DCML Digest Issue 50

Don Rosa donrosa at iglou.com
Sat Sep 27 07:20:30 CEST 2003


> From: "Matthew Williams" <kingofduckburg at hotmail.com>
> :DuckTales.
> :I know that many Barks purists have a deep and abiding hatred of
> the show, but I
> :still have quite a soft spot for the

There is no purer Barks purist than me... in fact, some people resent my
attitudes for that reason.
But I thought "DuckTales" was an *excellent* show... probably the best
kid-show on TV at the time.
However, to feel this way, I simply must divorce myself from any idea this
was a show about Barks' Ducks. It was only Disney's counterfeit imitation of
the original characters created by Western and Barks. I have always had an
idea in my head (though it's 15 years too late to use it now) to do a story
where "DuckTales" is a live-action, unauthorized and fanciful (and
insulting) version of $crooge's life that is broadcast on Duckburg
television... and $crooge seeks to sue the producers or otherwise sabotage
the show or somesuch. And I actually have shown (with no explanation) that
"DuckTales" exists in Duckburg as a comic book series for children... I have
a Beagle Boy reading a copy that he finds on the stand in $crooge's private
bathroom in the Bin. (We'll see if that detail gets into the upcoming
Gemstone version.

> :Flintheart Glomgold is NOT evil!
> :I base this on his second appearance in "The Money Champ.
> :I don't have the comic in front of me, but I vividly remember
> him dealing with
> :guilt in the comic. Doesn't he even say something about how he's
> glad that his
> :mother can't see him now? I don't think someone can be 100% evil
> unless they are
> :completely remorseless.

Ooohhh, I'd say someone is evil if he is shown expressing his innermost
thoughts about how *evil* a deed he is doing, how much it would "hurt his
mother"... and then *still* does it.
Anyway, from day 1 of my career, I specifically decided on the personalities
of $crooge's three main villains, based on my interpretation of the Barks
stories --
The Beagle Boys -- they are lovable and goofy, and only want $crooge's
money. They don't hate $crooge, he is no threat to their "personal
identity". They might even have a soft spot for him. They would never try to
hurt (or kill!) him. If I ever show them with such a notion, it would only
be to set up a gag or... I was careless.
Magica -- same thing. $crooge is no threat to her. All she wants is his #1
Dime. She should not wish any evil to befall $crooge (aside from losing his
Dime to her) because, if he lost his fortune, that might even have a
negative effect on the spell she plans to use on the Dime.
Flintheart Glomgold -- he HATES $crooge. He is not the slightest bit
interested in anything $crooge has. Glomgold is wealthy already, every bit
as wealthy as $crooge, short only perhaps a foot-length piece of string. But
$crooge is a threat to FG's personal identity. FG wants him to DIE. Cease to
exist. He wants to kill him and grind his bones to dust. FG tried to kill
the Ducks in the last Barks story, and he tried to kill the Ducks in my
*first* Duck story "The Son of the Sun" (which at the time I naively
believed to be the fourth time in world history FG had been used). And I
think I make it clear in every FG story that I do that he is trying to do
nothing less than kill $crooge.
I love the triumvirate of evil that Barks created in these three -- one
(group) wants the largest part of $crooge's wealth, the contents of his Bin.
One wants the *smallest* part of $crooge's wealth, a single Dime. And the
*evilest* of the three wants *nothing* that $crooge has but his very
existence.
The only thing that's needed is a villain who wants nothing that $crooge has
and is actually a really nice fella who would never steal a cent from anyone
who can't afford it and wouldn't harm a fly. Who would that be?

From: "Jonathan H. Gray" <jongraywb at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Glomgold, Magica, Pig Villain--EVIL?
>I have to say I've grown rather fond of Don Rosa's Arpin Lusene though. :)

There you go! That's the guy! And the story I'm working on *right now* is
"The Black Knight GLORPS Again!".



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