DCML digest, Vol 1 #1232

[Don Rosa]

From: Gerstein, David DK - ECN (DGE at ECN.egmont.com)
>>> DON:
 You said yesterday that "perhaps those photostats... [are] no longer
in existence." Jumpin' jacksnipes! Where'd you hear this?

No, no, you missed my point. It was stated that the "only version in
existence" of this story was one that was seen in a Dutch comic. I was
showing how it would be silly for me to assume that the version *I* had was
the "only version in existence" just because it's the only one that I've
seen sitting on the floor in my studio.
And I have sometimes sent copies of the art and script for one of my stories
to a publisher who wants it when they can't get copies from the original
publisher fast enough, or the original publisher sends them the wrong
version. I don't recall if I've ever sent copies of this particular story to
a publisher, but it IS a possibility; therefore there MIGHT be a different
version in publication than the one seen in Holland.
Another example: for years I would send my stories to Egmont THROUGH
Gladstone -- that way Gladstone would be able to get perfect copies and not
hafta rely on Egmont's photostats (which were not always so good). And
Egmont might make changes to the photostats for their own purposes...
removing signage, changing details in the art, etc. Therefore, you cannot
assume that the "standard" (meaning Egmont-published?) version of an Egmont
story is even the only version in print, much less the "only version in
existence". Meanwhile, Gladstone might have made changes to their photostats
after some meddling by Disney, meaning there are at least 3 versions of the
story, including my original. Then each and every non-Egmont publisher can
make their own changes to a story when they get their photostats, creating
even more versions. Then.....
Yes! I'm trying to show you how confusing and complicated this system is!
The point being that nobody, not even me, knows how many versions of one of
my stories exists.