Disney-comics digest #527.

[DAVID.A.GERSTEIN]

      Greetings, all!  Back from my trip, with a whole lot to tell 
you.  But I'll do it in short bits and snatches.

      First, though, I must thank Harry and Fabio for the wonderful 
receptions and hospitality that they both gave me.  It's really great 
to know that there are people in the world like you guys -- not only 
fine individuals, but with scads of obscure knowledge about our 
favorite comics.  I enjoyed my visits with both of you greatly, and 
you've got a standing invite to drop by Santa Barbara one day -- or 
even Edinburgh, while I'm here.

      DON:  You said in Digest 527 that the idea of Old Number One 
being a "lucky" dime began with DuckTales.  Er -- I actually think it 
begins in Barks' own "For Old Dime's Sake."  Here the dime is not 
only referred to as a source of luck and fortune -- but the "old 
boodle-bringer" actually BRINGS boodle, or certainly seems to.  I 
believe that this particular story was the one that most influenced 
DuckTales' version of Magica, BTW -- it's just my guess, but she's 
meaner and less likeable here than anywhere else, and that sure seems 
to be what DuckTales picked up on.
      I didn't stick around the Weasel booth at the San Diego Con 
long enough to see anything they were handing out (such as copies of 
"Horsing Around With History").  In fact, although it took tremendous 
willpower, I actually refrained from buying a paperback book of 
Gottfredson paintings, edited by Malcolm Willits, which was on sale 
there and only there, just so I wouldn't finance the Grandeys' 
lawyer at this time.  I REALLY want a copy of this book -- does 
anyone know where I can get it without putting money in Bill 
Grandey's pocket?
      In Digest 538 you said that while U$ didn't recognize 
Flintheart's name in 1956, you'd never said he didn't recognize his 
face.  But did you forget how they meet on shipboard in that tale 
BEFORE Scrooge gets to Glomgold's money bin (FG is apparently 
returning there from a business trip, I guess)?  Scrooge doesn't 
recognize his face there.
      Rest assured that the "Ducktales" coloring of the coat as blue 
with red trim didn't start there.  It's taken from many French and 
Italian comics that used that coloring LONG before.

      DWIGHT:  Anina isn't gone yet.  She's continuing work through 
THIS coming Friday.  I'll be in touch with her today to find out a 
few things, and you'll be among the first to hear.  I was told in 
December that Byron might hire an assistant editor in Denmark to do 
some of his duties while HE gets back to editing a lot of people's 
stories again.  Apparently he hasn't done as much of that these days 
as he'd like to.
      And there are MANY American Disney writers who answer to Anina, 
folks!  Don, you said there were only three or four??!  There may be 
as many as two DOZEN.  Or one dozen, anyway.  Remember all the Egmont 
writers who turned up in the first row of my panel group at the Con 
last fall?

      JORGEN:  "In some Mickey stories (also Italian), Mickey has a friend 
who looks like a raven, and acts like a teen-ager."
      That's Ellsworth!  You got him!  (And the name is indeed 
Ellsworth, not Elmer, BTW.)
      Van Horn story D93491 = "A Dolt in the Deep" (because the rare 
fish is called a "ruffleback dolty").  This one GETS very good, but 
the idea of Donald being assigned to count how many fish there are 
in a certain area of the ocean is just too dumb, so the story just 
doesn't get off to a good start.  That really hurts it.  But it gets 
quite good later on.  In Britain it got cleansed of a lot of its 
imaginative dialogue, I think, which hurt it further...
      Mickey D93256 = "Knights and Bolts", writer Michael T. Gilbert. 
Again, some nice material, but a below-average premise.  I agree -- 
the idea of everyone in town wanting to wear armor is just too 
bizarre.  And the art is by ESTEBAN, btw -- note all the little 
details in a lot of panels.  Esteban's natural style is like Uderzo, 
and Egmont's management decided in 1990 that he had to stop drawing 
like that, and start drawing like Paul Murry.  Hence this.  It's not 
of his own volition.  Byron may be working to alter that decision 
now.  I sure hope he succeeds.
      BTW, the pig villain in this story is Muscles McGurk.  A little 
meaner than I want to play him.  He's got a Neighbor Jones role in 
one of my Mickey stories for next year.  There's a lot of 
possibilities for him, "Knights and Bolts" notwithstanding.

      FABIO:  Thanks a LOT.  For everything!
      On a less important note, "Grilli Atomici" by Martina/Bioletto 
has been published in France... I have the French edition, which I 
believe is in a 1960s pocketbook.

       The published note from "Carl Barks" can well be by Bill 
Grandey, even with what looks like Carl's signature on it, folks.  
I've had my parents forge my own signature on a check I forgot to 
endorse for them, once -- they just traced it from some other place 
I'd signed my name.  Maybe Barks hasn't even SEEN this press 
release...

      Lots of news coming later today.  Just wait and see.

      David Gerstein
      "The only way for anyone to get ahead of Mickey Mouse -- is to 
*run* in *front* of him!"
      <9475609 at arran.sms.ed.ac.uk>