Disney-comics digest #488.

[DAVID.A.GERSTEIN]

      Dear Folks,

      Karl Eric mentioned having a Sunday page with Ellsworth the 
raven, in which Goofy was shown first buying him from a pet shop.  I 
guess that means that the one I have must be the character's second 
appearance (it is certainly Ellsworth's first meeting with MM).
      So in Sweden Ellsworth speaks in black dialect?!  From the VERY 
few English appearances I've seen, it's plain he just speaks normal 
English in the United States.  (That quote that ended yesterday's 
letter was from his second appearance.)
       I recollect Ellsworth being specifically designated as a 
raven.  Either that or a magpie.  But he ISN'T a crow, that I know 
for sure.
      And I know what gets you so bollixed up when it comes to this 
character, Don!  I like Ellsworth, but his mere status in the Disney 
universe throws logic out the window.  I've had the same problem with 
my own comic 'universe' -- in my "Soft Comics," which have always 
taken place in two cities -- Softville and Monkburg, both in the 
county of San Simian.  (I once stated that San Simian county was in 
Calisota, by the way...)  Softville's inhabitants are usually human 
beings and Monkburg's, animals, but I've never been consistent, 
dammit!  To make matters worse, the leading resident of Monkburg is 
Monk the Monkey;  I gave him a pet guinea pig named Daisy right at 
the start, and in no time at all, Daisy basically developed into 
Monk's ward, speaking perfect English and standing on her hind legs.  
Yet she still relies on Monk for food, which he gets from a 
pet-store-style sack!  Any of you who have had me send copies of 
these comics to you now know that this confuses ME as it must confuse 
YOU (and as much as, in some alternate universe, it probably confuses 
Monk!  ;-)

      Mark Mayerson found a Rosa Scrooge for 25 cents?!  Disney 
comics aren't widely collected in the States, but I never see Rosa 
back issues priced the same as the others, any more.  Gladstones are 
also hard to find, in general;  the shops that DO do a lot of Disney 
business and would like to have more Gladstones can't get them.  When 
I look at the CBG, I don't see wholesalers selling "first series" 
Gladstones in bulk either.  Hence the problem.  Does Russ Cochran 
have something to do with this?  I thought he was selling first 
series Gladstones!

      A few more bits of news.  The 6-pg. Mickey that I mentioned 
with DD and US in it that was made by Esteban is coded D88064, and 
appears in Monthly 11/1988.  And that 1970s Rota 1st Andold Wild Duck 
story is coded I/AT 128.  It appeared in Germany's Egmont monthly 
7/1979;  I imagine it hit other non-Italian places around the same 
time.  Andold has no little Duck on his helmet in this story, BTW.  
The story is called "The Good Old Days" and is 17 pages long.
      The Egmont weekly for Mickey's 60th had, in Germany, a 
supplement that reprinted Sunday strips for 32/4/3 (that's April 3), 
32/5/22, 32/5/29, and 32/1/31 (in that order).  Very nicely 
reproduced -- a much better job than in the Oberon Sunday-Albums 
(where the printing is rather muddy on some of these same strips).  
The rest of the comic is made of fair-to-middling Murry material.  
DANG, what a contrast.  Those early Sundays have a great MM with a 
brilliant personality.  >Sigh<

      Don:  In a recent digest you griped about crossovers between 
Ducks and feature characters in the old Dells.  I have my own views 
on Mickey, and I'm willing to OCCASIONALLY show those mice on 
Grandma's farm, but damned if, just because I mention a hypothetical 
story in which Donald is paired with Bongo and the Big Bad Wolf, I'm 
willing to MAKE such a story, myself!

      Until tomorrow, that's all, folks.
      David <9475609 at arran.sms.ed.ac.uk>
      "I wonder what he'd think of me if I was a regular bird, and 
couldn't talk!  Hmmm..."

gen