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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi everyone!</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>First, thank you Derek, for forewarding the
information!</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1/ Cancelled Titles</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Like Dean, I would be curious to know how much the
price would have had to be for MM&F, DD&F, DDA and MMA to
continue?</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2/ Continuing Titles</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>No problem with the price here, though I can
understand it might be much for many readers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>On a sidenote, I wish amazon.fr got the titles
faster (I only received the October issue of WDC&S yesterday-- # 673)
and provided a "Subscribe" option for periodicals, but that's an other matter,
unless maybe Gemstone can try and suggest it. amazon.com does have such a
service, after all.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>3/ Reprints</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The eternal Barks reprint "dilemma". I guess it's
like those movies that systematically get a re-run on TV every year; "same old
thing", but also nice memories, and a chance for many to discover
them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I don't think a new Barks Library would warrant
cancelling those reprints, Dean. How could people new to Disney comics (there
must be some) decide to buy such $30+ anthologies if they did not get a
few samples once in a while in the regular comics?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The big problem is figuring out how to space
them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Besides, if only older readers are interested in
the comics and Barks stories as you suggest, then most must already
have either Barks Library, if not both, which means they would not
need another.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm all for a new anthology, with new essays, ... I
have the CBLiC and only the first set each of DD and US CBL, and I would
gladly invest in a new, hardcover, all-color Library. Incidentally, I purchased
as many EC comics sets as I could find (new) three-four years ago, yet I am most
interested in the new EC anthology series-- even though I will surely start with
those series I do not have yet, just because I cannot get everything at
once.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>4/ Walt Disney
Treasures</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The first volume was a wonderful idea, and making
it an ongoing series is even better! The ideal thing, of course, would be
to have them released at the same time as the DVDS, which I am sure is what was
planned from the beginning. The DVDs ought to contain a leaflet advertising the
albums, by the way; I hope you were able to arrange this for the upcoming new
batch.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I love the idea of such a compendium /
sampler of everything Disney; all the characters and most major authors
& artists were represented. The production was top quality, and two essays
were even included. This was a most sumptuous release, and definitely my
favorite of the new books you have produced.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As for your suggestion, Dean, I agree volumes
focusing on one author / artist (Scarpa, Cavazzano, Jippes, ...) would be great,
but I think this ought to be yet another title; it seems to be the Disney
Treasures should retain the current compendium format, to appeal to as many
people as possible, and to celebrate as many creations and creators as possible
at once.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>5/ <EM>Shonen Jump</EM>-style
books</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dean's explanation & parallel with the DC
& Marvel books, plus a little search, gave me an idea of what this
might be.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"More bang for your buck" always sounds good. I
have just thumbed through my "House of Mystery" (which I have not read
yet, but I will start this week); good quality; I'm sure Gemstone will do their
best to deliver the best quality possible.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Comics in black and white? Well, this was presented
as a major asset for the CBL and EC anthologies: clear art, the artist's work in
the purest state, with no interference from an exterior agent (colorist's
interpretations, poor color quality for technical reasons, ...). If the
paper quality is cheaper than that of the current comics, black and white
might be much better, indeed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The idea of Disney comics in black and white
is all the less odd to me as I grew up reading <EM>Mickey Parade</EM> and
<EM>Picsou Magazine</EM>, which, unlike <EM>Le Journal de Mickey</EM>, were not
in full-color (ie, not until the second half / late '80's), but were in an
hybrid format: two pages in color, two in black and white, two colored, two
b&w, ... And another publication, <EM>Mickey Poche</EM>, was all black and
white.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>6/ Special books</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><EM>Mickey and the Gang</EM> is a most splendid
book, and I don't regret getting the hardcover rather than the (already
gorgeous) softcover. Are there ore such books in the making?</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>7/ Anthologies</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>An old request: a link was posted this summer to an
article evoking the possibility, not only of a new Barks anthology, but of
a Gottfredson one.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Is it possible now to have more information on the
chances of this happening?</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>8/ The Future</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Be sure I'll keep doing my best buying the comics
& books (I'm quite behind in the now-to-be-cancelled titles, but that's
because amazon.fr doesn't carry them and I have to order them in bulk from US
comics retailers) and promoting them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Disney comics have always been great, wholesome,
fun comics, with many well-written & well-drawn gems, and we have been
fortunate to have Gladstone & Gemstone, not only to publish them, but to do
such a remarkable job of it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My only regret in the switch from one to the other
is the loss of special features ("The Year That Was", essays on stories,
comics history, ...), but I understand we still won't get any right now, due to
those price issues. <EM>Scoop!</EM> does provide similar features online, but it
is not entirely devoted to Disney comics-- and it is online.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks again to the Gemstone (for some, formerly
Gemstone) team your efforts!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Even though the loss of four titles is a sad
thing, those other projects sound mighty intriguing-- and, dare I say it, the
black & white books might even turn out a lot better than the pocket books:
more cumbersome, but more profitable (lesser costs for you, more pages for us)
and possibly with more gems, with nice, long stories that even the pocketbook
comics would have had a hard time holding.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Olivier</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>