I'll assume most readers of this humble Blog to be familiar with Carl Barks' ultimate classic Donald Duck story "Lost in the Andes" (1949). If not, read more about it HERE!
In it, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, per the strange laws of a lost land, are forced to find a way to blow SQUARE BUBBLE GUM BUBBLES in a public ceremony, or face a lifetime of imprisonment!
They do find a way to perform this seemingly impossible feat... with a little judicious duplicity.
But, a mere FOUR YEARS LATER, in MIGHTY MOUSE # 47 (St. John, Cover Date: December 1953),...
...We find Gandy Goose doing the very same thing effortlessly!
Just look at this! You GO, Gandy!
So, did the creators of the Gandy Goose story have the climax of Unca Carl's classic in mind, when they... um, "goosed" this story into print? Or was it just another of those coincidences?
You decide as we leave Huey DUCK, Dewey DUCK, Louie DUCK... and Gandy GOOSE "Separated at Mirth"!
21 comments:
"Lost in the Andes" was one of the first of the longer Donald Duck stories I ever read, during that first year after I initially learned to read. To say I was drawn into its drama would be an understatement. The story fascinated me then, especially because I had to read it panel by panel, word by word, not galloping through as I sometimes tend to do these days. As I turned page after page, the drama built very powerfully for me. And by the time I reached that exact section quoted above, I was as nervous over the outcome as HDL and the president of Plain Awful. I still marvel at the amazing solution Uncle Carl came up with. One more thing I rarely did back then was read ahead, so needless to say I had many surprises in my first read-through. This was in a comic book titled "The Best of Donald Duck" from Gold Key. It filled the entire book, of course, except for gag pages on the inside front and back covers.
Gandy Goose may have been able to accomplish what HDL did, but without the drama and fanfare leading up to it, so the effect is completely different.
By the way, in "Happy New Year, Charlie Brown" there is a scene where Rerun is blowing square balloons, much to the perplexity of Linus, who keeps trying to demonstrate the conventional method. You would think he'd appreciate his little brother's creative gifts, especially given Linus' own quirky tendencies!
Thus the notion of blowing things into squares did not end in Plain Awful!
Hmm... Fascinating. I'm gonna go with homage. It just seems like an homage to me. It's hard for me to imagine someone just coming up with that gag organically, when (I assume) it doesn't have any relationship to the larger theme of the story (whereas in the Barks story it does (I assume, judging by the square-shaped eggs on the cover)). Or should I say presume? 'Cause of course, you should never assume, 'cause when you assume, you make... well, you know.
Scarecrow:
Perhaps there was never a more aptly named comic book than that particular issue of “THE BEST OF DONALD DUCK”!
I’d go so far as to call it the greatest comic book story of all time! It has everything you’d ever want from a comic… humor, adventure, imagination, twists and turns, amazing art (especially for its time), witty dialogue, a mini-climax at the end of almost every page (making it truly a “page-turner”)… and SUBSTANCE! ...All in a full-length of 32 pages!
If there’s any box I’ve failed to check, please feel free to add it… because I’ve no doubt it’s there!
In another of our many mutual “not-surprises”, that issue was where I also first read “Lost in the Andes”. The cover is pictured in the link I provide in this post.
Gandy Goose produces his square bubble in service to a gag where envious Sourpuss tries to blow a bigger, better bubble (…talk about “no drama and fanfare”), but the very imagery of it was coincidental (or not?) enough to inspire an installment of “Separated at Mirth”.
As for Rerun, as Linus himself routinely did amazing things in the most causal and nonchalant of ways, his reaction (or that of another character) should have been more along the lines of “I guess it runs in the family!”, or some such.
Sergio:
I’d say it’s a safe bet to never assume, presume, consume, subsume, or “any-other-sume” when it comes to those older comics, their origins and their influences.
Why? Because there’s no one around anymore who can tell us the truth, if it’s not already chronicled somewhere. But that doesn’t stop “people-of-lesser-perspective” from doing so all the time. But, that’s another pet-peeve of mine, that’s best left to another discussion.
Today, everyone working in comics (including me, I’ll confess) is influenced by “other comics” – and, if not “other comics”, then movies and television… (alas) even videogames (sigh!)
In the 1940s and ‘50s, “other comics” were likely *an* influence, but also likely less so than in later periods. Those creators, not necessarily being “fans” (as we ALL are today), probably didn’t look at a lot of the work of other creators. Carl Barks and others of his era were influenced by movies, to be sure. Barks, fortunately for us, has been so oft-interviewed that some of those influences are chronicled in his own words.
But, without the all-encompassing media presence of (let’s say) the 1960s and beyond, there was more “independent and original thought” put into this stuff, because you HAD TO START SOMEWHERE – and those were the guys who originally made it all up. Sure, they cannibalized each other, but there was still more pure originality – just as would be at the start of any old thing you can name.
So, did Tom Morrison, or whomever wrote that Gandy Goose story for St. John, read (or otherwise note) Carl Barks’ “Lost in the Andes”, or come up with it as an independent and incidental visual gag? We’ll never know – but I’d (in my own admittedly presumptive, “lesser-perspective-ish”, and decidedly uneducated guess) place the odds at about 70-30 in favor of coincidence! Maaaybeee 60-40, even. But coincidence, nonetheless.
The square bubble imagery also appearing in a Peanuts TV special would also (largely, but not necessarily exclusively) speak in favor of coincidence. But, a possible coincidence with a transcendent Barks story, not with Gandy Goose.
WHEW! That ended up being longer than I expected. But, that’s what it’s like speaking with me in person… should you ever dare!
Also, directly to you, Sergio… I know you haven’t read a great deal of Carl Barks BUT, if there’s only one story of his that you MUST READ, it is “Lost in the Andes”! I couldn’t give it a higher recommendation, if you stood me on a mountaintop!
It’s been reprinted by a variety of publishers, in a variety of formats, and at a variety of price points… GET ONE OF THEM, and you will likely remember it for the rest of your life – just like Scarecrow33 and me!
You little sneak, Gandy, you.
Rerun’s square balloons in the Peanuts special was a bit recycled from the comic strips that ran in 1954 with Linus, http://peanutsroasted.blogspot.com/2011/10/december-20-25-1954-square-balloons-and.html?m=1 and was later reused again in kaboom’s Peanuts comic books. This was also reused as an animated clip: https://youtu.be/sv1wicv1mxY
Austin:
Great to have you back! And everything I said to Sergio about “Lost in the Andes” would apply to you as well! If you haven’t read it yet, be certain to do so! It’s as close to perfection as a comic book story can get!
Deb:
Wonderful! That’s exactly what I meant by “Linus himself routinely did amazing things in the most causal and nonchalant of ways”! Perhaps that sequence of strips even lurks somewhere in my subconscious, as I read all the Peanuts paperbacks released in the 1960s – and still have most of ‘em.
Another example that immediately comes to mind is Linus “patting birds on the head” and, of course, the many uncanny things he did with his blanket.
HERE and HERE are Deb’s two links, for your reading and viewing pleasure!
The second link comes with a “SOUND WARNING”, so don’t play it at work… unless, these crazy days, you work from home.
…Perhaps, even more amazing than Linus’ various balloon shapes is the presence of Violet… and even Shermy (yes, SHERMY!) in the animated sequence! Poor Shermy… if only he’d developed some kind of schtick like the other kids, he might not have faded away!
Thanks for that fascinating explanation of comic creators’ influences, Joe. You raise a very good point. The pioneers of the genre were “not necessarily fans” of comic books. This makes sense. Since they were themselves busy establishing the genre we all know and love today, there wouldn't have been much in the way of comics for them to be fans of. It’s so easy for us today to overlook that fact.
What you say about influences on Barks and his contemporaries reminds me of a great book I read about Hergé, the creator of “The Adventures of Tintin.” Like Barks, Hergé was also strongly influenced by movies. The book recounts that Hergé’s exposure to comic strips, at least in the early phase of his career, was limited to a few samples brought to him by a journalist colleague who was posted in Mexico for a while. I confess that I had thought US-based comics writers would have been more strongly influenced by one another than Hergé was, because comic strips have existed in the US since the late 19th century, with many now-iconic strips in production by the 1930s.
But, again, what you say makes sense. Your words, and the fact that the square bubble gag also appeared in “Peanuts”, have changed my mind: this is probably a coincidence.
Thanks, too, for your recommendation of “Lost in the Andes.” I will most definitely get it when I have an opportunity to do so. Based on your and Scarecrow33’s comments, I’m sure it’s something special.
Oh, comic STRIPS had their influence too, Sergio! Let’s not underplay that aspect of it – and sorry if I had.
Who knows if Carl Barks would have created the many wonderful Duck adventures that he did if Floyd Gottfredson did not already show the world that a slapstick movie-cartoon character COULD have great adventures?
Or if Batman creators Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson were not influenced by Dick Tracy’s colorful rogue’s gallery, think of the cost to comic book history!
And, while I still maintain that many of these folks did not really follow the work of their peers (especially in other genres and from publishers not their own – some have even said as much to me), it’s a bit more likely that Barks might have seen the work of Gottfredson – be it through their mutual Disney connections, the daily newspaper, or from his early comp copies (assuming that was a thing back then) of WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES which reprinted Gottfredson’s Mickey Mouse adventure continuities for the better part of its first decade. Conversely, I’d tend to doubt Gottfredson saw much of Barks’ work, being relegated, as it was, to comic books.
Uncle Scrooge’s vast store of wealth, though, was based on an existing comic strip character of the times, if memory serves.
For what it’s worth, I believe that the adventure movies Barks was known to have seen, as well as the National Geographic magazine articles and pictorials he voraciously consumed, were his primary influences.
Herge is another great creator to whom I could stand a little more exposure! If he has anything of an equivalent to “Lost in the Andes”, that’s the one I’d like to try. Don’t worry, I won’t pit them against each other… just want an idea of “his best”.
Wow! Another parallel between Barks and Hergé: the latter also "voraciously consumed" National Geographic magazine articles and pictorials. No wonder they were both such great crafters of adventures.
If I were to recommend just one Tintin adventure, I would go with “The Blue Lotus” (from 1936). Set in China during the then-current Japanese occupation, it’s a turning point in “The Adventures of Tintin.” Whereas the early adventures were heavy on stereotypes about the places to which Tintin traveled, “The Blue Lotus” was the first story for which Hergé really did a lot of research, something he would continue to do for subsequent entries in the series. I’d be remiss not to acknowledge that much of his background knowledge was supplied by a Chinese art student named Zhang Chongren, whom he befriended. The result is a stunningly realistic portrayal of China in the 1930s.
Typically in cartoons and comics of this era, non-Western languages are portrayed in a fictionalized way. I think of that gag in “Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves,” where the menu at a restaurant is written in scribbles meant to evoke Arabic. Popeye grumbles that he can’t read “this Chinese,” prompting the waiter to refold the paper, making it read, “Bacon and Eggs 45¢.”
We see none of this in “The Blue Lotus,” in which all Chinese characters are authentic. A poster advertising light bulbs does, in fact, read “Electrical Workshop Siemens” in Chinese. When a rickshaw driver crashes into someone, the characters in his speech bubble really do mean “Sorry, sir!” in Chinese. (Of course, I wouldn’t know this just from reading "The Blue Lotus"… I’m quoting Tintin expert Michael Farr, who wrote “Tintin: The Complete Companion,” the book I mentioned in my previous comment).
More importantly, the book forcefully challenges racist conceptions of China that were still common in Belgium at the time, and condemns Japanese imperialism, which was an unusual position for a European to take in the 1930s. This means Hergé was ahead of his time, which makes post-World War II accusations of collaboration with Nazism all the more unfortunate and, in my view, unfair. With the notorious exception of “Tintin in the Congo,” all Tintin stories reflect a deep commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of the weak against the powerful, but “The Blue Lotus” does this better than any other. I was really moved by many scenes in this adventure, which I won’t describe so as not to give away any spoilers. While taking place in a very specific historical moment (which is unusual for Tintin), its message is still relevant today.
Sergio:
Isn’t it funny that Barks and Herge have/had so much in common… but, here we are in 2020 just putting it together for each other! I will try to seek out “The Blue Lotus” as one of my resolutions for 2021. I’ll assume it’s available in one form or another – from Amazon, or Lone Star Comics, or Mile High Comics, or something. …I’d want an actual book, being the traditionalist that I am, and not a website-reading or a download.
I would definitely second "The Blue Lotus" as an excellent choice. My favorite Tintin adventure is "Tintin in Tibet" which is another with an Asian setting and a nicely-developed plot. That was the first one I ever read, so that could explain my choice. And the Michael Farr book gets my vote, too, as a great resource. Reading the stories in their original order gives a strong flavor of continuity, as the characters grow and develop through each adventure, and some of them are interconnected, kind of like the way the Gottfredson Mickey Mouse continuities would sometimes spill over from one into the next.
Regarding the Tintin feature film of a few years back--I found it quite absorbing and generally faithful to the look and style of the characters. The pacing was amazing...once the plot got underway it just kept on going with hardly any letup. But here's the real test--my mother, who was very picky about the films that she would watch--on moral and spiritual grounds as well as suiting her tastes--really, really liked the film! She had not known about Tintin before but she said it was one of the best films she had seen in years.
So from Barks to Peanuts to Herge...I love the way thoughts flow here! My kind of place!
May it always be “[your] kind of place, Scarecrow!”
What amazes me is that so many folks whose tastes in comics reading run similar to mine, are fans and admirers of Herge (including my late great friend Chris Barat) – and I’ve managed to stay so far behind that particular carve! …And, for no particular reason, too!
Tintin is (or, at least, seems to be) so very vast that I doubt I’ll be able to read the stories in anything resembling “original order” … but, that also applied to Gottfredson, Barks, Segar/Sagendorf and all the classic DC characters as well… Nevertheless, you can see the impression THOSE left on me, so I expect to be just as fine with Herge… when I take that plunge.
...And, yes, this *has* been quite a thread!
@scarecrow33
I believe that one of the reasons for which you enjoyed "Lost in the Andes" so much might be the fact that you were reading it for the first time at such an early age. From my own experience, I remember how much more exciting it was to read comics or watch animated series before I learned about the intricacies of plotting and storytelling... before I knew that the main characters will (almost always) survive and succeed because they have to appear in subsequent episodes/ issues :)
Of course, the other reason is that "Lost" is simply an excellent comic story, period! Myself, I only read it for the first time some months ago, yet I'm also very much impressed!
@ Joe
As a great fan of "Tintin", I'm very happy that you are planning to plunge into the series. I don't think it's so vast (in terms of length, at least) to prevent reading in the original order: there are 23 albums (around 50 pages each) and an unfinished 24th episode.
Still, the first few instalments in the series ("Tintin in the Land of the Soviets", "Tintin in the Congo" and "Tintin in America") are not nearly as much refined as Herge's later, more mature works: they are rather a hodgepodge of gags held together by an overarching, general story. Also, given that they were published way before WWII and at the time when Herge were not engaged yet in his meticulous background research for which he later became famous, they contain some stereotypes that have aged very poorly (this is especially true for "Congo").
In this respect, "The Blue Lotus" really represents a turning point in the series, and it's certainly a great read and something I'd also recommend. Still, it's worth noting that "Lotus" is actually the second half of a two-part story that begins in "Cigars of the Pharaoh". The two albums are almost self-contained and do not have to be read together, but "Cigars" do introduce some characters and plot points that would later reappear in "Lotus", so if I were you' I'd start with "Cigars", which is also (conveniently) the first album after those three early hodgepodge gag stories.
If I may end on a more personal note, my two favorite "Tintins" are "The Black Island" and "King Ottokar's Sceptre" - perhaps because they are the instalments where attention to background details is amped up to eleven. In the latter, Herge not only places the plot in a fictional country - he also devotes two pages of the story to show a travel agency brochure describing that country's history, geography, culture and customs, with all details invented by the author himself! I'd love to read their review on your blog one day :)
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T.
“ I believe that one of the reasons for which you enjoyed "Lost in the Andes" so much might be the fact that you were reading it for the first time at such an early age. ”
I won’t answer for Scarecrow, but I will answer for me…
That’s true, but only partially, and would certainly apply to some comics - and books, and movies, and TV shows – more than others.
I first read "Lost in the Andes" when I was 9, and not only did it impress me as “the greatest comic I ever read” (and I had a collection dating back to 1959, thanks to Grandma Millie), but – so-much-so – that I can still remember the NIGHT I read it.
It was a Friday night, and school was over the week. (Yay!) I’d just finished watching Magilla Gorilla and Jonny Quest (back-to-back on different stations). Grandma Millie and I walked the five short blocks to the local candy store. – which for some reason she called “Martha’s”, even though the lady told us her name was “Ida”! As you walked in, the comic books were in a rack that was fastened to the front-facing right as soon as you walked through the door.
Naturally, no matter what she may have gone to the store for (newspapers?) I always took a lateral step or two to the right (upon entering “Martha’s”) and did an immediate about-face to survey the comic book rack!
There I found "Lost in the Andes" in the form of THE BEST OF DONALD DUCK #1 (1965), glommed onto it, and could barely stand the five-block walk home, bursting with anticipation. I read it. Then, I read it again. And finally, a third time while in bed for the night. …Care to guess what I did on Saturday, once the cartoons were over?
This has been another in the irregularly-scheduled series of "Joe’s Silver Age Memories" ! So, absolutely, age is a factor. But I think just a smidgen less of "In Old California" and "In Ancient Persia" - obtained as an adult under far less memorable circumstances – so being a GREAT STORY is a large part of it too!
In won’t be right away, but Tintin will definitely be a part of 2021! (…And about time, too!) I thank you – and ALL of you – for the recommendations! In fact, once the time comes, I will revisit this thread and act upon those recommendations!
Not as hugely fond of Tintin as I am of Spirou (which you should also track down, Joe; some of the best stories, and ones cowritten by Michael Greg of Walter Melon fame at that, do have official English localisations, like the Zorglub duology), but it's certainly worth reading!
Amusingly, Lost in the Andes and In Ancient Persia both have "among the first great Duck stories I laid eyes on as a wee'un” status for me, and I accordingly greatly love them both! Also: Land Beneath the Ground, King Scrooge the First, Scarpa's The Flying Scot, and, of all things, Chapter 12 of The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. I'd agree that this status can give a masterpiece "special status" in one's heart, but that the story does have to be very good to start with; there are also stories which have nostalgic appeal but aren't that great, and they have a different "feel" going back to them.
Achille:
Given my great appreciation for “Walter Melon”, thanks to you, I suppose I should also pay attention when you tout “Spirou”!
I just found “Z is for Zorglub” for 9.84 that is said to arrive December 22 – 30! Between all those Doctor Who DVDs, and if you create for me an interest in “Spirou” as well… If you ever come to the USA – once COVID-19 (not to mention the top guy who let it get so out of control) is naught but an unpleasant memory… You’re gonna have a lot of explaining to do to Esther! ;-)
Tintin will also be part of this wave, once I decide between Amazon and Lone Star Comics. …Also help me out here – I notice the same title “The Blue Lotus” as “The Adventures of Tintin” and also as “Tintin Young Readers”. I’ll assume the FORMER is what I want – and the LATTER is a simplified version. Yes?
"…Also help me out here – I notice the same title “The Blue Lotus” as “The Adventures of Tintin” and also as “Tintin Young Readers”. I’ll assume the FORMER is what I want – and the LATTER is a simplified version. Yes?"
Interesting. I wasn't familiar with the "Tintin Young Readers" series. I was curious enough to Google it, and entries in this series seem to consist of the original story plus about 30 pages or so of bonus material about how the story was created. Sounds pretty cool to me, if I do say so myself.
Also, I second Anonymous's caveat that "The Blue Lotus" is Part 2 of a story arc that begins with the preceding book, "Cigars of the Pharaoh." While "The Blue Lotus" can certainly be enjoyed on its own, it does contain a number of references to events that took place in "Cigars of the Pharaoh," so it is best to read "Cigars" first.
Oh, I’m taking that into consideration, Sergio.
In fact, that’s my quandary… Amazon has the better price on one, and Lone Star has the better price on the other – so it all depends on what else I may or may not order with each one. …It’ll happen, though.
Okay, everyone… I just took a dive into the non-shallow end of the Franco-Belgian Comics Pool!
I already ordered “Spirou “Z is for Zorglub” from Amazon.
Today, I ordered Tintin "Cigars of the Pharaoh" from Lone Star, and Tintin "The Blue Lotus" from Amazon.
…Nobody better find a cure for COVID until I READ all this stuff! I'll need to be indoors for a loooong time!
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