The Quack Parade

 

I finally got my hands on Donald Duck: Vacation Parade , and it was worth the wait.

 Fréderic Brémaud and Federico Bertolucci have created a charming graphic novel that reads like a lost cartoon from the 1950s.

There aren't any words in this comic, but you can hear the sputtering and squawking.

The colors are gorgeous.

The story doesn't need words to flow from panel to panel, like storyboards for a lost classic short cartoon.  Your favorite character and mine, Humphrey Bear makes a triumphant return.

Chip and Dale are here also.

Vacation Parade is a truly all-ages comic.  Little kids who have trouble reading will have no problem following the story and laughing at the gags.  Mature sophisticates like us will enjoy the beautiful art and retro style.  Highly recommended, Disney Weirdness-approved.

I Ching You Ching

 

The Last Supplement to the Whole Earth Catalog, 1971

Can't Stop Messin With The Danger Zone

 

Disney's Doorways To Danger is another oddball comic that I found surprisingly enjoyable.

This book came out in 2021 but I ignored it, assuming it would be some kinda Wimpy Kid middle school YA thing. While Jeff Harvey's art style is definitely in that wheelhouse, story-wise this could be a totally normal modern-day Duck Mouse adventure.  

Our heroes find themselves in the cast of an Amazing Race style gameshow, racing in teams around the globe to locate a series of keys which will unlock a hidden treasure. Because this is an Uncle Scrooge comic, the treasure and the gameshow are more than they appear.  

The characterization and dialogue are all perfectly in-character; I am not familiar with Tom Angleberger's other works ,but judging from this he appears to be a fan of the classic Disney Comics.  Like Donald Duck Visits Japan, this is an off-model, offbeat take on the Disney classics that is enjoyable for kids and longtime readers alike.

Wabisabi

 

Donald Duck Visits Japan is a charming and unexpectedly engaging comic.

I assume the purpose behind it is to teach kids about the customs and culture of Japan, but aside from its educational value it is a cute and cozy story.  The Three Caballeros work for a furniture company but are on the Boss's shit list, as they crashed his car during some off-panel hijinks.  Their punishment is to be sent to work in a hotel in Japan for a year, to learn about customer service and research Japanese hospitality techniques.  What this has to do with furniture making is unclear.

The boys learn all about sushi, yokai, and omotenashi, while slowly gaining self-confidence and pride in their work.

Meru Okano's character designs deviate significantly from the characters' classic look, but it suits the manga style while still reading as "Toon".  Supporting characters look like they just stopped over from Animal Crossing.  Donald Duck Visits Japan is a quick and breezy read, kawaii as fuck but might actually teach you something.  Recommended.

Meeting of the Minds

 

From the Double Duck/ Duck Avenger crossover event: Timecrime!

Quick, while there's still time!

 

Don't forget to head to your local comics shop to get the Fantagraphics Free Comic Book Day offering:

It's a very strong package this year-  Van Horn, Casty, Cavazzano, Al Hubbard, and it's free!

Great stuff, Fantagraphics has done it again!

Utopian Vision

 

Man From Utopia by Rick Griffin

Mickey Mouse Yesterday

 

Mickey Mouse Today!  by Joel Beck

from Yellow Dog #1

Rosencrantz and Chippendale are dead.

 

From Hamlet starring Donald Duck.

By William Drakespeare, Giorgio Salati, Paolo De Lorenzi, Erin Brady, Comicraft.

The original can be found here.

Duck Work

 

SomeBODY once told me the world is gonna roll me

 

Guys, how good is Mickey All-Stars?

This book is so fun that it makes me angry.

These aren't even like, the best panels.  These are just  panels that I liked when I opened the book to random pages.

I don't think it is spoiling things too much to say that it's 50 pages of  all cute drawings like this.

Every Mouse artist that you like is in this thing.

They are all one-page gag strips, but some of them could support entire comics.

Slacker Goofy is my new Discord Avatar.

Anyways, get this book.  It's only like 15 bucks, you won't regret it.

 

Manga Mouse

 

Tezuka Osamu & The Rectification of Mickey

The Carl Barks/ Osamu Tezuka Connection

Manga Classroom

Speaking of psychedelic,

 

Bottaro rules.

Images from Disney Masters Volume 16, Jumpin Jupiter

The Surreal Life

 

Two of my teenage obsessions were the Disney cartoons of the 1930s and the surrealist artwork of Salvador Dali.  Naturally, adult me got a kick out of the story "Persistance of Mickey" that ran in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #734.

The premise is, what if Walt Disney and Salvador Dali had actually made progress collaborating on the animated short Destino? 

And then what if, during the creative process, Mickey and the Gang got sucked into some of Dali's most famous paintings??

A whole lotta surrealist shenanigans, that's what!

This story is also notable for the return of long-bill Donald; I've been saying all along that the Paul Rudish Mickey Mouse Shorts ought to go with the vintage look.

Anyway it's a fun story from Roberto Gagnor and Giorgio Cavazzano, with a translation from Gagnor and the great Joe Torcivia.

It's been reprinted in trade paperback and hardcover from IDW, my local library has both (jealous?).  

Mutha Hubbard

 

Al Hubbard is the fourth-best Duck artist for two reasons.  One, he draws Dogfaces that look like dogs with human bodies, instead of like humans wearing black clown noses:

Separated at birth?

Two, he draws the best forward-facing Uncle Scrooge in the business.

Looking forward to the upcoming Fantagraphics volume for more of this, it's good stuff!

Ole!

We watched Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros yesterday, because the kids got super into The Legend of the Three Caballeros series on the D+.   I hadn't seen either movie since I was a little kid, but I always liked the Three from the Mexico ride in Epcot and the greatest Don Rosa comic of all time.

Anyway they were very dated (as are all Disney live action from the 40s and 50s), but the cartoons were great.  Here is some Mary Blair concept art for the pair of features: