Disney LongBox Reviews: Uncle Scrooge #18

THE MINER’S GRAND-DAUGHTER ORIGINALLY

PUBLISHED IN TOPOLINO #577 ( 1966)

FIRST PUBLISHED IN ITALY

FIRST TIME PUBLISHED IN NORTH AMERICA

It’s another sunny day in Duckburg as Scrooge gets rid of junk mail leaving poor Donald to clean it up at the end of the chute. Going through the bills, Donald finds an unusual letter among the stack. He informs Scrooge that it’s from the Badlands in a small town called Dollar City  which stuns Scrooge, he hadn’t heard that name in a long time.

Scrooge changes into one of his older outfits from his days at Dollar City as Donald starts bursting in laughter. Scrooge launches him into the tube of mail, storming off to see an old friend Hooty Hootston to tell him about his sudden problems informing him that the one who wrote the letter was an old flame named Glittering Golide as he decides to pay her a visit in Dollar City.

Scrooge jumps down from the plane into Dollar City which has notably changed since his last visit. Using his compressed air gun ( I bet a certain purple clothed crime fighter would love to have that gun in his arsenal), he makes his way to Goldie’s.

She informs him about her situation and how badly the ladies have been treated by a stern woman.

Goldie tells Scrooge that her grand daughter Dickie needs to lead on a new life in Duckburg and thought Scrooge could help her out. He initially refuses at first making Goldie upset as he goes on to apologize not realizing it was a ruse from Goldie. After taking care of the head nurse of the nursery by buying the home and making Goldie the lady in charge, he returns to Duckburg along with Dickie using a mail rocket as the cheapest method of transportation.

 

What sort of adventures will the two lead on upon their return to Duckburg ? Will the nefarious Beagle Boys be involved somehow knowing that Scarpa is behind this tale ? Pick up a copy of Uncle Scrooge #18 today to find out.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

 Another Scarpa classic makes its way into the monthly issues of Uncle Scrooge, this one is special however since it contains the second appearance of Uncle Scrooge’s former flame Glittering Goldie.

It is unusual to find an issue of Uncle Scrooge that only contains one story but this story does make up for it with 45 pages of humour, action and great writing. One unique element is indeed newcomer Dickie since she represents how teenagers were in the 1960s , inventing new groovy dance moves in unusual situations , sporting beatnik clothes, being into band music and forming a band with the nephews plus wearing a mood ring. You can tell this tale was written in the mid-60s due to this.

Considering the year, I do wonder if this was one of the last comics to be published before Walt Disney’s death. I might find out one day by doing research on InDucks.

CREDITS:

WRITER AND ARTIST: ROMANO SCARPA

EDITOR: SARAH GAYDOS

ARCHIVAL EDITOR: DAVID GERSTEIN

PUBLISHER: IDW