A short while ago, I received my contributor's copy of THIS MAGNIFICENT BOOK from Fantagraphics... and is it ever amazing!
At a whopping 256 pages and a size of approximately 13.5" by 10", its prodigious production values, combined with its super-size, make a fitting tribute for Disney's 100 Years Celebration!
It is a Target Stores exclusive, so you'll have to get it there rather than your usual sources of such books, but, having now held it in my hot little hands... YES!
...And a Casty Mickey Mouse story that features another of Casty's recurring characters that has yet to be seen in the United States - enthusiastic oceanographer Estrella Marina!
I did the Translation and Dialogue (for whatever that's worth) in support of a great story - and what may very well be Casty's BEST ART! Certainly the best I've ever seen! Some of it is actually breathtaking!
Aw, heck... THE WHOLE BOOK is breathtaking so, as unthinkable as it might be, I'm going to close by saying... stop reading my Blog - and start reading this book!
...You can always come back to the Blog later. Promise I'll be here!
Oh, and when you DO come back, take a peek at the Chip 'n' Dale post I put up this morning... which has become overshadowed by this BIG BREAKING NEWS!
21 comments:
Are you sure this is in Target stores now? It doesn't come up using their search engine.
Scott Lovrine
Scott:
Yesterday (Saturday), I was told two things regarding this book...
1: That it was presently on sale at Target Stores.
2: That I could finally talk about it, after a necessary period of silence.
Item #2 resulted in this Blog post, while I have no actual verification of Item #1.
I'll check with someone I know who intended to buy it today (Sunday) and let you know the results.
Whenever you end up getting it... IT'LL BE WORTH IT!
Scott:
UPDATE: The person I know who was going to buy the book on Sunday reported that the book was ACTUALLY IN THE PHYSICAL STORE but, because that store’s book section was being redone, they presently languish in off-floor boxes. …No confirmed sighting, though!
I had occasion to pass my own local Target this morning, and stopped in to check… No sign of it! But there was a “Disney 100 Years of Wonder” Little Golden Book boxed set, packaging a number of the books individually in a white, Mickey-adorned slipcase!
The latter observation leads me to believe that at least “Disney 100” *IS* a thing at Target, and that the rollout of the book may differ by region, or even individual store.
…And, hey! What other Blog (of the few such remaining) would give you that kind of personalized service? :-) Hope to find you here again!
I was hoping that the “Only at Target” box was a sticker that could be removed, but unfortunately, it’s part of the cover art.
Our local Target only had one copy of this book. It’s interesting to see characters from different eras of Disney Comics collected together all in one book, especially since the “Standard Characters” (Mickey, Donald and Silly Symphonies), the feature film characters (The Seven Dwarfs and Stitch) and the TV characters (Darkwing Duck, Gummi Bears, DuckTales and Recess) are usually kept separated by licensing agreements.
Deb:
Bringing all those separate properties and licenses together was just part of the massive effort involved toward this great achievement.
The “Target box” was likely meant to be the same sort of designation as a comic book cover that might say “Comic-Con International Exclusive”!
And YOU are the first confirmed sighting and purchase to report in! Thank you! I was becoming concerned! ENJOY THE BOOK!
There have been a few sightings and purchases reported on Facebook that pre-date mine by a few days. In a few cases, the book has been reported to be the only copy on the shelf. These appear to be quick sellers, despite the price, or they’re just understocking It. A very minor quibble: this book has nothing by William Van Horn! That’s a shame.
Deb:
Saturday, September 30 was the date I was told that it was to go on sale. Any of those Facebookers report that date?
The Disney 100 Golden Books set I mentioned earlier had only TWO sets on display. For all I know, my local Target may have also had ONE, and it was gone by the time I got there on Monday, October 02. Next time I pass, I’ll check it out again.
Van Horn SHOULD be in there! I can think of several things that I’d prefer one of his stories over. Particularly one from his 1990-ish prime period. …But I think everyone will have some quibble over something – as we are wont to do!
Anyone else have sightings and/or a copy of their own?
OK, OK. I have to admit to being somewhat flabbergasted by your news that this Disney Comics volume was exclusively sold at Target! Especially as our locals in this medium-sized California town ain't exactly comics literate. Or Disney literate, for that matter! I seriously doubted I could find a copy at our local Target--but lo and behold! This very afternoon I found ONE copy! The price tag of 70 dollars is very steep (especially considering that comics sold for 12 cents when we were kids! I know, that's my old warhorse) but I decided that "a bird in the hand" was not to be trifled with, especially where it was the only copy in view, so I bit the bullet and BOUGHT it! It looks very good, and what I am appreciating most so far is the richness of the colors. Haven't had much time to do more than look it over, but it looks like a real treasure! I will review it once I've had a chance to peruse it. Thanks for tipping us off about this, Joe! I for one would never have known about it otherwise.
Success! My local Target failed to find the book (though they looked in the boxes in the back) but their system said other nearby Target stores had one copy each. They tried to call two of them to verify that they had a copy on hand, and couldn’t get anyone to answer the phone at either store, yikes! For one store the employee tried four different numbers including the customer service number and the phone just rang and rang, he didn’t even get put on hold. I appreciated the effort! And figured, oh well, guess I have to treat this as a Quest and go look for myself. The next closest Target indeed had one copy out on the shelf. I got the standard 30% off, plus the 20% for books etc right now, plus 10% because there was slight damage to the top edge of the cover. Total with tax $52.11. And boy! Does that Casty art look spectacular at this size! Quite a difference from seeing it in Topolino! I think it’s cool that Estrella Marina gets to round out the volume. Topping off the century, so to speak! Can’t wait to read the story with your dialogue!
Scarecrow and Elaine:
So happy that both of you (and Deb) were able to find the book! Enjoy it and, if inclined, please share your thoughts here!
Scarecrow: $70.00 isn’t so bad considering the list was $100.00 – and for THAT INCREDIBLE SIZE AND LEVEL OF QUALITY, it’s well worth it!
Elaine: Sorry you had more difficulties than “the av-verage bear” in securing your copy, but that speaks well for YOUR particular Target store, effort-wise… but maybe not so much for some of the others! You WILL enjoy the Casty Estrella Marina story… I guarantee that! And, yes… It makes me pity those who may have only seen it Topolino-sized – because Casty REALLY outdid himself!
For the record, I visited my local Target store again today (Friday, October 06) and THEY DID HAVE IT! One copy, as would seem to be the norm by your reports, but THEY DID HAVE IT! So, anyone out my neck of the woods who’s looking for a copy, there’s at least one waiting! …Also, for the same record, the two Disney 100 Golden Book sets I saw earlier are still there!
Maybe on future visits, I might check on which one sold out first…
This book seems to be on its way to becoming a collector’s item if it’s in such short supply everywhere. Online Disney fans in Europe are interested in finding copies, judging from the response I’ve seen on Facebook. It speaks volumes to the quality of Fantagraphics’ Disney collections if a mainstream retailer like Target takes notice and requests an exclusive from a publisher mostly known for underground and alternative comics. It’s funny to think that Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Peanuts are published by the same company that puts out The Fabulous Freak Brothers, Daniel Clowes and Love and Rockets.
…And, THE COMICS JOURNAL, Deb… Don’t forget THE COMICS JOURNAL!
As is true for “my generation” (with apologies to The Who), Fantagraphics, too, grew more and more “mainstream” as it got older. :-) …Eventually, it may join me in telling kids to “Get off my Lawn!”
You make a great point, which I similarly gave some thought to upon leaving my local Target yesterday, about the book becoming a collector’s item. Not just for apparently having one copy each per store (hopefully there are more waiting patiently to emerge from their dimly lit stockrooms), but also in consideration of our European friends!
I don’t know if Target reaches into Europe (…and I don’t have time or much inclination to research this) but in Europe, where they appreciate this stuff far more than we dullard Americans, I’d imagine that nearly everyone who regards him-or-herself as a fan would WANT a book as incredible as this!
Question is, how do they all get one?! And, if they can, do enough copies exist to meet that additional demand! I’ve got a feeling that the eventual secondary market’s gonna be BIG for this one!
Perhaps Disney licensees will eventually create their own localized versions of this book for their markets like they’ve done with the Fantagraphics Don Rosa library. But the Target book is likely to be harder to find than the oversized Uncle Scrooge anniversary book or the artist’s edition Life of Scrooge at some point.
Peanuts and even some of the Disney material isn’t as mainstream as it once was, so seeing an art publisher like Fantagraphics taking good care of these historically important pieces of comic art is a good thing in my book. Certainly better than having them with a publisher that is more interested in churning out current product rather than presenting things in context.
Deb:
If this were a “normal” limited edition book, I’d tend to agree with you on foreign Disney licensees creating their own localized versions of the book for their own markets. But, that “Target Exclusivity Thing” is a wild-card that throws it into unknown territory. Who knows what effects this unique arrangement might have.
Despite any possible downside, I’d actually like to see MORE of this sort of thing in order to get GOOD DISNEY COMICS back in the direction of that ever-coveted mainstream!
If Peanuts and the Classic Disney Characters aren’t “as mainstream as [they] once [were]”, that’s SOCIETY’S fault… and society – human behavior, in particular - has been moving in the wrong direction IN ALL THINGS for the entirety of the 21st Century!
There’s a reason these properties are called “evergreen” and, as long as they remain in good and capable hands like Fantagraphics, they always will be!
As residing in Scandinavia I am really bummed out of the fact that this jubilee book is NOT ONLY available in just one country across the pond, BUT ALSO ONLY at just ONE specific retailer, albeit that the volume is purchasable at their online store... but that makes for a shipping cost of at least as high as the book's price itself, if ordered to Europe. I can not justify $140 USD for a volume of just around 260 pages which some of I already own in other formats. Sad, since the book looks very nice, especially the big size.
Anon:
The book IS very nice… one of those truly special things that come around once every infrequent while.
I HONESTY and TRULY feel your pain on this!
But, in the oft-perverse paths of human logic, its exclusivity IS one of the factors that make it “one of those truly special things that come around once every infrequent while.”
Consider that, if it were just another book in the style, size, and general availability of a typical Disney Masters volume, it would be a “good thing” for pretty much everyone who wants one – but that (for lack of a better term) “designed desirability” that is baked into a product such as this from its inception would be absent.
Now that means nothing to you – or to me – but, to ALL of the parties involved (copyright and intellectual properties owner, huge retailing chains, publishing entities, etc.), it evidently must mean at least a “significant something” or it would not exist in this unconventional form.
Is it… “fair”? No! Absolutely not! But, is it the prerogative of those “involved parties”? Yes, it certainly is! And perhaps SOME good might come out of it (…besides for those who will be selling their copies at great profit on ebay in the years to come) in that it MIGHT raise awareness of the long-neglected classic Disney comics among us ignorant Americans – those who read this Blog and the great books from Fantagraphics excluded, of course!
The mere fact that it can be purchased in a public-facing way, outside the ghettos of comic book shops (which no “mainstream Americans” would dare enter) and online comic book retailers, would mean something – and, perhaps lead them to try some of the other things that we enjoy.
But, to leave this rambling behind, I really do sympathize with the situation as it applies to you and so many outside the United States that would like to own a copy of this wonderful book. It is not “fair.”
Nor was it “fair” when, for the longest time, the decision makers *OF* a past time decreed that we here in the USA, could not have access to all of the great Disney comics material regularly produced in Europe!
While Europe enjoyed the talents of Romano Scarpa, Marco Rota, Giorgio Cavazzano, Fred Milton, Daan Jippes, the Heymans’s, Daniel Branca, Vicar, etc., we were tortured by new material from Bob Gregory (a REALLY GOOD writer, who should never have picked up a pencil), a returning Roger Armstrong who was not even a “shadow of himself” as he was in his great years with Dell, Kay Wright – *truly* one of the worst artists to ever draw Disney comic books, and far too many reprints of past glories… which only served to make the new material all the worse by comparison!
That, too, was not “fair”, as we would define it - but it *was* fully the right of the decision makers of the time! All of which is to say that we live within an imperfect system that (at different times, and in different ways) treats the fanbases of the world unequally. …BUT, all of us – here, there, and everywhere – can say we’ve gotten A LOT OF GREAT THINGS, and may there be much, much more to come!
But, once again, I do truly sympathize with you and all others in similar situations.
I agree with all of your points of reasoning above, but I do think it is unfortunate and a missed opportunity on Disney's part not distributing this celebratory jubilee book on an international scale for all able English-readers. Compared to translating several different European languages to the US comic market, there would be one objective less between publisher and reader to factor in for this specific book.
I may report that the upcoming Fantagraphics' title "Walt Disney's Mickey and Donald Fantastic Futures: Classic Tales with a 22nd Century Twist", a addition to the 100 years of Disney anniversary has been translated to, and already published many markets: Brazil, France, Greece, Scandinavia, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and Spain. A have not read it, but I see the concept as such as potentially a good homage. But the publishers seem to not treat the title as a very memorable celebratory item, since they published in in only a softcover pocket-sized paperback priced at €10-20 depending on market.
According to me however, a 100 year anniversary should review and showcase historic features of the comics in question, like the Target-exclusive book does, now albeit that Europeans know a lot of and have read a lot of different Disney comics, with much wider selection from the later part of 20th century than what have been available to American readers. Yet, I certainly would not mind that aspect if I would have purchased the Target book, nor do I think that would be something all other Disney fans around the world would have objections to, given the opulent presentation.
I am truly baffled why not Disney marketed elsewhere then just at Target. Seems like Target is the only winner here if the books attracts new customers to them... Disney get a bit of swag from it by publishing the book alone, rises their standing among American Disney comic fans... but the biggest win may be for book scalpers in the collecting community whose only goal would be capitalizing on the rare commodity, when flipping it to a Disney comic appreciator who got not buy it via Target.
But very well, there is always another rainbow!
"and may there be much, much more to come!"
(Looks at the current state of Disney).
Sorry to say this, but I highly doubt it.
Napoleon:
There are times that I agree with you, and there are times that I don’t. However, to whatever extent that I am an “insider”, I see things that make it look brighter than can be seen from your point-of-view… but they are slow in coming. So, I waffle back and forth on any given day.
Just know that, with Fantagraphics, these comics are in the best possible hands they’ve been in for nearly the first quarter (!) of the 21st century!
Anon (whose last comment above I apologize for somehow having missed – hope you come back and are able to see this sometime):
Little or none of this makes actual sense, both to you as a fan and collector, and me as a fan and collector turned pro – and one who’s even worked on this book! My role in the creative arena has been – and remains – very satisfying, but that’s where it ends.
Editorial policies and marketing methods are (as they say) “well beyond my pay grade” (actually, as a writer/translator/dialogue creator for these wonderful comics, pretty much EVERYTHING is “well beyond my pay grade” – but that’s another story!) So, I try (but don't always succeed) to put such concerns out of my mind, and roll-on with the things I do best.
…But, there’s little doubt that you and I see eye-to-eye on this matter, for whatever that is worth.
I can say that there will be a Fantagraphics edition of "Walt Disney's Mickey and Donald Fantastic Futures: Classic Tales with a 22nd Century Twist". I know because I did four stories for that book. I did them quite a while ago, and don’t know when the book will appear, but we can add American English to the list of translations – but not yet published.
While “the [other] publishers [may] seem to not treat the title as a very memorable celebratory item, since they published in in only a softcover pocket-sized paperback priced at €10-20 depending on market”, you can be that Fantagraphics will make it special – as they do with EVERYTHING they publish!
Of the four I did (and I have not seen any of the others), the true gem is “Mr. Mouse Takes a Space Trip”, which takes the source material of the animated short “Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip” and magnificently turns it on its (big, round?) ears!
Actually, all four were good in their own animation-tributing way, but with extreme variances in the art styles – of which “Mr. Mouse Takes a Space Trip” was also the best of the four!
“But very well, there is always another rainbow!”
Indeed, but I don’t think “NapoleonDeCheese” above agrees with us…
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