tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post5775841833776904960..comments2024-03-02T16:36:54.324-05:00Comments on Duck Comics Revue: "His Majesty, McDuck"GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-19277169817672828882022-11-09T14:26:53.040-05:002022-11-09T14:26:53.040-05:00Huh! It been years, since this blog wrote annythin...Huh! It been years, since this blog wrote annything about Don Rosa. Maybe episode on "Son of the Sun", or the Universal Solvent trilogy? Treausty of Cressus? The Sign Of The Triple Distelfink??? Return to Xanadu?<br />W.H.A.D.A.L.O.T.T.A.J.A.R.G.O.N.?<br /><br />So many interesting stories to talk about...<br />Pan Miluśhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01364446151493198587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-53276460520300743752019-03-31T04:21:54.095-04:002019-03-31T04:21:54.095-04:00Oh my gosh I completely forgot about this story! ...Oh my gosh I completely forgot about this story! I read it as a kid and liked it despite being a sworn anti-Rosa. Very cool to find this review on it! I thought the story was very amazed although it squashed some of my own dreams of having my own country and brought me back to reality a little.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-71020196306324573562017-05-24T03:39:51.239-04:002017-05-24T03:39:51.239-04:00My understanding is being a businessman means it i...My understanding is being a businessman means it is very important for not being saw through. Scrooge has been in business for so many years that hiding his emotions becomes part of him. It is not a rational decision for pretending to be mean, but exposing his real feelings makes him awkward. Some people have problems showing their emotions in front of others. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07287797772891614365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-54477156425396260772017-04-06T06:58:26.765-04:002017-04-06T06:58:26.765-04:00I actually thought this character was Sharky when ...I actually thought this character was Sharky when I read it! At that time I have only glanced though "The Golden Helmet" since the copy was not mine. When I read this story for the first time I have a strong gut feeling that the bad guy here was a Barks' character, and naturally, the first one came into my mind was a guy who took advantage of the legal system.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07287797772891614365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-4549450656697492902017-01-31T10:55:14.124-05:002017-01-31T10:55:14.124-05:00This story is an example of something that bothers...This story is an example of something that bothers me with Rosa's depiction of Scrooge. In the end of the story Scrooge hides his true intentions for Duckburg, and wants his generosity to be a secret. In the same way, in other stories he hides the true feelings he has towards Goldie to anyone. He wants everyone to think he has no heart.<br />But the reasons for acting like this can only be despicable. In doing this, he rejects his entire family, and make sure people who like him will suffer because of his behavior. In some way, this makes him genuinely mean, and worse than if he simply could not help being a stubbornly non-generous man.<br />F Willothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04427037184740420029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-52928319203211920992017-01-21T08:16:43.305-05:002017-01-21T08:16:43.305-05:00I'm about 99% sure that the swordfight with th...I'm about 99% sure that the swordfight with the expressionistic shadows is a reference to <i>The Sea Hawk</i>; of course, a commenter above theorizes it could be <i>The Adventures of Robin Hood</i>, which features shadows effects, but not the exact composition Rosa referenced. It's from an Errol Flynn / Michael Curtiz joint, at least!<br />Great review of a favorite Rosa!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-43527693538035482922017-01-02T17:36:55.846-05:002017-01-02T17:36:55.846-05:00@Miguel
"Probably the money in the money bin ...@Miguel<br />"Probably the money in the money bin is an insignificant fraction of the total Uncle Scrooge's wealth (the factories, companies, oil fields, mines, etc., etc.)"<br /><br />You are 100% correct, many stories confirm this. It's just that, while making the list of Barks stories which describe Scrooge's wealth in actual numbers, I couldn't avoid mentioning "The Giant Robot Robbers".Drakeboroughnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-84367587452720049022017-01-02T16:07:46.666-05:002017-01-02T16:07:46.666-05:00Wow, I never heared this one :D So like Scrooge ca...Wow, I never heared this one :D So like Scrooge can go on vacation to Hawaii and has like a "summer money bin" waiting for him? That's sort of cool ^_^Pan Miluśhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01364446151493198587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-23092254479857440732017-01-02T14:17:00.709-05:002017-01-02T14:17:00.709-05:00Miguel Madeira is probably right (that, and the nu...Miguel Madeira is probably right (that, and the numerous bank accounts Barks told us he possesses). It's even an established Italian fact since the 70's that Scrooge has several Money Bins spread throughout the world, with the one on Killmotor Hill being #1.Achille Talonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11636339293230261724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-39027914653610389142017-01-02T13:19:17.566-05:002017-01-02T13:19:17.566-05:00«"The Giant Robot Robbers" (The Beagle B...«"The Giant Robot Robbers" (The Beagle Boys divide Scrooge's money from his bin in eight buckets, and Scrooge says a bucket has slightly more than 30 billions, meaning he has more than 240 billions). We can say that the list of zeroes would be inappropriate only in case of a realistic figure of Scrooge's money (like in the last story)»<br /><br />Probably the money in the money bin is an insignificant fraction of the total Uncle Scrooge's wealth (the factories, companies, oil fields, mines, etc., etc.)Miguel Madeirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07382939732567489809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-11204382989739496972017-01-02T13:11:37.371-05:002017-01-02T13:11:37.371-05:00@Pan
It may be, but I don't think so.
Having S...@Pan<br />It may be, but I don't think so.<br />Having Scrooge meet Coot's grandson was almost a requirement for giving Scrooge the hill on which he would build the Money Bin, since Barks said Fort Duckburg was on that hill before the bin, and the connection between Cornelius Coot and Fort Duckburg seems obvious (Rosa already connected the two in Cash Flow).<br /><br />I think the scene of Scrooge buying the deed "Last Sled to Dawson" served 3 purposes:<br />*showing that Scrooge was willing to settle down and stop looking for more wealth<br />*creating a red herring, as Soapy Slick (and the reader) are lead to think the sled contains the deed<br />*adding a small bit of Scrooge history, by explaining how and why he bought Killmotor Hill<br /><br />it wasn't necessarily a foreshadowing for a future story with a secessionist plot, especially as the deed is not shown or described in "Last Sled", and the details ("This isn't a deed! Is a royal land grant from King George III") appear only in "His Mayesty, McDuck".<br /><br />As for the double picture, I thought GeoX did it on purpose, as a sort of double take (compare what he writes the first and the second time).Drakeboroughnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-21338320908013251532017-01-02T11:26:57.245-05:002017-01-02T11:26:57.245-05:00Also makes you wonder did Rosa had this idea in mi...Also makes you wonder did Rosa had this idea in mind when he had Scrooge meet Coot's grandson in "Last Sleed in Dawson". <br /><br /><br />P.S. <br />I think there is an error in the review above. One page is posted twice. <br />Pan Miluśhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01364446151493198587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-22428379370200665372017-01-02T10:40:57.335-05:002017-01-02T10:40:57.335-05:00Well, the French Don Rosa Library has pictures of ...Well, the French Don Rosa Library has pictures of his storyboard, and it wouldn't have been just Azure Blue -- it would have been the Sharky/Blue duet, like in <i>Golden Helmet</i>, which means Sharky would probably have been doing the wisecracking.Achille Talonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11636339293230261724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-85650320107171628742017-01-02T10:40:02.403-05:002017-01-02T10:40:02.403-05:00Good point about Sharky--he'd have fit "H...Good point about Sharky--he'd have fit "His Majesty McDuck" quite well. My only reservation would be that for most of "Golden Helmet" he never seems interested in actually seizing power for himself; instead, he essentially functions as a sort of Tempter figure to Blue, the Curator, and Donald in turn. He does go full megalomaniac himself at the end of the story, however, so having him try to seize McDuckland wouldn't be out of character. The line about suing the Beagles for "siege malpractice" (one of my favorites) would also have sounded quite natural coming from Sharky. <br /> Daniel J. Neyerhttp://filesofjerryblake.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-37657066168668979942017-01-02T09:53:34.225-05:002017-01-02T09:53:34.225-05:00Fair enough--honestly, if we're just talking a...Fair enough--honestly, if we're just talking about "The Golden Helmet," I kinda think Lawyer Sharky would be a better bet. His "fake law-talkin'" gimmick seems like it would be entertaining to see more of, and taking over a new country for lack of laws seems like the kind of sneaky thing that would be right up his alley.GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-35453143519567879742017-01-02T09:32:39.515-05:002017-01-02T09:32:39.515-05:00I actually think Azure Blue wouldn't have been...I actually think Azure Blue wouldn't have been a very good fit for this story (which, incidentally, is my favorite Rosa tale).<br /><br />From what we see of Blue in "The Golden Helmet," he comes off as a really tough, stubborn, grimly humorless, and nasty character (pulling the gun on the skipper of his own boat, ramming the Ducks' boat, etc.). I can't really picture him making dry wisecracks about "exiling" Scrooge ("Oh, just outside somewhere; one can't be picky in a ten-acre country"), and I definitely can't picture him fleeing in terror from Scrooge after getting the sword knocked out of his hand; the bloody, bold, and resolute Blue seen in "Golden Helmet" would have tried to snatch up some impromptu weapon and continue the fight. <br /><br />If Rosa wanted to use a Barks villain for the story, Chisel McSue would have fit the part a lot better--since he's also a user of loopholes, but at the same time showed himself, in the "Horseradish Story," more likely to panic when the odds are against him than Azure Blue ever did. <br /><br />That said, I have no problems with McCovet; I always like to see Rosa creating an original villain, and I think Akers' design and dialogue make him quite amusing and distinctive. I picture him sounding rather like Ernest Thesinger, of "Bride of Frankenstein" fame.Daniel J. Neyerhttp://filesofjerryblake.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-52151060018688392452017-01-02T08:08:42.747-05:002017-01-02T08:08:42.747-05:00He makes note of his cinematic inspiration in the ...He makes note of his cinematic inspiration in the Gemstone issue of US I quoted earlier (which, yes, of course, says that Gladstone, not Gemstone, discouraged too many Barks references).GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-36508901114156615592017-01-02T05:18:37.714-05:002017-01-02T05:18:37.714-05:00He does in his commentary for the story in the Fre...He does in his commentary for the story in the French Don Rosa Library.Achille Talonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11636339293230261724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-62385218562971588452017-01-02T04:41:45.860-05:002017-01-02T04:41:45.860-05:00@Lugija
I guess it's because an explanation wo...@Lugija<br />I guess it's because an explanation would be needed for why Donald is familiar with Azure Blue while Scrooge is not. Which wouldn't be a big deal at all, so like you I think it was a stupid move on Gladstone's part.<br /><br />@BBJ and Elaine<br />Rosa mentioned "Passport to Pimlico" as the inspiration for his story in this 2003 DCML message:<br /><br />http://nafsk.se/pipermail/dcml/2003-June/017376.html<br /><br />Maybe he did it so in other articles, but I can't chack as I am not American.<br /><br />Here is a list of stories using the "foreigner for a day" plot device:<br /><br />http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ForeignerForADayDrakeboroughnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-26982194822115545712017-01-01T20:31:43.490-05:002017-01-01T20:31:43.490-05:00Aaaw... Shucks! ^_^ Thanks Elaine!
Aaaw... Shucks! ^_^ Thanks Elaine! <br /><br /><br /><br />Pan Miluśhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01364446151493198587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-35118768534977262622017-01-01T18:57:49.576-05:002017-01-01T18:57:49.576-05:00@BBJ--But the US Postal Service *was* funded by ta...@BBJ--But the US Postal Service *was* funded by taxpayers in the 1950's and 60's, so if you follow Rosa's timeline.... <br /><br />I believe Rosa has mentioned "Passport to Pimlico" as the inspiration for this story. I will see if I can track down the reference. Elainenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-28274569854546554792017-01-01T18:21:41.496-05:002017-01-01T18:21:41.496-05:00I feel constrained to point out that the US Postal...I feel constrained to point out that the US Postal Service is not taxpayer-funded.<br /><br />There was an early <i>Family Guy</i> episode that followed the same basic plot of this story. I thought at first that it drew from Rosa's idea, until someone on the DCF mentioned that "Passport to Pimlico" was likely the inspiration for both. Has Rosa ever openly credited that movie for the plotline of this story?Baar Baar Jinxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-88260707784776248452017-01-01T17:16:33.320-05:002017-01-01T17:16:33.320-05:00I have wondered why the villain had to be changed ...I have wondered why the villain had to be changed from Azure Blue. The explanation that he was a blatant Barks reference doesn't sit that well with me, since if the events of the Golden Helmet are not outright referenced (they could have been, of course) he would be a similar kind of villain who does the same stuff as this one. What difference would it have made that he was previously seen in a Barks story? So were the Beagle Boys.Lugijahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01489934906877791266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-79929667528940750502017-01-01T13:28:47.133-05:002017-01-01T13:28:47.133-05:00@Pan--I agree that it would have been fun to have ...@Pan--I agree that it would have been fun to have the villain be Azure Blue, because we need a villain whose specialty is "looking for loopholes to take over a country." That made me laugh (as your posts often do!). <br /><br />I've been thinking more about Scrooge's comment to himself pretending that the hungry pigeons are bad for business. I think this is a great character touch. If Scrooge needs to pretend *even to himself* that he's not "soft," that helps explain why others can fail to see his hidden heart. He hides it even from himself, when he's all alone! Elainenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5423579092779163824.post-25515547070785731582017-01-01T11:15:27.193-05:002017-01-01T11:15:27.193-05:00@Pan
Hopefully someday there will be an Inducks pa...@Pan<br />Hopefully someday there will be an Inducks page for the dognosed mayor (or a single page for every Duckburg mayor?). It is useful to have it, for example if one wants to know the first non-Barks use of Duckburg mayor (regardless of species) or the authors who used him more often etc.<br /><br />@Achille<br />It can't be, "A Letter from Home" takes place after "The Crown of the Crusader Kings", in which we can see Drake's plate in Scrooge's trophy room. I like it better this way, not only for Scrooge's character development but also because of the tought of the armors returning in the castle instead of being still used as stoves.<br /><br />The qestion of duck chronology is very interesting in my opinion, though.Drakeboroughnoreply@blogger.com