Yet More Universe Talk/Reply to Don Rosa

Matthew Williams kingofduckburg at apptechnc.net
Sun Apr 4 19:14:15 CEST 2004


Thank you, Mr. Rosa, for your thought out response to my postings.  You've
given me much food for thought.  After much discussion and debate, I will
concede that most of the concerns that I've been wrestling with have less to
do with something you're doing wrong than with a group of fans who would
argue that your way is the only way.



ABOUT DATES IN YOUR STORIES: I admit I have more problems with the ideas you
've shared over the internet than with what has actually turned up on the
printed page, and, of course, what you choose to share over the internet is
completely up to you.  I can't read your stories in isolation from what I've
read on the web now, though.  Now that I've heard that you set all of your
stories in the fifties, references to the time period really jump out at me.
Sometimes that enhances a story for me; sometimes it doesn't.  Honestly,
aside from "The Life of Scrooge" stories, I believe "The Treasure of the Ten
Avatars" is the only one of your stories that I read and thought, "This
wouldn't work in the nineties."  At any rate, as long as time period remains
something subtle that most folks wouldn't pick up on anyway, I'll try not to
grumble anymore. J



I will quibble with you about the life of Scrooge but only a bit.  While
Barks did use dates on occasion, and he obviously established that Scrooge
started down the path to his zillions through prospecting, I think you have
nailed down Scrooge's life much more than Barks ever did. I think because of
your stories, it is more difficult now for writers to give Scrooge happily
random flashbacks ("Back when I raising chickens for Colonel Sanders...") or
to create random family members.  I don't know what the answer is, though.
I love the original 12 part "Life of Scrooge" series, but I also love the
openness and mystery that was Scrooge's life before.



As far as the origin tales go.I like your other stuff MUCH, MUCH more, but I
understand that my point of view here is outnumbered by what editors and
even most fans want.  I can't relate to your experience of seeing Scrooge's
"Back to the Klondike" flashback years after having read the original story.
My first experience with the story was reading the unexpurgated version.  I
probably will enjoy your next Yukon story.  Most of my misgivings about this
sort of thing come after I've read the story and pondered long-term
ramifications.



My apologies about the Hortense/Matilda mix-up!  I need to take my comics
out of their little plastic bags more often!



My face is also red concerning my too hasty posting concerning Arthur,
Sherlock Holmes, and the others!  This morning, I had a flashback of picking
up a copy of THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING in high school and seeing that a whole
wall of the book store practically was devoted to continuations of Arthurian
legend.  I still have some point despite my too hasty posting, though!  What
dissatisfies me about thinking of all of these characters as analogous to
the ducks is that (outside of the original tales) there is no longer one
official version.  There ARE truly as many Sherlock Holmes as there are
writers who have attempted to capture his struggles.  Frankly, I'm a
modernist living in a postmodern world, and I don't want there to be an
endless stream of parallel duck universes!  But the world is changing, and I
'll try to keep up the best that I can.



Matt




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