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<DIV>Everyone:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Let's hear it for Chuck, Dean, Robert (...all great guys, as my experience
has shown) and everyone else who's acted as voices of reason in the Gemstone
situation. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Some of the comments I read here were downright shameful. Ungrateful
to the almost Herculean efforts of Steve Geppi to secure a comics publishing
license from the monolithic Disney Enterprises, Inc., disrespectful to the
memory of Bruce Hamilton who, even though I sometimes disagreed with his
direction during the Gladstone II days, is directly responsible for all we as
American fans have today, and unappreciative of the efforts of David, and Gary
to communicate with us (and do it "square", to paraphrase a favorite character)
during this difficult time! </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So, let's keep it on an even keel -- as it has been lately -- and see what
happens. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Also, let me "second" Dean's suggestion for a prestige Donald and Mickey
title. As with all "Great Minds", I've expressed a similar idea in
a letter I sent to WDC&S #675 last week, some of which I'll excerpt
here:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">The month of November brought some sad news from
Gemstone, concerning the (hopefully temporary) cancellation of <B>DONALD DUCK
AND FRIENDS</B> and <B>MICKEY MOUSE AND FRIENDS</B>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The first unhappy news, I must point
out, since the coming of Gemstone some 3 ½ years ago… still pretty good by any
standard.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Rather than echo some of the criticisms posted online
concerning the cancellations and content of the remaining titles, I’d prefer to
thank the team at Gemstone for their superlative efforts thus far, and pledge my
support for future projects.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Still, for me, it is a blow to lose the abovementioned
titles.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>More so than any other
title, format, or packaging, they were the “real deal”.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The direct descendents of the Dell
<B>DONALD DUCK</B> and <B>MICKEY MOUSE</B> titles, to which we all owe so
much.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Oddly, as these titles “leave the building”, we also
receive what is, in my opinion at least, the BEST issue of <B>WDC&S</B>
published by Gemstone… and maybe one of the best ever.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>With the three meaty continued stories;
“<U>The Orb Saga</U>”, Gottfredson’s “<U>Mickey Mouse Joins the Foreign
Legion</U>”, and the unexpected surprise of “<U>The Protector of Shambor</U>” –
not to mention the hijinks of a good William Van Horn snowball-throwing romp – I
find myself anticipating the “next issue” in a way I haven’t since the original
run of “<U>The Return of the Phantom Blot</U>” in 1964.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Could that anticipation lead to possible
inspiration?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Consider this… If the
squarebound format of <B>WDC&S</B> and <B>UNCLE SCROOGE</B> is, as
indications show, a successful one, <B>WDC&S # 675 </B>is a perfect example
of how great a prestige <B>DONALD AND MICKEY</B> title could be!<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Frankly, I’m not at all interested in the reported thick
black and white collections.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Excepting that material originally seen as daily newspaper strips, these
comics were MEANT TO BE IN COLOR!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>And, in such a <B>DONALD AND MICKEY </B>title, they would be!<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It could encompass the material that
would have appeared in the departed titles, and would be the perfect place for
classic reprints ranging from “<U>Lost in the Andes</U>” to “<U>The Red Wasp
Mystery</U>”, as well as Barks ten-pagers, Romano Scarpa’s Duck and Mouse
adventures, and new works from fan-favorite contemporary creators.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">We might have lost four titles, including the DD and MM
“Take-Alongs”, but we need not miss a beat with such a welcome alternative to
take up the slack!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Please
give it some consideration.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">---------------------------------------------------------------</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">So, hopefully, between
Dean's suggestion and mine, we can give "legs" to this idea!
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">Joe Torcivia.
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT></FONT> </P></DIV>
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