VP1 - Donald's Grandma Duck

[Frank Bubacz]

Hi,

http://stp.ling.uu.se/cgi-bin/starback/dcml/story?W+VP+1-09

I recently read this story for the first time, and while I don't think it's 
that brilliant, rather a succession of harmless gags than a story, I think 
it is seriously underrated - it wasn't even printed in the CBL in Color.

Apart from showing Barks' drawing style in its prime and, as it is usually 
noted, featuring the first appearance of Gus Goose in a Barks story 
(although he didn't write it), there's still much more to it. I did some 
research and it seems to me that this story is an important one in many 
ways:

1. It's the first story ever to combine Grandma with Gus Goose
2. It's the first story ever in which Gus is actually talking and becoming a 
slightly less flat character than in the short film and Taliaferro's 
newspaper strips, i.e. eating is not EVERYTHING in his life.
3. It's the first story ever depicting Grandma's farm. (Was it actually ever 
mentioned in the newspaper strips that she owned one?)
4. It's the first story ever featuring Grandma's car, which undoubtedly is 
the second best-known vehicle in Disney comics.

A story of many debuts indeed. Just had to get that off my chest. Of course 
I know I won't get any reply and that our Italian friends probably have 
discussed this ages ago, without my knowledge... ;-)

Frank

Corrections welcome!

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