Disney LongBox Reviews: Walt Disney Comics and Stories #734

ROAD HOGS

FIRST PUBLISHED IN  DONALD DUCK #20 (2009)

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : NETHERLANDS

FIRST TIME PUBLISHED IN NORTH AMERICA 

Donald Duck is enjoying a nice snack at one of his favourite eateries as he learns the poor owner Willy has been having lousy business every since a new restaurant named Five Swines Dogs and Bovines opened up nearby.Donald suggests placing his name on his car at next week’s Annual Duckburg Tradesmen’s Race as he promises to bring thousands of customers over to his restaurant when he wins the race.

After seeing the billboards placed on his car, Donald is off to the races to try the 10 000$ prize and to get attention for Willie Weenie’s business but the race won’t be easy considering many other restaurants including Argus McSwine (Apparently he is a big deal, was he in other Donald and Scrooge stories ?). It’s up to Donald to use his marbles and his snack bag to try and win the race. Will he able to do it ? Will Willie ever get new customers ? Will people in the US even know what a poutine is ? Read on for yourself and see if this tale is up to your tastes.

FINAL THOUGHTS: 

This story is a very nod to racing movies like Doc Hollywood and the comedy that you would find in Hanna Barbera’s Wacky Races. I liked the plot since it shows Donald is willing to do anything he can to help out a friend in trouble even if he gets humiliated or hurt in the process.

The art is very nicely done with the backgrounds and smoke effects due to a racing story requiring more locales to be made than the normal Donald Duck story. The cars’ various gears and weapons also make up good shots such as the bananas from the Health Food Shop vehicle and the smoke from Swine’s vehicle.

One last thing I wish to talk about is the inclusion of poutines in the story. This food is quite popular in Canada and the northern US states so a lot of our readers might not have any idea what it is. It’s a tasty treat made of  fries covered of gravy and cheese curds or shredded cheese. It’s nice to see unique foods being featured in these Disney stories when it could have just been labelled as fries or chilli fries.

COCOON SOON

FROM THE SILLY SYMPHONIES COMIC STRIP

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : USA

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 1933

A simple featuring Bucky Bug finding a cocoon and wondering what could be inside. This originally was a Sunday strip so not much to it.

THE PERSISTENCE OF MICKEY OR HELLO DALI

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN TOPOLINO #2861 (2010)

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: ITALY

FIRST TIME PUBLISHED IN NORTH AMERICA

In this rather unusual story, it’s another day in LA (1946) where Walt Disney and the gang are at the airport waiting for the arrival of a special guest, none other than the abnormal artist himself, Salivador Dali. Donald and Goofy ponder who he is as Walt explains that he is a surrealist artist who can be crazy and different but in a good way.

The gang drive over to the Disney studio ( Yet the gate from the 90s is oddly featured here ruining the 40s vibe this comic had going).

But trouble brews up when Pete, who is now a security guard at the Disney studio (guess this explains his absence from Disney shorts from 1943 until the 1950s) keeps Mickey, Donald and Goofy from seeing what Walt and Dali are up inside of the studio rooms. The boys decide to sneak up to the roofs to get a closer look as they witness magic happening in that room .

The two gets sucked into Dali’s painting where the two artists were sketching together. They end up in Dali’s imagination. How will the boys find their way back to Burbank ? Will Walt and Dali ever finish their secret project ? Read this enchanting story to find out

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This comic was created to be a tribute to the Disney short Destino. What’s special about Destino you may ask ? Destino was a short created by the genius minds of Walt Disney and Salivador Dali in the mid-40s, the film would have celebrated the surreal approach to art that Dali expressed. But sadly the project was shelved and left unfinished until it was revived in 2003 for a potiental third Fantasia film. The film was never made but the short did get its own release later on. The short can be found on the Fantasia Blu Ray.

This comic essentially covers the time period when Walt and Dali were working on Destino albeit with their fictional characters intervening. The time period is in the mid-40s tho oddly Cavazzano gave the characters their 1930s designs with the exception of Pete. That design always baffled me since seeing the cover to this story for the first time back in 2011 for Comics and Stories #720. It seems like an odd decision to me, they should have been given a more time appropriate design.

Aside from my little nit-picks, this is one gorgeous story. Cavazzano’s work is stunningly beautiful in having to replicate Dali’s signature touch and depicting Walt and Dali in his own style. It shows why he is one of the modern masters of Disney Comics. From the gorgeous colours to the sepia colouring that represents the real world. This is one story you don’t want to miss. The Persistence of Mickey alone validates the purchase of this particular issue of Walt Disney’s Comic and Stories. It pays tribute to one of the most mysterious aspects of Disney’s history.

 IS IZZY AS HE WAS

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DONALD DUCK #36 (2004)

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: NETHERLANDS

FIRST TIME PUBLISHED IN NORTH AMERICA 

Big Bad Wolf is sleeping on the couch as loud knocks interrupt his nap as he discovers his nephew Izzy has come over to stay due to his pop being in the slammer once again. Izzy wonders where Lil Wolf has been as he returns from school, happy to have received a star. Big Bad Wolf decides to make Izzy teach Lil Wolf about being wicked and evil and trapping pigs.

Will Izzy successfully teach Lil Wolf to catch those blasted pigs once and for all ? Read on to find out

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Its nice to see the Three Little Pigs return to the comic once again. My main exposure to these comics have been issues of Comics and Stories from Disney Comics back in the early 90s. This story is a nice addition to Walt Disney Comics and Stories as it is just the right length and features plenty of comedy involving the two wolf children.

 

CREDITS:

WRITERS: Kirsten de Graaff and Mau Heymans (STORY 1) Ted Osbourne ( STORY 2)Roberto Gagnar ( STORY 3) Frank Jonker ( STORY 4)

ARTISTS: Mau Haymans ( STORY 1) Al Taliaferro ( STORY 2) Giorgio Cavazzano ( STORY 3) Jordi Alfonso ( STORY 4)

EDITOR : Sarah Gaydos

ARCHIVAL EDITOR: David Gerstein

PUBLISHER: IDW