Wendigo

[Elaine Ramshaw]

Speaking of WDC 633, Gladstone's last issue of WDC with "War of the
Wendigo"--I've often wondered, did Gladstone in fact finally get permission
to print Wendigo? I don't suppose they could possibly have published it
without Disney's go-ahead, but I did wonder about the possibility, since it
was their last hurrah anyway (as in, Disney can't do anything to us now
anyway). I well remember hearing that someone at Disney had suggested to
Rosa that he replace the Peeweegahs in his story with little blue elves.
Uncle Scrooge in the Land of the Smurfs!! I don't know how I'd feel about
the Peeweegahs if I were an American Indian (or, what's the phrase in
Canada? Indigenous peoples?). They're clearly heroes of the environment, and
they win out over Scrooge, even though they are look-alike stepchildren of a
stereotype. Much better, anyway, than some of the Indians in other Barks
tales, which reflect more directly the negative ethnic stereotypes used
freely in the comedy/entertainment world 50 years ago. And I, at least, am
glad that Scrooge got to visit the Peeweegahs again and that we all got to
read about it. (I love Donald's comment when he's being carried on a vine
strung between two flying eagles....) Not to mention, glad that Rosa got to
see the story in print in English, after all the time he spent writing all
the dialogue in Hiawathan!

Which also leads me to ask....when the Peeweegahs stories are published in
other languages, do they ever try to put the Peeweegah dialogue in meter? Or
do they figure there's no point in doing that, since the meter won't remind
their readers of Hiawatha?