Highlighting Sixty Years of My Favorite Disney Character!
The Walt Disney Treasures collections have expanded into the world of Disney comics, and how great is that?!!! "Walt Disney Treasures: Uncle Scrooge, A Little Something Special" is the second volume of these fine new paperback collections sure to thrill fans of both the Disney Treasures DVDs and Disney comics alike. Here, we have 8 collected tales of my favorite Disney character, Scrooge McDuck, the richest duck in the world, uncle to Donald Duck, and the true face of Disney's comic book legacy, the other world of Disney that many self-proclaimed Disney fanatics aren't even aware of.
This 160 page collection opens with an editorial about Scrooge's origin and his portrayal in comics both in the States and abroad, with insight into the stories chosen for inclusion in this collection. Then comes the first story, 1954's "The Seven Cities of Cibola", a true classic tale from the Duck-Man himself, Carl Barks, creator of Scrooge and many of the characters in his world. In this tale, Scrooge, worried that life is becoming stale without a new enterprise to take under his wing, is thrilled to be introduced to arrowhead collecting by Donald and the boys (Huey, Dewey, and Louie). Even with 3 cubic acres of money, 50 cents per arrowhead found is too good a deal for Scrooge to pass up! While searching though, he and his nephews end up on the trail of bigger treasure, that of the legendary Seven Cities. Just their luck, however, that the Beagle Boys would happen to be listening in on their plans to go after it.
The second story in the collection was written 10 years later by Carl Fallberg, and is presented in its complete version here for the first time in North America. "Getting that Healthy, Wealthy Feeling" once again depicts Scrooge in a lackluster mood, as he feels his wealth is coming too easy and misses the hard work of earning a dime. This leads him to put Donald in charge of his fortune in the hope that separation and hard work will revitalize him. But Scrooge's plan goes awry when his money-making "luck" seems to dissipate without being able to touch his lucky dime. As editor David Gerstein points out, the story presents both the best and worst aspects of the period. It seems that other writers taking on Scrooge at times would misunderstand the concept of the lucky dime, turning him into a superstitious character in their stories and the dime into a magic talisman.
Story three is "Daisy Duck's Diary - Witness Persecution", an Italian story from 1966 by Romano Scarpa. A car crash, a hair growth formula, an expert legal analysis, and most significantly, the romantic pursuit of Scrooge by Brigitta MacBridge, make for a fun tale with fanciful art from overseas. These Italian Disney comics stories are a great treat for the American fans who get to meet completely new and wacky characters when we are presented with translated versions.
Story number four is "The Money Ocean", a highly imaginative tale from Italy, 1974. This Marco Rota tale depicts Scrooge as having several money bins and in a fret over their security. Donald prompts Scrooge to create one massive bin, and the result is an ocean of money with plenty of new ways to play with it, thanks to inventor Gyro Gearloose's help. But their's something sinister about the waves.
Our fifth story is the Danish "Pipe Dreams", published in 1980 and written by Brian Claxton and Tom Anderson. This two-part story is a charming if simple reunion between Scrooge and his old flame, Glittering Goldie.
Story six is a DuckTales adventure from 1989, "Windfall on Mount G'Zoontight", written by John Lustig with art by William Van Horn. I remember when Van Horn first came on the Disney comics scene, and I must admit, I was not a big fan of his whimsical style. I've grown accustomed to it though, and this story is typical of the slightly oddball duck stories his illustrations are usually attached to (perhaps they were all Lustig's? I don't recall). In this one, Scrooge, Launchpad, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie find themselves on an expedition to find the treasure of a mysterious, mountain-dwelling being called the Williwallawa.
The seventh, and one of the finest stories in this collection, is Don Rosa's 1997 "A Little Something Special". This special birthday story is not a mere tale of Scrooge's 50th anniversary in Duckburg, but also of a scheme by Scrooge's greatest nemeses banding together in something of a Legion of Doom fashion. Could've made for a great animated feature, like many stories from Rosa, and of course Barks, if only Disney had turned to their comics for the direct-to-video animation market instead of making sequels that could only look poor next to their feature film originals. Anyway, if there's one thing you should notice when reading a book like this, it's that the true masters of the duck comics are Carl Barks (naturally) and Don Rosa (who followed Barks' story style and take on Scrooge and his world more truly than anyone else).
Finally, after a brief and touching editorial, comes the story to round out this look at Scrooge and his legacy, the Danish "Whatever Happened to Scrooge McDuck", from 2006, written by Lars Jensen. This well-chosen tale shows the ducks of the future looking back on how Magica De Spell finally got Scrooge's number one dime, how Scrooge disappeared soon after, and the events that followed. But don't worry, it has a happy ending and Scrooge's adventures manage to continue as usual.
"Walt Disney Treasures: Uncle Scrooge, A Little Something Special" is both a treat for the longtime Scrooge fan and a great introduction for those new to Mr. McDuck and his legend. If you have any interest in exploring this character beyond the wonderful television series "DuckTales", this is a great place to start. Of course, "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" and its companion are also excellent to give you the full McDuck story, and there are many, many other comic books and collections out there, including a couple of collections specifically featuring the Carl Barks stories that inspired some of the best DuckTales episodes ever. And, of course, there are Scrooge's other animated moments besides the TV series DuckTales and its bigscreen movie. Scrooge can also be seen in Mickey's Once and Twice Upon a Christmas direct-to-video movies, Mickey's Christmas Carol, the still-not-on-DVD-in-North-America "Sport Goofy in Soccermania", and Scrooge's as yet unreleased-to-DVD screen debut, the fantastic short "Scrooge McDuck and Money". Though, even before that he could be seen as part of the animated opening to the original Mickey Mouse Club, and Scrooge also has appeared on Mickey's House of Mouse and in cameos on other Disney animated shows, like "Raw Toonage". So, do yourself a favor and get into the fantastically rich world of one of Disney's finest characters and a true Disney legend in the comic book medium, Scrooge McDuck, the richest duck in the world!
Uncle Scrooge at His Best
Do not be misled by the appearance of Don Rosa's name as a author. This wonderful compendium actually has stories by Barks, Scarpa, Rota, Van Horn and others, in addition to Rosa. Admirers of the warm hearted, money loving, webbed foot, duck will need no encouragement to purchase. The presentation is attractive, the paper good, and the humor and satire unmissable.
A more focused collection than the first Walt Disney Treasures
Maybe this is an obvious, uh, observation, but this collection is much more focused than the first Walt Disney Treasures volume. That collection, while enjoyable, tried to cover so much ground that its contents would probably seem like a bizarre mishmash to anyone not already familiar with Disney comics. (I am speaking somewhat of myself here.)
This volume, with its focus on Uncle Scrooge, allows a reader to get to know each character a little bit better because it doesn't jump around so much. The stories are all fun and the collection includes selections from a variety of creators rather than just Carl Barks or Don Rosa. I enjoyed reading these somewhat different takes on Scrooge. The capstone story of the book, "Whatever Happened to Scrooge McDuck" is a winner. The author found a way to wrap up the lifetime of Scrooge McDuck while still leaving the impression that the old duck's adventures will last forever.
After reading two of these Walt Disney Treasures volumes, the feeling that I get is that these stories are meant to whet the appetite rather than to satisfly. Unlike the Treasures DVDs, neither of these volumes are comprehensive or definitive. So, know what you're getting if you purchase it: not a chronological, all encompassing collection of materials but rather a curious and enjoyable grouping of tales by some of the most prominent creators over the last 6 decades.
Everyman's Rich Man
If Mickey Mouse embodies the Horatio Alger myth in animated cartoons, then Uncle Scrooge McDuck fulfills something of the same role in comic books, with a slight twist: McDuck is what becomes of the Alger character when he makes his fortune.
While Mickey became the trademark, and some would say the "lure," of the Disney empire, Uncle Scrooge became the delight of Disney comic book readers, his ever-growing and troublesome fortune taking readers to all corners of the world and mythology. It helped that McDuck was the creation of Carl Barks, whose stories had already become the favorites in the "Comics & Stories" and "Donald Duck" titles.
"Treasures" series editor David Gerstein has wisely chosen a Barks classic, the "Seven Cities of Cibola" story, to lead-off this collection. Barks defined the character and set the standard for both the stories and the artwork. The stories that follow provide an interesting and entertaining cross-section of American and European takes on the McDuck mythos. Readers who have been away from comics for awhile may be surprised that so thoroughly American a character (despite the Dickensian shadings)has taken on such epic popularity abroad. "The Money Ocean" is a beautifully realized story from Italy's Marco Rota, known only to a handful of American fans until a decade or so back.
Other worthy artists represented here include Tony Strobl (with Carl Fallberg), William Van Horn (with John Lustig), and modern maverick Don Rosa, who wrote and drew "disguised" Uncle Scrooge adventures before breaking into Disney comics in the '80s. One story, "Getting That Healthy, Wealthy Feeling," has been restored to its original length, an extra-mile effort to be expected of editor Gerstein, who has also had a hand in the Disney Treasures DVD series.
Having read through this volume, I'm still convinced that nobody has done a better job than Barks with his creation. But Scrooge McDuck has provided a wealth of inspiration for all the storytellers that have followed Barks, and the riches go to the readers.
Walt Disney Treasures - Uncle Scrooge: A Little Something Special
Even by the first story (or second) I know it's going to be a great book. I bought this book because I wanted to know what old Uncle Scrooge comics were like. And for some amazing coincidence, Uncle Scrooge's first dime is also my favorite coin of his collection and I've read about all his coins. I hope Walt Disney makes more "Walt Disney Treasures" books. And for all the people who like this book like me out there, I suggest you look for "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" and "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion". This review is written by Elias.
