ringing Interplanetary Postmans / nephews and judo / some appreciation

[Daniel van Eijmeren]

I enjoy the discussion about worst Barks stories. I've seen much things 
in life, but I'm really very surprised that someone expressed *love* for 
'Interplanetary Postman' (US 53)! :-)

As a kid I just hated it, but that somehow has changed when I grew up. 
Or it is because of researching Barks over and over again? Or because 
of my growing fascination with (real-life) universes, looking at the 
stars whenever the night allows me? Nowadays, I really love ALL of 
Barks's space stories. And his 1971 'Blue Composition of Ducks' is one 
of my favourite paintings. (It has a universal atmosphere, too.)

See: http://www.seriesam.com/barks/dp_7121_sm.jpg

In panel 7.7 of 'Interplanetary Postman', Scrooge rings and says: 
"Tradition, lads! I read somewhere that the POSTMAN always rings twice!" 
Is there a pun here? What tradition is Scrooge refering to? 
Does someone know?

My list of (any) worst stories has always been changing. I really don't 
want to brag, but even as a kid I somehow recognized the butchered Barks 
stories, like 'Mythtic Mystery' (US 34). And I just couldn't like them. 
Now matter how. Only after research, years later, I found out that this 
in fact could have been a remarkable *classic*, if not butchered and 
(apparently) mixed-up. So, I've decided to fairly give such Barks stories 
the benefit of the doubt, and I gently scrapped them off my black list. :-)

I fully agree that 'Hall Of The Mermaid Queen' (US 68) looks undeveloped. 
For me it's mainly the mermen and mermaids that are really remarkable. 
And I like the modern 1960s wigs, in this and other Barks stories.

But I disagree with the opinion about the subject of the nephews being on 
judo as a laughable thing to do. There are many Disney stories in which 
the nephews do baseball, football, etc. In the Dutch 'Duckies' gag series, 
for example, in which they are joined by April, June, and May.

I honestly wouldn't know what I would find the worst Barks story now, 
at the moment. But I do have a list in mind of Barks stories that seem 
undeveloped to me. Not reaching the highest note, as it seems. Still, I'll 
always notice that Barks, despite his ever-developing qualities, always 
had to be some kind of "art machine", not knowing what the impact of his 
work would become. All of his stories could have been underdeveloped. He 
made them to be exceptions, giving the ducks the future as it turned out 
to be. That's a reason why I like the "Barks vision", which always seem to 
carry a certain perspective, a smile and a wink of the eye that people just 
have to... *feel*.

So, in short:
Good Barks. Bad Barks. It's all just Barks to me! :-)

--- Daniël

"WHEN, oh, WHEN is Unca' Donald going to give up?"

hint #1: "several laps later!"