Note from Donald Ault, about Carl Barks, Frank Stajano, Leonardo Gori

[Daniel van Eijmeren]

Here's a note from Donald Ault, followed by a reply from me. 

First, here's a list of links to some contributions to this thread
about Stajano's and Gori's book "Il Grande Floyd Gottfredson", for 
people who want to refresh their memory:

Daniel van Eijmeren - 28 August 2003
http://stp.ling.uu.se/pipermail/dcml/2003-August/024573.html

Francesco Spreafico - 28 August 2003
http://stp.ling.uu.se/pipermail/dcml/2003-August/024575.html

Daniel van Eijmeren - 28 August 2003
http://stp.ling.uu.se/pipermail/dcml/2003-August/024582.html

Donald Ault - 28 August 2003
http://stp.ling.uu.se/pipermail/dcml/2003-August/024610.html

Daniel van Eijmeren - 30 August 2003
http://stp.ling.uu.se/pipermail/dcml/2003-August/024672.html



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From: "Donald D. Ault"
To: "Daniel van Eijmeren"
Subject: Re: Mickey Dailies and Carl Barks, Frank Stajano,  Leonardo Gori
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 22:33:38 -0400

Daniel--

I'm not subscribed to the Disney list under this email address, so I'll send
this note to you personally first, to see if it answers the questions. When
I have access to my university account, I'll send it to the list if you
think appropriate. Incidentally, the file of the interview that Frank posted
on the web for me to access for the book did not have a date on it, as far
as I can remember. I DO have that original file somewhere, but it will take
some time to find it.

I've pasted a section from Frank's page below, where, if I understand it, he
indicates that he visited with Michael Naiman in San Diego around March of
1998, at which time he and Michael were involved in sending some birthday
cards to Carl as the Barks Studio trial was in full swing. He (and Leonardo)
then sent questions to Gerry Tank  [I presume in August 1998], who
interviewed Carl for them; and then Frank came back to the USA later that
year to give a presentation and visited Carl then, which is when he
(apparently) did the second interview I didn't have access to.

The part that seems to refer to the interview in the Conversations book is:

"Gerry and I then got in touch via email. Leonardo Gori and I were writing
another book on Disney comics, this time focused on Mickey Mouse author
Floyd Gottfredson. I sent Gerry a list of questions we had prepared and he
interviewed Carl for us. That, too, was a brilliant experience, despite the
indirection."

Here is (what seems to me to be) the whole relevant passage (including the
one above) from Frank's page:

"It was at Michael's home in San Diego in 1998 that I first heard about
Gerry Tank. Michael had been arranging for Barks fans from all over the
world to send in little notes for Carl's 97th birthday. He collected all the
cards and ancillaries (someone had even sent a bottle of liquor) in a big
parcel that he forwarded to Gerry in Grants Pass, who would take Carl out to
dinner for his birthday and deliver the surprise box to him. Gerry had been
the doctor of Carl's wife Garé; he lived not far from the Duck Man and
visited him regularly. On the day I arrived at Michael's, him and Gerry had
an animated telephone conversation about some incredible problems, worthy of
Donald Duck's worst day, that had sent this important parcel missing (I am
over-simplifying). To anyone whose birthday card was in that bundle: you
have no idea of what Michael and Gerry went through to ensure that it would
be delivered against all odds! But all went well in the end, and Carl was
very pleased to feel the warmth and affection of so many fans he almost
didn't know he had.

"Gerry and I then got in touch via email. Leonardo Gori and I were writing
another book on Disney comics, this time focused on Mickey Mouse author
Floyd Gottfredson. I sent Gerry a list of questions we had prepared and he
interviewed Carl for us. That, too, was a brilliant experience, despite the
indirection.

"But the best was yet to come. Later that year I had to visit the States
again to speak at a conference; so, with Gerry's invaluable logistic help, I
took a detour to Oregon for the weekend to visit my hero. The plane that was
meant to take me from New Jersey to Oregon had a malfunction in midflight,
so we were flown back to Newark and I had to get on a plane to California
the next day, and then on a connecting flight to Oregon. I felt of course
damn lucky not to have crashed (!) but I was also furious that this unique
chance to spend some time with Carl Barks was being cut short. After
repeated airport delays, and too many phone calls to my patient contact, I
finally landed in Medford, Oregon where Gerry had come to pick me up. He
drove me to Grants Pass, I checked into a local motel and we finally arrived
at Carl's home in mid-afternoon."



But Frank would know better than I.

Donald Ault
Professor of English
University of Florida
ault at ufl.edu
http://www.nwe.ufl.edu/~donault/



- - - - - - - - - -

Van: Daniel van Eijmeren
Aan: Donald D. Ault
Onderwerp: Re: Mickey Dailies and Carl Barks, Frank Stajano,  Leonardo Gori
Datum: zondag 31 augustus 2003 19:50

Hi Donald,

Yes, your email is clear to me. Maybe the dates 6 August and 5 September 1998,
are the dates of Barks's replies? It fits within your note, I think.

Best wishes,

--- Daniël