From Yvonne Craig, we move to Chase Craig, courtesy of a
wonderful piece by Mark Evanier.
Chase Craig was a long-time editor at Western Publishing,
who gave us the Dell and Gold Key Comics when they were at their best.
He was Carl Barks’ editor – and has had his effect on the
comic books we love up to and including the primary content of this current IDW
issue!
Mark Evanier notes that 2015 would have been Chase Craig’s
105 th birthday! It’s mind-blowing to
even consider that many of the creators of classic comic book material would be
near or over the century mark at this point in time. But, Carl Barks would be 114, were he around
today.
Evanier also mentions stories he wrote for the Disney Studio
Program very early in his career – one of which became my first dialogue (and title) assignment for a Disney comic book publisher!
At the time, I didn’t even know it was one of his until I showed it to
him at a New York Comic Con, some years ago.
You can read Evanier’s piece on Chase Craig HERE!
And, here's a SUPER GOOF comic, written by Mark Evanier, and edited by Chase Craig.
"Did I REALLY look like THAT in the '70s?"
6 comments:
Never did like seeing the Phantom Blot's face!
Awww… Not even when MY WORDS come from that face?
Well, neither (I’ll assume) did Chase Craig… and I’m not going to argue with anyone who agrees with as great an editor as he!
So the title "Now Museum, Now You Don't" is yours? I love it--it's right up there with David Gerstein's "You Vindaloo, You Lose a Few."
Elaine:
Yes, the title “ Now Museum, Now You Don't” was mine, and it started me on a long string of pun-ny titles – up to and including next month’s “Mummy Fearest” (UNCLE SCROOGE # 7) and November’s “Plan Dine from Outer Space” in MICKEY MOUSE # 6.
But, the great backstory that not everyone knows (at least up until now), is that, back in the day, I was so taken with Mark Evanier’s title for a Super Goof story, in which The Phantom Blot committed crimes under the protection of Diplomatic Immunity from a Zeppelin – he called it “One Nation in Dirigible” (WONDERFUL!), that I said: “If I EVER have the opportunity to write Super Goof, I’m going to do something similar!”
Now, there wasn’t the slightest hope that I would ever “write Super Goof” and, for virtually all of that time, there weren’t even any Super Goof comics in the USA for ANYONE to write, much less this starry-eyed fan.
But then, David offered me the opportunity to do this story, back when he was at Gemstone and the rest, up through IDW (thanks fully to David), was dialoguing history.
Sometime later, I chanced to meet Mark Evanier at New York Comic Con. We had a mail correspondence in the early ‘80s, during which he imparted much of the knowledge about Western Publishing, and the unfortunately anonymous creative and editorial folks behind its impenetrable walls, that I hold to this day. He also said his stories were easily identifiable by the PUNS in their titles. “Warranty and Peace”, “Lights, Camera, Traction”, etc.
I told him the story I’ve just told you here, and said that “One Nation in Dirigible” begat “Now Museum, Now You Don't”…and amazingly, as he looked the story over, he said: “This was one of mine!” And what a laugh we had over that wonderful moment!
…Not to mention my feeling more than a tad sheepish, about writing new dialogue over a story by Mark Evanier – which, as with ALL Disney Studio Program stories, was distributed with very “basic English text”, prompting the need for such “new dialogue” in the first place.
So, much of what you see from me might just be due to a story by Mark Evanier… a story that was originally edited by Chase Craig! How ‘bout that!
Joe, even if I hadn't been planning on getting MM6 (which at this point we've most clearly established I am), the title Plan Dine from Outer Space would have cinched it for me. It just keeps getting better and better.
Abe:
I can say with absolute certainly that you and everyone will love MM # 6!
Not because of me, but because Casty REALLY OUTDID himself with an amazing original story – that I just happened to have the honor of translating and dialoguing.
But, concerning the story’s American English title, I wonder… Would I have been inclined to have created titles like this if not for Mark Evanier – and, by extension, Chase Craig?
It’s all just one great big wonderful continuum, isn’t it?
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