Regardless of who is featured in these books, I try to be grateful that they exist at all, and appreciative towards the people who produce them rather than demanding that artist X, Y and Z be included rather than A, B or C. Some of them I have liked more than others, but there hasn’t been a bad book in the 10 published so far. I shan’t bring up the dreaded Coronavirus again (the funny thing is, as I type this, the forum itself is showing an advertisement about slowing the spread of the disease that dare not speak its name!).
I don't think I am being unreasonable when I get upset looking at the list of the released and announced Disney Masters volumes. The premise of the series was that it would showcase the very best Disney comic artists not called Taliaferro, Gottfredson, Barks or Rosa (since these four artists already have their own series). Instead the series is overwhelmingly dedicated to arists who produced comics for the Italian market, and the editors also had the idea to publish ALL Paul Murry serials produced for "Walt Disney's Comics and Stories" in chronological order within this series of books. I completely disagree with the idea that Murry deserves not one, not two but THREE volumes before a single volume dedicated to Marco Rota for example.
If I didn't know anything about Disney comics, looking at this series I would think that the overwhelming majority of the best Disney comics not made by Barks, Rosa or Gottfredson were produced in Italy and that Paul Murry was one of the top most important Disney comic artists, pretty much on par with Barks or Rosa. Again, my problem is not that the series has a Scarpa volume or a Murry volume, my problem is that we get 3 Scarpa volumes and 3 Murry volumes before some of the very best artists get a single one, and that the list of artists showcased so far is nowhere near representative of the very best Disney comics have to offer when it comes to artists other than Taliaferro, Gottfredson, Barks and Rosa.
I think talk involving the Coronavirus has the potential to escalate into a general existential terror. I think it's fair to look at the fragile states of Disney comics in America and fear the effects of the virus -- most series are cancelled for far more mundane reasons.
Looking at the Disney Masters series from a neutral perspective, where any volume might be the last for any possible reason, it is pretty weird to dedicate six volumes to two artists and four volumes to others. (And the usual suspects, too, might I add.)
As we produced the comprehensive works of Gottfredson, Barks, and Rosa at Fantagraphics, Romano Scarpa and Paul Murry were the two creators we got the most requests to anthologize next. For various reasons, we couldn't publish a complete library of either creator, so it made sense to put some of the most important bodies of their work into a "best-of" series.
Meanwhile, Disney was actively interested in having us do collected books featuring several of the major Italian talents (Bottaro, Carpi, Cavazzano). This coalesced into a series combining all of these goals, into which the Fantagraphics team could slowly slot other popular and important creators as well.
Meanwhile again—at the time the Masters started, I had Van Horn and Casty-focused projects in the works at IDW, so they couldn't be part of the Masters at least at first.
I'm glad to say that NOW we have a Van Horn Masters book in production (presently scheduled as Vol 18), with Casty to follow. We've also proposed our first Rota volume, likely for next year.
As the series has progressed, Scarpa tends to sell best, with Murry the most talked-about and best-reviewed. This shows that readers absolutely respond to what they were already requesting for years—so making Scarpa and Murry "tentpoles" of the line has borne fruit.
I'm not personally, by the way, the biggest Murry fan around. But I do want to supply what our English-speaking audience clearly wants, and I'm glad to be preserving the Murry serials in English for posterity. (It's also great to be preserving Kinney's and Hubbard's team-ups, most of which only ever appeared in their native tongue in Australia.)
As we produced the comprehensive works of Gottfredson, Barks, and Rosa at Fantagraphics, Romano Scarpa and Paul Murry were the two creators we got the most requests to anthologize next. For various reasons, we couldn't publish a complete library of either creator, so it made sense to put some of the most important bodies of their work into a "best-of" series.
Meanwhile, Disney was actively interested in having us do collected books featuring several of the major Italian talents (Bottaro, Carpi, Cavazzano). This coalesced into a series combining all of these goals, into which the Fantagraphics team could slowly slot other popular and important creators as well.
Meanwhile again—at the time the Masters started, I had Van Horn and Casty-focused projects in the works at IDW, so they couldn't be part of the Masters at least at first.
I think that most of us here deduced these things, and tried to explain them when someone was criticising (more than twenty-three times) the content of the series. You don't even need to be a professional in the sector to realise that too many factors play a role when putting something out in the book market, especially when it comes to this particular kind of comics. You simply cannot go out on with a 'let us give the buyers the best of the best, we take no prisoners!' attitude. Not even within the scope of such a peculiar publisher as Fantagraphics. In fact, the company was created in the 70's with such an ideal attitude in mind, but it would not exists nowadays without some more 'business' common sense. (All this assuming that Van Horn and Rota are actually part of 'the best of the best' according to everyone, something that I personally sooooo much doubt...)
This mantric overreaction shown by Caballero in this thread to the announced titles of the series, well, I want to assume that it comes from a good place. But it is just misplaced because it overlooks the editorial context. Disney Masters is not an exposition in a museum. If Ramapith was organising an art retrospective on the Disney masters omitting Rota and Van Horn, I would be the first to say "hey, I think there is a little problem here...". But this is not a retrospective, or a book essay. This is a series of relatively expensive editions of outdatednichecomics to be sold in the real world. A world that barely cares anymore who Donald Duck is or ever was, left alone asking to see that duck drawn by Scarpa or Van Horn.
I honestly cannot believe that the series managed to put out a hardcover book of 50 year old Bottaro's stories (which according to me read 'old' already 40 years ago) for the English-speaking comic book market without having the (metaphorical) boat sink! Repeat this in your mind: Bottaro. Hardcover. North America. 2018. As a comparison, in my knowledge the Italian publishers have never put out an anthology - not even a softcover cheap one, as the are used to do- with the name 'Bottaro' on it*. It just does not sell. So, even if you don't appreciate those stories - in a way, especially if you don't appreciate those stories - you should appreciate the job done with the series.
I also would like to ask caballero why he need so much a Van Horn anthology. He kinda sounds to me like someone who already holds all stories drawn by Van Horn. Or at least, all those stories that could fall into the first ten Disney Master volumes potentially devoted to the author. I could understand me reciting a mantra for that book...but why you, man?
I think we can all just chill on this issue.
* Before someone tries to correct me: yes, some numbers of I Maestri Disney in the 90's. Yes, I know, I was there. But that was half a life ago, and they were not actual anthologies...
As we produced the comprehensive works of Gottfredson, Barks, and Rosa at Fantagraphics, Romano Scarpa and Paul Murry were the two creators we got the most requests to anthologize next. For various reasons, we couldn't publish a complete library of either creator, so it made sense to put some of the most important bodies of their work into a "best-of" series.
Meanwhile, Disney was actively interested in having us do collected books featuring several of the major Italian talents (Bottaro, Carpi, Cavazzano). This coalesced into a series combining all of these goals, into which the Fantagraphics team could slowly slot other popular and important creators as well.
Meanwhile again—at the time the Masters started, I had Van Horn and Casty-focused projects in the works at IDW, so they couldn't be part of the Masters at least at first.
I think that most of us here deduced these things, and tried to explain them when someone was criticising (more than twenty-three times) the content of the series. You don't even need to be a professional in the sector to realise that too many factors play a role when putting something out in the book market, especially when it comes to this particular kind of comics. You simply cannot go out on with a 'let us give the buyers the best of the best, we take no prisoners!' attitude. Not even within the scope of such a peculiar publisher as Fantagraphics. In fact, the company was created in the 70's with such an ideal attitude in mind, but it would not exists nowadays without some more 'business' common sense. (All this assuming that Van Horn and Rota are actually part of 'the best of the best' according to everyone, something that I personally sooooo much doubt...)
This mantric overreaction shown by Caballero in this thread to the announced titles of the series, well, I want to assume that it comes from a good place. But it is just misplaced because it overlooks the editorial context. Disney Masters is not an exposition in a museum. If Ramapith was organising an art retrospective on the Disney masters omitting Rota and Van Horn, I would be the first to say "hey, I think there is a little problem here...". But this is not a retrospective, or a book essay. This is a series of relatively expensive editions of outdatednichecomics to be sold in the real world. A world that barely cares anymore who Donald Duck is or ever was, left alone asking to see that duck drawn by Scarpa or Van Horn.
I honestly cannot believe that the series managed to put out a hardcover book of 50 year old Bottaro's stories (which according to me read 'old' already 40 years ago) for the English-speaking comic book market without having the (metaphorical) boat sink! Repeat this in your mind: Bottaro. Hardcover. North America. 2018. As a comparison, in my knowledge the Italian publishers have never put out an anthology - not even a softcover cheap one, as the are used to do- with the name 'Bottaro' on it*. It just does not sell. So, even if you don't appreciate those stories - in a way, especially if you don't appreciate those stories - you should appreciate the job done with the series.
I also would like to ask caballero why he need so much a Van Horn anthology. He kinda sounds to me like someone who already holds all stories drawn by Van Horn. Or at least, all those stories that could fall into the first ten Disney Master volumes potentially devoted to the author. I could understand me reciting a mantra for that book...but why you, man?
I think we can all just chill on this issue.
* Before someone tries to correct me: yes, some numbers of I Maestri Disney in the 90's. Yes, I know, I was there. But that was half a life ago, and they were not actual anthologies...
Clearly, he wants those stories in a hard-bound book, to preserve them in good condition, and read them in a few books, instead of having to pick up a new book for every different story. Many of us Barks fans had all his stories in a combination of original issues and re-prints, plus special later issues with previously unpublished stories all in "floppy" books. But, we wanted them in hardbound colour volumes in the same series. So, we bought the hard-bound collections, despite having possession of all the stories. One could say to my last statement, "Well, at least he shouldn't complain about them coming "later" IF they are officially announced as scheduled for later." But, even THAT logic doesn't really make Caballero's stand on this unreasonable, because we all know that production of such market niche products depends highly on sales of previous issues, and that series published by such small companies often stop a series in mid-stream, if sales are too low to keep it profitable. So, a fan of a given series will want his issues to be as early on the schedule as possible. It's the same with me and The US Carl Barks colour series. We were getting 2 volumes per year, 2020 seems to have only one. As it is, I don't know if I'll even LIVE to possess the complete series, let alone enjoy it for a few years.
I'm glad to say that NOW we have a Van Horn Masters book in production (presently scheduled as Vol 18),
Yess!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! May I ask what the guiding principle behind the story selection of the Van Horn volume will be? I’m also very happy about the likely Rota volume.
I'm glad to say that NOW we have a Van Horn Masters book in production (presently scheduled as Vol 18), with Casty to follow. We've also proposed our first Rota volume, likely for next year.
Really nice to hear there will be a Casty volume! Will the selected stories be all new to the US, I wonder (since most of the already-published Casty stories have been collected in either hardcover or TPB format)?
sweet! So excited to hear that we’ll be getting Van Horn and Casty volumes coming.
I’m crossing my fingers that maybe some of the Donald Orange Juice comics Van Horn produced can be included as extras. Regardless I’m thankful there will be a volume for him
Last Edit: Apr 21, 2020 2:56:54 GMT by twdisneyman
I'm glad to say that NOW we have a Van Horn Masters book in production (presently scheduled as Vol 18), with Casty to follow. We've also proposed our first Rota volume, likely for next year.
Really nice to hear there will be a Casty volume! Will the selected stories be all new to the US, I wonder (since most of the already-published Casty stories have been collected in either hardcover or TPB format)?
I wouldn't be surprised to see his Atomo (Atomino) epics... given that the character already featured prominently in the Scarpa mouse volume. Not to mention that "The Frozen Empire" (Casty's own title for "L'impero sottozero") might just be his best story ever.
I like the idea of showcasing the art of some of the Italian artists who have so far been overlooked in the US. Massimo De Vita could fill several more volumes, his run in the 80s and 90s was amazing. If I were editor, I'd come up with ideas for Giulio Chierchini, Francesco Guerrini, Lucio Leoni or Giuseppe Dalla Santa
Really nice to hear there will be a Casty volume! Will the selected stories be all new to the US, I wonder (since most of the already-published Casty stories have been collected in either hardcover or TPB format)?
I wouldn't be surprised to see his Atomo (Atomino) epics... given that the character already featured prominently in the Scarpa mouse volume. Not to mention that "The Frozen Empire" (Casty's own title for "L'impero sottozero") might just be his best story ever.
Hmmm, interesting... a 104-page story, and one that hasn't been published in any language that I can (easily) read, either. I wouldn't mind seeing that one in a Disney Masters volume, especially if it's as good as you say.
I wouldn't be surprised to see his Atomo (Atomino) epics... given that the character already featured prominently in the Scarpa mouse volume. Not to mention that "The Frozen Empire" (Casty's own title for "L'impero sottozero") might just be his best story ever.
Hmmm, interesting... a 104-page story, and one that hasn't been published in any language that I can (easily) read, either. I wouldn't mind seeing that one in a Disney Masters volume, especially if it's as good as you say.
Oh! They republish it in hardcover when I was not paying attention! I am not a superfan of Casty, but I try to own his stuff, and this one story has been escaping me. They say that it is, among other things, some kind of sequel to Scarpa's The Sacred Spring of Seasons Past.
On the other hand, 15€ for one story by Casty is quite a lot for me...