And now, the climax of our Christmas
series! I've never quite held this in the same regard as "Shacktown"
and "Letter to Santa," but I've still always felt a great
deal of affection for it. As I read it over with a critical eye for
the purposes of this entry, I was actually surprised by how many
issues and oddities it has, but none of them really impact my overall
feelings towards it. Welp, let's go.
I just love full-page splash openings
like that, and I love in particular the way it's garnished with
holly. Appropriate Christmas discussion, too. That 'T' in the
window REALLY looks like a 'J,' and joy is fine, too.
The duck family seems to be pretty
damned well-off in this story, given that they have trouble even
thinking of anything they want. This raises an issue, though: it
looks as though the story's going to be about the kids' good deed in
declining Christmas presents...and then it's, well, not. I mean,
it's certainly unsurprising that kids would go back on this noble
resolution, but it still seems sorta contrary to the spirit, and then
it's just never commented on again. Huh.
Another thing (not "problem,"
really) about this story is that it's impossible to tell what the
status of Santa is supposed to be. Is he a real person, and HDL
actually blew their chances by sending him this
letter, or were the gifts all going to come from Donald anyway? No way to
tell. Is it just that Barks (or his editors) wanted to keep things
ambiguous so as not to disillusion any little kids? Maybe!
This is also fairly intensely odd: "you
should have to worry?" Um...why? It's not
like there's anything previous in the story that would make sense of
Donald's odd idea of how they should have to suffer to get presents.
It's just...what it is.
It IS funny that they just stick "an
atom bomb" in there like it's nothing. The first time I read
this story I assumed that it was a trick question: that what Donald
really wanted was some sort of metaphysical thing or whatnot that HDL
would completely overlook. Surely others had the same reaction?
...but, of course, it's not, and this
points to the really big, obvious flaw in this story: how the
hell is it possible that they wouldn't guess "a
car" pretty much immediately, and that even if they didn't, that
it wouldn't be on this huge-ass list they've prepared? I mean, they
got "motorbike," "airplane," and "motorboat,"
which all seem to be car-adjacent. But somehow they never even
consider this possibility, and neither do any of the other relatives
they consult? Seems questionable.
I like that Donald dreams of nothing
but fighting. I amuse myself trying to think of what possible
context there could be for him fighting someone who calls him a
"fuddy-duddy." Nice snoring sound effects, too.
Blah, okay. Nobody would call the
"trips to mentalists" part of the story exactly a
highlight, and this in particular ain't gonna be winning any prizes.
OH WELL!
Daisy in the upper-right there is being
seen from kind of an unusual perspective, isn't she?
I do like everyone's resolution to buy
a car. Seems the whole extended duck family has plenty of extra cash
just kicking around. On the whole, I like this as kind of a
"hang-out story." You can't accuse the plotting of being
any great shakes, and the interactions with the relatives are a bit
formulaic/repetitive, but it's just fun to watch the characters
interact, all dusted with a healthy dose of festive cheer. Hurray!
Scrooge the great businessman: note
that he's freaked the hell out by the possibility of having to buy a
building set, but--through no pressure but that of his own mind--he
ends up buying three of them, plus a car for
Donald. Score! Well, I like to think that it's at least partially
the result of buried generosity. It's Christmas, so I want to think
the best of everyone. That is all.
...okay okay, I may have criticized
these segments, but "I can only make people think they're
chickens" is pretty funny. Although, as whenever this happens
in early Barks stories, I could do without the nephews on the ground
sobbing like that. I do, however, like that there's a mouse poking
its head out for no particular reason.
And, I like the Gladstone bits. Even
if he's just being generous to get one over on Donald, it's still
nice to see him helping out. Similar to his role in "Shacktown."
I mean, again, going back to one's
ability or not to guess, see how even when he goes "OH HOW I
WANT A NEW CAR!" it still takes them some time to come up with
the notion that maybe possibly that's Donald's elusive mystery gift?
Yeesh, guys. So much for that Junior Woodchuck resourcefulness.
And MY GOLLY, isn't that a sweet
sentiment of Donald's in the second panel there? Are we feeling
festive yet?
In addition to whatever else,
Gladstone's putting-on-airs expression is pretty damned hilarious,
for my money. What do you suppose "the really
expensive items" are?
Yes! Love that image of Duckburg, and
the Christmas-morning feel this whole thing evokes.
Even though you know what's coming,
it's still fun and funny.
So let's talk about Donald's gift cars
for a moment. As you can see, they're all themed in accordance with
the person who bought them...except possibly Scrooge's, which seems
to be some sort of dune buggy. Possibly because he wants to be able
to make Donald chauffeur him around to potentially profitably
archaeological sites and whatnot. But in particular, let's have a
look at Daisy's gift car. Now, I personally do not believe in
compelling people to perform narrowly-defined gender roles. If a man
wants to drive around in a pink car with frills on the side, that's
fine by me. But...do you really think that 1950 Daisy feels that
way? And please note that her stated reason for buying him a new car
was that he'd have one that "she [wouldn't] be ashamed to ride
in." She really wants to be driven around by
her boyfriend in a (let's face it) kind of goofy-looking "girly"
car? Seems questionable. Very questionable.
Yay! The Merriest Christmas Ever! "We
have plans." Sounds ominous.
-->
How do you think that thing runs? Do
the building kits really include, like, engine parts/power supplies?
Well, never mind. It's a crisp and clear Christmas day, filled with
potential and giant robots. What more could you ask for?
I personaly love de design of the mentalist lady...
ReplyDeleteBTW -> MERRY CHRISTMAS GEOX YOU ZANY REVIEWER YOU!!! ^_^
My hands-down favorite Christmas duck book; been reading this to my kids and now grandkids every Christmas for nearly 30 years. Love that all the peripheral characters are more or less humanish. No dogfaces. The only thing that's always bugged me about is why wouldn't the kids have used their building sets to make a car instead of that giant whatever-it-is? Thanks. Your review was worth the wait. (Btw, Scrooge bought Donald a war-surplus Jeep. Cheapest vehicle out there in 1951.)
ReplyDeleteConsidering how the story starts, it seems like it should end with the kids giving their extra sets to the needy. But, nope, giant robot.
ReplyDeleteI think that it would have been clearer that Scrooge bought Donald a war surplus Jeep if the colorist had colored it a military green. This and Letter to Santa are two of my favorite Christmas duck stories. While it isn't a Barks story, Santa's Surprise Visit (drawn by Tony Strobl) is another.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, I'm learning interesting cultural facts here! Thanks for that. I'm sure a jeep would be a good treasure-hunting vehicle, too. Also, somehow the lack of dogfaces here didn't register on me. But now it has! Hurrah!
ReplyDeleteGot an inducks link for that Strobl story, Debbie Anne? I can't find it for whatever reason.
On the topic of HDL never guessing about the car — couldn't it be that they thought it too obvious? Like, "Unca Donald's been whining about how he'll get a new car sometime soon for ages, even he wouldn't be so moronic as to think we wouldn't guess that in a heartbeat, so that can't be right"?
ReplyDeleteAlso, Don Rosa must have forgotten about this story at some point, because Donald's desperate wish to get rid of the trusty old 313 and get a fancy-shmanzy new car goes against everything Rosa painstakingly establishes in Recalled Wreck, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteSome Erector Sets did (and do) indeed have motors in them. Whether you could get a dozen of them to work in concert, that's another question.
ReplyDeletePossibly Debbie is referring to "Santa's Unexpected Visit" from CP 7. Reprinted in Gladstone's CP 1 and in the Disney Interregnum's HP 1.
I've always thought that the boys' failure to guess "new car" is just a funny cumulative joke, where the child reader figures it out way before they do and thus is amused by their obtuseness. And of course, Donald's need for the new car has to be so obvious that the other adults all realize his need, even if they don't figure out that's what he wants. The obviousness of the need and yet the inability of everyone to guess his wish on the basis of that need: that's the whole set-up. It's funny precisely because it's so unlikely. The boys' exhaustive list which doesn't include "car"--that's taking this joke to an absurd height.
Here's the Inducks link for Santa's Unexpected Visit: https://inducks.org/story.php?c=W+CP++++7-06
ReplyDeleteI think it sticks with me for being a part of that first Gladstone Christmas Parade book, one of my favorite comics from their run.
Thanks. Do you know, I'd never read that story before now? Of course you don't know; how would you know? But at any rate, it definitely goes on the pile for the future Non-Barks Western Christmas Special one of these years. You know it's coming.
ReplyDeleteGeoX! I'm sorry, but you forgot one still! It's even less Christmassy than most of the rest, but it nonetheless takes place on Christmas. The Hammy Camel.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, Western non-Barks Christmas tales.... When I look at my longish list of Disney Christmas comics stories that I re-read this time of year, I find that besides Barks they include Italian, Egmont and Dutch stories, but virtually no non-Barks Western stories. The only exceptions might be a couple of Chip & Dale stories: "Topsy-Turvy Tree" (Lockman/Hubbard), which I do remember from childhood, and the caroling story in Dell CP 6 (drawn by Bradbury).
ReplyDeleteYou're not too late to do "The Hammy Camel"! It's only the third day of Christmas. Nine more to go!
Thanks so much for this– I brought up "You Can't Guess" a couple of Christmases ago, and I'm so glad that you discussed it now.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMmmhhh...now, is it appropriate to post an out-of-season comment, or should I wait until Christmas 2018?
ReplyDeleteOk, I'll drop it.
I think this is one of my least favorite DD long stories by Barks. Among all of them, not only Christmas ones. Of course it is not bad: it is still Barks from 1951, at the peak of his storytelling abilities. Yet, in my view this story is some kind of false step, relatively to the high quality of his material from that period.
Forget about all the little oddness that you cleverly pointed out in your review. I never care about those things (unless they are so big and stupid to destroy my suspension of disbelief, but that never happens with Barks, that's mathematically impossible). The problem here is that the structure of the plot is kind of too repetitive. And the gags are really not much at all. The mindreader gypsy and the hypnotiser is clearly just "Barks out of ideas and Christmas deadline approaching". How can I be the only one who see this?
So, in the end, unless you like watching a car repetitively explode - which made me laugh only when Scrooge was on it and he made a funny face when the explosion was approaching - what is left? I am ok with the story being very materialistic and not mawkishness at all. Although, if there was ONE Xmas story by Barks who needed to be plumped by some Xmas mawkishness, it was this one.
D Ruoppolo said:.... the gags are really not much at all. The mindreader gypsy and the hypnotiser is clearly just "Barks out of ideas and Christmas deadline approaching. How can I be the only one who see this?"
ReplyDeleteMy dear Mr Ruoppolo:- you are not the only one!
And thanks to you, neither am I! This story is just poor. If it were a fair exemplar of classic era Barks, then I'd way prefer his final whacky & wilder work, in the mid 60s.
"What do you suppose "the really expensive items" are?" indeed: the Bureau of Labor Statistics helpfully informs us that 100 dollars in 1951 had the buying power of a thousand bucks (and change) as of April 2019.
ReplyDelete