draw my first Egmont 
Mickey tale soon.
      Do people want to see this in Gladstone's D&M?  If enough of 
you are enthusiastic about it, I can get after John to print it.  But 
again, it's more the mood of the story than the story itself that are 
interesting in this case.

      British #42 also contained a Donald/Gladstone story by Ben 
Verhagen ("Got an Itch," H8235).  Basically unspectacular.  
Well-drawn, but I can't say I find it good enough to translate to 
American idiom for use here.  I wonder if the Brits are going to use 
"Horsing Around with History"?  No sign of it yet.

      Now to the discussion of Don Rosa's "gag" stories.  Well, Don, 
I'll tell you my own thoughts.  As far as I can figure it, "gag 
stories" in your definition are those that do not involve a treasure 
hunt, a villain, or any kind of long quest.  So "On Stolen Time" is 
an adventure, by your standards.  Now then, your "gag" stories have 
usually taken one of two routes.  One is to create a story that moves 
in a prescribed series of steps, building to a climax (i. e. "Oolated 
Luck," "Recalled Wreck," "Mythological Menagerie").  Then there are 
some which simply present a concept ('Donald is trying to do 
such-and-such') and then bring on a series of basically unrelated 
gags: for example, "Super Snooper Strikes Again," "Incident at 
McDuck Tower," and "From Duckburg to Lillehammer" all contained 
scenes that could have fundamentally been switched around without 
harming the story's concept.
      I love the former style, in which a story has a continuing 
plot.  The latter style somewhat leaves me less satisfied -- the 
stories seem to meander about, and the climax seems sudden when it 
arrives.
      No matter what you say, the story you did most recently sounds 
like it can't be anything but a story of the former type, the style I 
like more.  You may have had a harder time doing it, but it sounds 
like you at least worked it out to some kind of satisfaction.  I'm 
looking forward to seeing it -- when Gladstone uses it in *two 
years*, or however darned long it's going to be.

      Last, thanks to those of you who appreciated my doing gag 
stories with Mickey.  Next year the standard MM format goes from 
eight to ten pages (maybe I mentioned that), and I have some ideas on 
the rack that ought to let Mickey really express himself.  To me, 
Mickey has emotions and thoughts like the best characters in fiction, 
and I'm just itching to depict them!

      I'll be off now, folks.  Take care, and I'll be in touch 
tomorrow.

      David Gerstein
      "Keep yer nose in the air, Monty!  With any luck, your head'll 
fall off backwards!"
      <9475609 at arran.sms.ed.ac.uk>