Disney-comics digest #674.

DAVID.A.GERSTEIN 9475609 at arran.sms.ed.ac.uk
Fri May 26 11:39:30 CEST 1995


DON:
      Actually, both some of the folks at Gladstone, and Disney's 
Russell Schroeder, are quite partial to a lot of the "modern" Italian 
stories, which you say resemble Harvey Comics (I'd say not, because 
although the style has its similarities, the characters don't have 
that sickening cuteness that I associate with Harvey).
      Some "modern" Italian stories (not just DRAWN by Italian 
artists for Disney, but actually originating in Italy) have appeared 
in some Disney Comics, Inc. publications.  And a very 
"modern-Italy-style" cover just came out on Gladstone's own DD 291 (I 
think that's the number -- it shows a huge flower with a pair of 
shears about to prune DD's tail feathers). It's that Cavazzano style, 
although drawn by another.
      John Clark has told me that length is the major reason he 
hasn't used more Italian stories (both old and new), but that's just 
what he's told me.  

MICHAEL T.:
      Have you used Mickey's mean neighbor Muscles McGurk in any 
other stories besides the initial "Knights and Bolts"?  Did you know 
that I used him last year in a story of my own ("The Egg Collector") 
and that I plan to use him again soon?
      When I criticized MICKEY MOUSE ADVS yesterday, I didn't mean to 
lump your stories, and Lee Nordling's, together with the others that 
were used in the title.  The two of you did some good Mouse tales, 
hampered only by their short length (which Disney imposed, natch).

JANET:
       Was the birthday story you wrote really 52 pages, or was it a 
frame story for a 52-page comic?  If it was 52 pages, was this the 
one drawn by an Italian artist, involving crocodiles or something 
like that, and showing Neighbor Jones among the partygoers?

DANIEL:
      What a pleasure to have you here!  I still remember that great 
visit we had with Harry when I was in Holland.  Ah, if every evening 
could be as memorable as that...
      When it comes to the Disney cartoons I need from your 
collection, I'd say there are only two:  "Broken Toys" and "Spare the 
Rod" (the now-banned one where DD thinks that those pygmy cannibals 
are HDL in costume).

ALL MICKEY WRITERS ON THIS LIST:
      As you may or may not know, Byron Erickson and I are beginning 
a campaign to revitalize Mickey to his classic, Gottfredson persona 
and to revive a lot of the Mouse's classic pals and foes.
      Unfortunately, we haven't been able to put together a new "MM 
writers' bible" as fast as we would have liked.  I have written some 
components of this thing and Byron has worked on others, but it'll 
probably be next year before it's finished.
      As a result, except for Dave using Eli Squinch a few times (in 
which stories?) I don't know of anyone who has used the vintage 
characters I'm working with now.  So that everyone here can make 
their MM tales part of this "new breed," I'd just like to mention 
that we have revived the 1931 character Butch, we will be giving 
Horace the kind of prominence he had in the mid-1930s, and we are 
going to be emphasizing such classic characters as Uncle Mortimer, 
Montmorency Rodent, Captain Churchmouse, and Sylvester Shyster (as 
well as Squinch, mentioned above).  Byron has compiled a set of 
references on these characters and will gladly send some data on them 
to any interested writer.  I personally can send the character 
synopsis on Butch (which I myself wrote) or a preliminary version of 
a guide to "Mickey as a humorous character" to those who are 
interested.  In this way, we can speed the revival of the classic 
Mickey right away!

David Gerstein
<9475609 at arran.sms.ed.ac.uk>
"Wherever he's going, give me two more tickets!"



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