Post by Scrooge MacDuck on Oct 27, 2016 11:51:54 GMT
In the reprint of the classic Barks story in Uncle Scrooge #341, there is a frame story added (see here), written by Gary Leach and drawn by William Van Horn. In this frame story, we see the story being told to the Junior Woodchucks by HDL around a campfire, after the Woodchucks have told a few tall tales of their own. Now, that framing device is perfectly fine, but… why? What was the point of adding it? My first thought was that having someone tell the story leaves open the possibility that it didn't exactly happen the way we're shown, which is an escape door for all those who dislike the idea of Scrooge owing his fortune to a "Magic Hourglass". But in fact, HDL insist throughout that the story is true even though no one believes them. So… why?
My guess is that it was to give context for newer readers, since this great early, undeveloped Scrooge story was printed during the Gemstone period, which saw many stories that establish time and time again that Scrooge's wealth was made through grit—not luck.
The bonfire tale about eggs being cooked by setting fire to a city must be a reference to the story Omelet by Barks. But in the story it's chickens not ostriches, and the new name for Pleasant Valley is Omelet, not Over Easy. Or am I missing the joke?
Last Edit: Oct 29, 2016 21:09:14 GMT by hex: adding link to story
My guess is that it was to give context for newer readers, since this great early, undeveloped Scrooge story was printed during the Gemstone period, which saw many stories that establish time and time again that Scrooge's wealth was made through grit—not luck.
Yes, but as I said, if it's what the story is trying to do, it doesn't do it right, since it enforces till the end that the story is one hundred percent true and the woodchucks are wrong to disbelieve it.
The bonfire tale about eggs being cooked by setting fire to a city must be a reference to the story Omelet by Barks. But in the story it's chickens not ostriches, and the new name for Pleasant Valley is Omelet, not Over Easy. Or am I missing the joke?
I took it as meaning that, like a lot of tall tales and urban legends, the version told by the woodchuck is a twisted, gossippy version of the events in Barks's story. Which is why the nephews look awkward while listening to it, and also are reluctant to say a story of their own afterwards.
Scrooge MacDuck, I had the same response to this frame story as you did. I went into it expecting that its purpose would be to allow the reader to accept the story as a tall tale, not a true version of events, since we all know Scrooge did not owe his fortune to luck. Editors had said in an earlier letter column that this story is categorized by many as an "imaginary story," to be enjoyed but not taken as in-universe historical truth. And then the frame story surprised me by having usually reliable characters claim that the story *was* true. Huh? Maybe Leach didn't want to have the frame say outright that the story is untrue, but thought it was enough to have the frame raise the question in people's minds. It was odd and unsatisfying to me, though. Nor did I understand what exactly we were supposed to think of the warped version of "Omelet."
Just read this story and I also found it extremely puzzling and totally useless. Until the Magic Hourglass began I could certainly believe that the adventure perhaps may not have actually happened and was maybe a bit overblown or fantasy or whatever. But after the story HDL just say that the story is acually true and everything occured like said. Well then what's the doggone point of those eight pages?? Did they have a contract with WVH and didn't know how to use it😆?
Extremely bizarre choice and storytelling those pages. The Magic Hourglass still remains one heck of a story though!☺
As much as I like William Van Horn's work, the framing story around The Magic Hourglass was needless. Just explain that it was an early story and that McDuck's character hadn't developed yet in a text page if you feel that the story needs explaining that badly. The Magic Hourglass is a fun story whether or not it fits in Don Rosa's Life of Scrooge McDuck cannon. Just enjoy it for what it is.
Not only a fun story: in my view The Magic Hourglass is one of the greatest achievements of Barks.
What does THIS mean? Do you mean that it is one of Barks' best 10 long stories? Or do you mean that Barks introducing "The Magic Hourglass" as the main reason why Scrooge amassed so much wealth is a great idea? Or do you mean that Barks' use of realisticly-drawn Human characters was a "great achievement"?
As much as I like William Van Horn's work, the framing story around The Magic Hourglass was needless.
I really believe that the problem isn't WVH it could be literally any artist for those eight pages. The problem was the script which means it was either Gary's work or the instructions that were given to him by someone superior. I totally agree they should just have a text page or something adjacently simple.
Not only a fun story: in my view The Magic Hourglass is one of the greatest achievements of Barks.
What does THIS mean? Do you mean that it is one of Barks' best 10 long stories? Or do you mean that Barks introducing "The Magic Hourglass" as the main reason why Scrooge amassed so much wealth is a great idea? Or do you mean that Barks' use of realisticly-drawn Human characters was a "great achievement"?
I assume he means it's one of Barks' best stories -- which I agree with. I don't know if I'd put it in my own "top 10", but it might make the top 20. The fact that it doesn't fit well with later continuity doesn't take away from its quality as a stand-alone story.
What does THIS mean? Do you mean that it is one of Barks' best 10 long stories? Or do you mean that Barks introducing "The Magic Hourglass" as the main reason why Scrooge amassed so much wealth is a great idea? Or do you mean that Barks' use of realisticly-drawn Human characters was a "great achievement"?
I assume he means it's one of Barks' best stories -- which I agree with. I don't know if I'd put it in my own "top 10", but it might make the top 20. The fact that it doesn't fit well with later continuity doesn't take away from its quality as a stand-alone story.
To ME "One of Barks' GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS would mean Top 5 stories of any kind, or a milestone , such as inventing a classical character, such as Uncle Scrooge, that goes beyond the comic book genre, or a new kind of graphic storytelling. To me, "The Magic Hourglass" is a good Barks long story, but NOT in his Top 10, and certainly not Earth-shattering, like one of his GREATEST achievements should be.
Post by Monkey_Feyerabend on Apr 23, 2017 8:15:00 GMT
I meant what Loke said. One of Barks's best (long) stories, that's all. Or at least one of my favorites. The main reason is the quality of the storytelling: that story flows in a perfect way, with every page staged the way it should be. Also, the story is funny, evocative and with plenty of surprises. Finally, it has a high density of gags, supported by a very expressive art (give a look for instance at the funny way panel by panel Barks develops the torment of Scrooge at pages 2 and 3). So, I consider it one of his milestones from a purely narrative point of view. Why would a story require to introduce some great new character, or create a new genre, or upset forever the history of comics in any possible way, to be considered a great achievement? I was not giving such a strong meaning to the word "achievement", Robb. As I said elsewhere, I do not have a personal Barks's story chart. So I do not know, where is The Magic Hourglass for me? In an unordered Top 10, I guess... Who cares, it does not really matter. By the way, when a guy creates more than 500 stories, all of them of much higher quality than the production of his peers...well, maybe even a story in his Top 40 is "great achievement".
(I know the behavior of Scrooge in the story is not consistent with later developments, as well as the magic explanation for his wealth. And I know many among you love to discuss about this kind of stuff. Good for you, and I like reading your discussions. But I do not like to take part in them, since I do not care much about these things. When the story is good is good, and that's enough for me.)
I haven't read this frame story since it was never published in Italy, however I think it's worth mentioning that this was not the first time an old story is introduced by a frame story. For example, the Italian comic title "I Classici di Walt Disney" (first series, second series) consisted, from 1957 to 1984, of older stories tied together by new frame stories, which make it seem as all the reprinted stories are part of a single tale. Something simlilar happens in a current Italian comic title (Topostorie, published monthly since April 2014), though in this case each frame story introduces all the reprinted comics as flashbacks rather than as facts happening in the present.