This is probably an old topic, but I'd like some clarification.

I know for the INDUCKS Scrooge's butler has been listed as "Battista" and called 
an "Italian" creation, but I would like to dispute this claim.

In Barks' very first appearance of Uncle Scrooge (W OS 178-02 "Christmas On Bear 
Mountain") a dognose butler appears.  Scrooge calls him Edgerton.

I recall discussing this previously with someone and was advised that appearances 
of Scrooge's butler in the USA he was called "Albert" though I am not aware of any 
such occurrances.

Anyhow, over the years I have had the pleasure of collecting a large number of 
Italian comics of various titles and years.  I have noticed that only lately has 
Battista's physical appearance begun to be consistant.  Currently, Battista's best 
known appearance is that of a large nosed dogface with a full head of curly brown 
hair.  However, this has not always been true.  In the past he was depicted has 
having various shaped noses, and sometimes stringy hair (like Rockerduck's) or 
white or brown hair that only surrounded the side and back of his head (his top 
almost always being balding like Edgerton's).  And, I believe, until recently, 
Battista was generally depicted as having a big bush of straight WHITE hair, as 
seen even on the Official Italian Disney comics site. Yet, in every case where he 
was named by Scrooge he was consistantly called "Battista" even though he barely 
resembled the current version of Battista.

Now, in the case of Duckworth from DUCKTALES, there is very little about Duckworth 
that would make me believe that, other than the name change, the producers of 
DUCKTALES did not intend Duckworth to, in fact BE Barks' Edgerton.  In fact, I 
would dare say, as with Mrs. Featherby (Scrooge's secretary in DUCKTALES) who is 
obviously intended to be Miss Quackfaster/Typefast, Duckworth is indeed Edgerton.

Thus, it is my conclusion that Edgerton is Barks' ORIGINAL name for Scrooge's 
butler and Duckworth is the cartoon name for the SAME character.  Perhaps his full 
name is Edgerton Duckworth (which does have a very upper-class sound for a name).  
Evenso, it is my belief that Battista is actually just an evolution of Edgerton, 
and thus just the Italian name for Edgerton, and that the OFFICIAL name in the 
INDUCKS, for Scrooge's butler should be Edgerton in English for the "Duck 
Universe" and remain "Duckworth" for the DuckTales Universe (though I still 
contend that it is intended that Duckworth *is* Edgerton).  I agree that the 
Italian creators have taken Edgerton and made him a much more defined character 
and, there is very good reason for making claims on his creation, but it's still 
true that Barks actually established Scrooge had a Butler all along... unless I 
missed the issue where Barks had Scrooge fire Edgerton?

I can collect a few scans and post them if it is necessary for comparison purposes.

Am I causing trouble?  Do the Italians hate me?  Remember I'm Italian, too. :-)

What do you all think?  Am I WAY off base on this assumption... I admit this is 
only a conclusion after many years of seeing the same character appearing 
differently and I may have missed something about the reasoning for Battista's 
naming in the INDUCKS.

Next up... James, Scrooge's Driver.... :-) Just kidding.

Thanks,

Rich Bellacera
xephyr@cwnet.com




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