tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post1855953072496756132..comments2024-03-28T03:15:52.497-04:00Comments on Duck Comics Revue: "The Think Box Bollix"GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-57266689301235226932017-09-18T19:29:42.931-04:002017-09-18T19:29:42.931-04:00Wow! I really enjoyed this article, and am most re...Wow! I really enjoyed this article, and am most relieved I wasn't drinking anything when reading it and the lively comments section, due to the number of snorts of laughter they both elicited. But man-oh-man did 'Unca Carl' unwittingly open a can of anthropomorphological (or should that be ILLogical?) worms with this wee tale, or what?! Since Barks thought of the ducks as humans, I'd say it's highly likely that the "I'm not a dog!" line would originally have been "I'm not a man!", but thanks to Western Publishing's insistence that Disney 'humans' were in fact all dogs, changing from a dog to a wolf not only ruined the gag, but sent the entire story spiralling off into the realm of the surreal. In fact, the whole thing makes my own wee 'think-box' hurt too much trying to sort it all out, so I'm just gonna carry on thinking of the ducks as humans, and the dog-faced humans as slightly MORE human than ducks (or something...). Cheers!Lorenzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03009311296128549965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-25254932250527720512017-08-10T17:13:40.495-04:002017-08-10T17:13:40.495-04:00Though my knowledge of the Barks duck universe isn...Though my knowledge of the Barks duck universe isn’t exhaustive, it had to be rare for real historical characters like Edison, Marconi, and Bell to be referred to by name. And it gets me wondering how these characters appear in the ducks’ minds eyes as they refer to them. Are they dog faces? Human, a la Madame X or the Itsa Faka mad scientist? Or possibly pig faces? (Just because Barks didn’t draw pigs much before the 60s, they must have existed. Right?) Jeffyohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04966913400710653000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-30957949845127358162017-07-27T18:15:55.803-04:002017-07-27T18:15:55.803-04:00ARGH! I remember last time I've been enyoing a...ARGH! I remember last time I've been enyoing a Disney comic book and there he is, in one panel reading a book (!) I was all like "HEY POINTDEXTER! PUT THAT STUFF DOWN EGGHEAD! THIS ISN'T A SCHOOL YOU NERDY... NEEEERD!" <br /><br />I sure shown Him, huh? <br />Pan Miluśhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13040860912155201940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-75191444235740979262017-07-27T17:29:04.280-04:002017-07-27T17:29:04.280-04:00Hell, Ludwig thinks he's so smart and I have n...Hell, Ludwig thinks he's so smart and I have no problem with him. It's mainly just smug child-prodigy characters that get on my nerves.GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-21970463425494834432017-07-27T16:32:23.853-04:002017-07-27T16:32:23.853-04:00Ooooh! That Gilbert! He thinks he's so smart! ...Ooooh! That Gilbert! He thinks he's so smart! Why i oughta... Pan Miluśhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13040860912155201940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-76850286352857744232017-07-27T14:54:37.638-04:002017-07-27T14:54:37.638-04:00I suppose I'm really just joking around. He&#...I suppose I'm really just joking around. He's an uncommon enough character that I haven't built up THAT much animus against him; certainly not enough to say I HATE him. But when I do see him, I DO find him insufferable and always have. An extremely one-note character, and that note really grates on me.GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-40374887140865861822017-07-27T14:21:54.242-04:002017-07-27T14:21:54.242-04:00For some reason (I rather liked him as a kid, myse...For some reason (I rather liked him as a kid, myself), Gilbert is considered to be the Scrappy-Doo of Mouse comics (note that I actually kinda like Scrappy-Doo too), an annoying kid sidekick who's a miniature version of a comic relief who didn't need a sidekick to be funy.Achille Talonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11636339293230261724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-4033871865936230082017-07-27T13:53:01.292-04:002017-07-27T13:53:01.292-04:00Uh? I had written a message here yesterday, but I ...Uh? I had written a message here yesterday, but I can't find it... I guess it wasn't sent succesfully, which is weird, since I had to pass countless CAPTCHA tests. I don't feel like rewriting everything, since it was mostly just random bits of trivia. I'll only add that a panel from this story was included, for a reason I can't remember, in the literature book I used in the second year of high school.<br /><br />Also, what is all this Gilbert hate in the last messages? He may not be the best character ever, but at least he is the only "true" miniature Goofy of the Mouse universe (certainly more than Max).Drakeboroughnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-85340388568185850522017-07-26T19:23:12.890-04:002017-07-26T19:23:12.890-04:00I was just asuming Gyro would use his sharp beak t...I was just asuming Gyro would use his sharp beak to peck Goofy's eyes and use his temporary blindes to finish him of resulting in victory of inteligence over stupidity... but yhe, them teaming up to enslave slash murder forever Gilbert have my aproval. <br />Pan Miluśhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13040860912155201940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-46160213142761426352017-07-26T12:32:33.067-04:002017-07-26T12:32:33.067-04:00Well, can they at least team up to kill Gilbert? ...Well, can they at least team up to kill Gilbert? Okay, killing him would be extreme, but can they at least lock him in a cell where he's safely prevented from appearing in stories?GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-44890344912247901002017-07-26T10:46:51.593-04:002017-07-26T10:46:51.593-04:00I presume @Debbie Anne's solution doesn't ...I presume @Debbie Anne's solution doesn't apply because some villain or other locked Goofy and Gyro in the cage and won't let either one out till the other one is dead. However, if that <i>is</i> the set-up, then I presume Gyro would combine his brilliance with Goofy's outside-the-box thinking to find a way to escape the cage.Achille Talonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11636339293230261724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-79476864590986319622017-07-26T00:10:39.189-04:002017-07-26T00:10:39.189-04:00Neither one of them would win... neither one of th...Neither one of them would win... neither one of them would have the heart to hit the other one. Gyro would probably give Goofy a job testing his inventions to be sure that someone of Goofy's... unique mental capacities could operate them.Debbie Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05648307522331962265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-40424960673572580652017-07-25T19:33:22.747-04:002017-07-25T19:33:22.747-04:00If Gyro would fist fight Goofy in a cage match to ...If Gyro would fist fight Goofy in a cage match to the death to finally resolved which is better : inteligence or stupidity who would win and how?<br />Pan Miluśhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13040860912155201940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-2500333699156049432017-07-25T19:28:49.228-04:002017-07-25T19:28:49.228-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Pan Miluśhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13040860912155201940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-69917187067121668412017-07-25T01:49:36.184-04:002017-07-25T01:49:36.184-04:00Hooray!Hooray!GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-19809998780199454912017-07-25T00:35:05.699-04:002017-07-25T00:35:05.699-04:00Well, bollix apparently has the same medieval Engl...Well, bollix apparently has the same medieval English root as bollocks, so in an indirect way, yeah, we have a Barks story titled after testicles! Thank you, Mr. Blum (maybe?)TheKKMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03609361527127566133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-65287645204823709582017-07-24T10:51:47.017-04:002017-07-24T10:51:47.017-04:00Bollix!
It's not Barks' word, though; i...<a href="http://www.dictionary.com/browse/bollix" rel="nofollow"> Bollix!</a> <br /><br />It's not Barks' word, though; it's one of those titles that was added retroactively by (I think?) Gladstone. Specifically by Geoffrey Blum, would be my guess.GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-9770806783883416392017-07-23T22:48:39.698-04:002017-07-23T22:48:39.698-04:00Yes yes yes smart discussion about ethics and the ...Yes yes yes smart discussion about ethics and the nature of anthropomorphic representation what I want to know is: is bollix an american expression, or did Barks just do some sort of weird pun with bollocks?TheKKMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03609361527127566133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-29681395285406140232017-07-21T07:36:27.109-04:002017-07-21T07:36:27.109-04:00Yes, the dates we have in Barks' vouchers are ...Yes, the dates we have in Barks' vouchers are October 18 for WDC 141 and August 23 for WDC 140.F Willothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04427037184740420029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-46840596720669834392017-07-20T06:17:35.346-04:002017-07-20T06:17:35.346-04:00Li'l Wolf t is just a self-loathing Wolf. No r...Li'l Wolf t is just a self-loathing Wolf. No respect for their cultural background and rich traditions his father is trying to teach him...<br /><br /><br />@Achille Talon<br />So if Gyro would use the reverse thinking Box rays on Donald, those that means he would start to quack and go swim in a pond?<br /><br />Jinkes! That's bot funny and creepy at the same time!<br /><br /><br />@Francois Willot <br />"Thinking Box" was made right after "Gladstone's Terrible Secret" so It would suprise me if Barks was working on script for "Thinking Box" before "Terrible Scret" was finished.<br /><br />I don't know about Barks ways, but I myself work in comic books and it's pretty normal that scripts are not only created way ahead of time but ofen scripts for few stories are created at once. Seeing how two first stories that feature Gyro where made back to back... I just my hunch but I still stand that Barks already had "Thinking Box" in mind and maybe even partly writen when he put Gyro in "Terrible Secret". <br /><br />But, we'll never know... <br />Pan Miluśhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13040860912155201940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-40779118849752559412017-07-20T04:33:09.621-04:002017-07-20T04:33:09.621-04:00I think that Gyro in "Gladstone's Terribl...I think that Gyro in "Gladstone's Terrible Secret" was really meant to be a one-shot character. An implausible inventor suddenly appearing at this moment in this story to give Gladstone what he wants. This fits well in the comic story.<br />I'd say Barks found later on that the character (an unsuccessful inventor) could be used in another story.<br />F Willothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04427037184740420029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-85487327495234907802017-07-19T20:09:31.117-04:002017-07-19T20:09:31.117-04:00@Miguel Madeira--the thread I spoke of on the Feat...@Miguel Madeira--the thread I spoke of on the Feathery Society forum indeed goes into the levels of anthropomorphism in Disney characters, with a couple of scales of anthropomorphism to use, plus a quotation from Don Rosa on a simple scale developed in an earlier fan discussion. On the Emslie scale of anthropomorphism, the three types you list would be level 4, levels 1-2, and level 3, in that order. Pluto is usually level 1. The dogs of "Lady and the Tramp" or "101 Dalmatians" are level 2.<br /><br />@Pan--yes, the so-called "forest characters" of Disney comics are different from the fully anthropomorphized animals of Duckburg or Mouseton. They are level 3s, on the Emslie scale; Donald and Mickey and all are level 4s. <br /><br />Those despicable Cinderella mice infesting Grandma Duck's farm, those definitely cross the line. They are level 3s, dressed and talking to humans but still mouse-sized, and such creatures do not belong in Duckburg. I'm OK with some level 2s--Tabby or Spitfire thinking in complete sentences, Bolivar playing checkers with Helper, eagles speaking to each other in eaglese--but not with level 3s. I allow Chip and Dale into my mental Duckburg, but in my head they do not speak to humans; humans hear their speech as chittering. <br /><br />Barks normally kept to level 4 main characters and animals who were level 1 or possibly 2. While Scrooge was sometimes "the richest man" and sometimes "the richest duck," Barks very rarely treated the main characters as anything other than humans who happen to look like ducks. Exceptions include the stuffed duck joke in The Gilded Man, references to the Ducks coming from/returning to eggs, and the Thinkbox story. <br /><br />Disney animation, on the other hand, often mixed anthropomorphism levels with abandon. In Dumbo, the elephants are level 2s, speaking to each other but not to humans, and still walking and acting like elephants (when they're not flying). But Timothy Mouse is a level 3, dressed and standing upright and communicating with humans.Elainenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-58363511929858734142017-07-19T16:27:14.927-04:002017-07-19T16:27:14.927-04:00All interesting digression. I salute you, my frien...All interesting digression. I salute you, my friend. On the dating problem, maybe they could simply get into sterile romances with members of some of the naturally sapient species in Duckburg. I imagine many a girl (especially in the cliché-filled world of Disney comics) would gladly take a fluffy bunny (<i>who can also support her and have a decent conversation</i>) for a husband. Achille Talonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11636339293230261724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-74563554582468625942017-07-19T15:40:35.826-04:002017-07-19T15:40:35.826-04:00...okay, so on reflection, the offspring of just o......okay, so on reflection, the offspring of just one rabbit couple wouldn't in itself be enough to start a whole new strain. Not enough genetic variation, and even without the human taboo, animals are programmed not to want to mate with their siblings. So what are the young rabbits to DO? Presumably, they don't want non-intelligent mates (though given the overwhelming power horniness exerts over us animals, who knows?). Would they get Gyro to make some more of them intelligent so as to have a dating pool? That might be the only good solution. When you think about this shit harder than it was ever meant to be thought about, the implications come fast and furious.GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-7871094642624078982017-07-19T15:31:48.727-04:002017-07-19T15:31:48.727-04:00On the killing of the rabbit family: suppressing t...<i>On the killing of the rabbit family: suppressing their human-level brains would be, in my opinion, the ethical equivalent of dealing them severe brain damage that destroys their consciousness.</i><br /><br />Fair enough, though in that case we surely have to also count the wolf's reversion as a killing, making this one of the rare Disney stories where someone dies.<br /><br />About the rabbits, though, there seem to be further implications. First: do the two of them have kits? In that case, suddenly their children would have become more like pets, and that would just be HELLA weird. I guess Gyro could help them out by running the kids through the think box rays, but that just pushes the problem down a generation. Second, and most importantly: does the think box affect animals on a genetic level, such that any future offspring they had are also intelligent? If that's the case, then given how fast rabbits reproduce, there are gonna be a whole lot of talking ones very soon. One can only imagine the impact this would have on society at large.GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.com