Post by Matilda on Dec 3, 2016 2:06:21 GMT
(Because making lists calms me, when I'm trying to distract myself from the national news....)
Female continuing characters in the Duck world of my childhood (early 1960’s USA), in addition to girlfriend Daisy: Grandma Duck, Magica DeSpell, Miss Quackfaster, Captain Ramrod and the Chickadees, April, May & June (all Barks); plus Madam Mim and Clara Cluck. Have I forgotten anyone? I never saw the Strobl-drawn Dora, a member of Daisy’s women’s club. And of course I never encountered Scarpa’s creations, girlfriend-wannabe Brigitta and non-girlfriend Dickie Duck. Former girlfriend Belle Duck was created in 1967, but didn't make it to the States until last year.
Female characters created since the 1970’s have tended to be girlfriends of male characters: Gyro, Gus Goose, one of Huey/Dewey/Louie, even Donald (Reginella).
There are only a very few female more-than-one-shot characters in the Ducks' world created since the 1970’s that I’m familiar with who aren't love interests: Stella Curfew, Korhonen's sheriff of Quackville and friend of Grandma Duck; the artist Mercedes Pujol, who doesn't live in Calisota; Daisy's longtime friend Amanda Fox created by Maya Åstrup. And, of course, Hortense and Matilda, as brought to life by Rosa. Then there are Magica’s family members and associates, who are only tangentially in the Ducks’ world.
In addition to these, there are some recently created female non-girlfriend characters in stories I mostly haven’t seen, for instance the Italian Chickadees (the GE, the Young Explorers). Though I must note that their troop leader, Clarissa, is in love with the JW mogul Bertie, because of course she is. (Plus, she’s a human without even a dognose! What’s with that?) There are also several female non-girlfriend characters created by Lars Jensen in stories I haven’t seen, such as the billionaire Velma Vanderduck and various neighbors of Daisy or Miss Quackfaster. Jensen is also notably good at using lesser known female characters created by others: Belle Duck, Strobl’s Dora, Amanda Fox, Rosie the Riveter. (Rob Klein has also used Dora, Amanda Fox and Rosie the Riveter in one story.) And Jensen has used the character of Miss Quackfaster well, both in stories starring her and in my favorite Jensen story, “All in a Daze Work”.
It’s interesting that the memorable female non-girlfriend characters I’ve seen who are (or were for a long time) one-shots, both vintage and recent, are dominated by old women: Penny Wise and Katie Mallard (Barks), Pyrite Jennie (“The Gold Hound” Bob Langhans—Inducks, I believe wrongly, attributes this story to Lockman), GD’s cousin Amanda (“Bananas” Halas & Angus/Branca), and GD’s old friend Hazel (“Help for the Holidays” J. Gilbert/MTA). With these one-shot characters joining Grandma Duck, Miss Quackfaster (not yet retired--she can't afford to retire, given what Scrooge pays her!--but gray-haired in her original version), love interest Glittering Goldie and former girlfriend Belle Duck, there are many memorable old ladies in the Duck universe. I haven’t run across nearly as many memorable one-shot female non-girlfriend characters who are young or middle-aged: Barks’ Ducky Bird (who lives with Katie Mallard far from Duckburg, so not many possibilities for re-using the character), Barks' Madame Triple-X ("Dangerous Disguise"), Evert Geradts’ young pop singer Dora Duck (at least, that’s what she’s called in the French translation; anyone know whether that’s her name in the original? “Piratenzang”).
Female continuing characters in the Duck world of my childhood (early 1960’s USA), in addition to girlfriend Daisy: Grandma Duck, Magica DeSpell, Miss Quackfaster, Captain Ramrod and the Chickadees, April, May & June (all Barks); plus Madam Mim and Clara Cluck. Have I forgotten anyone? I never saw the Strobl-drawn Dora, a member of Daisy’s women’s club. And of course I never encountered Scarpa’s creations, girlfriend-wannabe Brigitta and non-girlfriend Dickie Duck. Former girlfriend Belle Duck was created in 1967, but didn't make it to the States until last year.
Female characters created since the 1970’s have tended to be girlfriends of male characters: Gyro, Gus Goose, one of Huey/Dewey/Louie, even Donald (Reginella).
There are only a very few female more-than-one-shot characters in the Ducks' world created since the 1970’s that I’m familiar with who aren't love interests: Stella Curfew, Korhonen's sheriff of Quackville and friend of Grandma Duck; the artist Mercedes Pujol, who doesn't live in Calisota; Daisy's longtime friend Amanda Fox created by Maya Åstrup. And, of course, Hortense and Matilda, as brought to life by Rosa. Then there are Magica’s family members and associates, who are only tangentially in the Ducks’ world.
In addition to these, there are some recently created female non-girlfriend characters in stories I mostly haven’t seen, for instance the Italian Chickadees (the GE, the Young Explorers). Though I must note that their troop leader, Clarissa, is in love with the JW mogul Bertie, because of course she is. (Plus, she’s a human without even a dognose! What’s with that?) There are also several female non-girlfriend characters created by Lars Jensen in stories I haven’t seen, such as the billionaire Velma Vanderduck and various neighbors of Daisy or Miss Quackfaster. Jensen is also notably good at using lesser known female characters created by others: Belle Duck, Strobl’s Dora, Amanda Fox, Rosie the Riveter. (Rob Klein has also used Dora, Amanda Fox and Rosie the Riveter in one story.) And Jensen has used the character of Miss Quackfaster well, both in stories starring her and in my favorite Jensen story, “All in a Daze Work”.
It’s interesting that the memorable female non-girlfriend characters I’ve seen who are (or were for a long time) one-shots, both vintage and recent, are dominated by old women: Penny Wise and Katie Mallard (Barks), Pyrite Jennie (“The Gold Hound” Bob Langhans—Inducks, I believe wrongly, attributes this story to Lockman), GD’s cousin Amanda (“Bananas” Halas & Angus/Branca), and GD’s old friend Hazel (“Help for the Holidays” J. Gilbert/MTA). With these one-shot characters joining Grandma Duck, Miss Quackfaster (not yet retired--she can't afford to retire, given what Scrooge pays her!--but gray-haired in her original version), love interest Glittering Goldie and former girlfriend Belle Duck, there are many memorable old ladies in the Duck universe. I haven’t run across nearly as many memorable one-shot female non-girlfriend characters who are young or middle-aged: Barks’ Ducky Bird (who lives with Katie Mallard far from Duckburg, so not many possibilities for re-using the character), Barks' Madame Triple-X ("Dangerous Disguise"), Evert Geradts’ young pop singer Dora Duck (at least, that’s what she’s called in the French translation; anyone know whether that’s her name in the original? “Piratenzang”).
EDIT: as mentioned on another, later thread, the singer in Geradts' "Piratenzang" is called Girly Duck in the original (that name would never fly in English!), Dora Duck in French, Lena Lau in German. In my headcanon, I have named her Zoe Zanger, a call-out to the Dutch word for "song" in the story's title.
EDIT: possibly in response to my email, INDUCKS has corrected the entry on "The Gold Hound," and now lists the creators as Bob Langhans and Anibal Uzál.
I really was just finding out how difficult it was to say this clearly when I not only didn't have names, but didn't even know the gender of the parent who's a blood relative. So I kept trying....
