<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"><FONT BACK="#ffffff" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=2 PTSIZE=10 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">Hi all!<BR>
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Here are the previews of Disney comics coming out in June 2004 from Previews Volume XIV #4.<BR>
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Donald Duck and Friends #317--- In "Not Distant Enough" Donald tries to solve the mystery of an Easter Island-like statue he unearths in his backyard. Mickey tries to make a better dog out of Pluto in "Mascot Training." And Donald takes a job in a clock store in "A Duck in the Works." FC, 32 pages $2.95.<BR>
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Walt Disney's Vacation Parade #1--- A holiday special featuring Mickey, Donald, and Grandma Duck! The wraparound cover is a recreation of the original Christmas Parade(I assume this is a mistake) #1 cover, restored by Rick Keene. The interior consists of three vintage Carl Barks stories from the original issue: "Vacation Time," "Camp Counselor," and "Donald's Grandma Duck," as well as "The Monster Whale," Paul Murry's first Mickey Mouse adventure. Prestige Format. SC, 7x10, 80 pages, FC $8.95(With a price tag like this, I'm glad Gemstone only celebrates two holidays a year. ;)<BR>
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Mickey Mouse and Friends #266--- Mickey tries to foil a plan to steal an entire amusement park in "The Fastest Place on Earth." Donald and Gladstone face off on the latest reality show in "Terror at Talbot Bay." Two short stories featuring Horace Horsecollar and Goofy, respectively, wrap the book. FC, 32 pages $2.95<BR>
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Uncle Scrooge #331--- Scrooge's plans to make his Money Bin a sovereign nation backfire in "His Majesty, McDuck," a classic Don Rosa reprint. Then Daan Jippes serves up his latest recreation of a Barks-scripted Junior Woodchucks story, "Wailing Whalers." A Grandma Duck and an Uncle Scrooge short wrap the book. Prestige Format. SC, 7x10, 64 pages, FC $6.95<BR>
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Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #646--- A new cover by William Van Horn commemorates Donald's birthday. Inside, Donald's cranky until he accidently inhales laughing gas, in "Just For Laughs," Van Horn's latest. Carl Barks' first Donald 10-pager, "Victory Garden," as well as short stories featuring Mickey, Daisy, Junior Woodchucks, and Big Bad Wolf round out the book. Prestige Format. SC, 7x10, 64 pages, FC, $6.95.<BR>
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Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse--- This Disney anthology book is a holiday special featuring Mickey, Donald and Grandma Duck(Wow! Never knew there were so many Grandma stories). The cover and lead story are reprinted from Mickey Mouse Four Color #79: "Riddle of the Red Hat." This was Carl Barks' one and only Mickey adventure! Also included is "The Second Richest Duck," Barks' introduction of Flintheart Glomgold from Uncle Scrooge #15. FC, 32 pages FREE(the best price ;)<BR>
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The last title is Gemstone's contribution to Free Comic Book Day if the price didn't tip you off. Looks like a worthy successor to last year's "Mahajarah Donald." I've read the Flintheart story, but it's free so I can't complain about that part.<BR>
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Referring to WDC #646, I hope the Bucky Bug stories continue to show up in that title often. <BR>
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All in all, a couple of reprint stories I've already read, but almost all new to me. Looks like a nice month. I wonder when we'll start seeing Romano Scarpa stories(particularly ones that have never been shown in the US). Gemstone will surely run out of Don Rosa stories to re-reprint at some point. ;) (Though I've never read "His Majesty, McDuck", so that's a reprint I'm looking forward to).<BR>
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BTW, my compliments to Gemstone on their reprint of "The Tuckered Tiger" in US #328. You can tell the source for the reprint was straight out of the CBL, which I guess is why it looks so crisp compared to a couple of their Barks' reprints of the past year. <BR>
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Okay, I'll end this message before it turns into a book!<BR>
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Derek Smith</FONT></HTML>