Disney-comics digest #853.

[Don Rosa]

WES:
        My wife has relatives who are Mormons, and one of them told me that
they cannot eat/take ANY sort of drug, no matter what it is. They told me
that they could not eat nutmeg because it is technically a drug of some
sort, however mild and innocent. So Mormons CAN take or eat drugs?

VRJAN:
        I discussed this before you joined our group... Disney told
Gladstone not to use the title UNCLE WALT'S COLLECTORY on their new comic
since "Uncle Walt" is a disparaging term used for the company. And they also
said to change the sub-title to "$crooge McDuck" since when $crooge was in
the Yukon he was no one's uncle as yet... this was a change that delighted
me! I much prefer the name "$crooge McDuck" than "Uncle $crooge" as the logo
for a $crooge story.
        And the cover was different because the version you saw in the ad
was from a German "Don Rosa Library" sortuva album. I redid the art for the
Gladstone edition for certain reasons.

TODD:
        What today? The fans in Italy -- the Duck Fans! 
        My biggest problem is that when I go to an American convention, I do
full-color finished illustrations for fans which take 30-40 minutes each; I
can only do about 10 a day, which is fine since I usually only get about 10
requests in a whole day. And sadly, I estimate 75% of those requests come
from people who don't even know Disney comics exist and have no idea who I
am or what I do, but are getting gifts for their Aunt Belle or their 3 day
old baby or just want some Disney art because they figure it's "collectible"
(ugh). When in Europe, EVERYONE is ardent Duck COMICS fans, and I wish I
could do each and every one of them a full-color illustration! But there is
not enough time, so I end up not doing any drawings for the people who
deserve them the most. In Italy, there are so MANY Duck fans clamoring for
me to do them the tiniest sketch that I had no choice but decline even to do
a scribble, as that would have meant the impossibility of doing the same for
everyone there, whereas it was hard enough just to do autographs for
everyone in the long lines. Besides, I detest doing quick drawings since
they are always embarrassingly bad! I see the professional artists who can
whip out beautiful drawings in a moment, but it's very slow for me to do a
half-decent drawing since I don't have it "upstairs" like they do, or
something. And I hate to do my lousy scribbles for such devoted Duck fans. I
did spend a few hours at times doing quick drawings for Lucca convention
personnel or fanzine folks or other people who they allowed back into the
inner offices where I could do some drawings where no one else could see.
Fabio can tell you about the time he ended a panel with me and said
something in Italian (which I couldn't understand) about me doing sketches,
and the entire audience rushed the table, scaring the dickens outta me, as I
wasn't expecting a thing and had no inkling as to what was happening. These
are times when it's a blessing that I can't speak "European" and I can let
my translator be the "stinker" and tell the fans that I can't do this or
that, while I just sit there smiling and looking stupid. I'm sure Fabio can
bear witness to how embarrassed I always looked by all the attention I was
getting. It would take longer to get used to that sort of thing than I ever
can get in my too-short European visits. 
        Anyway, one day in Italy I did those slow full-color illustrations
for about 4 hours for the crowd (just to prove I wasn't an imposter) and I
had them auctioned off to benefit UNICEF who had a booth there. We raised
one and a half MILLION lire. I was a millioniare and I gave it away! (I
would have liked to have had that lire/$ myself, but I was too embarrassed
to take money from such true Duck fans. Also, people might think I was being
greedy, since I imagine they assume popularity and high sales = wealth, not
knowing that I'm part of a different sort of system.)
        I could tell you lots more about visiting places like Siena or
Florence or Pisa or the Italian Riviera, but that's travelogue stuff. I'll
think of something to say about the time in Finland tomorrow.
        I'm done for tonight -- take your fingers off the "scroll down" button.