humans in disney comics

[Thomas Pryds Lauritsen]

Hi Erik and everybody!

Erik Bergwall wrote:
> I recently read "Big-top Bedlam" (DDFC #300) by Barks. This is a comic 
> where almost everyone of the bi-characters are human. How many stories 
> like these did Barks do? I haven't seen another story like this one, 
> nor by Barks or anybody else (at least I don't recall I have).

Quite funny; these minutes I was actually reading an article by Steffen 
Kronborg in Danish "Guldbog" #8 (a Swedish translation is printed in 
Swedish "Guldbok" #8) about that exact subject. The article talks about 
W OS  328-02 "In Old California" and says (translated from Danish by me, 
so inaccuracies may occur):

"The development towards a greater level of realism in his drawings put 
Barks in a dilemma: was he to continue working towards an even more 
detailled line or was he to put more clarity into his drawings? As this 
book's other stories show, Barks chose to go for a bit simpler drawing 
style with fewer distracting details. The Disney Company's negative 
response to the very human facial features that Barks gave his minor 
characters during this period has undoubtfully been playing a role in 
this decision. Actually, several times Barks had formed his minor 
characters as real humans and was going to do so in 'In Old California'. 
But here, the employers forbid him that, and this prohibit is the cause 
of the curious contrast between the otherwise very human-like minor 
characters and their small, black dog noses."

Another story with dog faces that pop into my mind is W OS  308-02 
"Dangerous Disguise".

Thomas

-- 
Thomas Pryds Lauritsen