Been thinking about Moby Duck lately, mostly motivated by the fact that it appears Joe Torcivia is quite a fan of the fellow.
I remember enjoying his stories as a kid- he had a whaler, but didn't whale anything; he had a clownish character named Dim-Witty Duck helping him; he'd face Captain Hook and the like.
Recently I sometimes catch the modern stories the Italians do of him, where he's got a mailing enterprise he works in with the help of Fethry Duck (not a good sentence, that last bit). This is apparently set in an alternate world, actually, like, say, Wizards of Mickey or the The Sleuth stories, instead of just the normal Duck world, at least judging by the fact the Fethry appearing is named Paper Hoog in the originals instead of Paperoga (Fethry).
I'm quite sad with this choice- I quite like the idea that in this world you get Duckburg looking like the 50's city it is, and people using modern technology, and then somewhere maybe some old colonial island, you get people still living like it's the 19th Century! I don't need any explanation that it's a different continuity, come on.
 |
| Why can't this be part of the usual world of Disney comics? Also, Portuguese version. |
These stories would maybe be fun to publish in the States, but something to note is that Moby's drawn based entirely on Italian tradition- where his old appearances didn't colour his hair in, so some artists just end up merging his hair to his head here.
If these were published in the States, would IDW, like with things such as Grandpa Beagle and Goofy's outfit, correct the colours? How so, in that case? I did a quick attempt at editing this image and seeing if it'd work-
Whenever I manage to get the wealth needed to buy all the issues I've missed and thus can give a better perspective in the stories of this saga, I'll make a more elaborate article on it. For now though, just wanted to posit these basic thoughts - and show this attempt at editing Moby Duck, really.
update: turns out Boom seems to have done a digital release of a random Bay Stories story! They translated Paper Hoog as Fethry too. I really don't think anyone outside of Italy is treating those as different characters. They also didn't touch the art at all, so Moby's got his white hair.
KKM:
ResponderEliminarIf anyone from IDW is reading this, I would LOVE to translate these Moby Duck stories for an American English audience! Surely, there’s a place for just one… in a special, or something. IDW HAS used him on two covers, so they ARE aware of him.
I picked-up Moby’s first comics appearance, in Gold Key’s DONALD DUCK # 112, off a newsstand one fine day in January 1967, and have been a fan of the character ever since. I know I’d do well by him!
I don’t know why Moby can’t exist in the present-day Disney comics-verse but, if he is to be reimagined as existing in some historical period where sailing ships were of far greater importance than they are today, I can understand that. I’d figure his “mate” to be some ancestor of Fethry, even if (as a Gold Key devotee) I’d miss his pairing with Dimwitty.
BTW, I think your coloring for him is just right, and hope IDW would see fit to do something similar.
I quite agree with you, TheKKM, that these stories should be part of the regular Duck comics universe — and for me, they ARE. I didn't even know it was to be an alternate universe until I read your post, since the French translations too have Paper Hogg just translated as "Fethry" (or rather, "Popop", Fethry's weird French name).
ResponderEliminarHey, I actually *know* one of these stories! I have "Destination Baytown" in MPG 268. Nice female characters! I like Nina, the black woman, and Géraldine, the girl (niece of Admiral Storm) who only appears in this story, is one of my favorite female one-shot characters in Disney comics. Yes, please, let's get that one in English!
ResponderEliminarThough if this Nina appears in the USA, I'd have to change my recommendation for Dickie Duck's name from Nina Canette to...something else.