Great news to hear that the brer rabbit comics will be reprinted. I think about buying them. But what i don‘t understand is why they do not continue with the other, more popular character sundays, like Mickey mouse from manuel gonzalez or Donald duck by al taliaferro? It‘s really sad fantagraphics/idw doesn‘t continue/stopped those projects.
IDW is done with Disney strips in book form. They have said as much.
Regarding Mickey Mouse Sundays by Manuel Gonzales, I wouldn't mind that either, but it's not like Fantagraphics or anyone else ever STARTED that series in the first place.
I honestly don't mind getting Brer Rabbit over these other options, especially considering how hard those Sunday strips are to find. (The Mickey and Donald Sunday strips have been reprinted much more often in my country... well, except for the continuity years of the Mickey Sundays.)
Yeah much of the listing can claim it as a placeholder. The amazon cover image of the title is in a portrait orientation and design while the measurement info state 12 x9 inches which would be a landscape orientation just as IDW's Library of american comics' Disney collections were. also the cover text of this same image at amazon says the title collects 1945-1949 of the strip, while the title of the amazon product page itself has the years 1945-1948 stated. The longer product text at amazon does state 1945-1949. I guees both years could be accurate depending on how the book is arranged. I don't know how many strips pages the ''UR BR'' sunday had those years in total, if they would fit into the page count of this book or not; this depends on where the publisher decide to break up 1949 to continue it in the next volume.
Ohhh... that's interesting. I obviously didn't read this comment properly before posting my question about the book's format. Very good news if it is in landscape format.
Regarding the years covered, the book is stated to be 200 pages long. There are 52 Sundays in a year, so if the collection runs from sometime in 1945 to sometimes in 1949 (not covering the four years in total), there should be plenty of room for both the strips and some articles.
Also... yipe! The US Amazon listing is now down, even though listings in other countries like Brazil, Germany and the UK remain up. The latter two still read 1945-48 and have the release date listed as April 27, 2021.
It's worth mentioning too that the book's presentation (via Amazon Brazil) describes the Brer Rabbit strip serials as "much-requested". So maybe more people than we know have been asking about them.
The first-ever collected edition of Disney's much-requested Brer Rabbit 1940s comic strip serials!
Long before Splash Mountain, and even before the movie, Disney's version of the folklore character Brer Rabbit appeared in newspaper comics! From 1945 to 1949, Brer Fox's wild "laughing place" journey, Brer Rabbit's ill-starred fling with the forest school teacher, Brer Buzzard's money tree, and Rabbit's close call in the "Garden of Eatin" adventures were serialized in strips, and Fantagraphics is collecting them for North America for the first time! Dick Moores (Gasoline Alley) teamed up with Paul Murry to draw scripts by Bill Walsh (Mary Poppins) and Vernon Stallings (animation pioneer, Fantasia). Disney Legend Floyd Norman, the studio's first tenured black animator, explains the Critter Country characters' origins in folklore and history in his foreword. Full-color illustrations throughout.
Tried googling the book, and noticed that the Google Images preview thumb for the listing on bokus.com is actually in horizontal format (even though the picture on the site itself is in vertical format).
Tried googling the book, and noticed that the Google Images preview thumb for the listing on bokus.com is actually in horizontal format (even though the picture on the site itself is in vertical format).
Why is this already on a Swedish website, but not on a US site? Will it not be sold in USA because of the racial disrespect of Uncle Remus as an Uncle Tom? I thought it was already stated that there WOULD be a US edition, with a forward by Floyd Norman, explaining the historical context.
Tried googling the book, and noticed that the Google Images preview thumb for the listing on bokus.com is actually in horizontal format (even though the picture on the site itself is in vertical format).
Why is this already on a Swedish website, but not on a US site? Will it not be sold in USA because of the racial disrespect of Uncle Remus as an Uncle Tom? I thought it was already stated that there WOULD be a US edition, with a forward by Floyd Norman, explaining the historical context.
Oh, come on now, Robb. You know full well that the listing on Bokus IS for the US edition. I don't know why it was taken down from Amazon US... maybe it was done to give Fantagrahics some more time to set a definite release date, as well as make a finalized cover.
I am so excited for this and I hope it happens. Splash Mountain is one of my absolute favorite WDW rides and I’m saddened that it’s going away. This would be a very welcome consolation prize. After the Brer Rabbit strip had been omitted from the Christmas book I didn’t think we’d ever even have a chance at this. I had emailed IDW/LOAC prior to Silly Symphonies 4 coming out and I had requested this series along with Jose Carioca. To think Fantagraphics will be doing it is exciting. They don’t always finish series, see Dennis the Menace, but they seem to have a better completion rate then LOAC.
I haven’t seen many of these strips and even if we only get the serials I’ll be happy though I’d love them all. Here’s to hoping this sees the light of day. If it does it’ll be a day one purchase and have a spot next to my Song of the South DVD Treasures collection. I have enjoyed the feedback people have provided so far.
I am so excited for this and I hope it happens. Splash Mountain is one of my absolute favorite WDW rides and I’m saddened that it’s going away. This would be a very welcome consolation prize. After the Brer Rabbit strip had been omitted from the Christmas book I didn’t think we’d ever even have a chance at this. I had emailed IDW/LOAC prior to Silly Symphonies 4 coming out and I had requested this series along with Jose Carioca. To think Fantagraphics will be doing it is exciting. They don’t always finish series, see Dennis the Menace, but they seem to have a better completion rate then LOAC.
I haven’t seen many of these strips and even if we only get the serials I’ll be happy though I’d love them all. Here’s to hoping this sees the light of day. If it does it’ll be a day one purchase and have a spot next to my Song of the South DVD Treasures collection. I have enjoyed the feedback people have provided so far.
I hope they publish AT LEAST through 1958 or so, which, if each book fills 3.5 years, would mean, at least 4 books.
I am so excited for this and I hope it happens. Splash Mountain is one of my absolute favorite WDW rides and I’m saddened that it’s going away. This would be a very welcome consolation prize. After the Brer Rabbit strip had been omitted from the Christmas book I didn’t think we’d ever even have a chance at this. I had emailed IDW/LOAC prior to Silly Symphonies 4 coming out and I had requested this series along with Jose Carioca. To think Fantagraphics will be doing it is exciting. They don’t always finish series, see Dennis the Menace, but they seem to have a better completion rate then LOAC.
I haven’t seen many of these strips and even if we only get the serials I’ll be happy though I’d love them all. Here’s to hoping this sees the light of day. If it does it’ll be a day one purchase and have a spot next to my Song of the South DVD Treasures collection. I have enjoyed the feedback people have provided so far.
You mean that Treasures DVD set which doesn't exist?
I am so excited for this and I hope it happens. Splash Mountain is one of my absolute favorite WDW rides and I’m saddened that it’s going away. This would be a very welcome consolation prize. After the Brer Rabbit strip had been omitted from the Christmas book I didn’t think we’d ever even have a chance at this. I had emailed IDW/LOAC prior to Silly Symphonies 4 coming out and I had requested this series along with Jose Carioca. To think Fantagraphics will be doing it is exciting. They don’t always finish series, see Dennis the Menace, but they seem to have a better completion rate then LOAC.
I haven’t seen many of these strips and even if we only get the serials I’ll be happy though I’d love them all. Here’s to hoping this sees the light of day. If it does it’ll be a day one purchase and have a spot next to my Song of the South DVD Treasures collection. I have enjoyed the feedback people have provided so far.
You mean that Treasures DVD set which doesn't exist?
Their certainly isn’t an official one is there? Such a missed opportunity that was, along with the missing Jiminy Cricket and Ranger Woodlore shorts but I digress. But yes it’ll go next to that one that doesn’t exist. Or does it? Hmm...
I am so excited for this and I hope it happens. Splash Mountain is one of my absolute favorite WDW rides and I’m saddened that it’s going away. This would be a very welcome consolation prize. After the Brer Rabbit strip had been omitted from the Christmas book I didn’t think we’d ever even have a chance at this. I had emailed IDW/LOAC prior to Silly Symphonies 4 coming out and I had requested this series along with Jose Carioca. To think Fantagraphics will be doing it is exciting. They don’t always finish series, see Dennis the Menace, but they seem to have a better completion rate then LOAC.
I haven’t seen many of these strips and even if we only get the serials I’ll be happy though I’d love them all. Here’s to hoping this sees the light of day. If it does it’ll be a day one purchase and have a spot next to my Song of the South DVD Treasures collection. I have enjoyed the feedback people have provided so far.
I hope they publish AT LEAST through 1958 or so, which, if each book fills 3.5 years, would mean, at least 4 books.
Is their a reason you want through 1958? I’ll take whatever we can get and the more the merrier. I’d love to see a complete series. I really wanted to read the 1950’s Donald strips as we moved into a very different period in comic history. That they stopped just as they were getting there was disappointing so if we can get this strip past those would be great. I look forward to as much as Fantagraphics can get out into the public.
I hope they publish AT LEAST through 1958 or so, which, if each book fills 3.5 years, would mean, at least 4 books.
Is their a reason you want through 1958? I’ll take whatever we can get and the more the merrier. I’d love to see a complete series. I really wanted to read the 1950’s Donald strips as we moved into a very different period in comic history. That they stopped just as they were getting there was disappointing so if we can get this strip past those would be great. I look forward to as much as Fantagraphics can get out into the public.
I really want ALL the strips that were drawn all the way until the end. I just don't want any less than to the end of 1958. After that point I don't like the artwork as much and don't like the stories, as much. But I DO like them, and DO want them from 1959 all the way to the end. I guess including up to the end of '58 is the portion for which I am most nostalgic. But I DO want them all if they can be printed. And I didn't like the Bre'r Rabbit stories being kept out of The Christmas Stories Book.
The German comics journal "Reddition" published an interesting article about Disney newspaper strips and their German publications in its new issue. The author Jens R. Nielsen dedicates much room to the Br'er Rabbit-strips and considers them to be at least inherently racist. Firstly because a White author wrote down the Br'er Rabbit-stories that came from African and African American folklore originally in the Uncle Remus-books which appeared like an old former slave would tell them. Then secondly Nielsen finds that the Disney (strip) version of the characters kind of whitewashed them in the way that many new characters from the middle class were introduced and that the whole setting (after the first few years of the strip) looked like the comic took place in some 50s White middle class neighborhood - so that the origins in African folklore were totally lost.
For me that's very interesting 'cos I knew the characters mainly from the Egmont-produced stories which were published in the German magazines in the 90s (and in the last years I also read some of the Dutch comics from DD weekblad) and I never thought of the characters to have African backgrounds (although I saw "Song of The South" as a child). I would be interested how the Americans among you see this complicated matter - and of course also guys like Robb who are more familiar with these comics than I am.
The German comics journal "Reddition" published an interesting article about Disney newspaper strips and their German publications in its new issue. The author Jens R. Nielsen dedicates much room to the Br'er Rabbit-strips and considers them to be at least inherently racist. Firstly because a White author wrote down the Br'er Rabbit-stories that came from African and African American folklore originally in the Uncle Remus-books which appeared like an old former slave would tell them. Then secondly Nielsen finds that the Disney (strip) version of the characters kind of whitewashed them in the way that many new characters from the middle class were introduced and that the whole setting (after the first few years of the strip) looked like the comic took place in some 50s White middle class neighborhood - so that the origins in African folklore were totally lost.
For me that's very interesting 'cos I knew the characters mainly from the Egmont-produced stories which were published in the German magazines in the 90s (and in the last years I also read some of the Dutch comics from DD weekblad) and I never thought of the characters to have African backgrounds (although I saw "Song of The South" as a child). I would be interested how the Americans among you see this complicated matter - and of course also guys like Robb who are more familiar with these comics than I am.
I'm due to cover Song of the South in detail in my review thread about three weeks from now, but here's my take on it.
The original Uncle Remus tales are a case of cultural appropriation, taking something that was originally African/African-American and repackaging it in a white commercial environment. This is not a good look. But cultural appropriation is rarely purely black-and-white case, something that's very hard to combine with the racial narrative of American politics. It's also a case of regional cultural osmosis: the great American melting pot. Creativity runs on borrowing, and if you live in an area where there's a lot of black folks, you're bound to be influenced. Of course white people profit in the end, capitalism is just inherently racist like that.
When Walt Disney created Song of the South, I believe he was trying to connect with black culture (if only for commercial purposes). It didn't matter then that Uncle Remus tales were mediated by a white person -- this is a generation still familiar with minstrel shows of coon songs, after all. And there is a level of minstrelsy involved in the stories as well as the film. (James Baskett's Uncle Remus is very much a performance of a white man's expectation of a black man.) Removing these elements in the comics later on may have removed these unfortunate implications, or simply multiplied them, depending on your point of view.
Note that Br'er Rabbit comics becoming more white middle class 1950s is not an isolated phenomenon --- you can see the same thing even more clearly in the Scamp dailies of the period (and there's not racial element involved there). After all, Scamp is the son of Lady and the Tramp, so his comics ought to be set in a turn-of-the-century environment, but they're not.
I've been primarily exposed to Dutch translations of these comics, so that's a whole other cultural step.
1. African folk tales 2. African-American folk tales told in the South 3. Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus 4. Walt Disney's Song of the South 5. Br'er Rabbit comics >>> evolution of those comics 6. translations of Br'er Rabbit comics in the 1980s 7. contemporary Dutch production of Br'er Rabbit comics
That Duckfan does a good job of presenting some of the complicated mix of issues here. (a)There are major ethical problems with people-with-power telling (and recasting, and taking credit for, and profiting from) the stories of people-with-less-power. (b)Cultural growth depends on borrowing, and borrowing/mixing elements from various groups will happen in any case, and fiction is all about the ability to imagine yourself inside someone else's story, etc. But the truth of (b) doesn't take away the true harm involved in (a), and we need to find ways to monitor the power differential and reduce the harm involved in (a) while not getting so reactive that positive cultural borrowing or fictional entry into different lives is ruled out.
That's a way to talk about ongoing cultural creation. It's a related but different question, what to do with cultural artifacts from the past which involve sketchy cultural appropriation and/or downright racist elements. I personally don't think it's any great loss if "Song of the South" is not available for people's entertainment viewing. I do wish it could be available for people who want to write/talk about cultural appropriation in USA popular culture, or about depictions of formerly enslaved persons, or about the place of the African trickster figures in North American culture, or whatever. Due to the ways we now view, store and share information, it's harder than it used to be to have movies/cartoons available for those doing scholarship or cultural commentary without having them available for entertainment. You can move a statue from a public park or governmental building to a museum where you frame it with historical context and ethical critique; it's hard to do the equivalent with a movie. Waiting to see what they do with "Gone with the Wind"!