DD 284? Anyone have news about it?

[David A Gerstein]

	Dear Folks,

	I read WDC&S 590 quite a while ago.  Mark Semich commented
that "I like Daan Jippes, but Geoffry Blum seems to be losing his
scripting skills.  It just rubs me the wrong way to actually have 
someone in a Donald story say, "That dude is awesome... NOT!"
Actually I don't mind this.  It was a CROW who said it, and crows are
sleazy, scavenger birds.  Hi-Ho, the Carrion Crow -- remember?  If any
bird would attempt to sound hip, it's a crow.  Remember the later Gyro
story where Gyro's Helper talked to birds?  The birds were
specifically identified as not very bright, and thus they spoke in
hipster lingo of the time, complete with "Daddy-O."  Isn't that just
as dated as this?  (Or maybe this is the pot calling the kettle black
-- I can see where you wouldn't like the Barks hip-talk either, Mark.)

	When I saw Geoffrey Blum's script, I was groaning and moaning.
Not because I didn't like it -- I *loved* it myself.  I was moaning
because it seemed to me to be a thousand times better than MY script
for the Dutch story in the previous issue... certainly more
imaginative.  Ah, well, I hope I'll improve with time, just like
vintage wine.  I thought "The Hoard at the Rainbow's End" was a cut
above the WDC&S 589 story, and I think a few that are coming up are
pretty good.  But like Don Rosa, I *always* have a hard time with my
older work.

	BTW Mark, I have gotten the US 285s from you now.  Thanks a
million!  I love them, of course.  I'll send some money for them soon.
I didn't forget.

	* * *  ATTENTION! * * *

	NOW MOST IMPORTANTLY:  Has anyone got DD 284???  WHAT
Taliaferro material is in this comic?  I know that the DD "Silly
Symphony" Sunday strip ended in Dec. 1937, and we were at the
beginning of December 1937 at the end of DD 284.  There should only be
a very few SS Sundays in DD 284.  What then?  Do we start with Jan. 
1938 dailies, or do we jump ahead to 1939 when Donald got his own
Sunday strip again?

	I'm really looking forward to the dailies myself.

	David Gerstein
	<David.A.Gerstein at Williams.edu>