Don: Kalevala

Fluks, H.W. H.W.Fluks at research.kpn.com
Wed Feb 2 16:50:24 CET 2000


> From: Don Rosa [mailto:donrosa at iglou.com]
> Subject: Re: Digest #70

> the main point about eBay is that the winning bidder does 
> *not* pay the amount of his bid, but he simply pays
> one increment over the second-highest
> bidder's bid

I wonder why they introduced such a system. Looks quite unfair to me: if you
want something and make sure noone else bids anymore, just bid a billion
dollars (and pay only $205).

> I get a lot of fanmail by post or computer, a daily flow, and 
> every single
> message I get starts out by saying that the "Lo$" are their favorite
> stories.

Maybe *I* should write a letter to you, then? 8-)
*My* favourite Rosa stories are "His Majesty, McDuck", "Return to Xanadu",
"On a Silver Platter", and "A Matter of Some Gravity". Lo$ comes at place 6
or 7, or so.

H> In this story, as in some other recent Rosa stories, Donald 
H> is a real dope.

> Where is Donald acting like a "dope"?

Well, maybe it's more that Scrooge *treats* him like a dope. Donald gets
lots of physical challenges in the story... (I don't have the story right
here, so I can't tell page numbers or so).

H> And Scrooge is too harsh on him. This doesn't fit in my 
H> personal view of the character.

> Oh, *that* won't change in my stories. DD and U$ will always 
> bicker!

I see.

H> BTW, I liked the part that Donald "swims like a duck".

> My script made a reference to
> the fact that the Kalevala legend stated that only a "blue duck" could
> retreive the lost harp, and Donald is called on to perform this other
> important function.

The "blue duck" stuff was in the German version too. But when the newphews
(I think) say that Donald applies to that, they don't say that Donald *is* a
duck, but that Donald "swims like a duck". I thought this was a typical
Rosaism, since you regard the Ducks as real people (though drawn in
unfamiliar shapes). So you would never refer to Donald as being "a duck"
(except when it's funny).

Apparently, the German translation was more "Rosaic" than the original...
(In *this case, at least).

H> it's strange that some things
H> aren't explained. For instance, why does Magica arrive in that big
H> wooden(?) bird construction.

> ??? This is all clearly explained in the preceding pages! 

Then I must have missed it when reading the archaic-German Kalevala poetry.
I must admit that I skipped quite a lot of that.

> Or... did you say you could read German?

I think I can read modern German quite well. But it's the archaisms that I
(as a non-German) have problems with.

H> The page about the "golden snow of the Sampo" is a total 
H> mystery to me.
H> Probably a reference to the Kalevala that only insiders would 
H> recognise?

> My script explained all that was happening on that page. No secret
> knowledge required.

I don't get the *point* of that page. What's that about golden snow? Maybe
it *is* the translation? (I'll read that page again.)

> Better you should make a criticism that I understand, like 
> tell me my art
> is bad or filled with "needless and irritating detail"  -- 
> then I could agree and stop being confused.

No point in telling you things that you already agree with! 8-)

--Harry.




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