Disney-comics digest #324.

[Mikko Henri Juhani Aittola]

David wrote:
  > Are the comics of Norway, Sweden, and Finland all made by
  > divisions of Egmont?  And for the most part, are they almost the same
  > between one another from week to week with the exception of covers?

      Aku Ankka and all related titles are published in Finland by
      Helsinki-Media (former Sanoma Oy). H-M is really big company.
      It publishes the best selling Finnish daily paper called 
      Helsingin Sanomat and biggest 'yellow-paper' Ilta Sanomat. 
      In these they print old Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck strips and
      'sundays'. It also publishes Finlands largest weekly
      magazine called (surprise!) Aku Ankka. They also publish
      pocket-size Uncle $crooge (Roope-Set{) (100 pages - mostly Italian 
      stories) monthly and Aku Ankka's pocket-book (over 250 pages - Italian
      stories) about monthly. They have also published 'Best of Donald
      Duck' album series for YEARS. All stories are by Barks. It's 
      quite similar to Gladstone's Carl Bark's Library in Color,  
      altough the price much lower. Also are available many
      hardcovers. The most recent is reprint of Aku Ankkas
      from 1951-1952 which includes also Barks' interview made
      last year.

      I think Helsinki-Media has nothing to do with Egmont.
      They have propably just bought rights to Egmont-stories
      and to all other Disney-stuff.

      Aku Ankka is quite similar to Swedish Kalle Anka. I think
      usually they are identical, but sometimes they publish
      something different. Aku Ankka is 32-36 page long 
      (including covers). The stories are mostly D-stories
      with sometimes a H-story. Only AR-stories they have
      printed are by Rosa or WVH. They also reprint old 
      stories by Barks and Murry for example.

      I have read Aku Ankka from the end of the 1980. I know
      that 1981 Aku Ankka's are peprints of 1980 Kalle Anka's.
      With at least one exeption: Back to the Klondyke which
      they decided to reprint here in 1981.


Barks-Rosa:

      In Barks interview, printed in Aku Ankka last year, they asked Barks
      what he thinked about current disney writers/artists. He replied
      that he is only familiar with Don Rosa's and Van Horn's work. He
      said that he likes both (he's being polite here) but the Van Horn's 
      style is closer to his own. He also said that Rosa's artwork is much 
      more detailed, sometimes even too detailed.

      I think Barks has right of some degree to be upset at Rosa. I think
      I would be too if somebody would start to make sequels to MY 
      stories. BTW, I didn't like Return to Plain Awful that much either. 
      However, if somebody would show Barks what OTHER people are doing 
      to ducks maybe he would start to respect Rosa more.

      Anyway, I like Rosa's stories very much. The Guardians of the Lost
      Library is one of the best duck-stories, and one of the best comic-
      stories I have ever read. 

      After 'War Of the Wendigo' was published in Finland our publisher
      received more 'thank-you-mail' than ever before. There are lots
      of Rosa fans in Finland. That doesn't show in sales because
      most of the readers are subscribers. (That way people gets
      comics cheaper and publisher makes more profit. Also by
      subscription people in Finland often gets books BEFORE they hit the
      newstands.) 
       


          /Mikko