What do you think about Scrooge's half-brother Rumpus McFowl?
Personally, i don't like him. From the stories with him i've read, he doesn't seems to care for anything but himself, not even caring for his own family! Even Gladstone, one of the most unlikeable Disney characters, seems to care for his grandma Duck and apparently was close enough to Della for her to trust him as guardian of her sons in "The Duck who Never Was" (even though it was an alternate universe)
Rumpus seems to be basically a mix of Gladstone and Gus Goose's bad side. The stories with him i've read made me actually feel bad for Scrooge for having such a bad and pathetic brother
Post by Baar Baar Jinx on Sept 29, 2019 15:07:28 GMT
Rumpus always reminded me of J Wellington Wimpy, and can perhaps be thought of as a gluttonous version of Louie-17. I accept him in my headcanon, but I agree that he's fundamentally an unlikable character who should be seldom used.
I have to admit I don't understand Van Horn's fascination with this character. He often seems more interested in Rumpus than in any of the classic Duck characters.
I have to admit I don't understand Van Horn's fascination with this character. He often seems more interested in Rumpus than in any of the classic Duck characters.
I always got the impression that he was trying to popularize this creation of his and make him mainstream by using him as much as possible in the hopes that others would follow suit. It never worked, since to date Van Horn is the only writer to have ever used Rumpus (barring a cameo appearance in a sprawling poster with several other well-known and obscure characters in a German issue). Rumpus is the kind of character whose appearances should be rare.
I have to admit I don't understand Van Horn's fascination with this character. He often seems more interested in Rumpus than in any of the classic Duck characters.
I always got the impression that he was trying to popularize this creation of his and make him mainstream by using him as much as possible in the hopes that others would follow suit. It never worked, since to date Van Horn is the only writer to have ever used Rumpus (barring a cameo appearance in a sprawling poster with several other well-known and obscure characters in a German issue). Rumpus is the kind of character whose appearances should be rare.
What's fascinating, too, is that Egmont apparently allows him to do this -- just make a story where Rumpus is the sole star and the other ducks are barely seen. Most writers and artists working for Egmont have stricter rules to adhere to, especially when it comes to starring characters. But Van Horn (like Don Rosa, who started at Egmont around the same time in the early 90s) seems to have a different arrangement with them.
Rumpus is a funny and entertaining character--who the heck cares if he's "likable" or not?--and the comparison to Wimpy is a very apt one. One of the many reasons I like Van Horn so much is his willingness to just create and use a brand-new Duck relative on a regular basis. That's what Barks did when he created Scrooge, Gladstone, and (although he's not a Duck relative) Gyro, and it's great to see one modern Duck creator carrying on that tradition.
Post by muggyruglugg on Sept 29, 2019 16:21:53 GMT
He's pointless. The other relatives kind of fill a niche or have something unique going on, but Rumpus doesn't. In every story he's in you can swap him out for Gladstone, Scrooge or Gus and nothing would change.
I have to admit I don't understand Van Horn's fascination with this character. He often seems more interested in Rumpus than in any of the classic Duck characters.
I always got the impression that he was trying to popularize this creation of his and make him mainstream by using him as much as possible in the hopes that others would follow suit. It never worked, since to date Van Horn is the only writer to have ever used Rumpus (barring a cameo appearance in a sprawling poster with several other well-known and obscure characters in a German issue). Rumpus is the kind of character whose appearances should be rare.
van Horn failed because he did it in a forced way. Every popular character is originally planned to appear just once, like Scrooge himself, and it would only be a matter of time. But van Horn wanted to popularize without waiting, and made Rumpus appear in stories where he could easily be replaced by Gus and Fethry
Rumpus is a funny and entertaining character--who the heck cares if he's "likable" or not?--and the comparison to Wimpy is a very apt one.
Oh, I agree ... some of my favorite characters are the "unlikable" ones (e.g., Dr. Smith from the original Lost in Space). I just feel that using him in almost every story in such a forced manner, the way Van Horn has done, takes something away from him.
There were a lot of letters--I wrote one myself--praising Rumpus after his debut and asking to see more of him; I remember the letter column of Gladstone 2's WDC&S a few issues after his first appearance was basically filled with letters praising the character. He definitely returned by popular demand, and editors wouldn't still be printing stories with the character if he "failed." The fact that other creators haven't picked him up is more of a commentary on their fear of going outside of the Barks-imitator box than it is on Van Horn. And Rumpus does add something that you don't get from Gladstone or Gus; Gladstone is shiftless, but he's also protected by his luck, so he doesn't have to engage in the Wimpy-like mooching and hustling that Rumpus does. Gus is dumber and much more good-natured than Rumpus, and also has a regular job, so he doesn't fit the role of sneaky, cadging rascal either.