Thursday, June 4, 2015

The Wrath of …Scrooge?



Here at TIAH Blog, we love UNCLE SCROOGE, and we love STAR TREK.  But, we seldom, if ever, see a post that tributes them both. 

Enter “Bully”, a talented fellow (…or stuffed animal, you decide) from Brooklyn, NY who put up this wonderful post, that we link to HERE

I don’t know “Bully”.  Never met him.  But, I enjoy his work and visit his Blog regularly.  You should too! 

...And, hey!  It just occurred to me that IDW now publishes both UNCLE SCROOGE and STAR TREK!  How 'bout that! 


Finally, thank you one and all – those who left comments, those who contacted me personally, and those who were moved privately – for your kindness regarding our previous post!  It is forever appreciated!  

14 comments:

Elaine said...

Ha! As a denizen-by-imagination of both Duckburg and the Enterprise, I loved Bully's post. Thanks for linking to it! My favorite part was the comment by Brian Hughes:

So Donald is the cranky, irascible Doctor McCoy, and the nephews, in toto, are the calm, logical Spock?

I think that works out pretty well, in the context of the Scrooge adventures. Now I am of course compelled to figure out who in Duckburg corresponds to the rest of the Star Trek cast of characters....

Joe Torcivia said...

Elaine:

Well, as the “convenient and obliging source of miracles” that I’ve described him as in the past, Gyro would certainly be Scotty.

And, Jubal Pomp might make the cut as “Harry Mudd”.

Elaine said...

Yes, Gyro for Chief Engineer.

There is, by the way, a Duck story which is an homage to Star Trek. "Beam Me Up, Mr. Fargone"--written by Korhonen, art by Vicar--starts at a Star Quack convention, to which Donald is grumblingly accompanying the enthusiastic boys. A special feature at this particular con is a Star Quack set which the Duck-Roddenberry had in his home. Though Star Quack is believed to be sheer fiction, this set turns out to be the portal through which the Duck-Roddenberry traveled to meet the space-traveling races who inspired his TV series...and, naturally, Donald ends up going through the portal by mistake. Hilarity ensues.

It's possible that this story would seem dated, since Star Trek cons aren't such a big thing as they were. (The story was first published in 1999, incidentally the same year as the release of my favorite Star Trek movie, Galaxy Quest!) But I still have some small hope that IDW might publish it, say, in 2016 to celebrate Star Trek's 50th anniversary (and coincide with the release--on my 60th birthday!!--of "Star Trek Beyond," the third movie in the 2009 Star Trek universe).

Joe Torcivia said...

Elaine:

Kari Korhonen is GREAT – witness the story I called “A Game of One-Cupmanship”, which remains one of the most favorite things I’ve had the privilege of working on! So, I know I’d love to see that story… and (AHEM!) if it should happen to need any additional Americanization…

As I’m so fond of saying, you never know who might be reading this, so I’ll second your request – with, or without, additional dialogue from me.

…And, hey! No love for Jubal Pomp as Harry Mudd? …Just wait until you see him again later this month.

Clapton said...

Man oh Man what I really can't wait for this month is the first IDW issue of Mickey Mouse. A new story by Italian maestro Casty along with some Manuel Gonzales Sunday strips, Oh Boy!!! It was originally supposed to come out July 17th but was moved to July 1st to then be moved to TBD as Previewsworld currently says. Joe, as an IDW "insider", you wouldn't happen to know what's goin on, would you?

Joe Torcivia said...

Clapton:

I’m not as much of an “IDW Insider” as all that. I pretty much know about my own upcoming work, and get the rest as I learn it.

My understanding was that June would see UNCLE SCROOGE # 3 (with Scarpa’s and my “Duckburg 100”), DONALD DUCK # 2 (with Part Two of Scarpa’s and Jonathan Gray’s “Shellfish Motives”), and MICKEY MOUSE # 1.

…And, in July, MICKEY MOUSE # 2 with my dialogued “Sound-Blot Plot”. If any of this has changed, I’m not aware of it.

Maybe David or someone else from IDW will read this and offer comment.

Deb said...

DuckTales had a semi-Star Trek related episode, with "Where No Duck Has Gone Before", where the nephews, Doofus and Launchpad went into space with Major Courage after Gyro updated the Starship Phoenix to "make it as real as it can be" on Scrooge's orders. Courage certainly seems like an unflattering parody of William Shatner (and pre-dates Galaxy Quest, which made much more extensive use of the idea behind this episode, a TV space hero actually going into space).

As to Duckburg/Star Trek...Gladstone Gander would make a suitably insufferable Trelane, from the episode "The Squire of Gothos".

Joe Torcivia said...

Yes indeed, Deb! “Where No Duck has Gone Before” has always been a favorite DT episode of mine. Even now, at a time when a fair number of them don’t “look quite as good as they used to” (back when there was nothing to compare them with except the wretched animated product of the ‘70s and ‘80s – and OH, was DT a breath of fresh air in the wake of THOSE decades!), “Where No Duck has Gone Before” still holds up extremely well.

This isn’t all that surprising, given that it was written by the great Len Uhley.

And, while the “star” of TREK was already on something of a downward spiral (as indicated by the character satires in later series like ANIMANIACS and FREAKAZOID!, “Where No Duck has Gone Before” really presages William Shatner’s steep descent into a horrifically obnoxious self-parody.

Gladstone’s *personality* certainly translates to Trelane, but the fact that Trelane suffers such an embarrassingly pathetic ending takes the “wavy-haired wonder” out of that particular running. However, if we fast-forward him into the role of “Q” (…whom I often thought of as Trelane “all grown up”), I’d say you have something there!

(Sigh!) …And still no love for Jubal Pomp as Harry Mudd! What’s a shifty overweight wannabe to do? Maybe after you see him in action in “Duckburg 100”, you all might think differently? …Maybe?

Elaine said...

OK, I'll give you Jubal Pomp as Mudd...I don't know Pomp well enough yet to comment. During those sad years when there were no Disney comics being produced in the USA, I bought *many* comics from Europe, but I sought particular creators and characters, and Scarpa and his characters were not on my list.

And yes, I also thought of Gladstone as Q. If we use the later Trek series and movies, we'll have an easier time finding equivalents for the women of Duckburg! How about Ducky Bird as Kira Nerys? Carol Marcus, naturally, would have to be played by Glittering Goldie, in terms of relationship to Kirk/Scrooge. And Helen Noel by the young Belle Duck. Too bad Kirk doesn't have any sisters! Hortense McDuck could perhaps play Natasha Yar, chasing off those alien Whiskervilles... and coming to an untimely death. And Matilda could be Captain Janeway. Not clear who could be Uhura. Miss Quackfaster, perhaps... especially given her hidden depths and talents revealed in stories such as Lustig's "A Soft Job for a Hard Head." I vote for a grown-up Gosalyn for Saavik, trying hard to follow in the footsteps of her "adoptive dad" (Spock, as described in Carolyn Clowes' novel The Pandora Principle). And what about Daisy? None of the central women on Trek really seem to fit. And McCoy doesn't have a girlfriend, so that doesn't help!

Is there ever a doppelganger of Kirk's that would work as Glomgold? Other than Evil Kirk, I mean?

This exercise is of course the sort of thing comics writers do when they prepare a story that's a parody of some famous book or legend. As I think GeoX says on his blog, the key is that they cast the Duckburg/Mouseton characters in roles that fit their personality. Scarpa did that very well in the only story of his I've really liked, his Robin Hood parody. (I had it in French before GeoX wrote his translation/localization.)

I also like "Where No Duck Has Gone Before." (One of those rare times when I disagree with GeoX's assessment--I think he rather missed the point on this one.) The only disc of DuckTales I've kept for myself is the first disc of vol. 1. It has my first and second favorite episodes, Lost Crown of Genghis Khan and Sphinx for the Memories, *and* Where No Duck Has Gone Before, which is in my top ten. (My numbers 3 & 4 are Ducky Mountain High and Land of Trala La, and they're NOT ON DVD...I keep hoping that the plans for a new DuckTales series and the increased DuckTales nostalgia will push Disney to complete the release of the original series on DVD. I know, we talked about this when they finally released the last of the TaleSpin episodes. I just can't help saying it again....as if putting that wish out on the net will make any difference....)

Joe Torcivia said...

Hey, Jubal! Elaine sez you’ll make a fine Harry Mudd! Validation, at last!

Now, you can expect to hear: “Jubal? Jubal Fenton Pomp! Where have you been, you lazy lout!” …In 500-Plus-Streophonic voices, yet! Don’t fret, Pompie Ol’ Pal, it’s just a Blog-inspired nightmare! You’ll be back where you belong – in the upcoming “Duckburg 100” – in no time!

I like all your female Duck / Trek equivalents – but particularly love Matilda as Captain Janeway! That’s so perfect!

And, as I’ve said before, if the coming of the new DuckTales series doesn’t shake loose the remaining “classic series” episodes on DVD, nothing will.

Debbie Anne said...

Ah, but Gladstone was not always the winner in all of his stories, either. For example, "The Secret of Hondorica" has a quite embarrassing ending for "Mr. Lucky", and there have been a few others as well. Gladstone would be an insufferable Q as well, although McDuck would not be as good as Captain Picard. Admittedly, I have not seen enough of Jubal Pomp to know how well he suits the role of Harry Mudd. I am happy to read as much Scarpa material as the nice folks at IDW wish to print, as it is mostly new to me. I'd love to see a volume (or two) of the stuff Gladstone, Gemstone and BOOM already printed of Scarpa's work, just so I could have it on my shelf. I hope that some of his Mickey Mouse work is coming soon.
As to how well DuckTales holds up...in context with its time, it holds up well, although a few of them seem a bit creaky nowadays. Even back when they first ran, I didn't like them as much as Gladstone's Uncle Scrooge comic books, and I thought that William Van Horn's version in the DuckTales comic books was a step in the right direction toward my own vision of what the series should have been. As I've gotten older, I am a bit less biased against it, and the DVD release of the series was what eventually lead me back to collecting Disney Comics.

Joe Torcivia said...

And, if memory of STTNG serves, Q didn’t always win either. But, he rarely “lost” as pathetically as did Trelane! Q *does* seem to be a nice parallel to Gladstone’s arrogance. Though, that arrogance would be more directed at Donald than Scrooge.

Jubal Pomp didn’t appear very often in the states, to the point where even I asked for a little coaching on how best to characterize him. “Newman” to Scrooge’s “Jerry Seinfeld” may have been the best bit of advice I got. Although, for “Stinker, Tailor, Scrooge, and Sly”, I actually drew upon Dr. Zachary and Cousin Jeremiah Smith from the wonderfully wacky LOST IN SPACE episode “The Curse of Cousin Smith”, in setting them against one another. …Inspiration can come from wonderful (and strange) places.

DuckTales still holds-up fine, overall. Though, I feel it was eclipsed by Tale Spin and many of the competing Warner series. Launchpad excepted, the divergence from Barks would account for most of the shortfall.

Bully said...

Thanks for the shout-out, Joe! That's a post I'm quite proud of and I need to re-do it some day with improved scans (I have a wider column now and could make the panels bigger).

Very much looking forward to your work on the new Disney comics! Truly we live in a Golden Age when the Ducks and the Mouse are back in print!

Joe Torcivia said...

Bully:

I’m happy to link to that wonderful post for my more-Disney-comics-inclined readers to enjoy!

It’s great work, as is ALL the work you do! As your Blog’s very name indicates, you appreciate and revel in all the FUN that comic books can be! And I, for one, enjoy it immensely!

In this particular case, all the more so because:

1: I had that particular issue of UNCLE SCROOGE in its original release (though it was the Gold Key version, illustrated in my post, and not the Top Comics version), and still have that copy to this day!

2: As a scriptwriter for the present-day UNCLE SCROOGE comic book, naturally I have a great interest in all things “Scroogey”.

I intend to do posts on many of the new IDW Disney comics, certainly those that I contribute to, and I cordially invite you to participate in the comment discussions that follow. As you can see, I have a very spirited group of commenters – and, to me, that’s the greatest reward a blogger can reap.

And, I advise all members of that group to check out Bully’s work regularly. You won’t be sorry!