Article from Komix #171

Kriton Kyrimis kyrimis at cti.gr
Mon Sep 30 07:43:55 CEST 2002


Here is the translation of an article from Komix #171. [As usual,
comments within square brackets are my own.]

This is the last from my back log of translations. Starting next month,
I'll resume posting the translations of the previous month's issue along
with the presentation of the current issue of Komix.

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                Don Rosa presents the Curse of Nostrildamus
                    Inspiration, Humor & other Mysteries

  Don Rosa is inspired by the legend of Nostradamus. The chronicle of a
  creation in the constellation of inspiration and humor.

I only have to say two things about this story, which I wrote in
1988. First of all, the English title is _The Curse of Nostrildamus_. The
English word "nostril" means nostril... It refers, that is, to one of
those orifices in the lower part of your nose, through which, usually,
you breathe... except at night, when you are asleep, and someone
nudges you because your snores are making a racket. This story is not,
then, about Nostradamus, but about Nostrildamus, who resembles the
familiar pig-faced residents of Duckburg, although with considerably
more sizable nostrils. This is a pun, which, most probably, cannot be
translated. [The name used in Greek, Nostramousoudamos, translates as
"Nostra-snout-damus".]

THE INSPIRATION

Secondly, perhaps I could use this story to give you a concrete
example about where I get the ideas for my stories. Those with a vivid
imagination, or those who function with that hemisphere of the brain
which facilitates this kind of reasoning, come up with story ideas with
ease. These ideas some times come too fast, all at once. The idea for
this particular story came to me when I heard on the television in the
next room a documentary about Michel de Notre Dame, i.e., Nostradamus,
the famous 16th century French astrologer, who is supposed to have
foreseen many of the events that have happened in the last 400 years.
In this documentary they spoke about a legend, according to which
Nostradamus had put a curse on anybody who would disturb the peace of his
eternal sleep.  There also was another legend, saying that whoever drank
from Nostradamus' empty skull would obtain the ability to foresee the
future. The documentary continued with the adventure of a grave-digger,
who took advantage of the confusion during the French Revolution to locate
the tomb of the legendary astrologer. However, while he was drinking wine
from Nostradamus' skull, a stray bullet, from a nearby fight, left him
dead on the spot. My first thought was this: if this guy had obtained
the ability to foresee the future, since he had time to drink from the
skull, why didn't he duck to avoid the bullet?

UNEXPECTED INSPIRATION

At that moment I also obtained the ability to foresee the future... in the
sense that I saw at once the entire plot of the next uncle Scrooge adventure
that I was going to write. Of course, it goes without saying that I thought
that I would change the facts of the legend slightly, and say that the gift of
prophecy was given by an amulet. The reference to the authentic form of the
legend would have been a bit far-fetched for a story that would be published
in a children's magazine, although I can imagine that uncle Scrooge is making
similar dreams regarding Glomgold. [!!!]

I hope that all this has given you an idea about how I come up with ideas.
Inspiration may not come while you are watching a movie. Perhaps it will
be while you are reading a history book. Perhaps while you are gazing at
a beautiful sunset. And some day, when my reservoir of ideas has been
exhausted before I have finished paying for my house, I might try the
miraculous pendant of the French astrologer myself...

[Signed] Don Rosa

[Caption, p.1, left]
The prophecies of Nostradamus in comics. *Above* The "serious" version.
*Below* The comic approach by the Italian Carlo Peroni.

[Caption, p.1, right]
Don replaced the.. macabre elements of the legend with the amulet of
his own Nostrildamus, which gives uncle Scrooge the ability to make
disastrous predictions.

[Caption, p.2]
The title page of a less known and extremely rare work of Nostradamus:
the legendary astrologer reveals secrets for making jam and cosmetics.

[Translation of side panel titled "Who was Nostradamus" omitted.]

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	Kriton	(e-mail: kyrimis at cti.gr)
	      	(WWW:    http://dias.cti.gr/~kyrimis)
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"Starship captains are a special breed of beings who boldly go, et cetera."
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