tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post5099370896835319933..comments2024-03-28T03:15:52.497-04:00Comments on Duck Comics Revue: "Guardians of the Lost Library"GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-31869483664342894152018-10-28T17:49:37.971-04:002018-10-28T17:49:37.971-04:00"…and then there's the ending, which I..."…and then there's the ending, which I'm really not sure how to read. Are we supposed to think that Scrooge has finally cracked here, what with this nonsense rationale for how he supposedly saved money? Or are we supposed to take it seriously (in, obviously, a cartoony sort of way)? It sure looks to me like the former, but I can't say for sure."<br /><br />It may seem absurd that Scrooge would have had to pay a fine to return the 2000-year old scrools, but after the recent news of the of the fine given to Sagrada Familia after almost a century and half for lacking a proper building permit I guess nothing would surprise me. I just couldn't help thinking of this story when I read the news, as even the figures are similar: 36 billion fine for Scrooge, 36 million fine for the Sagrada Familia.<br /><br />The last message by an anon from more than 3 and a half years ago was mine by the way.Drakeboroughnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-81245418306588107832015-03-29T11:52:18.575-04:002015-03-29T11:52:18.575-04:00From GeoX's review: "As I think about it,...From GeoX's review: "As I think about it, though, I'm not actually sure whether this whole "guidebook origin story" thing works for me, however it's done--how does that li'l book contain all that information?"<br /><br />The best answer to this question, and to all other similar questions in the comments, is the one Don Rosa gave on DCML on 20 August 1998:<br /><br />"Speaking of the "GotLL" and the JW Guide, that story was printed recently in the great Greek comic KOMIX, and a reader wrote in to complain that it was a stupid story since the tiny Guidebook could not possibly contain so much information. Some people just don't catch the gag..."<br /><br />Or, to quote what he wrote on Papersera on 2 June 2012 [answering a previous comment, "I've read there that you yourself regard the JWC Guidebook ultimately as a piece of unrealistic fantasy because you don't believe that all that vast information could be compressed into one tiny book. Is that true Don? My take on this has always been that the Guidebook must be written in a secret, abridged code, script, and cipher."]:<br /><br />"??? Obviously so much info cannot be compressed into such a tiny book! Even in code, it would take up the same amount of space, right? And there is no 1950's technology to condense so much info only using the printed page.<br /><br />But that's the fun of it. It's impossible. And there's no possible explanation. Maybe I seem to want to explain many Duckfacts that are *possible* to explain. But when something is clearly IMpossible, that alone is the whole point of the humor.<br /><br />I thought I'd tried to use absurdist humor to "explain" the Guidebook. Unless your local translations are not accurate, my scripts have several times made cracks about how it is surreal that all that info can be in that tiny book. One time I had a character ask "How can so much information be contained in such a tiny book?" And the Nephew answered "That is explained in appendix 37B." [NOTE: Don was quoting the dialogue by heart. In the real dialogue Donald asks "How can that little book hold so much information?", and the Nephew answer: "I'll check--that's covered in appendix 137Q"] An impossible explanation is explained in an appendix that makes the impossibly long book even longer. See... the humor is in the absurdity, not in an explanation.<br /><br />You mentioned you liked Monty Python style British humor. This is exactly it!"<br /><br />I love when a story explains something in the Duck universe (which is one of the reason I love Don's stories), but this is something that should not be explained, like the "trick" of how can Scrooge possibly swim in his money without getting hurt.<br /><br />Another joke that I like is the one in W.H.A.D.A.L.O.T.T.A.J.A.R.G.O.N., where we see a very small and thin book which is presented as "a Guidebook Recruit Primer! It contains only the contents of a mere set or two of encyclopaedias!". Does this work for you, GeoX?<br /><br />By the way, in case someone hasn't noticed it: Scrooge's trunk from Don Rosa's stories works like the Guidebook, and contains more object than it is physically possible.<br /><br />And for "Return to Xanadu" and the Library of Tralla La, I'll quote what Don wrote in the DCML message I mentioned before:<br />"And I saw some people were wondering about the The Library of Tralla La contained knowledge from the Library of Alexandria. But it was, itself, in my story, a *separate* book collection, and one that was never under the protection of the Guardians of the Great Library. So the Library of Tralla La *does* contain knowledge not found in the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook."<br /><br />I'll conclude by saying that while Barks is mentioned in this page as the creator of the Guidebook, the object actually made his first appearance (as "Junior Woodchuck Handbook") in a story written by Carl Fallberg and drawn by Jack Bradbury, first published on Donald Duck 30, July 1953.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-36896332823476644482014-05-02T13:51:39.985-04:002014-05-02T13:51:39.985-04:00I've got a theory on how the book contains so ...I've got a theory on how the book contains so much information... vectors! In addition to obviously very, very small type, and thin pages, the first part of the book is the index, then the rest is simply a dictionary. The entries in the index doesn't show page numbers, but short, space efficient, symbols corresponding to each word! It would certainly reduce the space required substansially.Natteravnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17395024999038452560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-24532458243163870812012-05-05T13:48:47.253-04:002012-05-05T13:48:47.253-04:00I've always loved [i]Guardians[/i] exactly [i]...I've always loved [i]Guardians[/i] exactly [i]because[/i] of its action:exposition ratio, because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE history, just like CCC does above, and I also feel the same "falling into place" thing as does Elaine, that [i]Guardians[/i] is probably the most respectful, most honoring love letter to Unca Carl's creation of the impossible, magical, mysterious Guidebook.<br /><br />Even though that "everything is in the Guidebook" is the unspoken premise of the Guidebook's conception and function in the stories, that's not what HDL are stating here. All they're saying is that if the Guidebook doesn't mention a big, vast historical event commonly taken as common knowledge and a real, very tragic desaster, then it can't have happened. In other words, the Guidebook neither lies nor omits big facts of "common knowledge" ever.<br /><br />As for how to compress all that vast information into one little book, my take on it has always been that it's written in a special abridged code and script only known to JW members. That way, you not only solve the space issue, but also make the Guidebook safer from exploitation by non-authorized outside forces.<br /><br />As for that poem in [i]Return to Tralla La[/i], uh...I never knew that poem in there was ancient, or lost, in any way? I thought it was comparably recent and thus wouldn't have been found in the Library of Alexandria?<br /><br />Anyway, the thought of [i]Island in the Sky[/i] together with [i]Guardians[/i] suggesting an ancient Erich von Däniken event that resulted in an "alien dictionary" in the Library of Alexandria and preserved via the Guidebook quite amuses me! XD Gonna ask Don's opinion on this over at Papersera right away!TlatoSMDnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-47392144747398736982012-04-06T22:54:59.841-04:002012-04-06T22:54:59.841-04:00Thank you, Elaine!
Yes, that was absolutely my ...Thank you, Elaine! <br /><br />Yes, that was absolutely my own addition! I wanted to make Ludwig absent-minded, as he was in his TV appearances – and I thought this was a superb way to do this. Really glad you enjoyed it. <br /><br />The original story was pretty much “Western Publishing Sixties-Era By The Numbers” (Something I *liked*, for what it’s worth!) -- and all of the humor that flowed from Ludwig’s dialogue, including some Barks references, were my own additions. <br /><br />BTW, on that subject, there’s one secret that I revealed before, but I’ll offer it up again… Read the story all the way through. <br /><br />Then, go back and read the first panel once again. <br /><br />Mickey didn’t just “walk in on” Ludwig at that moment. He was already there… ALL MORNING! <br /><br />And the readers just “walked in on” my little running gag of absent-minded Von Drake noticing him (over and over again, for the first time)… already in progress!Joe Torciviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00421096229407174474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-17949388220292589052012-04-06T22:39:13.407-04:002012-04-06T22:39:13.407-04:00I've been thinking more about Comicbookrehab&#...I've been thinking more about Comicbookrehab's comment and my initial response, and here's what I would now say: the knowledge contained within the Guidebook is all "natural" knowledge, not magical knowledge. Even when it includes communication with animals or with aliens, it is presented as natural knowledge. What is magical is simply the fact that all that knowledge is available in one little book (and that it is perfectly reliable, and that it is apparently exceedingly well indexed). So there isn't any problem with finding the origin of the core of the *contents* of the Guidebook in historical sources. The problem for me comes when Rosa makes half-hearted attempts to explain the magic: how all that knowledge fits into one little book (leaving out the fiction & poetry, condensing the contents, etc). That element is the sonic screwdriver.<br /><br />Some people feel that the Guidebook's magic has been matched (or made obsolete, or superseded) by tiny hand-held devices through which one can access all the knowledge available on the internet. And I do wonder whether the Guidebook can have as much magical appeal for kids with iPhones as it did for me. One difference, though, is that (as GeoX pointed out elsewhere) THE GUIDEBOOK IS NEVER WRONG!Elainenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-64132279227308578002012-04-06T22:16:21.090-04:002012-04-06T22:16:21.090-04:00Ooh, Joe, that was my favorite part of "To th...Ooh, Joe, that was my favorite part of "To the Moon by Noon"--the running joke about LVD forgetting Mickey was there. Did you add that in your translation/dialoguing? Well done!Elainenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-20652654651998395532012-04-06T20:43:33.822-04:002012-04-06T20:43:33.822-04:00Um, er… What Elaine said up top!
I don’t think ...Um, er… What Elaine said up top! <br /><br />I don’t think I could have said it better than she, so I’ll move on to other topics. <br /><br />Also, to “Chicken”: The ducks do NOT go “Indiana Jonesing”. Considering WHO is documented as having influenced WHOM, it would be more proper to describe “Indy’s” activities as “Ducking!” Or, maybe even “CARL BARKSING”! <br /><br />“Rehab”: That’s a frighteningly accurate speculation of what QP would have done! (Shudder!) Well done! <br /><br />Finally, it seems everyone’s mileage may vary on Rosa’s overall handling of the story (I thought it was great, though I doped out the end early on!), but MY greatest take-away was the magnificent escalation of the “Flips and bursts into flames!” gag! <br /><br />It may just be me being attuned toward aspects of writing, but I find this technique of “repeatedly calling back to a gag, and upping the ante each time you do” to be very funny. <br /><br />It’s been employed in such animated properties from Freakazoid! to Family Guy, and I love it every time. <br /><br />So much so that I’ve attempted it myself in such Disney comics stories as “A Game of One-Cupmanship” (The escalating entertainment amenities of The Diner Down the Road), “Return of the Titan of Tae-Kwon-Duk” (Mauve/ Mauve Belt), and my favorite of all “To the Moon by Noon” (Ludwig Von Drake continually forgetting that Mickey is there – and “noticing” him for the first time)! <br /><br />Rosa tends to do this at times – and here he does it to perfection! Anyone agree / disagree?Joe Torciviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00421096229407174474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-92109020899523854012012-04-06T10:38:32.779-04:002012-04-06T10:38:32.779-04:00Chris,
The Quack Pack episode you speculate on wo...Chris,<br /><br />The Quack Pack episode you speculate on would have been about finding Cleopatra's lost library of comic books and ended with the nephews being chasing by a giant robot sphinx. Donald would be preoccupied with trying to catch fish on the Nile while Daisy would be trying to get an interview with a shady real estate developer/comic shop owner/whatever. Maybe Brad Garrett or Dan Castellanta would do the voice - they were the recurring guest villains in all the mid-90s DAFT series.<br /><br />This just writes itself!Comicbookrehabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09363501054869978524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-68654862090386762322012-04-05T20:55:27.322-04:002012-04-05T20:55:27.322-04:00Geo,
Gotta say, I've always loved this story,...Geo,<br /><br />Gotta say, I've always loved this story, though you lay bare some of its (fairly obvious) faults with your accustomed expertise and panache. In particular, Rosa hammered the point about "Books good, TV bad!" into the ground, then sowed said ground with salt and laid a curse upon it. Even GIVEN the fact that the story was meant to make something of a didactic point, Rosa seemed to relish the overkill. I'm a sucker for history, so I had no real problem with the steady accumulation of historical detritus, and at least Rosa was smart enough to cut the dryness with a few clever visual and sight gags, several of which you mentioned.<br /><br />One possible correction: "plays and comedies by Sophocles and Aristophanes" was probably meant to be read "plays by Sophocles AND comedies by Aristophanes." Even that interpretation seems a bit awkward, however, suggesting that comedies can't be plays.<br /><br />Here's a horrifying thought: If QUACK PACK had stuck to the supposed original theme of the "What in the World?" TV crew traveling the world in search of exotic stories, then wouldn't the search for the Library of Alexandria seem like a natural? Except in THAT case, Daisy and Donald would have been out doing the searching, while HD&L would have been lounging on the sofa at home, watching TV and whining that there's nothing to do! <br /><br />ChrisChris Barathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06845538037091279990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-10291461211500275752012-04-05T11:14:55.091-04:002012-04-05T11:14:55.091-04:00Comicbookrehab, you're right that the tension ...Comicbookrehab, you're right that the tension between the historically plausible explanation of the Guidebook's origin and the Guidebook's magical status is irresolvable, and Rosa in fact does not resolve it. Note that in the Tralla La sequel, the Guidebook does indeed contain any poem you might happen to want! So I'd rather he hadn't said anything about abridgement, or leaving out the fiction, or whatever. No way to explain (or even, to make sound vaguely feasible) how all that knowledge fits into that little book. As you say, it's a sonic screwdriver. In some sense, this tension is just a vivid instance of the constant tension between Rosa's drive to fit the ducks into our historical timeline and the comic-book reality of their world.Elainenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-54907329639490312642012-04-05T10:40:25.123-04:002012-04-05T10:40:25.123-04:00Interesting comments, CCC. Thinking about it in th...Interesting comments, CCC. Thinking about it in the light of day, I would agree that Donald here is acting "in character," at least according to one established side of his character. On HD&L's girl-aversion: it's true that they-as-JWs are humiliated at losing to girls. It's just the actual "ick ick ick" that seems a little too childish to me. They might feel that, but I don't quite think they'd say it. But it's funnier than a more restrained/"mature" negative response. And as I say, it can be seen as a comment on the childishness of the assumption of male privilege with regard to knowledge.<br /><br />I myself would rank Croesus and Columbus above Lost Library as overall stories, partly because of the action:exposition ratio. Columbus is similar to Lost Library in having a reveal that is deeply satisfying--the reveal that turns the map and our worldview upsidedown and reverses the roles of discoverer and discovered, subject and object. (Literally, this map thing is historically implausible, but metaphorically, it is deeply true.) Kalevala I rank along with the other literary send-ups, mostly successful for those who are very familiar with the original. (It was, after all, Rosa's thank-you note to his Finnish fans.) Eldorado just isn't a very good story. Crusader has its moments, but doesn't work as well for me overall as some of the other stories, partly due to the historical plausibility issue (And yes, this means that while I love the family aspect of A Letter from Home, its treasure aspect doesn't work for me).<br /><br />And GeoX, if the JWs are the Duckburg Boy Scouts and the Chickadees are the Girl Scouts, part of the difference is the fact that Barks was impressed by the mystique attached to the Boy Scouts' Handbook, and there was no similar mystique surrounding the Girl Scouts' Handbook (at least, not that he was aware of). Anyway, in Barks' stories you very rarely experience anything from a female's POV (though you do empathize with Magica's frustration!). The Chickadees come off best vis-a-vis the JWs in the eagle-saving story; in the bridge-building story, they are competitive due to their steretypically battle-axe-ish leader (not admirable or attractive in personality, despite her service to our nation!) and her willingness to keep the girls working rather than ask them to help the boys save Donald. It's clear in this story that the Chickadees have no Guidebook with bridge-building instructions.Elainenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-71284809619836007452012-04-05T09:59:54.348-04:002012-04-05T09:59:54.348-04:00Hey, don't you watch "Ancient Aliens"...Hey, don't you watch "Ancient Aliens"? The library was SURE to have something on the shelves...;PComicbookrehabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09363501054869978524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-2186035863980369642012-04-05T09:55:21.653-04:002012-04-05T09:55:21.653-04:00I recall this story began as an attempt at pushing...I recall this story began as an attempt at pushing the "Give a hoot - read a book" message. But I thought the origin of the guidebook was pretty cool,even though Rosa himself can't believe it, either: the bit where the guidebook is actually an "abridged" copy of the entire contents of the lost library is where he cancels it all out and goes back to it being a magic book - the sonic screwdriver of Disney comics.<br /><br />Donald is cast against type - usually the 10-pagers begin with him pulling the nephews away from the TV. maybe Rosa identifies more with Scrooge and the nephews, whereas Barks always put himself in Donald's shoes - and we've seen Doanld wear shoes (his Duck Avenger boots) ;PComicbookrehabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09363501054869978524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-74585596423380913572012-04-05T03:06:29.150-04:002012-04-05T03:06:29.150-04:00Personally I like Don Rosa best in his "fun w...Personally I like Don Rosa best in his "fun with physics" chaos mode, but out of his "treasure finding" adventures I would rank this one close to or at the top (certainly above Croesus, Columbus, Eldorado, Kalevala or Crusader King, to take a few).<br /><br />I love the history stuff. Yes, it's educational, but when the material is so inherently interesting, what's wrong with that? I would also point out that while being (as it turns out) the history of the JW guidebook specifically, it's also the history of books in general. The Year of the Book people must have been exceedingly pleased with what they got.<br /><br />The structure of the story, where the Ducks go Indiana Jonesing around the world, is pretty typical for one of the longer DR adventures, and what makes this one work better than some other examples is the compelling motivation, the inventiveness of Rosa at the height of his powers, and the consistent logic and historical plausibility of the mystery. Like Elaine, I find that the feeling of utter satisfaction and rightness when things start to click, and when you start to see the history of Duckburg (already told by Rosa in His Majesty McDuck and other stories) woven together with the history of the library, is just wonderful.<br /><br />All these concerns over Donald's or HDL characterizations are non-issues as far as I'm concerned. They're well within the range of established variations of the uncle and nephews. Donald as philistine, ignoramus and fan of the most inane pop culture? Completely in character. HDL as boys in the "girls, ick!" phase? Completely in character (<i>especially</i> in Junior Woodchuck stories, where there's no greater humiliation than losing to a bunch of girls).ChickenChickenChickennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-75671403574041106162012-04-05T01:54:02.856-04:002012-04-05T01:54:02.856-04:00Thank you for that cogent response. Obviously, I ...Thank you for that cogent response. Obviously, I didn't have quite that reaction, but I can understand it. I feel as though a slightly higher action:exposition ratio might've made it click a little better for me, but that's just speculation. It's *definitely* the case, however, that I should've been all over your last point, about Woodchuck principles trumping Scrooge's. That is indeed a very good thing.<br /><br />Now I'm wondering about the relationship between the Chickadees, who, after all, are generally shown to be at least the Woodchucks' equals in Barks stories. I feel like there must be a missing piece of this puzzle somewhere. AND WHAT OF THE LITTLE BOONEHEADS?!? I think that's the REAL burning question here. Or, contrariwise, not.GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-20149958454910111052012-04-05T00:20:58.466-04:002012-04-05T00:20:58.466-04:00Oh, and yes, the "overdue fine" joke is ...Oh, and yes, the "overdue fine" joke is a bit lame. But I imagine Rosa wanted to find a way to end the story without leaving Scrooge depressed and frustrated. The basic joke of the end of the quest, of course, is that the "lost" knowledge turns out to be in the one place to which Scrooge cannot gain access. And Rosa didn't want to leave him simply defeated. But may I say also, that this is another thing I like about the story: that the purity of the JWs' motivation and mission means that some precious knowledge is NOT FOR SALE, that the value of safeguarding knowledge does win out over Scrooge's capitalist/consumerist values.Elainenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-45512498265260728212012-04-05T00:04:08.406-04:002012-04-05T00:04:08.406-04:00(And here's the rest of my essay; it exceeded ...(And here's the rest of my essay; it exceeded the comment character-limit. I promise I won't start writing such great screeds regularly!) <br /><br />As for the treatment of Donald, I agree that it makes him a bit too much of a philistine, but I'm willing to allow that for the sake of the jokes and the chance to comment on the anti-book TV culture in a humorous way. Donald's relation to book-learning varies a huge amount from story to story, even in the Barks canon. <br /><br />And as for the "girl--ick" stuff: OK, yes, the childlikeness of the "ick" response doesn't quite fit smoothly into HD&L in their JW personas. But I do think that the way this storyline makes Cleopatra the founder of the JW tradition is a very clever way of dealing with the hard fact that the JW Guidebook is restricted to boys only. Of course that bothers my feminist self--that one of the most magical things in fiction was Owned By Boys. That's why I was charmed when translator Jonathan Gray gave Webbigail a Chickadee Field Guide that was like unto the JW Guidebook (even though I know that could never exist in Rosa' duckworld). So I was cheered that Rosa did not avoid the gender issue, but raised it in a semi-satisfying way, having the JW tradition of male leadership being historically trumped by the femaleness of the original founder of the library. And it's also satisfying, then (as well as funny) that HD&L's discomfort with that fact is shown to be childish.Elainenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-9324347003050497342012-04-04T23:55:53.223-04:002012-04-04T23:55:53.223-04:00OK, here's what I would say: I don't think...OK, here's what I would say: I don't think this is one of the best of Rosa's stories (Rosa himself does not think it is one of his best). However, the moment when it dawned on me, in my first reading of this story, that the accumulated wealth of all these libraries was going to end up being the core of the JW Guidebook was the one moment of purest and greatest joy I have ever experienced from reading a comic. Like you, I did figure this out before the reveal, but also like you, I did not figure it out early on. Only in retrospect, I would argue, is it indeed obvious that this is where this is heading. Rosa does a great job of *not* telegraphing that. Scrooge has gone on similar quests for knowledge with the expectation that there will be clues to treasure within that body of knowledge, and it's perfectly believable that he and HD&L (for their own, different reasons) would be motivated for this quest. <br /><br />So, what all went into the deep joy and intense delight I experienced when I figured out where this was heading? I think it was a combination of several factors. One was the element of surprise (so I don't get anything like the same experience on re-reading--now it's more a warm glow, a joy more remembered than experienced). But there was also a sense of complete appropriateness, of something falling into its exactly correct place, that was deeply satisfying. OF COURSE all the supposedly lost knowledge of the ancient libraries is in the Guidebook! That's just where it belongs! That is the appropriately mysterious and ineffable Vessel of Inexhaustible Knowlegde to contain such treasure. (That doesn't mean, of course, that that necessarily accounts for *all* the knowledge in the Guidebook; we're talking Deep Mystery, here.) And I think part of this joy was the ultimate "fanboy/girl" pleasure that comes when someone else appreciates a creation you also appreciate, in just the way it should be appreciated. In other words, this story does honor to Barks' wonderful (and very funny) creation, the JW Guidebook, and the role that played in so many stories I love. It honors the Guidebook just as it should be honored. This is part of the feeling of joy that Rosa often gives me, when he includes some element of Barks' duckworld in a way that shows his own love and understanding of it. But here that feeling ("yes, Rosa's fanboy use of this Barksian element is exactly how I would want someone to use that element, it honors what makes Barks great, and it's funny, besides") was for me at its absolute height. <br /><br />Because the surprise, and the resulting intense delight of the "click" of Perfect Rightness when the truth dawned, were dependent on my not knowing the denouement in advance, I have always been EXCEEDINGLY GRATEFUL that I did not live in a country where the idiot publishers gave that away on the cover of the first printing, by putting "Origin of the JW Guidebook" on the cover. In that case, I might have enjoyed elements of the story (San Slanti and all), but I never would have had that Moment of Greatest Comic-caused Joy Ever. <br /><br />Part of the joy also, for me as a scholar, is that in the Alternate Universe of Ducks, the knowledge of the lost library etc. was never lost, that it is treasured and guarded by the noble Woodchucks. (I don't see that as serving some long-ago savant, but as serving Knowledge, a noble task.) So it's a bit like Dylan Horrocks' Hicksville, or like the heaven in Isaac Bashevis Singer's story "Menaseh's Dream": it's the place where nothing is lost, the place where everything of value is safely preserved and honored as it should be honored.Elainenoreply@blogger.com