Digests 215-219

[Torsten Wesley Adair]

On 23 Jan 1994, Gary Leach wrote:
> TORSTEN:
> Concerning cashier racks, Disney won't have any part of it on Gladstone's 
> behalf (they just want their royalty payments), and Marvel has just opted out 
> of spending $200 a month on continuing a co-op ad program with us. Gladstone's
> all alone in the wilderness on this one. And guess which of the three 
> companies doesn't have tens of thousands of dollars and banks of lawyers to 
> throw into just negotiating this sort of thing?

I, Torsten Adair, hereby declare that I will henceforth cease all future
discussion about Disney comics as they relate to cashier racks.

> DON AGAIN, TOO:
> Egmont isn't entirely unconstrained by Disney, but what you said pretty much 
> hit the proverbial nail a smart rap. Several years ago I heard that Indonesia 
> (I think it was Indonesia) nationalized the Disney characters, claiming they 
> were the property of the people of that country and so not subject to the 
> dictates of The Walt Disney Company as to their use in that country. It was a 
> fascinating bit of hearsay, but I never heard any more about it. Has anyone 
> else?

My brother worked for Mobil Oil in Sumatra, Indonesia.  I had him buy some
comic books for me from the various countries he visited, and one of them
was a digest sized (about sixteen pages) comic book depicting a very badly
drawn  (even worse than you, Don!  |)) Donald Duck.  The paper was crude
(yellowish brown), and there was no color.  I couldn't decipher the
dialogue, so I don't know what it was about.  

Until recently, Indonesia was one of the worst offenders of international
copyright law.  They have since changed their policy, thanks in part to
the United States of America.  I don't know what the current situation is.
 I'll have him buy some more the next time I see him.

> TORSTEN, FINALLY:
> Thanks for the rundown on upcoming Gladstones. Is this a regular item that you
> post?

When I have the time.  I'll be posting more shortly.  However, I will be
leaving the country for a while, and so someone else will need to enter
the info from CBG and Diamond Previews.
 
> It surprised me to find myself reading my own deathless ad copy for CBG #1055 
> in Digest 219. I often find myself writing the CBG ads at the last minute, so 
> I hope they mostly make sense...mostly.

Yup.  They do.  Although the Jefferson dates ad was sort of confusing.  
Also, you need to check the black and white photos for clarity.  The first
DDA in Color cover was clear, but the second one with the Egyptian tomb
was a bit murky.  Maybe if you just printed off a cover with only the
black line art.  You could use this for press releases as well (CBG runs
an occasional cover in the news columns, and I'm sure Don Thompson would
use it to sing the praises of Disney comics in his review column.)

> AND THAT...
> ...is more than enough (and probably way too much) from me for now.

Thanks for the information!  

Torsten Adair	torsten at cwis.unomaha.edu	Omaha, NE, USA