Goofy & Clarabelle

[Rich]

From: "Hutcherson, Jeff" <Jeff.Hutcherson at disney.com>
>Subject: Clarabelle Cow and Goofy
>I work with the Disney company and am doing research on
>Goofy and Clarabelle.  Specifically, I am looking for 
>the name of one of the comic books from the late sixties
>that show Goofy and Clarabelle having romantic interest
>in one another.

Poor Horace. :(  

Hello Jeff,

I don't have access to my comics at the moment, but many of the examples of
Goofy & Clarabelle being romantically inclined are from the SUPER GOOF
series and from the WALT DISNEY COMICS DIGEST series, usually drawn/written
by Paul Murry.  One of my favorites is from WALT DISNEY SHOWCASE #8 called
"Goofy's Big Day."  I think I like that story because it seems to mark a
decline in Goofy's interest in Clarabelle as later comics had a revival of
Horace and a return to their traditional pairing.  I'm sure there were more
published stories in Italian, Danish and Portuguese, but I have not seen
those.

Jeff, why does WDTV Animation insist on perpetuating the relationship
between Goofy & Clarabelle?  I know in some ways Clarabelle can easily be
painted to be a "goofy-ish" character also, but Clarabelle is Horace's
long-time fiancé.  Sure they've never married, officially, but their
relationship is nearly as old as Mickey and Minnie's and definitely older
than Donald & Daisy's.  To the best of my knowledge, most Disney fans of
Comics and Animation disapproved of Goofy's and Clarabelle's relationship,
preferring that she remains with Horace.  

What is WDTVA's official profile for Horace concerning Clarabelle? 

Traditionally Goofy has been the perpetual bachelor, but has, on occassion,
been romantically attached to Clarabelle, but the late great Floyd
Gottfredson actually created a girlfriend for Goofy named "Glory-Bee."  Not
only is Glory-Bee in Goofy's same species (she's a dog), but she's pretty,
even if somewhat of an airhead.  Personally, I'd like to see much more of
Mr. Gottfredson's legacy brought to the small screen.  We've seen Chief
O'Hara and the Phantom Blot animated, at long last, in the MouseWorks and
House of Mouse formats, so why not bring other great characters created or
heavily used by Gottfredson into the cartoons such as Colonel Doberman,
Professors Ecks, Doublex & Triplex, Mickey's buddy Butch, Eega Beeva &
Pflip, Shamrock Bones, Captain Churchmouse, Detective Casey, Tanglefoot the
horse, Cousin Bertie Cow, Doctor Einmug, Eli Squinch, Ellsworth, Mickey's
nephews Morty & Ferdie Fieldmouse, Goofy's smart nephew Gilbert, Uncle
Mortimer, Percy & Patricia Pigg, Sylvester Shyster, and so many others?

Or even some of the Paul Murry characters like Dangerous Dan McBoo & Idjit,
Minnie's nieces Millie & Melody, Emil Eagle, and others?

For more information about some of these characters check out:
http://www.jps.net/xephyr/rich/dzone/hoozoo/hzlist.html

I really dread a continuance of the Clarabelle/Goofy relationship, though,
if that is as deep as WDTVA desires to go with the characters, I guess I
will live with it.  I'm just glad we are getting something, anything in the
United States, that continues the tradition of Disney Comics & Animated
shorts right now. 

Thank you,

Rich Bellacera
xephyr at jps.net

Disney Comics & Animation Message Board
House of Mouse/Mickey's MouseWorks
http://members3.boardhost.com/DisneyComics/