tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post7155545123622050802..comments2024-02-25T03:15:48.893-05:00Comments on News and Views by Chris Barat: DUCKTALES RETROSPECTIVE: Episode 1, "Back to the Klondike"Chris Barathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06845538037091279990noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-33725592833910357522012-07-18T19:07:27.457-04:002012-07-18T19:07:27.457-04:00CBR,
I posted that Scarpa clip some time ago, but...CBR,<br /><br />I posted that Scarpa clip some time ago, but it seems to have vanished into the ether, or whatever.<br /><br />Strobl drew "The Incredible Golden Iceberg." One of the better non-Barks Duck tales of the 60's, I'd say.<br /><br />ChrisChris Barathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06845538037091279990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-31071588905002275022012-07-18T19:00:27.760-04:002012-07-18T19:00:27.760-04:00David,
Space Duck, eh? Why not just use the Micr...David,<br /><br />Space Duck, eh? Why not just use the Micro-Ducks as semi-continuing characters? And I don't mean the blandish Micros used on TV -- I would include Princess Teentsy Teen among others. Now that might have been fun, provided that you could have figured out a reason for the Micros and Scrooge to have regular contact (aside from the Micros getting a shipment of grain from Scrooge every X years). <br /><br />I would venture to guess that a Space Duck character would have lent himself (itself?) to more story ideas than did Bubba. But adding such a character would probably have made the later episodes even cartoonier than they actually were... especially if Gizmoduck had been the other new face.<br /><br />ChrisChris Barathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06845538037091279990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-41475349982411859012012-07-18T12:09:28.827-04:002012-07-18T12:09:28.827-04:00Hold on thar, GeoX; the DT Beagle Boys might not h...<i>Hold on thar, GeoX; the DT Beagle Boys might not have been like the comics ones, but they were still felt like fairly natural parts of the Duck universe (as you've noted before, Vic Lockman and others created--a few too many--"specialty" Beagles.</i><br /><br />To which I say, *double* hold on thar! Sure, seventies comics did all sorts of specialty Beagles, but seventies comics were frequently *gimmicky as hell,* and not at all what anyone means by "Barksian." Unless you think perhaps it would've been Barksian to see guest appearances by Mad Madam Mim or Moby and Dimwitty :pGeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-86400495977499867722012-07-18T11:37:48.966-04:002012-07-18T11:37:48.966-04:00Everyone:
I recall that the designs were based on...Everyone:<br /><br />I recall that the designs were based on pre-production/developement by Romano Scarpa - there's a test film on youtube with animation by him of Scrooge and the nephews (in their woodchuck hats) diving into tresure coins in an Aztec pyramid before the Beagle Boys show up. <br />In fact, the dome on top of the money bin and the cobblestone streets in Duckburg are a dead giveaway that we had input from our overseas friends. <br /><br />That's not to say that Tony Strobal couldn't have been involved,but his ducks tended to look more compact and "pinched", whereas Scarpa's looked like they could be squashed and stretched, which is how they often looked on the show...did he draw "The Incredible Golden Iceberg"? In that story Magica De Spell looks a lot like how she appeared in Ducktales.Comicbookrehabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09363501054869978524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-88551800418842176992012-07-18T09:24:07.279-04:002012-07-18T09:24:07.279-04:00Chris:
I remember the books were sold at a booksh...Chris:<br /><br />I remember the books were sold at a bookshop at Astor Place in NYC that got creamed when Barnes & Noble opened a large store across the street. They only had the one pictured and the Send In the Clones/Masters of the Djinni that I mentioned, but the back cover also promoted further volumes, like Armstrong/Earthquack. Each volume adapted two episodes in storybook form. I've got to dig them up and check. It's one of those "if you were there, you got one" kind of moments; I wouldn't have known about the Little Golden Books, either if I wasn't visiting the book section of the toy stores. There's one book, where the nephews plan a surprise party for Scrooge by leaving a trail of pennies for him to follow - neat stuff like that.<br /><br />I'm convinced the Captain from "Golden Suns" was inspired by the antagonist in "King Scrooge the First"! The decision to redesign him was probably to not confuse viewers into thinking he was a Duck Family relation.Comicbookrehabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09363501054869978524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-30318822449827083462012-07-17T23:55:31.966-04:002012-07-17T23:55:31.966-04:00One other note...I've never had a hard time ac...One other note...I've never had a hard time accepting that the DT ducks and the Barks ducks are two different "takes" on the same characters. Because I didn't discover Barks until later in my childhood post-DT, I don't think I feel as beholden to him as other fans do, and I'm not as offended when his canon is violated. There are Barks ducks. Rosa ducks. Van Horn ducks. DT ducks. Scarpa ducks. The early Disney ducks.<br /><br />Etc. etc. etc.<br /><br />Part of what makes these characters eternal is their ability to be spun and woven in different ways. It's how they survive and reinvent themselves to stay current and fresh.<br /><br />Even the most sacred of fictional canons, STAR TREK, is experiencing this regeneration (heh...STAR TREK: THE NEXT REGENERATION). The franchise was dying, and it needed a swift kick in the continuity, which J.J. Abrams provided (fault-ridden thought it may have been).<br /><br />Over on the superhero side of things, this happens all of the time. Christopher Nolan's take on Batman is different from Bruce Timm's take. Yet. They're both valid versions of the same Bob Kane character. <br /><br />That's how I view Barks and DT. DT may have drawn inspiration from him, but that was just a starting point. As the series progressed, the writers became less and less dependent on Barks' work as they found their own "voice" or "quack" or whatever.<br /><br />I see all of this as a good thing, and I hope Disney gets its act together and produces a whole 'nother take on the ducks. Soon, please!Pete Fernbaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01460546076208578503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-21250630281899011842012-07-17T23:44:39.471-04:002012-07-17T23:44:39.471-04:00Hey Joe and ramapith:
I've never seen Tony St...Hey Joe and ramapith:<br /><br />I've never seen Tony Strobl or Kay Wright in the DT designs. Those are interesting observations. I'll have to go back and look/compare.<br /><br />Speaking as someone who saw the Bubba miniseries as a kid, I always thought he was pretty cool. I had a harder time accepting Fenton/Gizmoduck since I felt he and Giz took over the show, but it didn't take me long to really enjoy Fenton's blustery presence. I especially enjoyed his Ma.<br /><br />They really didn't know what to do with Bubba post-"Time is Money," which is probably why Scrooge (ahem...Scooge) should have sent him back to his own time. But that's getting ahead of where Chris and I are in our retrospectives...Pete Fernbaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01460546076208578503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-36203261640465460392012-07-17T23:37:56.824-04:002012-07-17T23:37:56.824-04:00Hey Chris,
Those books were from Mallard Press (...Hey Chris, <br /><br />Those books were from Mallard Press (ironically enough), and they were beautifully done. My grandmother bought them for me one Christmas, and I still treasure them despite the wear and tear. <br /><br />I'm trying to remember how many there were...I think six.<br /><br />There was "Armstrong the Robot and Earthquack"; "Dinosaur Ducks and Jungle Duck"; "Back to the Klondike and Superdoo!"; "Masters of the Genie and Send in the Clones"; "Sphinx for the Memories and Sir Gyro Gearloose"; and "Sweet Duck of Youth and Double-O-Duck."<br /><br />I remember they were pretty pricey at the time; the distinctive feature of each book was seeing Scrooge's whiskers colored grey. I've always kinda liked that.<br /><br />I think you can find them online for fairly reasonable prices. <br /><br />PetePete Fernbaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01460546076208578503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-62421699905299387822012-07-17T23:09:56.901-04:002012-07-17T23:09:56.901-04:00Oops! Or should I say—double oops!
First clarific...Oops! Or should I say—double oops!<br /><br />First clarification: Chris, I was referring to Mrs. Beakley and Webby.<br /><br />Second clarification: his name was really Space Duck (my error), and his creation was documented <a href="http://www.awn.com/articles/profiles/tad-stones-interview-part-2/page/4,1" rel="nofollow">here</a>.ramapithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01751343744514656549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-71754717355780303772012-07-17T22:57:53.228-04:002012-07-17T22:57:53.228-04:00For whatever reason, during the the first season&#...For whatever reason, during the the first season's premiere run (I was in kidnergarten), this episode really stood out to me, and for the next couple of years, was one of the most memorable. <br /><br />Flash forward 25 years, and saying that <i>DuckTales</i> schmaltzy ending pales in comparison to Barks' brilliant psycho-drama doesn't even <b>begin</b> to account for it. Still, the episode has its merits: the flashback is a decent animated adaptation of Barks', even sans the legendary brawl scene. And the rugged, rustic, dangerous frontier ambience is respectably conveyed. <br /><br />Geo: <i>DuckTales</i>' Beagle Boys were the first Beagle Boys I knew, but even though I now would prefer a conception of the Beagles faithful to Barks', I <i>still</i> accept <i>DT</i>'s version. But I would never accept Scrooge being "pimped out" with lots of "bling" and a "sweet ride", nor the nephews being a bunch of slackers habitually wearing baggy, fluorescent clothing ... which actually happened with the advent of <i>Quack Pack</i>, and I would've found it revolting even if I'd only ever known <i>DuckTales</i> and never seen a single panel drawn by Barks'. I understand your objection to the <i>DT</i> Beagles, but I just don't think that you're "you'll accept anything, then" caveat holds.<br /><br />-- RyanRyan Wynnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00477919968924048814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-48013503187046835722012-07-17T20:52:20.914-04:002012-07-17T20:52:20.914-04:00Hold on thar, GeoX; the DT Beagle Boys might not h...Hold on thar, GeoX; the DT Beagle Boys might not have been like the comics ones, but they were still felt like fairly natural parts of the Duck universe (as you've noted before, Vic Lockman and others created--a few too many--"specialty" Beagles. <br /><br />I suspect the main reason the Beagles were individualized for the show is because of an old animation principle, one Disney animators seem to pay particular attention to--it's considered bad practice, in a visual medium, to have so many characters who look alike. This goes all the way back to 1937 and Disney's individualization of the Seven Dwarfs. <br /><br />The studio was committed to Huey, Dewey, and Louie looking alike, since they were one of the few exceptions to the rule back in the old days--but notice that even they were colored differently, as opposed to the Barks versions. I suspect the animation team drew the line at having another and larger set of look-alike characters--color-coordinated ones, yet. I'd love to hear from Mike Peraza or some of the other folks who worked on the show and see if this theory is correct.<br /><br />As for Gizmoduck and Bubba--adding a superhero and a caveman as REGULAR CHARACTERS instead of one-shot characters just smacks of desperation to me--execs thinking, "this will pull more kids in to the show." I will admit to liking Fenton as a character, but feel that his alter ego made too easy of a "deus ex machina" for the second-season writers.Daniel J. Neyerhttp://www.thenostalgialeague.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-1422713363213169892012-07-17T18:54:44.392-04:002012-07-17T18:54:44.392-04:00David,
"Two prehistoric female stereotypes&q...David,<br /><br />"Two prehistoric female stereotypes"? I'm confused... Are you referring to compadres of Bubba and Tootsie? The wild women from "Launchpad's First Crash"? Mrs. Beakly and Webby?<br /><br />And who's this "Alien Duck" to whom you refer? I know of Quacky McSlant and Vacation Van Honk, but I've never heered tell of any "Alien Duck" slated for the DT cast.<br /><br />ChrisChris Barathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06845538037091279990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-27975717815776931632012-07-17T18:50:52.410-04:002012-07-17T18:50:52.410-04:00CBRehab,
I never saw those books. Where were the...CBRehab,<br /><br />I never saw those books. Where were they sold? They must have been in production fairly early on <br /><br />It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility that someone was inspired to create Dan based on a reading of a different Barks story. DT occasionally "lifted" bits and pieces of Barks stories for use in unrelated plot lines. Classic examples of that would be the "giant Bin mover" and money-dam scenario from "Only a Poor Old Man" in "Liquid Assets" and the bombastium in the "Time is Money" serial. In fact, while reading the "Seven Cities of Cibola" story in the new Fantagraphics Barks collection, I began to wonder whether Captain Ulloa's "abandoned ship in the desert" might not have inspired the treasure ship in "Golden Suns" in some way!<br /><br />ChrisChris Barathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06845538037091279990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-47939825851897312042012-07-17T18:16:21.129-04:002012-07-17T18:16:21.129-04:00David:
If they were “animated from Tony Strobl mo...David:<br /><br />If they were “animated from Tony Strobl model sheets”, why did so many of the dog-face characters look as if they were drawn by Kay Wright? Anyone else have that impression?Joe Torciviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00421096229407174474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-65197085986414610652012-07-17T17:51:23.724-04:002012-07-17T17:51:23.724-04:00What you say is true, but the ghastly hash that th...What you say is true, but the ghastly hash that the show's creators made of the Horseradish Story suggests that the creators had an intermittent-at-best understanding of what made Barks great. <br /><br />And as far as "gimmicky and un-Barksian things" go, I think once you've accepted the show's themed Beagle Boys, you've pretty well decided that gimmickiness and un-Barksian-ness (there's a word) are perfectly fine.GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-13893721065186638652012-07-17T09:59:20.088-04:002012-07-17T09:59:20.088-04:00To be fair, Rampaith, the caveman and the dinosaur...To be fair, Rampaith, the caveman and the dinosaur weren't in the Klondike, Status Seeker, and Horseradish Story adaptations. I'm one of those who really only cares for Ducktales' first season, since Bubba and Gizmoduck were just to un-Barksian and gimmicky for me to accept. The show's first season, however, had many more hits than misses as far as I'm concerned.Daniel J. Neyerhttp://www.thenostalgialeague.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-51725917325529532002012-07-17T08:28:15.226-04:002012-07-17T08:28:15.226-04:00"KUDOS to DTVA... for doing the [player-piano..."KUDOS to DTVA... for doing the [player-piano] gag in such an understated manner..."<br /><br />Frankly, I suspect it's "understated" because nobody realized it was a gag. Someone along the line said "an old-fashioned piano looks like this," and nobody else realized playing it was superfluous.<br /><br />I'll let everyone else give the benefit of the doubt to a series that, while promoted as a tribute to Barks, was often actually animated straight from 1970s Tony Strobl model sheets. <br />A series whose makers looked at "Back to the Klondike" and "The Horseradish Story" and "The Status Seeker" and decided that what these stories needed were such "understated" additions as a caveman, a dinosaur, and two prehistoric female stereotypes. Why not throw in the Great Gazoo and call it a day? (No, wait—they <i>did</i> create that character called "Alien Duck" that they ended up not using...)<br /><br />Of course, I'm Grinch-ishly ignoring how much I love Launchpad, how much I like Fenton, and how darned good many episodes still were made. I enjoyed quite a lot of DuckTales, and feel great comics can still be spun off of it today. <br />(And there were plenty in the old days, too.) I just say—it's possible to overlook its typical 1980s cartoon weaknesses a little too often. :innocent:ramapithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01751343744514656549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-24146118661276354772012-07-16T18:20:32.557-04:002012-07-16T18:20:32.557-04:00Fun stuff--you're making me feel sorta nostalg...Fun stuff--you're making me feel sorta nostalgic for a show that played very little role in my life at a time when it would've had a really formative impact. I look forward to following these. Hell, maybe you'll even change my mind about some of my less-beloved episodes. Or maybe not! Let's not get carried away. Regardless, though, it should be a fun trip.<br /><br />(I totally didn't remember "red agony creek." Double-you tee eff, as the kids say. Red? Is it on fire, or what? It's not like Barks just chose "white" at random!)GeoX, one of the GeoX boys.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14658452994152399308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-83988436889527378022012-07-16T14:17:12.470-04:002012-07-16T14:17:12.470-04:00Funny that you mention the six points of assuring ...Funny that you mention the six points of assuring your show gets shot down. However; the problem is that DTVA already did a kidnapping plot way back with Bumblelion & The Terrified Forest (although to be fair; the Silvania has no intention of kidnapping Butterbear on purpose.). <br /><br />The honky tonk scene was done with Ghost Rustlers and they make no bones about Hoppo's title as Honky Tonk Hoppo. And as for drug dependence: Scrooge's drug is money and let's leave it at that.<br /><br />I do have to concede that this is the first DTVA series to have actual bullet shooting guns; although TaleSpin would take it up to a level so high that I wondered how many of the producers were members of the NRA.<br /><br />With that said; I do concede the fact that one of the furies was in fact fake playing a player piano. I wonder if Clamantha's dad plays one in his spare time since he claims to be a flip-flopping pianist.Gregory Weaglenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-85618916154281589202012-07-16T13:11:19.854-04:002012-07-16T13:11:19.854-04:00I still have that book! I thought it was funny how...I still have that book! I thought it was funny how they had Scrooge with gray side-whiskers. Man, those books were large - I also have "Master of the Djinn/Send In The Clones" - where Webra Walters was called Mary Query(?). I guess they thought Barbara would be on the warpath...:)<br /><br />I wonder if the writers were inspired by the barfight in "The Looney Lunar Gold Rush" when they decided to include Dangerous Dan?...Comicbookrehabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09363501054869978524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4357793224370188597.post-9717979674379997582012-07-15T22:12:49.369-04:002012-07-15T22:12:49.369-04:00Chris:
Ah, it’s just like old times, kickin’ back...Chris:<br /><br />Ah, it’s just like old times, kickin’ back and enjoying your analysis of DT! This is gonna be a great week for blogging -- at the beginning AND at the end! <br /><br />Funny thing , about ME talking YOU off the ledge in those bygone days. Over time, I’ve become less tolerant of DTVA’s flaws, than you. That was certainly true by the time of Goof Troop and especially Bonkers! Still love everything up through Darkwing Duck, and always will. <br /><br />BTW, regardless of anything I might have told you in the ‘80s, you have always been right about the “Heart Shaped Smoke Plumes”. Or, maybe I just see it that way now, too – now that I’ve become more accustomed to seeing comic book stories I’ve loved most of my life adapted to animation! That was a “new thing” to me back then – and I would have forgiven many flaws just to see Carl Barks, or later Batman comics brought to the screen. <br /><br />I also can’t believe that the “playing of a player piano” gag wasn’t done in SOME Warner Bros. or Tex Avery cartoon! It’s too much of a natural. KUDOS to DTVA (…Yeah, I know I’m giving them props here!) for doing the gag in such an understated manner -- as opposed to what Avery might have done in some western or gold rush spoof. <br /><br />Well done!<br /><br />Joe.Joe Torciviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00421096229407174474noreply@blogger.com