Il Gatto/Another Donald birthday story

[Lars Jensen]

A little late, but I've only gotten around to mailing this off now...

Chris Hilbig wrote:

>> [Il Gatto] seems like a standard "journalist with no morals" to me.
>> Is it just a coincidence that he hasn't been used much the last many
>> decades?
>
> This most likely will ruffle a few feathers, but in this
> politically-correct world of ours, it absolutely doesn't surprise me
> that our friend Il Gatto hasn't been used too often. I'll have to
> admit that I haven't ever read a story with Il Gatto, but from what
> I've read from this list, he sound like a [...] Joseph Gerbils of the
> New York Times, Dan Rather, or a Peter Jennings. (Just to name a few.)
> Essentially they'll [...] ball-face lie, spin, or stretch the truth
> [...]

Oops. Let me clarify: By "standard 'journalist with no morals'" I meant
"as seen in popular fiction". Just like there's the standard "crooked
lawyer", "greedy money lender", "rich snob" etc. I wasn't implying that
real-life journalists generally have no morals.

And I honestly don't think political correctness has anything to do with
Il Gatto's absence. Except for a cover in '47 and a cameo in '94, the
guy hasn't been used since 1940. Decades before anybody thought there
might be something wrong in stereotyping groups of people. It's more
likely the Italians just didn't have any story ideas that involved an
unethical journalist. Or disliked the design. Or forgot about the
character. Or had some other non-political reason for not using him.

> [...] the anti-war/American stories that have been pushed from the
> thirteen months before the war in Iraq  to today.

Chris, please don't bring this stuff up here. If you want to discuss the
Iraq, uh, situation, there's an off-topic forum called DCML-talk at
http://www.dcml-talk.org/list.php?f=1 .

> most artist and writers don't believe in the value of morality,
> individualism, and smaller government.

In my experience, most artists and writers *do* believe in morality and
individualism -- although the definitions of those two concepts may not
be the same from person to person. As for "smaller government"... I
don't see how that fits in with the other two. It's like saying one
believes in truth, justice and strawberry-flavored ice cream.

Anyway, again, that's something that's suitable for the off-topic forum.

> my theory is that most writers in this business would be too
> uncomfortable with using Il Gatto, unless he is placed in some type of
> heroic role, which wouldn't fit the character.

I honestly think you're way off here, Chris. The story potential of a
crooked, lying, immoral jerk of a journalist is immense, and that's the
kind of character any writer would love to get his or her hands on.
You're a left-winger? Use the character to show how rich media barons
distort the truth to promote their own interests. You're a right-winger?
Use the character to show how leftist journalists distort the truth to
promote their own world view. You don't want to put your own political
leanings into your stories? Use the character to show how some people
distort the truth to promote themselves. I could rattle off a number of
story possibilities here, but I think I'm gonna keep them to myself...

Lars