Jaybird cannon in "The Doom Diamond" (US 70)

[Carey Furlong]

> From: "Daniel van Eijmeren" <dve at kabelfoon.nl>
> Subject: Jaybird cannon in "The Doom Diamond" (US 70)
>
> Page 12 of Barks' story "The Doom Diamond" (US 70) seems to suggest
> that the jaybird cannon in Scrooge's submarine is attached *upside
> down*. When Scrooge shows the cannon to Donald (panel 12.4), they're
> standing on the submarine's ceiling.
>
> This is not an error. I just found it funny to notice.
>
> (An explanation could be that Scrooge foresaw the possibility of being
> put upside down, so he made two jaybird cannons. One on the floor. And
> one upside down on the ceiling, meant as an alternate floor.)

This was an interesting scene.  I agree that Scrooge foresaw the possibility
of being capsized during battle and had the jaybird cannon installed, ready
to be deployed through a special hatch in the bottom of the hull (it worked,
too!).  However, I don't think he had another jaybird cannon installed on
the floor for upright battle.  I see no evidence of a second jaybird cannon
in the story.

The idea of a cannon that fires metal jaybirds instead of normal ordinance
is a nifty little Barks pun that compares the Beagle Boys to "jailbirds."
This gag also hearkens back to some of the shot we saw exchanged between
Scrooge and the Beagles in The Paul Bunyan Machine (US 28).

> "I'm putting my heart back into my chest -
> all fractured and tattered - in need of a rest!"

"The Queen of the Wild Dog Pack," Uncle Scrooge 62

Carey Furlong