Colouring

[Harry Fluks]

In reply to Jens Abrahamsson and Per Starback:

Jens> I have noticed that the colouring differs between the Scandinavian
Jens> Duck magazine and the American ones.

When the European editors buy USA stories, they usually don't buy the coloring.
American coloring was inferior to the European standards, so they re-coloured
the stories in Europe. In Holland, there was also the problem that some text
balloons had to be re-sized to fit the translation, so they couldn't use the
original color anyway.
When Disney took over from Gladstone, they (finally) gave the comics colors
that Europeans are used to for years.
In Holland, it depends on the comic whether or not original colours/colors
are used: in 'DD Extra' (monthly), Danish stories are published, using the
original Danish colouring. Also some Van Horn stories from Disney are 
published with original USA colors.
In the (better looking) 'Donald Duck' (weekly), they *always* re-colour the
stories.
In the pocket editions, they use the colours (partly B&W) from the German
pocket books 'Lustige Taschenbuecher'.

Per> Not only that, but there are differences within the same country as
Per> well, so that e.g., American reprints often don't have the same
Per> colouring as the original.  You might think it would save work to
Per> reuse a colouring when it's done, but I guess it isn't.

Most coloring of the old comics is not archived, or of too bad quality.

Per> (...) Gladstone made at least one
Per> consistent change.  They made the stripes on Donald's jacket yellow
Per> instead of white, as before.  On covers they were always yellow, but
Per> the jacket was blue instead of black!  Donald's nephews are also often
Per> coloured in a strange way on covers.

Were Donald's stripes *always* white? From 1942 through 1980?

Per> The colourists in different countries seem to have created their own
Per> traditions.  In Scandinavia those stripes are blue, Donald's car is
Per> red instead of yellow and the Beagle Boys always have red sweaters.

Donald's car *should* be red, and not yellow. I have never seen a comic where
Donald's car (the now famous 313) is yellow...
 
Jens> It seems that the American colourists do their job better. For
Jens> example they colour Donald's eyes light blue, while the Scandinavian
Jens> duck usually has got white ones.

I think the USA coloring is a bit overdone..
 
Jens> I would like to know how come the colouring differs between the
Jens> countries, and I'm pretty sure you guys know the answer! :-)
 
Per> Well, I didn't, really, but I tried to answer anyway. :-)

I know nothing, but am always willing to comment on everything. 8-)

Harry Fluks.