Truth be told, I'm not a fan of Brigitta at all. Let's not beat around the bush, her basic character concept is repulsive to me --- a female Pepe the Pew, a stalker with a crush.
Nevertheless, I know that a lot of readers do like her, and I've been told that her character has evolved since the early days. Therefore, I would like to reevaluate my opinion of Brigitta, but I need to read a few good stories. Do you fine people have any to recommend?
Last Edit: Apr 10, 2021 7:59:55 GMT by juicymcduck
I would say the her character has greatly increased when Scarpa decided to give more focus to her business abilities.
Then she isn't just an old woman who love Scrooge, but also an economic rival.
Now I cannot think of some particular example, but generally stories with both Brigitta and Filo Sganga (which I think it's called Jubal Pump in english) lean more on business-woman Brigitta than loving Brigitta, sometimes totally omitting every romantic feeling, if not for the end where Brigitta wins and ends her succesfull business for a date with Scrooge.
I'm an oldtimer. Growing up with LTBs in Germany, I would recommend the old Scarpa ones: Der letzte Gulugulu (found in the Disney Masters Series in english, 1st Gitta Gans) Der Kolumbusfalter (LTB #1 in Germany) Die doppelte Entführung (1st Kuno Knäul)
The idea that Brigitta has "evolved since the early days" is silly nonsense invented by Americans who have had very little exposure to the character in general. The businesswoman aspect to the character has been there since nearly day 1.
inducks.org/story.php?c=I+TL++551-A Here's Scarpa's "Uncle Scrooge and the Volcanic Wool" from 1966, the 14th story ever written with the character, and one where her being in love with Scrooge is mostly a throwaway detail brought up on a single page. The story as a whole is entirely centered about Scrooge and Brigitta being rivals in the wool industry.
Those of you who like Brigitta, what would you say her qualities are? Because "being a good businesswoman" is all fine and dandy, but that doesn't tell me much about her personality. That's what I'm really after. :-)
She strikes me as having a creative mind; in Scarpa, that means finding exciting and interesting (and maybe artistic) new kinds of products to sell, often—but not always—related to fashion, her personal hobby.
She's dogged and determined and defensive about finding success, in part I think because she's promulgating her personal tastes and passions; it isn't mainly about making money (she does well enough for herself, generally, and has at times been presented as a kind of small-time tycoon).
This obviously sets her up in a philosophical conflict with Scrooge, whose interest in business success is mainly just an interest in business success.
(In Scrooge's defense: the huge glut of money he has accumulated by mining and treasure-seeking is sentimental to him as an expression of his love for adventure—it's much more than just money to him—but I don't think he has the same personal connection to business and marketing that Brigitta does.)
As for stories I recommend, this is one of my favorites: inducks.org/story.php?c=I+TL+2058-1 "Uncle Scrooge and the Wealth Formula". Scrooge and Brigitta on a treasure hunt together. Very sweet ending.
Gerstein's summed up my views. I localized Scarpa's butterfly story from 1962, first published barely two years after she was introduced, and her business savvy and ingenuity (she has so much she is a legitimate rival for Scrooge) were right there from the start.