War in Duckburg
(30th september 1995 in Ekstra Bladet.) - (This was the famous controversial article in a tablod I opponote greatly to many of the things stated about Don in this article, but I think that everything I had should be translated)
Donald Duck-drawer Don Rosa is leading a violent war on the
Internet against Disney, Egmont and the big idol - Carl Barks
'All I have tried to do was to honnor barks, and now he's becomming the evil spirit of my life. Why is he after me of all people?'
This is how the Donald Duck-drawer Don Rosa writes on Internet. Don Rosa has written more than 3000 pages about 'the evil empire' Disney, about danish Egmont, who has published works in a great part of the world - and about Carl Barks.
The good artist. The man who gave Donald duck his personality, and created Uncle $crooge, Gladstone, The Beagle Boys and many others. Carl Barks has now become 94 years old. He stopped drawing a long time ago, but he takes up incredibly much room in Don Rosas life, the Internet proves.
Don Rosas writings draws a strange picture of a paranoid man who again and again has angled for accept from the father figure Carl Barks. An accept that he can never get, because his stories persistantly remove all poethry from the universe Barks created.
Boring
Don Rosa made a story that tries to describe Uncle $crooge childhood and youth. The story looks like a dissection of a butterfly to see how it flies. It's possible that you find the answer but it never takes off again. And Barks certainly doesn't like the story. I visited Carl barks in oregon last year he said, among other things:
- I wish he hadn't done that story. $crooge was more interesting as a mystical person. Don Rosa tries to show all the screws and bolts in $crooge's life, so you can see how the mashinery moves. It is boring.
When Don Rosa aims all the time to hit Barks's univers, the refusal hits hard. Very hard:
'Barks doesn't like me. For some reason he always treated me very coldly in our correspondence. I can't figure him out, but after 6 years I have gotten used to it and I accept it.'
Hate
There's not much in Don Rosas accept, because he returns to the subject again and again. For example when barks took part in a comic meeting in Atlanta and Rosa turned up.:
'Allthough everyone knew i was only there to meet Barks, i waited the whole weekend and did not receive an invitation. I was refused in favour of millionaires and press people. I was pretty hurt.'
And the refusal has obviously transformed the earlier admiration into a burning hatred:
'I will not tell what person barks really is according to the people who have been close to him. It is only second hand information and overmore it is better to admire his work - you may not be cabable of admiring the man.'
'Barks obviously doesn't care for the ducks at all. He more or less contempts his grown up fans, who he is only interested to earn money from.'
'I try to look at it the way, that when the idol of my live fears me so much that he makes evilminded and maybe cowarly attacks on me, maybe I should take it as a compliment.'
'After having experienced Barks' attitude I have learned that I don't wish to be Barks.'
Slave
But all the writings visibly proves that Don Rosa exactly wants to be recognized as the new Barks. A role he hasn't the talent to fill out.
Rosas hate towards Barks is so strong that he actually tried to run a trial towards him. He has had to let the case fall though. Don Rosa is not content with throwing mud at only Barks. The Disney company - which he calls the 'evil empire' - get it's turns:
'Disney as a company gives you a good reason to be cynical and paranoid.'
'I am being cheated. If I wanted to be treated fair I should stop making Disney comics.'
'Everyone who does Disney comics is treated as a slave.'
Don Rosas works are published in great parts of the world by the danish publisher Egmont, but not even Egmont gets much love:
'There's very little about [meaning he doesn't like] Egmonts presentation - regardless if it's the coloring, texting, or printing - which would strengthen the story. Sadly.'
Don Rosa complains that he is not credited by Egmont for his stories. He complains that he doesn't get a good enough payment. And he grumbles that he is not paid by Egmont to show up at comic-congresses in Scandinavia.
Furious
Internet is a public thing. Everyone can go in and have a look. But obviously Don Rosa hasn't realized that. In any case almost a year ago he wrote:
'Someone has made copies of my messages and send them to Egmont. That's why you should go back in the file and REMOVE all comments, which contain something negative about anyone.'
There was quite a lot that had to be removed.
Per Grubert is maneger for Egmont Publishing Service which stands for the publication og Donald Duck-stories in the whole world:
- I can't understand that Don Rosa talks about that we underpay him. We have 25-30 drawers and noone is discontent to my knowing. Don Rosa is even in the higher end.
- We also think that our coloring and so on has a very high quality, but Don Rosa is known to get his tmeper up, Per Grubert says.
And you can bet on that
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