Classic Disney Comic Solicitations April 2019

[joetorcivia]

Jan 26, 2019 6:37:47 GMT Mesterius said:

Jan 26, 2019 1:58:48 GMT deb said:

To quote Charlie Brown: “Rats.” This goes on my “Wait for a sample before deciding to buy it” list.

Same here, I'm afraid. :/ I hope the translator is not someone whose name starts with E and ends with rin Brady.

(But then, who knows how much better it would be if IDW hired someone else, considering they and Disney rather obviously have decided on the simplistic language in the new comic books...)

I feel confident that, if we of the “Core Four” were asked to translate and script the material in “simplistic language” (as you say), it would still read infinitely better than that which I’ve already read before ceasing all purchases of the IDW material.

We would still make it sound true to the characters, use proper American English idiom, and come from a perspective of knowledge that is lacking in the current translations.

The real problem, at least as I see it, is that we were not even given the courtesy of “giving it a go” before being replaced! Nor, did anyone acting in an official capacity at IDW (meaning an IDW in-house editor, or publisher’s representative) give us the alternative courtesy of even a cursory discussion of the changing requirements from Disney – so that we might adjust our approach. After 3 ½ years of never failing to submit professional quality work before stated deadlines, you’d think we deserved at least that!  (...When I say this, I am speaking strictly of MY OWN experiences - and certainly the IDW in-house folks have always had the means of contacting me! They have done so in the past on other matters.  They just didn't do anything of the sort on THIS most important of matters! ...WHY?) 

No, the work just stopped coming! Perhaps that is typical of the comic book industry, perhaps not. But it is still not the “right” way to work with loyal, enthusiastic, and (judging by the more recent comments here) well-received contributors!

Was this all IDW’s doing? Or were they put into a spot by Disney? Or was it a mutual move on both their parts? Even after all this time, I honestly do not know. …But, if things had been done a bit more properly, perhaps I’d at least know THAT MUCH – and from some official source, rather than the rampant hearsay that fills forums, blogs, and message boards!

[corrado]

Dear Joe,
I am very sorry and I am very grateful of all your work you offered us till now. I think (apart from the bad behaviour of the responsible persons of IDW) the main problem for Disney Comics in these days is the crazy censorship of Disney. Panini, Egmont, Abril, Sanoma etc.: they all provide(d) in these days only childish comics. Important works like Artibanis sequel of "Topolino e il cerchio del tempo" have been refused by Disney International (immedeatly before the Topolino had to be in print), Castys "City without sky" had to be postponed (he still reflects on how he could make pass this story the censorship), for mentioning only two examples. This is all crazy because most of the readers now are adults or children who can still read and are willing to understand complex contexts. But Disney is anxious about their figures, especially Mickey who - as an Icon - has no real content and has got this content only in the Comic department by ingenious artists like Gottfredson, Walsh and Scarpa. So they want to abandon every real personality in Mickey (and also Donald) because this could mess their clean, sterile characters. Persons like you that try to be faithful to the comic tradition have no chance in this context. We can only hope that there will be possible some niches like "Disney Masters" where the censorship will be more generous. Beside that I am suspicious that Disney wouldn´t be too sad if there Comic department would be closed definitely, because that meant less danger for their figures.

[corrado]

Dear Joe,
I am very sorry and I am very grateful of all your work you offered us till now. I think (apart from the bad behaviour of the responsible persons of IDW) the main problem for Disney Comics in these days is the crazy censorship of Disney. Panini, Egmont, Abril, Sanoma etc.: they all provide(d) in these days only childish comics. Important works like Artibanis sequel of "Topolino e il cerchio del tempo" have been refused by Disney International (immediately before the Topolino had to be in print), Castys "City without sky" had to be postponed (he still reflects on how he could make pass this story the censorship), for mentioning only two examples. This is all crazy because most of the readers now are adults or children who can still read and are willing to understand complex contexts. But Disney is anxious about their figures, especially Mickey who - as an Icon - has no real content and has got this content only in the Comic department by ingenious artists like Gottfredson, Walsh and Scarpa. So they want to abandon every real personality in Mickey (and also Donald) because this could mess their clean, sterile characters. Persons like you that try to be faithful to the comic tradition have no chance in this context. We can only hope that there will be possible some niches like "Disney Masters" where the censorship will be more generous. Beside that I am suspicious that Disney wouldn´t be too sad if their Comic department would be closed definitely, because that meant less danger for their figures.

[Horace]

Jan 31, 2019 8:45:48 GMT corrado said:

 Beside that I am suspicious that Disney wouldn´t be too sad if their Comic department would be closed definitely, because that meant less danger for their figures.

Well, I don't know. AFAIK there is no such thing as "the Disney comic department" anymore, just different independent publishing houses which produce Disney comics. I don't know about Panini in Italy en detail, but Sanoma in the Netherlands still produces interesting stories for their weekly DD magazine regularly.

Where did you read about Casty's problems with censorship? Would be interesting to follow those but it's probably only written in Italian.

[Monkey_Feyerabend]

Jan 31, 2019 16:28:52 GMT Horace said:

Jan 31, 2019 8:45:48 GMT corrado said:

 Beside that I am suspicious that Disney wouldn´t be too sad if their Comic department would be closed definitely, because that meant less danger for their figures.

Well, I don't know. AFAIK there is no such thing as "the Disney comic department" anymore, just different independent publishing houses which produce Disney comics. I don't know about Panini in Italy en detail, but Sanoma in the Netherlands still produces interesting stories for their weekly DD magazine regularly.

There have been some problems with people form Disney stopping some stories before being published (recently one by Artibani and Faraci), but I would not exaggerate. As far as I have seen Italian Disney comics are in decent state, and the stories are as childish as they are more or less always been. Some readers complain about a certain increase in politically correctness, as with Casey not having his cigar or having it n his mouth without smoking it. Some of them regret those days when Martina could write a Donald Duck drinking a beer. But that's the time we are living in, and I would not be catastrophic and talk of 'censorship'. As far as I can understand, there has always been a certain tension between the desire of freedom and openness to artistic contamination of (Italian) Disney comics creators and the bounds imposed by the motherboard in the US.
(And if any of that was ever felt in the Netherlands, well, that maybe speaks of how conformist and 'good dogs' Dutch Disney creators probably are... )    

[Scrooge MacDuck]

Jan 31, 2019 17:47:52 GMT Monkey_Feyerabend said:

There have been some problems with people form Disney stopping some stories before being published (recently one by Artibani and Faraci),

Huh? Do tell. What story was that? How did you find out?

[corrado]

Regarding Monkey Feyerabend: I don´t agree with the judgement that Italian Disney Comics are mostly childish. It seems that you know little of them. There is no country like Italy with such a variety of Disney Comics, many of them real masterpieces (and I know thousands of Disney Comics produced in Italy, the USA, in Denmark, in the Netherlands, in Brazil, and in France) and written for adults and children (of course there are also thousands of Italian Disney Comics which are childish and without great value). Authors like Martina, Pezzin, Bottaro, Cimino, Scarpa, Artibani, Casty, Ziche, Radice, Enna, Faccini, Mastantuono, for only mentioning some of them, are really ingenious writers (if you read, for example, the great comments of Alberto Becattini about Disney Comics, partly also published in English, you get an impression of the capability of Italian authors).
Regarding censorship: The case of "Topolino e il cerchio del tempo" was discussed very intensivly in the Italian Disney Forum "Papersera" and it is not the only example. It is correct that there are several Disney publishers but in these days their publications are controlled by Disney (this was not the case in recent years; about the controls also collaboraters of Egmont complained). I think that it is "Disney Publishing Worldwide Global Magazines" which controls although I am not insider enough to know who is responsible for the censorship. Casty told in recent interviews that he still works on the storyboard of "City without Sky" but it would be quite a challenge in these times to get it published because of its atmosphere.
Following Disney Comics one becomes aware of the fact that the free space of creativity has been limited a lot the last years.

[Monkey_Feyerabend]

Jan 31, 2019 18:58:12 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

Jan 31, 2019 17:47:52 GMT Monkey_Feyerabend said:

There have been some problems with people form Disney stopping some stories before being published (recently one by Artibani and Faraci),

Huh? Do tell. What story was that? How did you find out?

Artibani, Faraci and Mastantuono did the sequel of The river of Time in 2017 (this time featuring also Kat Nipp and Butch, the latter basically never seen in Italian stories.) The story was ready to be published the week of the 89th anniversary of MM, but at the last minute someone from Disney stopped the story. The editors of Topolino did not even had the time to change Mastantuono's cover of the issue, which refers to the story (not inside the issue).
I wrote more details in the second-last post of the following page, the one where I quote myself:
featherysociety.proboards.com/thread/443/favorite-italian-stories?page=6

(How do I know? I can read Italian They talked about this in the Italian forum, and Artibani himself posted to say something about the accident. Faraci, despise his loquacity on twitter, preferred to remain silent, as far as I know )
This is not the first time that the publication of a story by Artibani is stopped. It happened also in the 90's, and the story was drawn by Cavazzano! I remember Artibani writing about it on fb or twitter. 

[joetorcivia]

Jan 31, 2019 8:42:52 GMT corrado said:

Dear Joe,
I am very sorry and I am very grateful of all your work you offered us till now. I think (apart from the bad behaviour of the responsible persons of IDW) the main problem for Disney Comics in these days is the crazy censorship of Disney. Panini, Egmont, Abril, Sanoma etc.: they all provide(d) in these days only childish comics. Important works like Artibanis sequel of "Topolino e il cerchio del tempo" have been refused by Disney International (immedeatly before the Topolino had to be in print), Castys "City without sky" had to be postponed (he still reflects on how he could make pass this story the censorship), for mentioning only two examples. This is all crazy because most of the readers now are adults or children who can still read and are willing to understand complex contexts. But Disney is anxious about their figures, especially Mickey who - as an Icon - has no real content and has got this content only in the Comic department by ingenious artists like Gottfredson, Walsh and Scarpa. So they want to abandon every real personality in Mickey (and also Donald) because this could mess their clean, sterile characters. Persons like you that try to be faithful to the comic tradition have no chance in this context. We can only hope that there will be possible some niches like "Disney Masters" where the censorship will be more generous. Beside that I am suspicious that Disney wouldn´t be too sad if there Comic department would be closed definitely, because that meant less danger for their figures.

Corrado:

I am both grateful for – and moved by – your comments and your appreciation for the work I so enjoyed doing for IDW!

Thank you, my friend… Thank you!

I don’t necessarily feel that matters of “censorship” (which I’ve often recast more as “editorial prerogative”) or “political correctness” are in any way responsible for my “waking up one day and finding someone else’s name on the books – without any official notice or discussion of the coming changes”.

Nor, still, do I even know by whom such orders were issued. But, one thing I *DID* know how to do was “play by the rules” – that is, once the “rules” were communicated to me. When it came to “political correctness”, or “changing societal standards” if you will, I rather deftly adhered to that! In fact, I’ve been on record as having said that such editorial dictums simply pushed me to become more creative.

Those on this forum who compare my dialogues to the originals should easily be able to spot the many places where I’ve done so – either at (or thinking ahead of) editorial suggestions. So that, in and of itself, would not explain why the personnel changes were made.

More than likely, as it is in so many other businesses… someone, somewhere, simply “wanted their own person to do the job” – regardless of how well “the job” might have already been done without someone’s personally-motivated change. That’s why we are where we are!  But another thing I do not understand is why we were so COMPLETELY PURGED! If the aforementioned “someone, somewhere” wanted the current translator to be involved with these comics, it is certainly that decision-maker’s right to do so. But why not ADD her to the mix, and just spread the work around a bit more? Why the mass-dismissal of FOUR persons, to make way for one? There’s still enough material to keep us all involved to some degree.

If the intent was to have all the comics “speak with a simpler voice”, I will again say that I (and I’ll assume all four of us) were neither advised nor invited to do so! I would certainly have given it my best effort – and that “best effort” would have still been quite good, even if I do say so myself.

But, enough of that… I’m very glad you enjoyed the work that we were allowed to do, and I still hold out hope that we might be part of the regular comics line once again! …I don’t hold grudges, IDW! I just wanna be part of this great stuff again! So, let’s talk! You know how to reach me, if you want to!

If you, Corrado (or anyone here), haven’t done so already, you are always welcome to visit my Blog at tiahblog.blogspot.com/ where I discuss comics of all sorts. We can always share more thoughts there! Thanks, again!

[clapton]

Jan 31, 2019 8:42:52 GMT corrado said:

Dear Joe,
I am very sorry and I am very grateful of all your work you offered us till now. I think (apart from the bad behaviour of the responsible persons of IDW) the main problem for Disney Comics in these days is the crazy censorship of Disney. Panini, Egmont, Abril, Sanoma etc.: they all provide(d) in these days only childish comics. Important works like Artibanis sequel of "Topolino e il cerchio del tempo" have been refused by Disney International (immedeatly before the Topolino had to be in print), Castys "City without sky" had to be postponed (he still reflects on how he could make pass this story the censorship), for mentioning only two examples. This is all crazy because most of the readers now are adults or children who can still read and are willing to understand complex contexts. But Disney is anxious about their figures, especially Mickey who - as an Icon - has no real content and has got this content only in the Comic department by ingenious artists like Gottfredson, Walsh and Scarpa. So they want to abandon every real personality in Mickey (and also Donald) because this could mess their clean, sterile characters. Persons like you that try to be faithful to the comic tradition have no chance in this context. We can only hope that there will be possible some niches like "Disney Masters" where the censorship will be more generous. Beside that I am suspicious that Disney wouldn´t be too sad if there Comic department would be closed definitely, because that meant less danger for their figures.

Could you fill me in on what happened with Casty's "City Without Sky" story?

[Monkey_Feyerabend]

Jan 31, 2019 20:08:09 GMT corrado said:

Regarding Monkey Feyerabend: I don´t agree with the judgement that Italian Disney Comics are mostly childish. It seems that you know little of them. 
 

 
Or maybe I find childish things that you do not. But this is irrelevant. What I was stating is that I do not find Italian Disney comics today more childish than how they were in the 90's, the 80', the 70's and so on... 
     

There is no country like Italy with such a variety of Disney Comics, many of them real masterpieces (and I know thousands of Disney Comics produced in Italy, the USA, in Denmark, in the Netherlands, in Brazil, and in France) and written for adults and children (of course there are also thousands of Italian Disney Comics which are childish and without great value). Authors like Martina, Pezzin, Bottaro, Cimino, Scarpa, Artibani, Casty, Ziche, Radice, Enna, Faccini, Mastantuono, for only mentioning some of them, are really ingenious writers (if you read, for example, the great comments of Alberto Becattini about Disney Comics, partly also published in English, you get an impression of the capability of Italian authors).

Man, I am Italian, I grew up with Italian Disney comics and know each one of the authors you mention.  
It is true that I do not have a  super large knowledge of Italian Disney comics, but just because I do not like them sufficiently and prefer to use my time differently.  
 

[edge]

Feb 1, 2019 22:51:52 GMT joetorcivia said:

Jan 31, 2019 8:42:52 GMT corrado said:

Dear Joe,
I am very sorry and I am very grateful of all your work you offered us till now. I think (apart from the bad behaviour of the responsible persons of IDW) the main problem for Disney Comics in these days is the crazy censorship of Disney. Panini, Egmont, Abril, Sanoma etc.: they all provide(d) in these days only childish comics. Important works like Artibanis sequel of "Topolino e il cerchio del tempo" have been refused by Disney International (immedeatly before the Topolino had to be in print), Castys "City without sky" had to be postponed (he still reflects on how he could make pass this story the censorship), for mentioning only two examples. This is all crazy because most of the readers now are adults or children who can still read and are willing to understand complex contexts. But Disney is anxious about their figures, especially Mickey who - as an Icon - has no real content and has got this content only in the Comic department by ingenious artists like Gottfredson, Walsh and Scarpa. So they want to abandon every real personality in Mickey (and also Donald) because this could mess their clean, sterile characters. Persons like you that try to be faithful to the comic tradition have no chance in this context. We can only hope that there will be possible some niches like "Disney Masters" where the censorship will be more generous. Beside that I am suspicious that Disney wouldn´t be too sad if there Comic department would be closed definitely, because that meant less danger for their figures.

Corrado:

I am both grateful for – and moved by – your comments and your appreciation for the work I so enjoyed doing for IDW!

Thank you, my friend… Thank you!

I don’t necessarily feel that matters of “censorship” (which I’ve often recast more as “editorial prerogative”) or “political correctness” are in any way responsible for my “waking up one day and finding someone else’s name on the books – without any official notice or discussion of the coming changes”.

Nor, still, do I even know by whom such orders were issued. But, one thing I *DID* know how to do was “play by the rules” – that is, once the “rules” were communicated to me. When it came to “political correctness”, or “changing societal standards” if you will, I rather deftly adhered to that! In fact, I’ve been on record as having said that such editorial dictums simply pushed me to become more creative.

Those on this forum who compare my dialogues to the originals should easily be able to spot the many places where I’ve done so – either at (or thinking ahead of) editorial suggestions. So that, in and of itself, would not explain why the personnel changes were made.

More than likely, as it is in so many other businesses… someone, somewhere, simply “wanted their own person to do the job” – regardless of how well “the job” might have already been done without someone’s personally-motivated change. That’s why we are where we are!  But another thing I do not understand is why we were so COMPLETELY PURGED! If the aforementioned “someone, somewhere” wanted the current translator to be involved with these comics, it is certainly that decision-maker’s right to do so. But why not ADD her to the mix, and just spread the work around a bit more? Why the mass-dismissal of FOUR persons, to make way for one? There’s still enough material to keep us all involved to some degree.

If the intent was to have all the comics “speak with a simpler voice”, I will again say that I (and I’ll assume all four of us) were neither advised nor invited to do so! I would certainly have given it my best effort – and that “best effort” would have still been quite good, even if I do say so myself.

But, enough of that… I’m very glad you enjoyed the work that we were allowed to do, and I still hold out hope that we might be part of the regular comics line once again! …I don’t hold grudges, IDW! I just wanna be part of this great stuff again! So, let’s talk! You know how to reach me, if you want to!

If you, Corrado (or anyone here), haven’t done so already, you are always welcome to visit my Blog at tiahblog.blogspot.com/ where I discuss comics of all sorts. We can always share more thoughts there! Thanks, again!

One of the things I miss from the Gemstone years was your comments in the letter section. It almost served as a sort of history lesson on some of the material and became something I looked forward to reading.

[joetorcivia]

Feb 4, 2019 14:33:33 GMT edge said:

Feb 1, 2019 22:51:52 GMT joetorcivia said:

Corrado:

I am both grateful for – and moved by – your comments and your appreciation for the work I so enjoyed doing for IDW!

Thank you, my friend… Thank you!

I don’t necessarily feel that matters of “censorship” (which I’ve often recast more as “editorial prerogative”) or “political correctness” are in any way responsible for my “waking up one day and finding someone else’s name on the books – without any official notice or discussion of the coming changes”.

Nor, still, do I even know by whom such orders were issued. But, one thing I *DID* know how to do was “play by the rules” – that is, once the “rules” were communicated to me. When it came to “political correctness”, or “changing societal standards” if you will, I rather deftly adhered to that! In fact, I’ve been on record as having said that such editorial dictums simply pushed me to become more creative.

Those on this forum who compare my dialogues to the originals should easily be able to spot the many places where I’ve done so – either at (or thinking ahead of) editorial suggestions. So that, in and of itself, would not explain why the personnel changes were made.

More than likely, as it is in so many other businesses… someone, somewhere, simply “wanted their own person to do the job” – regardless of how well “the job” might have already been done without someone’s personally-motivated change. That’s why we are where we are!  But another thing I do not understand is why we were so COMPLETELY PURGED! If the aforementioned “someone, somewhere” wanted the current translator to be involved with these comics, it is certainly that decision-maker’s right to do so. But why not ADD her to the mix, and just spread the work around a bit more? Why the mass-dismissal of FOUR persons, to make way for one? There’s still enough material to keep us all involved to some degree.

If the intent was to have all the comics “speak with a simpler voice”, I will again say that I (and I’ll assume all four of us) were neither advised nor invited to do so! I would certainly have given it my best effort – and that “best effort” would have still been quite good, even if I do say so myself.

But, enough of that… I’m very glad you enjoyed the work that we were allowed to do, and I still hold out hope that we might be part of the regular comics line once again! …I don’t hold grudges, IDW! I just wanna be part of this great stuff again! So, let’s talk! You know how to reach me, if you want to!

If you, Corrado (or anyone here), haven’t done so already, you are always welcome to visit my Blog at tiahblog.blogspot.com/ where I discuss comics of all sorts. We can always share more thoughts there! Thanks, again!

One of the things I miss from the Gemstone years was your comments in the letter section. It almost served as a sort of history lesson on some of the material and became something I looked forward to reading.

Thank you, Edge!  

Those comments are essentially what opened the door to becoming a dialogue-writer at Gemstone and subsequent publishers.  

I really enjoyed writing those letters of comment, and like to think I carry over that same spirit to the posts at my Blog - though expended to a somewhat wider universe of comics.  

It's a pity that comic books as a whole no longer seem to have a place for insightful and informative reader comments - because I, too, enjoyed the comments of previous letter-writers, mostly in DC Comics (where *I* learned a lot of that particular history) and later in Gladstone as well. 

[Scrooge MacDuck]

Feb 5, 2019 1:55:46 GMT joetorcivia said:

It's a pity that comic books as a whole no longer seem to have a place for insightful and informative reader comments -

's not completely abandoned by everyone. You'll have noticed, I expect, that Marvel's Squirrel Girl still devotes several pages to fan mail. 

[Horace]

Jan 26, 2019 2:35:31 GMT squeakyboots said:

Just realized that Mickey Mouse and the Fire Eye of Atlantis had already been solicited back in November and was supposedly released this week and is even still listed on this week's new releases on PreviewsWorld. Has anybody seen it around anywhere? Weird how they would solicit it again this quickly. Amazon claims it was released this week and has it in stock.

I ordered it at German Amazon and it landed in my postbox today. So I can confirm that the book actually exists and looks good . Man, I wish Casty (and good modern Disney comics in general) would get this kind of treatment from the German publisher!