<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">Rodney wrote:<BR>
<BR>
I read some series 1 Gladstone books the other night, and I was surprised to find that the paper in them was very white, and these were early issues (WDCS 511 etc.). The Disney books seem to have dulled a bit in the 10 or so years since I bought them new. <BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
My experience has seemed to be the opposite. I guess it's just the indivdiual comics and not any real change in paper.<BR>
<BR>
As for Lil' Bad Wolf, what has the poor lil' guy done to deserve so much animosity? ;) The few stories I've read of him weren't that bad(a few were actually good). At any rate, I've yet to see anything of the pup in the Gemstone comics, so let's not complain about Lil' Bad Wolf until we actually see him.<BR>
<BR>
Now for WDC 634. A great first issue! :) Several good stories in it(though perhaps a little too slanted to the Duck side). Really, all the stories were good in their own way. William Van Horn comes through again with a great comedy. I've never read any of his son's work, so it was interesting to read Noel Van Horn's Mickey story. I must admit, it won't be an all-time favorite with me, but the twist near the end, made it different. And Gilbert's Gladstone tale... nice to see a different side to the lucky cousin. As for Carl Barks' story, Daan Jipes can draw so much like Bark's, it's truly hard to tell the difference. This is the kind of Barks tale I like best, one I haven't read before! (though the story itself had been published in the seventies, I hadn't read that). Can't wait for US 320/WDC 635!<BR>
<BR>
BTW I talked to my local comics shop owner and he said that basically only one or two adults had been buying the Disney comics(I'm one, I wonder who the other weirdo is. ;) But he had great hopes that the lower priced comics in September would allow kids to get into Disney comics. But based on those order figures I found, things weren't so bad for Gemstone's first month and everything is looking up, especially once September gets here.<BR>
<BR>
Derek Smith</FONT></HTML>