Disney-comics digest #120.

[David A Gerstein]

	LONG Digest today!  And almost no time to respond to it... oh,
fer gosh sakes!  (Gotta get home and go to bed!)

	Harry:

	"BTW: how come you can translate Dutch? (BTOW: I think most of
the Milton/Jippes stories are originally written in English, because 
neither of them speak the other's language.)

	I can translate Dutch because it's *just barely* close enough
to German for me to figure it out, with a little trouble!!!  Also, I
have to translate stories from Dutch that were originally written in
English because after Oberon (or whatever it's called) uses them a
single time and gives Egmont a crack at them, it *throws away the
English script*, something Egmont *never* does.

	Fabio:

	Why is Paperinik called that?  It's a cinch he'll never get
that "Superduck" name over here while Archie Comics still holds a
character by that name under lock and key!

	I'm interested by "Paperoga e l'isola a elica"... what does
that *mean*?  How long is the story?  My student dean here at Williams
has cut a deal to do rough translation of Italian for me to then
dialogue... that's the only way I'm going to get to do Italian stories
for Gladstone.

	One story I would really like to dialogue is that "lentils of
Babylon" story, but I don't have access to it or its code number.
Anyone got a code number for "Colossus of the Nile"?  John Clark had
to put an order in for it by *issue* number and it's taking forever!

	Fabio, I'd *love* to see some of those 1970s stories using
"remodelled" Gottfredson characters which were done in Italy!  BTW:
Eli Squinch was never gone for good, and is now being used by Egmont
regularly (although those stories haven't seen print yet).  I will be
doing Egmont's first Sylvester Shyster story (as far as they remember)
not long from now.  It involves a treasure and I think you'll enjoy it
when it's published... it's to be called "The Cavern in the
Shifting Sands".  As for Butch... well, I just might use him with
Mickey sometime soon.

	When I use those characters I'm going to specify that they
look as they did when Gottfredson used them last.  I can't *imagine*
how Butch would be alongside the modern Mickey and I thought *I* was
the first to think of that!  I imagine him kinda like Fethry is to
Donald...

	Any of those stories use Ruffhouse Rat or Creamo Catnera?

	Egmont realizes full well that a lot of their Mickey stories
up to this point have been dull (despite good art in some of the more
recent ones).  They would also like to be doing as many MM stories as
Duck stories.  But many writers feel that MM is only for mysteries
and thus use that as an excuse to act jaded with him.  Most of the new
writers that have come to Egmont in the last ten years have only
expressed interest in doing Ducks.  I may be the first to do lots of
both Ducks and Mickeys, and to me MM is anything but dull!

	Egmont has a rule that MM and DD cannot appear together...
OFTEN.  They just did one such story, though (not published yet),
showing that now and then they don't mind.

	I don't mind making Mickey into a humorous character at all.
My next story involves MM and Horace prospecting for valuable ore on 
Mt. Fishflake.  No villain in this story -- chemistry between
Mickey and Horace causes the trouble!  I'll be making the final script
for this soon.

	And when I use Sylvester Shyster and Pete together (in my
second MM story) I'll be sure to have them sing their favorite
"victory" song after thinking they've defeated MM:

	"Oh, it's *always* good *weather* when *good* fellows get
together!"

	I also plan to use Mickey's rival Mortimer Mouse in stories
now and then.  Mortimer, who always thinks he can think of a smart way
to get anything done, can be the same type of thorn in the hero's side
that Gladstone is for Donald.  I imagine the following... Mouseton 
city street, lunchtime:

	Mortimer:  Yep!  All I've gotta do if I want something is to
turn on my *brain* and *hotcha!* I've *got* it!
	Mickey:  Phooey!  I wish you'd turn it *off* once in a while,
Mortimer!
	Mortimer:  See that pie in Mr. Frizzlewhiskers' window?  Why,
if I wanted that pie I could get it, right now!
	Mickey:  Oh, y' *could* could you?  I'd like to see you try!
	
	[Mortimer runs around the side of the building and yowls like
a cat, driving the grocer crazy until he runs out behind the shop.
Meanwhile, Mickey squirts mustard into the holes in the piecrust from
a bottle.  Before Mr. Frizzlewhiskers comes back, Mortimer dashes in
through the door, swipes the pie, grabs Mickey by the arm and dashes
out]

	Mortimer:  See?  I *got* it!  All it took was using my
*brains!*  (CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP)  Brains?????!!  >PFOOOO!<
	Mickey [paying Mr. Frizzlewhiskers for the pie, as Mortimer
tries to look innocent]:  This is fer that pie of yours... we took it
and *I* enjoyed *every last bite!*

	* * * * *

	Good night, folks.

	David Gerstein