+Postage Due+Disney-comics digest #115.

[Don Rosa]

COMMENTS ON #115:
	Yow! These Digests useta be so SHORT. I had to read through
that'n so quickly that I may have missed something.

	What questions was I asked?
	I don't know when they'll use my "Guardians of the Lost
Library". It has only been used in Norway as of now, and I don't know if
that means Gladstone can use it or if they still have to wait for a few
other Egmont branches to use it. It's a 28 pager, and a bit preachy
since it was done to fill a certain "educational" need, as was that "War
of the Wendigo" story. I was afraid it read like "Donald and the Wheel"
or something, but some folks have said it's my "best story". You'll need
to judge for yourself -- but STOP calling it the "origin of the
Woodchucks"! It's not the origin of the Woodchucks (I deal with that in
the "Life & Times of $McD" part 10), but it has something to do with the
origin of their GUIDEBOOK.... but you are not supposed to know THAT
until the second-to-last page!!! In Norway they gave away the ending of
the story on the COVER! That's a lil' bit irritating for a writer to
see, y'knowwhatimean?

	What other old Barks stories or Disney stories do I think should
be banned from the "popular editions". Definitely anything involving
INDIANS! Besides that, I'd hafta see some example to think on it. All I
know is that I would be really p*ssed off if I saw a new comic that had
the story hinge on what a good gag it is that Donald killed an eagle
instead of something WORTH killing. Yow! There must be other stories
like that. And I guess I'd have a hard time arguing against them
removing the noses and lips from Foola Zoola and his gang. The only
problem, as I said before, is Disney does not seek to preserve a version
for the historians... the changes must be made overall.
	Speaking of banned stuff, Disney is still changing everything
they can think of in current printings. The problem is that there are
people at Disney whose job it is to look through Disney comic stories,
foreign or old Dell stuff, and find things to change. If they don't find
anything to change, their job is NOT NEEDED. So they MUST create
problems and then save the world by solving them so their bosses will be
happy with their work. Their job is not to solve problems but to make
their jobs necessary. In that reprinting of "Omelet", Disney told
Gladstone to omit the line where an Omelet citizen, fleeing the sunken,
burning city, says "At least we had insurance!" Disney preferred it to
look like Donald had ruined the entire town's lifesavings and future
rather than have someone seem like they were benefiting from insurance
fraud (since they were burning their own town)???? Disney also told
Gladstone to delete all the dialect from all my Scottish characters in
the "Life of $McD" series.
	Gladstone just ignored both directives.

	Fredrik -- what had you said about the art in "Wendigo"? I think
you just said it "wasn't outstanding", but I still hoped you'd help me
by explaining why so that I could improve. I'll look back at that one
drawing of Donald -- it's very common that I do bizarrely bad drawings
that I usually catch myself, but some might slip by! And that last scene
with the saluting animals was just to pander a bit to the publishers'
reasons for having me do a story on that specific topic. A bit too
sugary? Maybe so.

	I failed to say hello to MATTIAS last time! This guy is one of
the people who are so very nice to me when I visit Sweden! Anyway,
what's going on with Stefan and his translations? Doesn't he need any
questions answered? I never hear from him! I'm always anxious to help
because I see what a mess some countries are making of that "Life of
$crooge" series. In Holland they use the chapters out of order,
seemingly on purpose... and in England they begin with part 3 and, even
though they have my English script, they still change the wordings and
ruin lots of meaning. I sure look forward to Gladstone's use!

	That Donald Duck Viking cover. It was my intention that the big
guy be peering from in between the logo lines. The idea was that it
would make him look big? I never say my ideas are good! When I see the
actual comic, I might not like it either!
	I also did the cover to Barks' "Money Well" issue, contrary to
what the ads say. They wanted me to do the cover for my "Lillehammer"
story, but I said that I preferred to forget that one.

	David -- pertaining to Grandma Duck's actual name. I base my
"Life of $crooge" on Barks, but if there was ever some fact revealed,
especially concerning a non-Barks character like her, if there was
nothing wrong with the fact or name, I sought not to act arrogant and
allow other sources to determine such factors. In my complete and
detailed index to WDC&S (that I mentioned doing about 17 years ago) I
made a note about what Grandma's name was given as, and I hunted it down
since I deal with Grandma in part 10 of "life". Her name is Elvira. And
I decided her maiden name was COOT. She is the owner of all the land
around Duckburg from whom $crooge buys it when he arrives in 1902.
	As to when I say $crooge died (1967) or what other writers might
do with $crooge. What does it matter. I don't demand (or even request)
that any other writer or artist follow my blueprnt of $crooge's life. I
think I've created one that all CAN follow and create good stories
from... but they don't have to. Barks did his Ducks. I do mine (based on
Barks', but their mine) and everyone else decides what theirs are.
Anarchy? Yeah. I would like to think my Ducks are the same as Barks, but
apparently that idea disgusts Barks, so my Ducks are just my Ducks.

	Gotta go!