Post by Scrooge MacDuck on Apr 6, 2016 13:57:22 GMT
As I complained in my review of the story, I am confused by two panels in Barks's classic Voodoo Hoodoo. Specifically, those:
Which currently get reprinted as this:
Because really, who is this guy ? Let's sort my complaints.
Donald talks to him as though he was an old pal of his. Where does he know this guy from ?
What kind of a name is Bop Bop anyway ?
Why is he riding this absurdly small motorbike in a formal suit with a trumpet under his arm (!) ?
How comes Donald considers him to be an “expert on ghost stuff” when he is apparently scared of zombies ?
And also most importantly, is he supposed to be black or not ? The first printing's coloring seems to imply it, and the fact that the reprint saw fit to alter the art to remove what had been colored as lips implies that there was something to alter in the first place… but on the other hand, he looks nothing like the other black people Barks draws in this story. Compare him to Bombie, Foola or, say, the luggage carriers. What he does look like is a 30's Gottfredson character, like Joe Piper, for instance. As for his grammar, which the reprint also saw fit to alter, it could just as well be a low-class accent as a black accent — though if he's supposed to be low-class, why does he wear a formal suit ? Gah !
———
On another note, it is interesting to notice that the original print had apparently censored the use of the word “dead”, which had been clumsily replaced by “done for”.
Low-class characters, especially black, wearing formal suits to make contrast and show them trying to look upper class is a common term. The top is clearly cartoon blackface-roots, where the pitch black is gone, but the ridiculous lips are still there. Overall I dunno, not familiar enough with the context, but overall the original seems to be "hey look at this dumb-looking black voodoo witch doctor with a dumb black-like name who can't even get a decent bike and plays jazz!"
The top is clearly cartoon blackface-roots, where the pitch black is gone, but the ridiculous lips are still there.
Well… yeah, the whole point is that it's more of a cartoon face than anything else -- it could very well be the "lips" (or "around-the-mouth-white-spot") of Mickey Mouse or Flip the Frog. Or, for that matter, Goofy.
The top is clearly cartoon blackface-roots, where the pitch black is gone, but the ridiculous lips are still there.
Well… yeah, the whole point is that it's more of a cartoon face than anything else -- it could very well be the "lips" (or "around-the-mouth-white-spot") of Mickey Mouse or Flip the Frog. Or, for that matter, Goofy.
Black characters during the 40's were (as far as I know) mostly drawn with large lips. That's just how they were portrayed back then.
Society unfortunately still thought lowly of black people back then and this is reflected in the media of that time. Hence why his name is Bop Bop. He has a trumpet because he's a jazz player and he has a tiny scooter because he can't afford anything larger. (Notice that it also has a flat tire.) If they colored his face pitch black, it would've blended in too much with his hat and suit.
The Fantagraphics reprint should have the original version unaltered but I don't have my copy on hand to check.
Post by Scrooge MacDuck on Apr 7, 2016 14:25:46 GMT
Thanks… but that still doesn't explain why he's treated as a regular friend of Donald's even though he ISN'T a recurring character, or why Donald considers him an "expert on ghost stuff".
I don’t think the word "dead" is censored. It’s the other way around, the slang ("done fer", "evah") that the jazz player used is changed in the censored version. The story notes in the back of the Fantagraphics book printing this story have more details on this and other things. Also the story is reprinted in its original form in that book too.
I wonder if Barks actually did the re-lettering or if the editors inserted words from other places. He did plan to redraw the natives for the Carl Barks Library (CX OS 238-02A,CX OS 238-02B)
As for Donald knowing the jazz player, maybe he was a famous local musician (with some voodoo knowledge) that everyone in town knew.
the sloppy lettering clearly indicates the "done fer" was added after the panel was drawn, and wasn't planned for. Now the question is if that's because of censoring dead, or because someone thought "dead? that ain't jive enough"
the sloppy lettering clearly indicates the "done fer" was added after the panel was drawn, and wasn't planned for. Now the question is if that's because of censoring dead, or because someone thought "dead? that ain't jive enough"
This one's an easy answer: other uses of "done for" in the story were also clearly replacements for "dead," and not all of them go to "jive" characters—there was some kind of objection across the board, although (as these things often happen) one "dead" did slip through unchanged.
Thanks… but that still doesn't explain why he's treated as a regular friend of Donald's even though he ISN'T a recurring character, or why Donald considers him an "expert on ghost stuff".
In my opinion you are overthinking it: like you said, he is not a recurring character, but he is an acquaintance of Donald and can thus be questioned about a subject he (for some reason) is an expert of. Being an expert on zombies doesn't mean you should not be scared of them.
I see that pages 138-139 of this book have a speculation about who is Bop Bop.
Anyway, I read you review and, even though I think there are many interseting point, I disagree with many things.
*"Why this is uncomfortable is because it implies that the Voodoo Tribe is unredeemably evil, and that Scrooge's “Those savages were made” line and its next-of-kins are right": it is a possible interpretation, but we learn that "he's been howling mad for seventy years!". My idea is that he became "evil" after his encounter with Scrooge, and as a consequence of that.
*"Also, notice how Bombie seems to be wearing the quiz presenter's very suit": to me, it seems his clothes are identical to HDL's, which in turn are identical to Scrooge's, possibly as a way of visually show how they have become rich. *"Either Donald suddenly grew a foot or two in height, or the native is a pygmy, which is unlikely": to me, he looks his usual height here, or even slightly shorter. *"it is obvious that Zoola and Scrooge were old rivals who knew each other for quite a while": it is possible, but is not obvious at all. The "dear old friend" could be ironic, could be sarcastic, could be a way of expressing his relief of having finally caught his long sought enemy... it could mean everything and its opposite. *"There's some good tension here, but the stake seems kind of ridiculous in comparison. I mean, you're gonna be shrunk to the size of a mouse. I can see why it would be unpleasant, but there's nothing to be too tragic (for Donald) or sadistic (for Foola) about. It's nothing too deadly or harmful, especially considering that in the Disney Comics world, anthropoanthropomorphic mice exist, which means there already are facilities arranged for 10-centimeters-tall people": I'm not sure if you are sarcastic here or not, but since you also said "I find it worth noting that it is a talking dog making the statement that “clams don't talk” as though it was elementary" I guess you were not sarcastic. In which case, I will point out how small would be a man shrunk by Foola Zoola:
I don't see what the existence of anthropomorphic mice has to do with this, especially since anthropomorphic mice (who are supposed to be humans just like anthropomorphic ducks) are not 10 centimeters tall. *This denouement always fell flat for me. I mean, what are the odds that Bombie somehow only bounces on people ?": I don't know what are the odds, but I have always found this denouement to be one of the best denouement of Barks' longer tales. In my opinion, it perfectly embodies what Barks meant when he said "I was trying to follow the format Floyd Gottfredson estabilished of having Mickey and the other guys involved in funnt situations at the same time that they were having serious problmes, and they solved their serious problems by funny means". Still, I like your expression "fell flat", which reminds me of Bombie flattening the whole tribe.
It comes out more because of Don Rosa's follow-up to it.
In Don Rosa's Life and Times of Scrooge Mc Duck, Don Rosa decides to "explain" Scrooge's history with Foola Zoola and Bombie.
Because Scrooge having destroyed an African village was considered awful, in Don Rosa's story, it is treated as something indeed awful, the "worst action of his life", which estranges him from his sisters.
And in the story, it is treated more as Scrooge taking revenge in impulse against Foola Zoola who rejected his arrogant offer while humiliating him in front of his sisters.
Foola Zoola summons Bombie the Zombie to give him a cursed voodoo doll...
And that's the last Scrooge sees of Foola! Foola doesn't offer more information on the Voodoo curse.
How does Scrooge know that the doll will curse the person who touches it into shrinking to the size of a mouse?
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Thanks… but that still doesn't explain why he's treated as a regular friend of Donald's even though he ISN'T a recurring character, or why Donald considers him an "expert on ghost stuff".
In my opinion you are overthinking it: like you said, he is not a recurring character, but he is an acquaintance of Donald and can thus be questioned about a subject he (for some reason) is an expert of. Being an expert on zombies doesn't mean you should not be scared of them.
I see that pages 138-139 of this book have a speculation about who is Bop Bop.
Anyway, I read you review and, even though I think there are many interseting point, I disagree with many things.
*"Why this is uncomfortable is because it implies that the Voodoo Tribe is unredeemably evil, and that Scrooge's “Those savages were made” line and its next-of-kins are right": it is a possible interpretation, but we learn that "he's been howling mad for seventy years!". My idea is that he became "evil" after his encounter with Scrooge, and as a consequence of that.
*"Also, notice how Bombie seems to be wearing the quiz presenter's very suit": to me, it seems his clothes are identical to HDL's, which in turn are identical to Scrooge's, possibly as a way of visually show how they have become rich. *"Either Donald suddenly grew a foot or two in height, or the native is a pygmy, which is unlikely": to me, he looks his usual height here, or even slightly shorter. *"it is obvious that Zoola and Scrooge were old rivals who knew each other for quite a while": it is possible, but is not obvious at all. The "dear old friend" could be ironic, could be sarcastic, could be a way of expressing his relief of having finally caught his long sought enemy... it could mean everything and its opposite. *"There's some good tension here, but the stake seems kind of ridiculous in comparison. I mean, you're gonna be shrunk to the size of a mouse. I can see why it would be unpleasant, but there's nothing to be too tragic (for Donald) or sadistic (for Foola) about. It's nothing too deadly or harmful, especially considering that in the Disney Comics world, anthropoanthropomorphic mice exist, which means there already are facilities arranged for 10-centimeters-tall people": I'm not sure if you are sarcastic here or not, but since you also said "I find it worth noting that it is a talking dog making the statement that “clams don't talk” as though it was elementary" I guess you were not sarcastic. In which case, I will point out how small would be a man shrunk by Foola Zoola:
I don't see what the existence of anthropomorphic mice has to do with this, especially since anthropomorphic mice (who are supposed to be humans just like anthropomorphic ducks) are not 10 centimeters tall. *This denouement always fell flat for me. I mean, what are the odds that Bombie somehow only bounces on people ?": I don't know what are the odds, but I have always found this denouement to be one of the best denouement of Barks' longer tales. In my opinion, it perfectly embodies what Barks meant when he said "I was trying to follow the format Floyd Gottfredson estabilished of having Mickey and the other guys involved in funnt situations at the same time that they were having serious problmes, and they solved their serious problems by funny means". Still, I like your expression "fell flat", which reminds me of Bombie flattening the whole tribe.
* Yes, you could take it the way you describe, but I don't know. Perhaps they weren't as mad before, but Foola Zoola is just about your typical villain. Some villains like Glomgold or the Beagle Boys you can imagine having been corrupted into evil and still having some good in them, but Zoola looks like Maleficent's African cousin, both in appearance and behavior, and that even before Scrooge has burnt the village in the Don Rosa story. * Okay, perhaps I saw something that wasn't there with this suit. * Are you sure ? Let's look at the panel again:
Donald is standing farther from us than the human, here. Assuming as I did that this is a normal human about 6 foot tall, there is no way Donald is his usual 3-feet-tall self in this panel.
* Oops, wrong mice. I was not talking about mice like Mickey, but about mice like Jacq and Gus, for instance, who are about as tall as Professor McCobb. * Well yes, I get that he was trying to do a gag, but the thing is, the idea that Bombie would bounce only on people was so unlikely to my eyes that I didn't get it the first time I read the story.
How does Scrooge know that the doll will curse the person who touches it into shrinking to the size of a mouse?
Well, Foola Zoola told Scrooge "You'd best depart, infidel, before a nutshell serves you as a hat!" when they first met. And after Scrooge tricked him, Foola said "You have incurred the wrath of the vodoo gods! They will shrink you to the size of the rat you are!" In fact, on the Titanic Scrooge thinks "Bombie wants to shrink me!". It's also possible Crnelius McCobb isn't the only person who was later shrunk by Foola Zoola's vodoo magic, and Scrooge would have hears rumors of these shrunk men by the employees of his rubber plantation.
* Yes, you could take it the way you describe, but I don't know. Perhaps they weren't as mad before, but Foola Zoola is just about your typical villain. Some villains like Glomgold or the Beagle Boys you can imagine having been corrupted into evil and still having some good in them, but Zoola looks like Maleficent's African cousin, both in appearance and behavior, and that even before Scrooge has burnt the village in the Don Rosa story. * Okay, perhaps I saw something that wasn't there with this suit. * Are you sure ? Let's look at the panel again:
Donald is standing farther from us than the human, here. Assuming as I did that this is a normal human about 6 foot tall, there is no way Donald is his usual 3-feet-tall self in this panel.
* Oops, wrong mice. I was not talking about mice like Mickey, but about mice like Jacq and Gus, for instance, who are about as tall as Professor McCobb. * Well yes, I get that he was trying to do a gag, but the thing is, the idea that Bombie would bounce only on people was so unlikely to my eyes that I didn't get it the first time I read the story.
*I admit I am a little conditioned by the Italian translation saying "he started being evil 70 years ago", suggesting it was caused by Scrooge's actions (i.e. white men chased them away, and now they will seek revenge against whte people), but even the original text "he's been howling mad for seventy years!" suggest this option. I'm not saying it's the only possibility, but I wouldn't call this a mistake of "Life and Times", since Foola Zoola's action in the prequel don't contradict "Vodoo Hodoo".
*I don't know how tall is Donald, but in that image we see Donald's feet while the other guy's feet are outside the frame. You could try drawing his feet and do a line that unites them with Donald's feet, then you could do a line that starts from the top Donald's head and is parallel to the first line: this would give an idea of how tall is Donald in relation to the other guy. Alternatively, you could draw the guy's feet and copy/paste his image so that his feet are at the same height of Donald's.
*Jaq and Gus... one of the reasons many non-Barks Western stories are often looked down by the fandom is that they contain strange ideas like Jaq and Gus and Dumbo and the Big Bad Wolf etc living in the same universe as Donald (though Barks himself illusitraded few of these stories, which he naturally didn't write). Most fans I know regard these ideas as non-canon, and I'm with them; plus, Jaq and Gus (which are not anthropomorphic) hadn't even been created yet at the time of "Vodoo Hodoo". But if your point is that being shrunk has its nice point, you don't ned Jaq and Gus to prove it: Barks himself shows, in the same story, that a shrunk man has no clothing problems (a nit shell for a hat, fingers of an old glove for pants), no eating problems (a peanut feeds him for a week), and no housing problems (an old trunk could make him an eight-room house). However, Donald doesn't care for these advantages and wants to keep his size. Can you blame him? Or, to put it in another way: if you were in Donald's place, and if a vodoo witch doctor was going to do something that will shrink you, would you still think "There's some good tension here, but the stake seems kind of ridiculous in comparison. I mean, you're gonna be shrunk to the size of a mouse. I can see why it would be unpleasant, but there's nothing to be too tragic (for Donald) or sadistic (for Foola) about. It's nothing too deadly or harmful"?
*I see your point about the ending gag. Well, not every gag can work for everybody.
Last Edit: May 29, 2016 10:15:10 GMT by drakeborough