Still no word on when "regular" IDW Disney offerings might be arriving.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Seems Like Old "Life and Times"... Except It's Not.
Still no word on when "regular" IDW Disney offerings might be arriving.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
POST-DUCKTALES RETROSPECTIVE PERSPECTIVE: Sometimes It's Better to be Lucky...
The Internet really is like the Wild West. If you wander into the wrong place at the wrong time, you can figuratively be "blasted full o' holes" for looking at someone funny... BUT, you can also run across the most unlikely treasures in the most unexpected places. Take the case of the long-rumored "Making of DuckTales" documentary. The Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers documentary is readily available, and you'll occasionally run across images from the Tale Spin equivalent of same...
... but a behind-the-scenes look at DuckTales, the series that started WDTVA's syndicated ball rolling and led to The Disney Afternoon? Not a trace... THAT IS, until I accidentally ran across this the other day:
As best I can tell, this promo ran as part of something called "Disney Day Off," a Disney cartoon marathon that ran on a local station. (Note the occasional display of the air time of the syndicated series.) It makes sense that Disney would use the opportunity provided by buying time on a local channel to spread the word about its new series, especially since airing it exclusively on The Disney Channel would have reached only a small portion of the potential audience.
It's amusing to note how blithely Disney uses the names of such Carl Barks supporting players as Gyro Gearloose, Magica De Spell, and the Beagle Boys as "hooks" to snare viewers' interest. How many kids in 1987 could have been expected to know who those characters were? Evidently, the company was figuring that the "lure" of the supposedly better-known Scrooge and HD&L would be enough to entice eyeballs. Even that seems something of a stretch, despite the then-recent revival of American Disney comics.
The obvious followup question here is, are there any more of these featurettes floating around? Perhaps one focusing on Scrooge, or one focusing on the Nephews? It wouldn't surprise me.
Book Review: FUNNYBOOKS by Michael Barrier (University of California Press, 2014)
As was the case with HOLLYWOOD CARTOONS, FUNNYBOOKS had an extremely long gestation period, with Barrier using interview material from as far back as the 1960s to help craft his narrative. Barrier also draws upon material used in his 1981 book-length study of Carl Barks, but he expands greatly upon that earlier work. Perhaps his most important critical achievement here is his in-depth illumination of exactly how Barks, who famously worked in isolation and with minimal (at first) editorial interference, became one of the very first comics creators to "crack the code" and essentially discover how to tell effective stories in comic-book form. Barks fans have always known of the Old Duck Man's mastery of narrative, but they will come away from this discussion with a newfound appreciation of the wider importance of his work.
Barrier pretty clearly considers Barks to be primus inter pares even among the "really good ones," but Kelly and Stanley get their due and then some. Kelly's creation and development of the POGO characters is covered in detail, as is Stanley's work on LITTLE LULU, but Barrier brings their other notable comic-book works (e.g., Kelly's stories for OUR GANG and his fairy-tale and Christmas comics, Stanley's honing of his craft in NEW FUNNIES) under similar critical scrutiny. As was made quite clear in HOLLYWOOD CARTOONS, Barrier is a very astringent analyst, and it takes quite a lot for a story to wring praise out of him. Everyone who knows these creators will probably disagree with Barrier's assessments at some point -- for example, I think that he is much too harsh on Barks' more loosely-wound, but still immensely entertaining, UNCLE $CROOGE stories from the 1960s -- but he always has a well-considered reason for his opinions.
The "extra material" here is what really lifts FUNNYBOOKS to "instant classic" status. Anyone who has ever wondered about the precise relationships between the various corporate subsidiaries and allies grouped under the spreadeagled "Western Publishing" umbrella -- Whitman, K.K. Publications, Dell, Gold Key -- will have any and all questions answered to their satisfaction here. Interested in the early history of LOONEY TUNES AND MERRIE MELODIES, the Warner Bros. "answer" to WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES, or in how Dell handled such significant "non-funny-animal" licensed properties as TARZAN and various movie cowboy heroes? You'll learn about some of these comics' most accomplished writers and artists here. Perhaps the biggest surprise is a brief discussion of "the Jim Davis shop," an association of artists who produced "funny-animal" challenges, of a sort, to Dell's humorous hegemony for the notorious comics entrepreneur Benjamin Sangor. It's nice to see the exquisitely obscure characters that came out of this outfit get some recognition, even if Barrier's primary purpose for bringing them up is to demonstrate how their comics failed while the best of Dell's succeeded.
If I have a small nitpick here, it is with Barrier's comparatively brusque brushing-aside of the Gold Key era. Yes, that era did see ill-considered format and price changes and increasing editorial restrictions, but there was a whole lot of high-quality material being produced at that time, as well. (See Joe Torcivia's 50th Anniversary tribute for numerous examples.) I fully realize that Barrier's intention was always to focus on the years before the Dell/Western split, but a few extra pages discussing some of the GK highlights couldn't have hurt. Anyone want to pick up the bracketed torch (as opposed to fallen; it's not as if Barrier failed, after all) and try writing a sequel?
So, what are you waiting for? If you care at all about the Dell Comics that truly WERE "Good Comics," or simply about the history of quality comics in general, FUNNYBOOKS virtually defines the term "MUST-GET."
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Comics Review: MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDS FOREVER #12 (December 2014, IDW)
My opinion of the issue as a whole could charitably be described as "mixed." I appreciate the immense effort that Hickey, who has sure as shootin' taken a long, strange trip since her MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC comic-book debut, puts into making this thing truly bizarre, and I did enjoy the cleverness of Barbara Kesel's dialogue. The problem is that, given the whisper-thin plot premise, I don't think that this tale merited a full issue. The vast majority of the story seems to take place in the "Pinkie Zone," and that's an area that is fun to visit in the short run but tends to drive the visitor away in the long run, simply because Pinkie is so over the top... and she's roughly 100 stories OVER "over the top" here. In the end, I think that Kesel and Hickey simply try TOO hard to punch the weirdness across. I can see this working better as one of the backup features that have appeared in most issues of the MLP:FIM flagship title.
I'm not going to bother with SPOILERS here, since the plot could be scribbled on both sides of the paper in a Chinese fortune cookie, with room left over for the standard "lucky numbers" and one-sentence sliver of wisdom. Pinkie is obsessed with treats called "Phenomnomenons" and comes to ask for Twilight Sparkle's assistance in resisting their sugary Siren call, but she ultimately learns that the best way to "kick a habit" is by using one's own willpower. Welcome back to the 80's... "Just Say No" has returned with a vengeance! Kesel and Hickey would probably deny that such was their intention, but that's the way the message comes across. The only added feature here is Twilight's personal intervention, which is itself presented in considerably-further-than-off-the-wall fashion. For example, Twilight uses the hyped-up Pinkie's innate kinetic energy to trap the pink pony in a Mousetrap-style game-cum-prison.
Unfortunately, Kesel and Hickey muddy their supposed moral a bit in the last panel with Spike. He didn't really need to be in this issue at all, actually, which makes the coda all the more obnoxious.
These are definitely NOT the weirdest pages in the story... just the ones I could readily find online.
Aside from its sheer "bizzaritude," this tale will wind up rating a footnote of sorts in MLP:FIM trivia lore, because it marks the first time that any sort of canonical or quasi-canonical pony story has spent any time inside Twilight's "Friendship Castle," the gaudy structure that first appeared at the end of the show's two-part season four finale, "Twilight's Kingdom." Most of Twilight's anti-temptation experiments take place inside the castle; things don't begin to fall apart for our favorite scholarly alicorn princess until the field of battle shifts outdoors to the open-air food market.
Not a flop, but not really what I prefer to see in an MLP:FIM comic-book story, either. At least, a full-length one.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Book Review: WALT DISNEY'S MICKEY MOUSE, VOLUME 6: LOST IN LANDS OF LONG AGO by Floyd Gottfredson (Fantagraphics, 2014)
** SPOILERS **
The best story herein? Well, I'm kinda prejudiced in favor of "Love Trouble," but even I would admit that an actual adventure needs to take pride of place, and I'm perfectly fine with Byron Erickson's praise of "The Bar-None Ranch" as an ideal story to show a "Gottfredson newbie" so as to pique his or her interest in seeking out more of the strip. The story has very few plotting problems and a good mix of humor, action, and "forward thinking" (Peg-Leg Pete's use of a scientist's "dinguses" to create the illusion that he is an unstoppable master crook). In addition to being a bit more sedate -- not to mention a bit dated in its portrayal of feminine "wiles" and overall bitchery -- "Love Trouble" also contains an annoying flaw, one that I did not mention in my essay but have always found irritating, nonetheless. In order to get back at Minnie's stepping out with the caddish, superficially debonair Montmorency "Rodawn," Mickey calls on his cousin Madeline to play the role of visiting debutante Millicent Van Gilt-Mouse, who becomes smitten with him. At one point, though, when we see Madeline call Mickey on a house phone, Mickey answers and refers to her as "Millicent." What, does he think Minnie has the phone tapped? They're conversing in private, so why just call Madeline by her real name? And it would have been so easy to have fixed the problem, too, by having the two meet at a cafe or something. OK, it's not as obvious a flaw as the sudden change of the mysterious ghosts in "Bellhop Detective" from three-dimensional spooks to 2-D projections on a wall... it's just that this story came SO close to stone perfection. I can't help but be just a LITTLE resentful.
Insert "beach/bitch" gag here.
We begin to get inklings (and even a few overt mentions) of the war era in "Hidden River" and "The Gleam." One possible essay feature that I would like to see in the next volume -- which will take us deep into the war years -- is how depictions of the conflict in the MICKEY strip changed over time. I've only had extensive exposure to the Walsh-scripted continuities from 1944 and 1945, and some of those stories could certainly be considered more or less escapist. I seem to recall that there was far more actual war-related material (including war-themed gags) in the strip during the first few full years of the conflict. At least we won't have long to wait to test my theory.
Feature material in this volume includes a cartoon tribute by Stephen DeStefano (of Disney Comics peak-years fame), reprintings of several panels' worth of examples of the Gottfredson "redraws" that appeared in WALT DISNEY'S COMICS AND STORIES in the late 40s and 50s, and an "Heirs of Gottfredson" piece on Carl Barks that includes a color reprinting of Carl's one MICKEY adventure, 1945's "The Riddle of the Red Hat" (FOUR COLOR #79). For something that Barks claimed to not be his "cup of tea," this story is surprisingly good. Barks certainly didn't mail it in; he does a particularly good job of writing Goofy.
One comment of Gottfredson's concerning this era that probably should have been mentioned somewhere in here was his claim that the revenue from the MICKEY strip and the other ongoing Disney strips was literally keeping the straitened Walt Disney Studios above water in the early 40s. (Recall that Pinocchio [1940] had been a box-office disappointment, the first release of Fantasia [1940] was an out-and-out bomb, and the war had cost Disney the overseas market.) How about a statistical report at some point on how successful the MICKEY strip actually was? Do those data even exist any more? It's worth a dig through the appropriate archives, if you ask me.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
DUCKTALES Fanfic Review: "The Lost Tomb of Pharaoh Sedqaduck" by "Stretch Snodgrass"
And so, we trudge back into the DuckTales fanfic salt mines... or, should I say, the sand dunes!
Needless to say, adventure in desert settings are nothing new to our feathered Disney friends, either in print or on screens both small and large. Carl Barks' first full-length solo adventure story took Donald and HD&L to a reasonably authentic Egypt, and, when Disney Movietoons decided to mount a DuckTales feature film, writer Alan Burnett spun the plot out of Scrooge's quest to find the lost treasure of Collie Baba. There are, of course, numerous other examples of the "Ducks in Egypt" trope in both media.
PLOT: Pretty doggone solid, with some effective suspense and scares, though some of the plotting could have been improved. (**** out of *****)
If you choose to read this story, don't be initially put off by "Stretch"'s staccato style, or the manner in which he tells the reader some fairly basic information about the characters (e.g., that Huey, Dewey, and Louie wear red, blue, and green). Stick with it, and you'll be rewarded, especially once the gang starts the actual pyramid hunt. This is more of a straightforward "there and back again" storyline than the plots seen in "Master of the Djinni" or even DuckTales: The Movie. It has some longueurs, but "Stretch" keeps up some good, in-character banter between the Ducks, though his funniest material is unintentionally so (see WRITING AND HUMOR below).
As is the case in so many Barks adventures, Scrooge doesn't actually wind up carting home the complete treasure. In place of it, he gets what are for all intents and purposes "parting gifts," courtesy of the ghost of the departed Pharaoh. Considering that these items are designed more to educate the world about the cloudy history of Sedqaduck's unfortunate reign than they are to enrich someone, Scrooge accepts them with considerable grace... which is more than one can say about, for example, his petulant reaction to "love, the greatest treasure of them all" in "A DuckTales Valentine." True to his nature, though, he does find a way to profit in the end.
For a story rated the fanfiction.net equivalent of "E for Everyone," there is some seriously creepy material here. The discovery of a group of skeletons from an unsuccessful expedition by medieval Arabs to plunder the valley comes as a considerable jolt. The shock would have been more severe had the corpses been found by the Pharaoh's tomb, as they by all rights should have been, given that Scrooge interprets the map as saying that "the curse of death falls only upon those who violate the Pharaoh's final resting place." Since the skeletons were found a good distance away from the pyramid, I sense a disturbance in the plot structure here, though it's not quite bad enough to raise the dead.
In addition to harboring dead would-be looters, the Valley of Sedqaduck is also noiseless. Various fauna are present, but they don't make a sound. Scrooge hand-waves away the Ducks' ability to make themselves heard by suggesting that outsiders who enter the Valley aren't affected, while Dewey appeals to "an ancient Egyptian magic spell." Dewey's dodge works for me, especially in a world that contains Magica De Spell.
The creepiest detail of all, however, is the simple fact that Pharaoh Sedqaduck and his entire royal retinue are still present in spirit form, tending to the evergreen gardens and keeping the buildings in perfect condition. The "curse" on anyone entering Sedqaduck's tomb is supposed to last for 13,000 years, or until the world ends (nice escape clause, that). Presumably, therefore, the ghosts will continue to perform their janitorial services until that time. But what happens then? Will Sedqaduck and his people consider that to be "game over" and vanish, leaving the Valley to succumb to the elements? That seems like an unhappy ending (for them) to me. Or will the fact that Scrooge has peacefully brought the truth about "unlucky" Sedqaduck's reign to the outside world give the spirits a reason to rise to the heavens, in the manner of "The Garbled One" and Khufu in "Sphinx for the Memories"?
Unfortunately, "Stretch" seems to have forgotten to edit an early detail about the lost tomb's location. Scrooge originally gleans from the map that the tomb is "inside a mountain," whereas the actual pyramid is in a valley surrounded by cliffs and "mountainous" sand dunes. We could attribute this goof to Scrooge's misreading of the map, but, when your fact-checkers have the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook at hand, I doubt that any such slip would have slipped by.
The final scene has something of a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea "coffee scene" ((c) Joe Torcivia) vibe, in that we find the Ducks back in Duckburg and discussing their adventure over a meal at Quack Maison. (Remember? That was the place where Gladstone and Scrooge went to eat breakfast in "Dime Enough for Luck" and that unfortunate "clerical error" concerning the restaurant's "millionth customer" took place). It's decent, but also something of a letdown, given that the Ducks had already had dinner at the place earlier in the story, at the time when Scrooge finally convinced Gladstone to join the adventure. I appreciate "Stretch"'s willingness to exploit Gladstone's one DT appearance to the hilt, but bringing the Ducks back to QM might have been going a dish too far.
Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of the plot is the quick dismissal of the villains. In truth, they don't actually get to do much of interest. However, there is a most intriguing moment when Bankjob, remembering how Scrooge saved him, Babyface, and Bugle/Bebop from the pirates in "Time Teasers," suggests that the baddies ask Scrooge for assistance in getting back to civilization. Glomgold is having none of that, preferring a long, hot, and problematic desert trek to lowering himself to ask Scrooge for aid. Had the bad guys actually joined Scrooge's party, the conflict between Flinty's pride and greed might have made for an interesting subplot. (Admittedly, it might also have interfered with the subplot that was already present, which I'll discuss under CHARACTERIZATION). Instead, "Stretch" dismisses the villains with a couple of paragraphs of narrative. I suppose that "Stretch" felt that the adventure simply "had" to include an appearance by familiar villains in order to seem "authentic." There are plenty of examples to the contrary, though, and, all in all, I think that "Stretch" should have let the Ducks handle this one by themselves, with no opponents save the elements... and the internal conflicts.
CHARACTERIZATION: Pretty solid, as well, with the only possible question being how we are expected to regard Scrooge's behavior towards Gladstone. (**** out of *****)
"Stretch" does a pretty decent job with most of the basics here. The Nephews may consult the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook a few too many times -- I'm sure that their native intelligence could have helped them to figure out that pyramids were never used as homes, and that water, however brackish or distasteful, is essential for life to flourish in the desert -- but they make up for it late in the game by doping out Scrooge's scheme re Gladstone (about which more in a moment) all by their lonesomes. Launchpad is Launchpad, 'nuff said, while Gladstone, appropriately enough, is given his slightly softer, more laid-back DuckTales persona, as opposed to the more obnoxious characterization introduced by Barks. On the unlikability scale, whining a bit about tramping through the desert and making a couple of self-satisfied remarks about his luck seeing him through don't really amount to much. "Stretch" even provides Gladstone with a new (and atypical) vulnerable spot, in that the gander takes umbrage at Scrooge's questioning of his bravery on more than one occasion. Scrooge hasn't been concerned (at least openly) about others' cojones since "Christmas on Bear Mountain." But Gladstone's determination to prove Scrooge wrong reflects another side of his overweening pride... one that is less smug and more proactive.
The big character-related question arising from this epic is how, exactly, we are expected to react to Scrooge's subterranean decision to bring Gladstone along as a kind of "anti-bad-fortune fail-safe" to sense the "curse" that is supposed to lie on Sedqaduck's tomb -- and, more significantly, his determination to keep his reasoning under wraps until after the fact. Scrooge figures that, if there really is such a "curse," then Gladstone's luck will sense it and try to keep him and the other Ducks safe by any means necessary... including bouts of bad luck. Gladstone's increasing gaffe-proneness as the Ducks close in on their goal, and the result of the final advance towards the tomb, tend to bear out Scrooge's theory. But can this honestly be said to be "square dealing" by Scrooge, even though his intention was an honorable one?
Complicating our interpretation of Scrooge's behavior is a scene that occurs as the Ducks prepare to go into the Valley. A panicky Gladstone is (understandably) worried that another "Dime Enough for Luck" scenario may be playing itself out, but Scrooge bluntly dismisses his concerns and gives Gladstone his personal promise that the gander's luck hasn't really turned bad. The narrative presents this as an example of Scrooge's commitment to straight dealing with others, which, given the underlying subterfuge that the old miser is practicing, doesn't quite ring true. Gladstone makes the point that Scrooge, who "[denies luck] even exists" (I guess the Old #1 Dime is just a cherished memento in this version of DT continuity?), couldn't be expected to understand how luck works. Scrooge is obliged to rely upon sheer force of will to convince Gladstone to believe that Scrooge is telling the truth. Our... uh, hero, ladies and gentlemen? The jury may have a hard time reaching a verdict on that one.
Personally, I think that it would have made far more sense for "Stretch" to have had Scrooge tell Gladstone the truth up front, using logic to convince the gander that he will be in no danger precisely because Gladstone's luck will protect him by going bad at the appointed time. That would have made for an interesting psychological conflict for Gladstone, who is so used to being benefited by his luck that he might find it hard to wrap his mind around the concept of bad luck doing him some good. Using that subplot in place of the "Scrooge rather clumsily conceals the truth for everyduck's own good" would have been much trickier for "Stretch" to do, but it would have avoided the somewhat awkward characterization of Scrooge that the "subterfuge" angle forced the author to use.
A coda regarding Pharaoh Sedqaduck himself: The dead ruler's appearance in ghost-guise is brief but memorable. During the adventure, we learn that the "unlucky" ruler was not a bungler so much as a ruler who had the misfortune of facing a large number of enemies without the resources to keep them at bay. Sedqaduck shows that his troubles have not robbed him of a certain sense of humor when he disses Launchpad for having complained earlier that Sedqaduck's museum of artifacts was "dull." The greatest ruler of ancient times he wasn't, but he certainly doesn't come off as a dope on the order of Barks' spendthrift King Nutmost the Rash ("A Cobbler Should Stick to His Last," UNCLE $CROOGE #25, March 1959).
HOMEWORK: Done to a turn. (***** out of *****)
From the opening gong, references fly thick and fast -- and they're far from being the standard references to previous desert adventures that you might expect. The aforementioned references to Scrooge's map-mistake in "Master of the Djinni" and Bankjob's remembrance of Scrooge's generosity in "Time Teasers" certainly got MY attention, and some other clever ones are worthy of special mention.
(1) Gladstone refers to the Ducks' near-death experience in "Too Much of a Gold Thing" as an example of how dangerous adventuring can be. Makes you wonder: how widely did news of the Ducks' travails in the Valley of the Golden Suns actually spread? One can understand Scrooge wanting to keep the Valley's fate a secret from the general public, just in case some crazies decided to imitiate El Capitan and dig endlessly (and futilely) for riches in the ruins. Any acquaintances whom Scrooge trusted with the info were undoubtedly sworn to some form of secrecy... and it's therefore surprising that Scrooge didn't shush Gladstone (or even whack him with his cane) when Gladstone mentioned the adventure at the Ducks' table at Quack Maison.
(2) Glomgold reacts to Bankjob and Big Time's bomb-bungling by grumbling, "Now I know why you two never work together!" -- which, in fact, they never actually had before, unless you count that mob-scene in "Full Metal Duck" (which was itself a skull session, as opposed to an actual gig) and set aside the comic-book story "The Great Chase" (preferably, at a VERY great distance). Given that Bankjob and Big Time are actually among the more competent of the DT Beagles, their treatment here seems a bit uncharitable of "Stretch."
(3) To while away the time during a long flight, Launchpad tells Gladstone tall tales of his exploits, among which is his "harrowing hiatus with the Harpies" ("The Golden Fleecing"). Evidently, to Launchpad, any adventure you can walk away from is a tale-worthy one, even if one's role in it is somewhat, well, embarrassing. Speaking of which, Launchpad invokes the "Any crash you can..." mantra a couple of times here.
You do have to respect a writer who treats canonical series material in such ingenious and imaginative ways.
WRITING AND HUMOR: Acceptable at best, and most of the humor is of the accidental variety. (*** out of *****)
From the spellings of certain words such as "tonnes" for "tons," to the use of the phrase "the lot of them," to Scrooge's reminiscence about picnicking in a country "kirkyard," I gather that "Stretch" is probably a native of the British Isles. "Stretch"'s writing gets the job done, but it does fall victim to the occasional dropped comma and misspelling.
One must give kudos to "Stretch" for having the daring to try to reproduce the Ducks' "synchronized snoring" in prose. It results in an unintentionally humorous bit:
"Huh," snored Scrooge.
"Shhhh[,]" continued Huey.
"Quack, quack," slept Dewey and Louie respectively.
That last sentence reads as if "Stretch" is using "to sleep" as a verb capable of taking a direct object. What would such objects be, I wonder?
I also found the following throwaway paragraph amusing. Read this, and see if you don't get a distinct impression of Launchpad being pwned:
Scrooge divided the adults into three watches: Gladstone first, as he liked to stay up late; Scrooge last, as he usually woke up early, as "the early bird catches the worm"; Launchpad received the difficult midnight and early morning hours, because it was the only one that was left.
QUESTIONABLE MATERIAL: None, aside from the aforementioned scares and ghosts (which aren't actually all THAT scary).
OVERALL: ***** out of *****. N&V RECOMMENDED.
While not spectacular by any means, "The Lost Tomb of Pharaoh Sedqaduck" is a fun read and displays commendable effort. If you like classic "lost-ruby jungle plunges" with a couple of intriguing (though somewhat problematic) twists, then you should enjoy this story.
NEXT FANFIC UP: "The Sincere Fraud" by "Commander." In the not-to-distant DT future, the Nephews' mother Della returns... after a long stay in jail. I got a BAD feeling about this, Mr. McDee...
I bring this up because our "writer of interest," one "Stretch Snodgrass," picked a surprisingly well-worn trail on which to follow his muse. He's not trying to do anything Earth-shattering in "The Lost Tomb of Pharaoh Sedqaduck" -- just tell an entertaining comedy-adventure story in the classic DT tradition, complete with copious references to DT episodes past. He succeeds rather well, particularly in the clever manner in which he stirs an unexpected guest-star character -- one who (1) had only one featured role in the TV series and (2) has rarely featured in adventures of any stripe -- into the mix.
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*MAJOR SPOILERS (duh)*
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THE STORY: With "long-lost map" in hand, Scrooge travels to Egypt to seek out the titular cenotaph, the last resting place of Sedqaduck, the "unlucky" 13th Pharaoh of the 13th Dynasty, and his "greatest treasures." His companions on the journey are HD&L, Launchpad, and... "Uncle" Gladstone?? (Yep, that's what the boys call him. Personally, I take the idea of Gladstone being the Nephews' uncle as seriously as I do that of Daisy being the boys' aunt.) Unsurprisingly, Gladstone isn't initially keen on the idea...after all, it sounds too much like work. Scrooge ultimately convinces Gladstone to come along by challenging his ganderhood, or something close to it, and away they go. Flintheart Glomgold and Bankjob and Big Time Beagle get wind of Scrooge's destination in "Master of the Djinni" fashion -- via a newspaper photograph that reveals the details of Scrooge's map ("When will Scroogie learn not to leave his map in plain sight?" cackles Flinty) -- but, after a half-hearted attempt at attacking Scrooge's party at an oasis literally blows up in their faces, the baddies (somewhat surprisingly) drop clean out of the story. Instead, we simply follow Scrooge's party as they reach and explore the long-hidden, seriously eerie Valley of Pharaoh Sedqaduck. But why has Gladstone's luck suddenly turned sour? And why is Scrooge so heck-bent on convincing Gladstone that his luck isn't bad, all the while scotching any overt mention of "thirteen," "luck," and similar words freighted with intimations of good or bad fortune?...
If you choose to read this story, don't be initially put off by "Stretch"'s staccato style, or the manner in which he tells the reader some fairly basic information about the characters (e.g., that Huey, Dewey, and Louie wear red, blue, and green). Stick with it, and you'll be rewarded, especially once the gang starts the actual pyramid hunt. This is more of a straightforward "there and back again" storyline than the plots seen in "Master of the Djinni" or even DuckTales: The Movie. It has some longueurs, but "Stretch" keeps up some good, in-character banter between the Ducks, though his funniest material is unintentionally so (see WRITING AND HUMOR below).
As is the case in so many Barks adventures, Scrooge doesn't actually wind up carting home the complete treasure. In place of it, he gets what are for all intents and purposes "parting gifts," courtesy of the ghost of the departed Pharaoh. Considering that these items are designed more to educate the world about the cloudy history of Sedqaduck's unfortunate reign than they are to enrich someone, Scrooge accepts them with considerable grace... which is more than one can say about, for example, his petulant reaction to "love, the greatest treasure of them all" in "A DuckTales Valentine." True to his nature, though, he does find a way to profit in the end.
For a story rated the fanfiction.net equivalent of "E for Everyone," there is some seriously creepy material here. The discovery of a group of skeletons from an unsuccessful expedition by medieval Arabs to plunder the valley comes as a considerable jolt. The shock would have been more severe had the corpses been found by the Pharaoh's tomb, as they by all rights should have been, given that Scrooge interprets the map as saying that "the curse of death falls only upon those who violate the Pharaoh's final resting place." Since the skeletons were found a good distance away from the pyramid, I sense a disturbance in the plot structure here, though it's not quite bad enough to raise the dead.
The creepiest detail of all, however, is the simple fact that Pharaoh Sedqaduck and his entire royal retinue are still present in spirit form, tending to the evergreen gardens and keeping the buildings in perfect condition. The "curse" on anyone entering Sedqaduck's tomb is supposed to last for 13,000 years, or until the world ends (nice escape clause, that). Presumably, therefore, the ghosts will continue to perform their janitorial services until that time. But what happens then? Will Sedqaduck and his people consider that to be "game over" and vanish, leaving the Valley to succumb to the elements? That seems like an unhappy ending (for them) to me. Or will the fact that Scrooge has peacefully brought the truth about "unlucky" Sedqaduck's reign to the outside world give the spirits a reason to rise to the heavens, in the manner of "The Garbled One" and Khufu in "Sphinx for the Memories"?
The final scene has something of a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea "coffee scene" ((c) Joe Torcivia) vibe, in that we find the Ducks back in Duckburg and discussing their adventure over a meal at Quack Maison. (Remember? That was the place where Gladstone and Scrooge went to eat breakfast in "Dime Enough for Luck" and that unfortunate "clerical error" concerning the restaurant's "millionth customer" took place). It's decent, but also something of a letdown, given that the Ducks had already had dinner at the place earlier in the story, at the time when Scrooge finally convinced Gladstone to join the adventure. I appreciate "Stretch"'s willingness to exploit Gladstone's one DT appearance to the hilt, but bringing the Ducks back to QM might have been going a dish too far.
Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of the plot is the quick dismissal of the villains. In truth, they don't actually get to do much of interest. However, there is a most intriguing moment when Bankjob, remembering how Scrooge saved him, Babyface, and Bugle/Bebop from the pirates in "Time Teasers," suggests that the baddies ask Scrooge for assistance in getting back to civilization. Glomgold is having none of that, preferring a long, hot, and problematic desert trek to lowering himself to ask Scrooge for aid. Had the bad guys actually joined Scrooge's party, the conflict between Flinty's pride and greed might have made for an interesting subplot. (Admittedly, it might also have interfered with the subplot that was already present, which I'll discuss under CHARACTERIZATION). Instead, "Stretch" dismisses the villains with a couple of paragraphs of narrative. I suppose that "Stretch" felt that the adventure simply "had" to include an appearance by familiar villains in order to seem "authentic." There are plenty of examples to the contrary, though, and, all in all, I think that "Stretch" should have let the Ducks handle this one by themselves, with no opponents save the elements... and the internal conflicts.
CHARACTERIZATION: Pretty solid, as well, with the only possible question being how we are expected to regard Scrooge's behavior towards Gladstone. (**** out of *****)
"Stretch" does a pretty decent job with most of the basics here. The Nephews may consult the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook a few too many times -- I'm sure that their native intelligence could have helped them to figure out that pyramids were never used as homes, and that water, however brackish or distasteful, is essential for life to flourish in the desert -- but they make up for it late in the game by doping out Scrooge's scheme re Gladstone (about which more in a moment) all by their lonesomes. Launchpad is Launchpad, 'nuff said, while Gladstone, appropriately enough, is given his slightly softer, more laid-back DuckTales persona, as opposed to the more obnoxious characterization introduced by Barks. On the unlikability scale, whining a bit about tramping through the desert and making a couple of self-satisfied remarks about his luck seeing him through don't really amount to much. "Stretch" even provides Gladstone with a new (and atypical) vulnerable spot, in that the gander takes umbrage at Scrooge's questioning of his bravery on more than one occasion. Scrooge hasn't been concerned (at least openly) about others' cojones since "Christmas on Bear Mountain." But Gladstone's determination to prove Scrooge wrong reflects another side of his overweening pride... one that is less smug and more proactive.
Complicating our interpretation of Scrooge's behavior is a scene that occurs as the Ducks prepare to go into the Valley. A panicky Gladstone is (understandably) worried that another "Dime Enough for Luck" scenario may be playing itself out, but Scrooge bluntly dismisses his concerns and gives Gladstone his personal promise that the gander's luck hasn't really turned bad. The narrative presents this as an example of Scrooge's commitment to straight dealing with others, which, given the underlying subterfuge that the old miser is practicing, doesn't quite ring true. Gladstone makes the point that Scrooge, who "[denies luck] even exists" (I guess the Old #1 Dime is just a cherished memento in this version of DT continuity?), couldn't be expected to understand how luck works. Scrooge is obliged to rely upon sheer force of will to convince Gladstone to believe that Scrooge is telling the truth. Our... uh, hero, ladies and gentlemen? The jury may have a hard time reaching a verdict on that one.
Personally, I think that it would have made far more sense for "Stretch" to have had Scrooge tell Gladstone the truth up front, using logic to convince the gander that he will be in no danger precisely because Gladstone's luck will protect him by going bad at the appointed time. That would have made for an interesting psychological conflict for Gladstone, who is so used to being benefited by his luck that he might find it hard to wrap his mind around the concept of bad luck doing him some good. Using that subplot in place of the "Scrooge rather clumsily conceals the truth for everyduck's own good" would have been much trickier for "Stretch" to do, but it would have avoided the somewhat awkward characterization of Scrooge that the "subterfuge" angle forced the author to use.
From the opening gong, references fly thick and fast -- and they're far from being the standard references to previous desert adventures that you might expect. The aforementioned references to Scrooge's map-mistake in "Master of the Djinni" and Bankjob's remembrance of Scrooge's generosity in "Time Teasers" certainly got MY attention, and some other clever ones are worthy of special mention.
(1) Gladstone refers to the Ducks' near-death experience in "Too Much of a Gold Thing" as an example of how dangerous adventuring can be. Makes you wonder: how widely did news of the Ducks' travails in the Valley of the Golden Suns actually spread? One can understand Scrooge wanting to keep the Valley's fate a secret from the general public, just in case some crazies decided to imitiate El Capitan and dig endlessly (and futilely) for riches in the ruins. Any acquaintances whom Scrooge trusted with the info were undoubtedly sworn to some form of secrecy... and it's therefore surprising that Scrooge didn't shush Gladstone (or even whack him with his cane) when Gladstone mentioned the adventure at the Ducks' table at Quack Maison.
(2) Glomgold reacts to Bankjob and Big Time's bomb-bungling by grumbling, "Now I know why you two never work together!" -- which, in fact, they never actually had before, unless you count that mob-scene in "Full Metal Duck" (which was itself a skull session, as opposed to an actual gig) and set aside the comic-book story "The Great Chase" (preferably, at a VERY great distance). Given that Bankjob and Big Time are actually among the more competent of the DT Beagles, their treatment here seems a bit uncharitable of "Stretch."
(3) To while away the time during a long flight, Launchpad tells Gladstone tall tales of his exploits, among which is his "harrowing hiatus with the Harpies" ("The Golden Fleecing"). Evidently, to Launchpad, any adventure you can walk away from is a tale-worthy one, even if one's role in it is somewhat, well, embarrassing. Speaking of which, Launchpad invokes the "Any crash you can..." mantra a couple of times here.
You do have to respect a writer who treats canonical series material in such ingenious and imaginative ways.
From the spellings of certain words such as "tonnes" for "tons," to the use of the phrase "the lot of them," to Scrooge's reminiscence about picnicking in a country "kirkyard," I gather that "Stretch" is probably a native of the British Isles. "Stretch"'s writing gets the job done, but it does fall victim to the occasional dropped comma and misspelling.
One must give kudos to "Stretch" for having the daring to try to reproduce the Ducks' "synchronized snoring" in prose. It results in an unintentionally humorous bit:
"Huh," snored Scrooge.
"Shhhh[,]" continued Huey.
"Quack, quack," slept Dewey and Louie respectively.
That last sentence reads as if "Stretch" is using "to sleep" as a verb capable of taking a direct object. What would such objects be, I wonder?
I also found the following throwaway paragraph amusing. Read this, and see if you don't get a distinct impression of Launchpad being pwned:
Scrooge divided the adults into three watches: Gladstone first, as he liked to stay up late; Scrooge last, as he usually woke up early, as "the early bird catches the worm"; Launchpad received the difficult midnight and early morning hours, because it was the only one that was left.
QUESTIONABLE MATERIAL: None, aside from the aforementioned scares and ghosts (which aren't actually all THAT scary).
OVERALL: ***** out of *****. N&V RECOMMENDED.
While not spectacular by any means, "The Lost Tomb of Pharaoh Sedqaduck" is a fun read and displays commendable effort. If you like classic "lost-ruby jungle plunges" with a couple of intriguing (though somewhat problematic) twists, then you should enjoy this story.
NEXT FANFIC UP: "The Sincere Fraud" by "Commander." In the not-to-distant DT future, the Nephews' mother Della returns... after a long stay in jail. I got a BAD feeling about this, Mr. McDee...
Friday, December 5, 2014
"Not pony tales, but"... actually, YES, pony tales.
I have been pretty busy this past week and haven't gotten many opportunities to blog. I still have a couple of tomes on the old pile-a-roo to read and review. I'm also deciding on the next DUCKTALES comic-book story and fanfic to dissect. We're heading into finals week, however, so those features won't appear until the second half of December, at the earliest.
In the meantime, I have some delectable crossover matter for you to nosh on. I stumbled across these items while I was... OK, I'll admit it, I was searching for a DuckTales/My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic crossover fanfic. I did find one, but... let's just say that I would prefer to pass over it in silence. I'm sure that the writer did his or her best, but there's just not that much substance to the thing.
Graphical blandishers have been busier:
The image is from IDW's MLP MICRO-SERIES COMIC #8, the one featuring Celestia. Unfortunately, these kids were making fun of the aging and increasingly oblivious teacher Inkwell. I'd almost have preferred that they were playing hooky or something. Also... "A-WOOOOOO"? Is that the DuckTales theme song or a Warren Zevon hit from the 70s?
If you're not satisfied with ponified versions of HD&L, how about the real McCoys... and an entirely new distaff challenge. And the lads thought they had issues with Webby and Gosalyn...
Perhaps this faceoff took place during an adventure in which Scrooge found himself in Equestria and immediately did what comes naturally to him -- namely, search for treasure. Since the MLP:FIM TV episode "A Dog and Pony Show" clearly indicated that certain areas of Equestria are chock-full of gems, this would be a natural thing to do. Due to the completely alien territory, it would also be natural that Scrooge would seek assistance from a local expert, whose many talents include an ability to find gems with her magic:
I can't wait to see "the division of the spoils" after this adventure. Rarity's charm (and magic) vs. Scrooge's will (and proven ability to do effective battle with a magical adversary)! Which would prevail?
Apparently, someone was planning to write a fanfic with this title, but this picture is as far as they got. Maybe they'll get back to it someday. If they do, then I hope they'll consider changing the title. "Friendship is Money" doesn't sound quite as... well, warm as the show's actual title.
As for Launchpad, provided that he could fit his trusty 'copter through the gate, or portal, or continuity rift, or whatever would allow communion between the Ducks and the ponies, I'm sure that he'd get into the spirit of Equestria and make friends quite easily.
.
.
.
Promos have begun to appear on Discovery Kids (nee The Hub) promising the return of new MLP:FIM episodes in Spring 2015. I had to chuckle a bit at the teaser below, because it partakes so transparently of "movie trailer-style overkill." Where is the late Dan LaFontaine when you need him? "IN A WORLD where Twilight Sparkle discovers the magic of friendship..."
In the meantime, I have some delectable crossover matter for you to nosh on. I stumbled across these items while I was... OK, I'll admit it, I was searching for a DuckTales/My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic crossover fanfic. I did find one, but... let's just say that I would prefer to pass over it in silence. I'm sure that the writer did his or her best, but there's just not that much substance to the thing.
Graphical blandishers have been busier:
If you're not satisfied with ponified versions of HD&L, how about the real McCoys... and an entirely new distaff challenge. And the lads thought they had issues with Webby and Gosalyn...
As for Launchpad, provided that he could fit his trusty 'copter through the gate, or portal, or continuity rift, or whatever would allow communion between the Ducks and the ponies, I'm sure that he'd get into the spirit of Equestria and make friends quite easily.
.
.
Promos have begun to appear on Discovery Kids (nee The Hub) promising the return of new MLP:FIM episodes in Spring 2015. I had to chuckle a bit at the teaser below, because it partakes so transparently of "movie trailer-style overkill." Where is the late Dan LaFontaine when you need him? "IN A WORLD where Twilight Sparkle discovers the magic of friendship..."
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