Rosa did suggest they were Peace Corps-types when talking to me about it. And yes, the dates don't work for the actual Peace Corps.
Really interesting, I didn't know about that... though as you noted, they weren't founded until 1961 so the dates don't work. But I am not surprised since what Rosa says vis-à-vis while answering questions during conventions is obviously more spontaneous and less rigorous. I mean, it's not like he will stop answering mid-question to take his cell phone and do an online research to see when the Peace Corps were established. There is also the matter of context: I don't know how well you remember his exact words, but it's impossible for those who were not there that day to say if he actually meant the Peace Corps themselves or just some group like them.
Anyway, the common denominator in these various statements is the idea of HDL's parents being lost in a valley, possibly Tralla La.
I thought of another alternative for a "HDL search for their parents"-story. How about you set the story in the near-future, when HDL are adults? Then, they'll be old enough to already live on their own, so choosing between living with their parents and their uncle becomes a non-issue. Adding Della and her husband to the cast wouldn't even upset the status quo, since this is the future, and that's already non-status quo-territory.
Post by Baar Baar Jinx on Dec 8, 2019 21:55:46 GMT
If Rosa were still writing Scrooge/Goldie Yukon stories today, do you think he might have found a way to slip in an appearance by Trump's grandfather (who operated seedy lodgings during the Klondike Gold Rush)? Given Rosa's antipathy towards Trump, the character would likely be an antagonist of some sort to Scrooge. It'd be instantly controversial, but might have been interesting. Or would Rosa have decided it'd be better not to go there?
So according to Wikipedia, Frederick Trump operated a brothel during the Klondike Gold Rush. Maybe there could be a story with him trying to recruit Goldie O'Gilt? Or maybe he's her former employer or something. That could be interesting, but I seriously doubt Disney would allow such a story to be told. I can maybe imagine Rosa having some interest in exploring it, but I don't think it would have been publishable. Alternatively, Frederick could be featured in a background-gag with a sign identifying him or something. Those are the only ways I could see Frederick being a involved in a Scrooge story. I don't think Scrooge would be interested in visiting the Trump brothel unless Frederick had some connection to Goldie.
Post by Scrooge MacDuck on Dec 9, 2019 12:09:56 GMT
I mean, it couldn't be more controversial than just having Donald Trump as the antagonist of a ten-pager, which actually happened ages ago.
LP, I don't know what Rosa would say of the idea of Goldie working in such a place; perhaps he'd agree that this might (obviously forever-offscreen) have been the case in her youth, but by the time Scrooge arrives in Dawson City she's a ballroom singer and, in Rosa's conception, even the *owner* of the Blackjack Saloon, though I don't believe this was the case in Barks's original. At any rate, what I mean is that if anything she'd be more likely to have some sort of business rivalry with that seedy Grandpa Trump than anything else. But yes, for obvious reasons, no Disney censor (even at their most lenient) would ever let such a story fly anyway.
Post by Baar Baar Jinx on Dec 9, 2019 14:16:08 GMT
But when "Ronald Plump" appeared in that ten-pager, Trump wasn't a political figure yet, was he? He was just a bombastic reality TV star and larger-than-life businessman. I doubt Disney would allow a new story actually featuring a President Plump today. That would be far too controversial.
To be absolutely fair, there doesn't seem to be clear-cut evidence that Grandpa Trump was actually running a brothel. From what I've read (and admittedly, given that this is Donald Trump's grandfather we're talking about, it's hard to separate fact from politically-inspired embellishments), his "Arctic Restaurant and Hotel" in Bennett, BC and the later "Whitehorse Hotel" were, at least to outward appearances, legitimate lodgings. At least by some accounts, whatever prostitution was happening was either unbeknownst to Frederick (hard to believe), or something he looked the other way about (more likely). In fact, there seems to have been nothing particularly remarkable about Grandpa Trump or his dealings in the Klondike, and no one would even remember he had been there if it weren't for the fame that his grandson would later achieve. But yes, it's impossible to believe that Disney would allow this character to appear explicitly as Trump's grandfather. What Rosa (or anyone else so inclined) could do is have Scrooge pass through his hotel, and allude to his identity (perhaps Scrooge could hint at the rumors about the depravity that takes place in his establishment, and Frederick could scream "Fake News!" so there'd be no doubt who he was meant to be, without actually naming him). Maybe throw in a bit of the foreshadowing Rosa loves ("I didn't catch that guy's name, but I doubt his family will ever be remembered for much!"). Goldie needn't be involved at all. Also, it appears that Grandpa Trump might have been in the business of buying and selling (for a profit) claims in the Klondike without doing any prospecting himself (incredibly, there's now some suggestion that that was *another* Frederick Trump(f) ... what are the odds?), which might be another way Scrooge may have had dealings with him (I mean, it's not absolutely essential that he be a villain, though I doubt Rosa could resist the temptation and have him be just some guy Scrooge happened to have an interaction with). I guess the question is, would Rosa have ever had any interest in having Scrooge meet Grandpa Trump (I honestly don't see anyone else doing it)? It'd be interesting to ask him.
(Reading Frederick Trump's story, it's remarkable how many parallels there are between it and Scrooge's history as portrayed by Rosa. They're both European immigrants, born within two years of each other, who entered the US as teenagers in relative poverty and made successes of themselves, traveling to the Klondike at roughly the same stage in their lives. Scrooge was far more successful than Grandpa Trump, of course).
I mean, it couldn't be more controversial than just having Donald Trump as the antagonist of a ten-pager, which actually happened ages ago.
LP, I don't know what Rosa would say of the idea of Goldie working in such a place; perhaps he'd agree that this might (obviously forever-offscreen) have been the case in her youth, but by the time Scrooge arrives in Dawson City she's a ballroom singer and, in Rosa's conception, even the *owner* of the Blackjack Saloon, though I don't believe this was the case in Barks's original. At any rate, what I mean is that if anything she'd be more likely to have some sort of business rivalry with that seedy Grandpa Trump than anything else. But yes, for obvious reasons, no Disney censor (even at their most lenient) would ever let such a story fly anyway.
Post by Baar Baar Jinx on Dec 11, 2019 17:31:10 GMT
Hey, maybe this guy could be retconned into Frederick Trump?
We know that Frederick was (most probably) involved in buying up claims and selling them for a profit without doing any prospecting himself; maybe he was considering hiring other people to do it for him but gave up the idea because he couldn't get a favorable loan from Scrooge? We also know he was in Whitehorse around that time (which is where this scene takes place), running an inn there (though, in real-life, depending on exactly when this exchange happened, he may have already left for Germany), and this unnamed character has a very Trumpian air about him. Heck, he even looks a little like Grandpa Trump did back in the day. There's nothing to argue against it being him. Since we're unlikely to ever get another Rosa-penned Klondike story, and since I'd really like Frederick Trump to have met Scrooge in some small way, and since there's nothing to contradict it, this is my new headcanon.
I've got a better idea...let's not put Frederick Trump into Don Rosa's story. If Rosa wanted him there, he would have been. Another Trump-esque sighting is in "My Second Million" where (at least in English) Scrooge was doing business with "Ronald Trampy".
I've got a better idea...let's not put Frederick Trump into Don Rosa's story. If Rosa wanted him there, he would have been.
When Rosa wrote Life of Scrooge in the'90s, Donald Trump was hardly as well-known as he is now. He was a real-estate figure and tabloid personality, but hadn't even become a reality TV star yet. I doubt Rosa was aware then that Trump's grandfather had been in the Yukon at the exact same time Scrooge was. If he had been writing the series today, he would probably have been aware of the fact, and it would have carried greater significance. Would Rosa have wanted to include Frederick today? I have no idea (as I said, it's be interesting to ask him). But personally I like the coincidence too much to simply drop it ... it seems like a huge wasted opportunity. It also fits with Rosa's penchant for including almost every historical figure he possibly could into Scrooge's backstory.
(Reading Frederick Trump's story, it's remarkable how many parallels there are between it and Scrooge's history as portrayed by Rosa. They're both European immigrants, born within two years of each other, who entered the US as teenagers in relative poverty and made successes of themselves, traveling to the Klondike at roughly the same stage in their lives. Scrooge was far more successful than Grandpa Trump, of course).
A thing that I already thought (and even made a post in my Facebook, some time ago...) is that now there are two famous Donalds that the family became rich in the Gold Rush of Alaska/Yukon.
I dislike his later work or the dude personally for how much damage he's done for the production of original Disney comics.
Sorry for replying to a comment that was posted years ago, but whaaat? What damage has Don Rosa done for the production of original Disney comics?
On a different note, Scroogerello wrote the following, also a couple of years ago:
"it's a publicly known fact that Egmont requires its writers to follow Rosa's timeline. As I mentioned in this very topic, several people working for Egmont have talked about this policy (as it has caused Rosa-contraditory stories by other creators to be rejected by Egmont)."
Maybe that is their intention, but they certainly have produced several comics in the past few years that contradict Rosa's comics. Kari Korhonen's The McDuck Journals very often contradicts the Rosa canon. Arild Midthun's A Christmas Crossing is a complete contradiction of the Lo$ saga, as, according to Rosa, Goldie and Scrooge spent time together in the past only once. When Scrooge kidnapped her.
What I would give for a great sequel to a Rosa comic or a new Lo$ bonus chapter that is as faithful to Rosa's work as faithful Rosa was to Barks' work!