I open a thread, in which one can talk about the writer and artist William Roger Van Horn. Van Horn was born on February 15, 1939 in Oakland, California. Already at the age of three he read Disney Comics. In 1964 he sent two comics to the publishing company "Western Publishing", where at the same time Barks worked. Both comics were one page long, which is one of the two:
The editorial staff declined thanks and did not realize that Van Horn became one of the most popular Disney artists in 30 years. In 1966 William Frances married Elaine Dixon, with whom he got the joint son Noel Van Horn in 1968. Noel has been a Disney artist since 1993. From 1985 to 1987, William drew his own comic series "Nervous Rex", which was divided into ten volumes. In 1987, Van Horn became a Disney writer and artist at the Gladstone publishing house and was accepted. When the publisher was no longer licensed to produce Disney Comics in 1989, since Disney himself was now producing comics, Van Horn moved there. In 1991, Byron Erickson, who was just Egmont chief editor, offered to work for Egmont. Van Horn accepted this offer, of course, and has been working for Egmont Verlag ever since.
How do you find him as a writer and an artist? I think he writes funny and fantastic comics that always have a lot of joke. He can also draw very well!
Post by Scrooge MacDuck on Jan 8, 2017 18:45:52 GMT
His comics are always enjoyable, though sometimes a little weird. His artstyle is odd, but good.
This unpublished first comic of his is quite interesting. The thing is, I'm almost sure it was refused (at least in part) because Van Horn was overzealous and colored it… Since he hadn't colored it in a way that the printing techniques could reproduce, his page couldn't have been printed at the time. Had he sent an inked black-and-white page, things might have turned out differently, especially considering the art itself was already very solid (as good, at least, as that of some other artists which the company was printing at the time).
Since we are snowed in today where I am, I ritually re-read William Van Horn's "The Ghost of Kamikaze Ridge." I always read it on the day of the first heavy snowfall, which is a sort of a meta-joke, as you will recognize if you remember the story.
He's not among my favorite creators, but that's mostly because I like long adventures more than I like funny ten-pagers. I think he is excellent at what he does. His style of art perfectly suits his writing. Some visuals of his I love, such as the rockets in "The Black Moon." I remember Susan Daigle-Leach, though, complaining about his affection for snowy stories, which are hard on the colorist!
His play with language sometimes really works for me and sometimes doesn't. Works: "Professor Doldrum J. Tapioca," the author of "Your Stagnant Existence" in "Kamikaze Ridge." "My wife's excessively cultured pearls" in "It's in the Bag!" Doesn't work: "This whole business is phonier than a two-cent pancake!" in "Kamikaze Ridge." Huh? Sometimes his idiosyncratic use of language just takes me out of the story entirely.
In his "Deck Us All!" while Jones is falling through the air, he says "Why do the fates despise me so?" which made me laugh out loud. In the German version, he says "What did I do to deserve this?" One less laugh for the Germans!
I think WVH is just terrific, and NVH injected some life into Mickey Mouse as well. WVH's stories are pretty quick-witted and zany, a quality I admire.
I think WVH is just terrific, and NVH injected some life into Mickey Mouse as well. WVH's stories are pretty quick-witted and zany, a quality I admire.
I think WVH is just terrific, and NVH injected some life into Mickey Mouse as well. WVH's stories are pretty quick-witted and zany, a quality I admire.
I generally do like Van Horns' stories, in both art and storyline. Plus, he should receive some credit for creating what is probably the weirdest Duck comic I've ever read! (it's called Pudding it Straight, printed in US #343)
Last Edit: Jan 8, 2017 21:16:15 GMT by Scroogerello
Wasn't a fan of them as kids, or the general Egmont in-house style, and still not the biggest fan nowadays. Can't quite place why, though. Things just seemed weird in ways that they didn't with a lot of the Italian artists, or the Brazillian artists, or even Barks or Strobl.
Wasn't a fan of them as kids, or the general Egmont in-house style, and still not the biggest fan nowadays. Can't quite place why, though. Things just seemed weird in ways that they didn't with a lot of the Italian artists, or the Brazillian artists, or even Barks or Strobl.
I could see how WVH could be an acquired taste. His more stylized style together with his brand of humor is unique. You can instantly tell if a drawing is by WVH.
His comic always had this weird vibe about them... There is something almost dream like about his art (like we are watching a word in a mirror) which while I can appricate for creating surreal atmosphere, there is something I can't put my finger on it that stopes me from fully enjoying them each and evry time. I'm also not crazy about Rumpus McFowl character (even aside of the "He's Scrooges brother" idea I just wasn't crazy about the character, he felt generic annoying relative idea)
...still I do have respect for the guy. He do have some great idea's and I'm happy many people appear to like his work.
Easily my favorite of the modern American artists and writers for Disney. He's the real heir to Barks, if there is one. Like Barks, he does his stories for kids, so they're simple and unpatronizing, but there's enough there in the humor and crazy drawings for us manchildren to enjoy, too.
I wish I liked Noel's work more (although his recent Magica story had some insanely good drawing).
Unfortunately he is not so popular in Greece. His (father and son's)stories are currently being published in the monthly magazine ΚΟΜΙΞ and there is a general outrage about his stories and design.
Not one of my favourites. There is something in the way the characters talk (maybe it's also affected by my country's translation) that makes them sound like a typical family that try to insult each other all day. It's like watching an uncool sitcom with the actors dressed as ducklings.
Not one of my favourites. There is something in the way the characters talk (maybe it's also affected by my country's translation) that makes them sound like a typical family that try to insult each other all day. It's like watching an uncool sitcom with the actors dressed as ducklings.
Nice to see you back, Whatever, making topical posts. I agree that William Van Horn's comedic style is based heavily on wisecracking characters (maybe he uses that somewhat more than I'd like, making each wisecrack less of a surprise, and thus, less effective). His art is also a bit off model and "edgy", and "off balance", which provides a surrealistic feel. I don't feel that it fits Disney well. His shorter stories are very funny. But, I keep seeing "Nervous Rex" in his Duck work. I read "Nervous Rex" and another of his characters' stories in USA's "Critters" comics, during the very late 1970s and early 1980s, having bought them for the English translations of Freddy Milton's Gnuff series, which I had previously, only in Danish text. But, I do like Van Horn's artwork and storywriting better than that of Don Rosa.
I wonder if you are right, that your country's language makes your translators make Van Horn's characters' wisecracks and snide digs at their rivals seem more personal and malicious than they were meant to be. If you don't mind, I'd like to know what language it is to which Van Horn's English is translated. If you don't want to reveal your nationality or location, I will understand.