Walt Disney
Comics A.M. | Bandai halts new manga, anime releases
Bandai Entertainment
Publishing | The anime and manga company Bandai Entertainment will stop distributing new products in February, although its existing catalog will continue to be available until the licenses expire. The company will shift its focus to licensing its properties for digital distribution and merchandising. President and CEO Ken Iyadomi said the decision to shut down new-product operations was made by the Japanese parent company without his input, and he strongly implied the underlying problem was that the corporate parent wanted to charge more for its anime than the current market will bear. Bandai published the Lucky Star, Kannagi and Eureka Seven manga, among others; all new manga volumes have been canceled, which means Kannagi will be left incomplete, at least for now. [Anime News Network]
Awards | The finalists for the Cybils, the blogger’s literary awards for children’s and YA books, have been posted, and they include five nominations each in the children’s and YA graphic novel categories. [Cybils Awards]
- January 4, 2012 @ 07:15 AM by Brigid Alverson
Robot Reviews | Mickey Mouse Vol. 1
Mickey Mouse Vol. 1
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Vol. 1: Race to Death Valley
by Floyd Gottfredson; edited by David Gerstein and Gary Groth
Fantagraphics Books, 288 pages, $29.99
It must seem difficult for younger generations to fully understand just how integral Mickey Mouse once was to the Disney franchise. While at one time his smiling, three-circle face was the iconic symbol for the company, today that image has been shoved aside to make room for Cinderella’s castle. The Disney bread is now officially buttered by a bunch of divas and Buzz Lightyear. These days Mickey is relegated to stalwart supporting cast member, fit for entertaining the preschooler crowd on daytime television, though efforts like the recent Epic Mickey video game show an interest in making him a viable player in their stable once more.
Even for my generation (that’s Gen X for those of you keeping score), understanding Mickey’s appeal was a tough proposition at times given how bland he seemed to appear in various cartoons and other products we or our parents were expect to shell good money out for. Everything about him stank of goody-two-shoes pitchman. No wonder he eventually faded from the limelight.
- June 10, 2011 @ 01:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Mickey Mouse in Egypt
Cover of an Egyptian Mickey Mouse comic
All eyes are on Egypt right now, but the question that’s being hotly debated at The Hooded Utilitarian is how the localization of Mickey Mouse comics for Egyptian readers expresses the imperialism of the Walt Disney corporation. This being The Hooded Utilitarian, the answer is long, a bit rambling, and filled with interesting images.
The comics examined by writer Nadim Damluji were created between 1959 and 2003, so this is not about the current revolution but rather about how cultures permeate one another. The Mickey Mouse comics in the article have locally created covers that touch on a number of aspects in Egyptian culture, and that art alone makes the article worth reading. The covers and other local content just form the wrapper for translated comics by Western creators, however, and there’s the rub. Damluji points to a Carl Barks comic in which Uncle Scrooge discovers a pyramid and, convinced it will be full of gold, hires generic local Arabs to excavate it. The story does raise issues of ownership and primacy (Why does Uncle Scrooge think he can keep the gold? Why couldn’t the Arabs find the pyramid?), and it seems rather clueless of the Disney folks to print it in an Egyptian comic—had they run out of more generic storylines? On the other hand, the most interesting thing to me was those Egyptian covers. While Damluji seems to be presenting the comics as a wolf in sheep’s clothing—here’s something familiar, kids, but what’s inside is going to make you feel bad!—I see it the other way, as Mickey adapting to local mores by adding content the local audience finds attractive, much as manga publishers put new covers on Japanese content and serve it up more or less unchanged. My guess is that this is more about keeping costs down than the heavy hand of imperialism. And surely Egyptian kids, especially in this day and age, are savvy enough to know that Mickey is an import, even if he does celebrate Mawlad.
The other thing that seems to go uncommented upon is that these are comics. Uncle Scrooge finds the pyramid by sitting on its pointy top. It’s a gag! Huey, Duey, and Louie acting more mature than Donald? That’s funny! A dog biting a man isn’t funny, but a man biting a dog is. Finally, it’s also true that the stories are old and represent cultural values that are passe and have been for a long time. A 50-year-old Disney story may say something about attitudes in the 1950s, but it’s more an artifact than a measure of current opinion.
Seriousness aside, it’s a fascinating post just because of the cultural information. And for more, check out Damluji’s blog, in which he follows in the footsteps of another cultural icon from an imperialist country, Tintin.
- February 5, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Exclusive: Fantagraphics to publish the complete Carl Barks
In what is sure to be one of the most acclaimed comics events of 2011, Fantagraphics has announced that they will be publishing a definitive collection of Carl Barks’ seminal run of Donald Duck comic stories. In an exclusive interview with Robot 6, Fantagraphics co-publisher Gary Groth revealed that the company – which announced their plans to publish Floyd Gottfredson’s Mickey Mouse comics last summer – had acquired the rights to reprint Barks’ work from Disney and that the first volume will be released in fall of this year. The comics will be published in hardcover volumes, with two volumes coming out every year, at a price of about $25 per volume.
Although the stories will be printed in chronological order, the first volume, “Lost in the Andes,” will cover the beginning of Barks’ “peak” period, circa about 1948. The second volume, “Only a Poor Old Man,” will cover roughly the years 1952-54 and feature the first Uncle Scrooge story. Later volumes will fill in the missing gaps, including his earlier work, in a process somewhat similar to Fantagraphics’ publication of George Herriman’s “Krazy Kat.”
For those who aren’t familiar with the name, the Barks library has been one of the great missing links in a time that many have dubbed the “golden age of reprints.” Acclaimed around the globe for his rich storytelling and characterization, as well as excellent craftsmanship, Barks has long been regarded as one of the great cartoonists of the 20th century, equal to luminaries like Charles Schulz, Robert Crumb and Harvey Kurtzman. He’s been one of the few major American cartoonists whose work has, up till now, not been collected in a comprehensive, manner respectful of his talent (at least not in North America), however, so this announcement comes as extremely good news for any who read and love good comics, let alone are familiar with Barks’ work.
Fantagraphics will release an official announcement about the project tomorrow. In the meantime, click on the link to read our exclusive interview with Gary Groth:
- January 2, 2011 @ 07:59 AM by Chris Mautner
Is Euro Disney contemplating a Marvel-ous expansion?
Concept art for the Marvel theme park in Dubai
This week Euro Disney, the company that runs Disneyland Paris, signed a new deal with the French government that will allow them to continue building on the site in Marne-la-Vallée, outside of Paris, through 2030.
Plans are to build a new theme park to accompany Disneyland Paris, which opened in 1992, and the adjoining Walt Disney Studios, which opened 10 years later. According to the Telegraph, the company is considering a “superheroes park” for that third park:
Philippe Gas, the chief executive of Euro Disney, said one idea for a third park is “a superheroes park” following the acquisition of Marvel by Disney – although the construction of a third park is a long-term vision. Mr Gas said there is a possibility that a decision to build a third park could come as late as 2020, although it may come earlier if planned work on the Disney Studios park is completed.
It’s not surprising that Disney would consider using the Marvel stable in their theme parks; while they’re locked out of Walt Disney World in Florida due to licensing agreements Marvel had in place with Universal before the acquisition, there’s no reason why they couldn’t have Spider-Man and X-Men themed rides in France.
(Artwork above is concept art for a Dubai Marvel-themed park that was supposed to open in 2012 … whatever happened with that?)
- September 16, 2010 @ 01:21 PM by JK Parkin
SDCC ’09 | A peek at Todd McFarlane’s cover for Prince of Persia
"Prince of Persia" cover, by Todd McFarlane
USA Today’s Game Hunters blog has the first, but tiny, look at Todd McFarlane’s cover art for Disney Book Group’s graphic-novel prequel to next year’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
The 128-page anthology will feature six stories written by Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner and illustrated by Bernard Chang, Tommy Lee Edwards, Tom Fowler, Niko Henrichon, David Lopez and Cameron Stewart.
The graphic novel will be released simultaneously in hardcover and paperback in April 2010, ahead of the movie’s May 28 opening.
Game Hunters also notes that McFarlane and Stan Lee will be recognized on Saturday at Comic-Con by Guinness World Records for 1990′s Spider-Man #1, which sold 2.5 million copies, becoming the best-selling comic book of all time.
- July 22, 2009 @ 08:15 AM by Kevin Melrose
SDCC ’09 | Disney gives details on Prince of Persia anthology
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Disney Book Group has revealed the details of its graphic-novel prequel to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the 2010 feature film from Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer.
The 128-page anthology, the subject of Friday’s Disney Press panel at Comic-Con, will feature six original stories from Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner and such artists as Bernard Chang, Tommy Lee Edwards and Cameron Stewart. Todd McFarlane will provide the cover.
Disney plans to publish the graphic novel simultaneously in hardcover and paperback in April 2010 with an initial print run of 125,000. The movie is set to open on May 28.
The press release trumpets the anthology as “Jordan Mechner’s book debut.” However, Mechner was directly involved with Prince of Persia: The Graphic Novel, published in 2008 by First Second Books.
- July 21, 2009 @ 06:54 AM by Kevin Melrose
Happy 75th birthday, Donald Duck!
Donald Duck's debut in 1934's "The Wise Little Hen"
The world’s most famous, and likely most irritable, waterfowl marks a major milestone today as Donald Duck turns 75.
The “feathered anti-hero,” as Agence France-Presse describes him, debuted on this day in 1934 in Walt Disney’s “The Wise Little Hen,” an animated short that also featured his pal Peter Pig in a retelling of the well-known story.
Although Peter never caught on, Donald rose to worldwide fame, starring in more than 150 cartoons and numerous feature films. But, as the Disney Comics Worldwide blog notes, most important may be Donald’s thousands of comic books.
- June 9, 2009 @ 06:10 AM by Kevin Melrose
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Speed Bump
Awards | Speed Bump creator Dave Coverly received the National Cartoonists Society’s top honor, the Reuben Award For Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, during a ceremony held Saturday evening in Los Angeles. Other winners included Mark Tatulli’s Lio for Newspaper Comic Strips, Michael Ramirez for Editorial Cartoons, and Cyril Pedrosa’s Three Shadows for Comic Books. Tom Richmond, who blogged about the entire weekend, has the complete list of winners. [National Cartoonists Society]
Legal | Manga scholar and blogger Matt Thorn reveals his correspondence with Christopher Handley’s attorney, who last summer sought Thorn’s expertise in the manga-obscenity case. Thorn also posts an email exchange from this weekend with Handley’s mother Beverly, who explains the circumstances of her son’s guilty plea and expresses her dissatisfaction with his legal counsel. [Matt Thorn]
Legal | Japanese publisher Futabasha has lost one intellectual-property case in China involving Yoshito Usui’s Crayon Shin-chan, and stands to lose a second. [Anime News Network]
Buffy, Vol. 4
Sales charts | At last, The New York Times Graphic Books Best Seller List gets a little interesting. Oh, Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto still leads the manga category, and holds half the spots, but at least Watchmen and The Dark Tower: Treachery of been ousted from the No. 1 positions in the hardcover and paperback categories. In their place are Y: The Last Man — Deluxe Edition, Vol. 2, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Vol. 4, respectively. [ArtsBeat]
Pop culture | Belgium prepares for the opening next month of the Herge Museum, dedicated to the creator of Tintin. [Reuters, BBC News]
- May 26, 2009 @ 07:38 AM by Kevin Melrose