Disney-comics digest #755.

[Lutz Koch]

Dwight:

>Yeah, for German Duck fans, Dr. Erika Fuchs's translations are kind of
>the King James Version of Barks stories. (...) 
>For German fans who grew up on her versions of Barks's stories, they're just
>as "official" as the originals. Thus the demand for her work in the 
>German edition of the CBL.

This is absolutely correct, and Dr. Erika Fuchs translations can't really be
praised high enough for all their wit and high standard. Because of her fine
work, Carl Barks' stories have actually become part of modern German culture.
But it should also be noted that EHAPA, the German Disney publishers, have shown
a bad choice of words when describing Barks' original version. In a 1995
promotional brochure, the chapter describing the German CBL contains the
following phrase:
"Many readers would be disappointed if they could take a look at the American
original: Carl Barks without the verbal wit of Dr. Erika Fuchs - unthinkable!"
This is a mean and tasteless statement. But what can you expect from a company
that fills its most popular publication, the MM weekly, with editorial trash of
the worst kind (like encouraging kids to play filthy tricks on their classmates
etc.).

>I read in a European fanzine that Barks visited Dr. Fuchs when he was
>over there last year. She isn't a whole lot younger than he is (late
>80s, I think). He took her flowers and the account almost made it sound
>like a young man shyly calling on a young lady. 

Yes, part of their encounter can be seen in the 40min. video which documents his
visit to Germany, "Duckburgh is Everywhere" (available at comic stores). She's
88 years old, and she is an art historian.

--Lutz