Disney Weirdness: Barks

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Freedom! Yeah!

Some lessons learned from this year's Free Comic Book Day:

1. Anyone who complains about a lack of comics for kids is full of it. Donald Duck, The Simpsons, Sponge Bob, Adventure Time, Yo Gabba Gabba, Barnaby and Mr. O'Malley, Zombie Kid, Superman Family, Tinkerbell and the Disney Fairies, The Smurfs, and Moomin all had FCBD offerings this year. Factor in all-ages material like Atomic Robo and Spider-Man, and that's a ton of comic books for young readers.

2. I don't understand licensing. Disney owns Marvel Comics, yet the Donald Duck book was put out by Fantagraphics,
Labrynth through Archaia Comics, and Tinkerbell by a company called Papercutz. Is there any reason why Disney doesn't just put out all their comics material through Marvel?

3. Marvel is kicking DC's ass. Marvel offered two new Avengers comics that were accessible to new readers, with great art by John Romita Jr and Bryan Hitch and snappy Brian Bendis dialogue. DC offered some muddled, ugly sampler that had something to do with parallel universes, or something? If I were a twelve-year-old today DC wouldn't even register on my radar (although I'd probably be really into that Young Justice cartoon).

4. Free comics are the best comics. Free Comic Book Day is awesome. If you missed out this year definitely hit up your local comic shop next May.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Is it just me...

...or do you find it sorta creepy when the Ducks interact with "real" people rather than dog-noses?

EXHIBIT A:


From The Disney Afternoon #6, Marvel Comics, 1995

EXHIBIT B:


"Dangerous Disguise" by Carl Barks, 1951

Some people hate the very idea of dog-noses, but not me. What I had a problem with as a kid (and, to a lesser extent, as an adult) was when the ordinary humans and the funny-animal humans would intermingle. Do the humans not notice that there are animals walking around, looking and acting almost exactly like people, only just slightly off? Or perhaps they do notice, but it's considered gauche to bring up in conversation? Either way, that's some Twilight Zone shit right there. Creepy.