Disney-comics digest #123.

[Mark Semich]

David Gerstein writes more about:
>	Racism in WDC&S 57
>
>	Dear Mark:  I'm interested to hear the examples of racism and
>jingoism in WDC&S 57 -- I don't have that one.  Is it one of the ones
>with the MM "Black Crow" mystery?  That does have a few lapses in
>it...  for example, Mickey briefly suspecting the Chinese-American
>hired man of being a crook (presumably mistaking him for being
>Japanese, although that isn't stated outright).

Yes, the part of "The Black Crow Mystery" that is in WDC&S 57 has MM
say "I don't like the looks of that guy!" when he is passed by a
Chinese farmhand.  We don't actually discover that he *isn't* a spy in
this chapter.  In the story, Mickey and Goofy are working in a war
camp, and even Goofy gets a chance to pitch in for the war effort:
"Whut a day!  We dug eighteen tons o' pertaters fer our boys at thuh
front!"  Mickey spends his time trying to prove himself a good worker
so that he can contribute to the war as well.  Eventually, he does:
"Boy! A tough day, but it feels great to know that I'm doing something
to help win the war!"

I may have overstated my case a bit, but being a young-un (28), not
being around during WW-II, and growing up during all the anti-Vietnam
stuff, the war references that I saw stuck out like a sore thumb.

In a one page MM gag, MM buys a "Post-War" home (assemble from a
box), in a Donald gag, Donald is stopped by a Civil Defense guy for
walking with a flash-light (torch) at night, in another there's an
air-raid going on.  Another Donald one-pager involves Donald losing
his gas-coupon and dealing with the gas quota.

Another old-topic hot-potato: Donald stops off at the "Big Feet Indian
Reservation" to hire a mama-indian as a golf caddie.

>	If that issue is the one with the DD icebox robber story...
>that story is the only example I know of where anti-Japanese sentiment
>appears in Barks.  Or is that story WDC&S 56?

No, this Barks is the one where Donald tries to take a photo of the
Iron-Billed wood-pecker for a thousand dollar prize.

More on coloring: Bolivar is shown as a solid orange (!) and Donald's
suit is black with blue trim.

=====
>	What foreign stories are in US 283, and who's responsible for
>them?  I'm dying to get this issue!

I already answered this one, but your earlier mention of newstands
reminded me of something.  I've only seen a few of the Gladstones that
are sold under the "Disney Comics dist. by Marvel Comics" imprint, but
all of them had very bad printing.  The colors seemed muddier, and
there were more errors like white streaks on the page.  Are these
Gladstone's rejects or something?

Also, Newsstands are generally a couple of months behind comic stores,
so I wouldn't worry yet about having missed any issues.  I'm not sure,
but it's possible that subscriptions might show up sooner (and then
you get *real Gladstones* :-)  )

=====
I've been wondering what people's reaction is to my posting info from
Gladstones that most people haven't gotten yet and from Advance
Comics.  Is this something that people like, or dislike because I'm
posting spoilers?

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     "I am Scrooge McDuck of the clan McDuck.  There can be only one!"
--   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   --
mark a. semich                                               mas at csa.bu.edu
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