The Three Caballeros in “Da Icaro all’astronave”(1964).
Today I went to my father’s childhood home and he gave my this incredible book of his which tells the history of aviation through Disney characters- both of us being pilots and all. He used to religiously read it as a kid and I found some pretty interesting illustrations in it; blue Panchito and magenta Zé were among my favorites. Also, Donald is referred to as ‘Donald McDuck’.
Donald Fauntleroy Duck was drafted into the United States Army on March 24, 1941, to serve his country during World War II. Enthusiastic at first, he reported as ordered to his local draft board. Seeing several propaganda posters featuring beautiful women, he declares that he wants to join the Air Force, proclaiming that he comes from “a family of aviators!” Instead, after a rigorous physical exam in which the doctors ignore several failed results, Duck is stamped “OK” on his bottom and sent to Army boot camp. He would go on to serve for at least two years, ultimately transferring to the marines (probably - the facts of his commando missions are classified).
NOTE: Posts like this will be tagged #Disney Ducks for Animation
I keep wishing and wishing that the upcoming 2017 DuckTales reboot actually adapts stories from duck comics that are not exclusively Barks stories. Some European authors/artists have created some amazing, memorable stories themselves and I wanna see some animated.
Here’s one story I think would make a great 2-parter in the reboot (hey, I can dream):
A World Without Scrooge (I.N.D.U.C.K.S Code D+2010-064)
Synopsis: Scrooge is stung by a tsetse fly while on an adventure with his nephews, and falls into a coma. He has been struck by Sleeping Sickness. There is no known cure.
Story:
Donald and the triplets are told by the doctor that their uncle Scrooge most likely will never awaken from his virus-caused coma. He’ll sleep until he dies.(The author either knowingly or unknowingly does not elaborate that Sleeping Sickness is a very real and very dangerous disease. People either die in their coma state, or they awaken with serious brain damage and in severe cases, psychosis)
The nephews are devastated, and go to Gyro hoping he’d have a solution. Gyro, being the awesome person that he is, tells them that he’d been raising a certain plant that holds the cure to Sleeping Sickness.
The problem is…it will take this healing flower two decadesto mature.
The nephews decide to take the risk and travel twenty years into the future to collect the mature flower and bring it back to Gyro in the present time to concoct the medicine.
And it is in that bleak future that you realize how important Scrooge’s constant investments are to DuckBurg’s well-being and prosperity. Without him, DuckBurg is a filthy ghost town, drowning in corruption and under the control of the Beagle Boys.
They find the flower, and Donald learns soon enough that the police force is run by the Beagle Boys, and the thugs almost capture him and his nephews if it weren’t for three ducks who pull them to safety.
Donald and his nephews are astounded to realize that the three ducks that saved them are the adult Huey, Dewey and Louie of that future. They are now hardened Woodchuck commanders, and leaders of a small underground resistance. From their convos, you can tell they are also great tacticians.
The adult triplets explain that the Beagle Boys took advantage of the collapsing justice system, and hired a powerful, corrupt lawyer that enabled them to gain ‘guardianship’ of Scrooge, ousting and disgracing the Duck/McDuck family reputation. Gyro has been kidnapped years ago, and Future!Donald has gone off on a mission to find him and rescue him.
However, the Beagle Boys are Scrooge’s guardians, not inheritors.They couldn’t bypass that one; they have to keep him alive and if he dies, they can no longer control his money.
Some time later, Future!Donald returns victorious with Future!Gyro.
They set off to find the time machine the Beagle Boys had stolen, and realize that it is hidden in Scrooge’s old office in the Money Bin.
They pass by the room in which Scrooge lay comatose, but Donald couldn’t bring himself to walk past the door without looking to see if his uncle’s still breathing, ignoring Future!Donald’s warnings.
Ilovehow they purposely hide Scrooge’s face in that panel.
Everything goes to Hell pretty fast, and Future!Donald, Gyro and Triplets tell the others to run for the time machine and get out of there while they hold the Beagles Boys up. Huey looks up to his future self in worry, and says: “Are you sure you can face them? We never won against them in a fight!”
To which Future!Huey answers: “No offense, Me…but you’re just a little boy.”
This story shows you how much the triplets have grown and changed, and it’s both heartwarming and heartbreaking.
The four ducks make it to the machine and go back to their time. Gyro takes the flower and does what he does best. The medicine is then administered on Scrooge, and he wakes up to the happy tears of his family.
“I feel like I’ve slept for many, many years..”
End
I tagged a few people I thought might be interested in this story. Have you read any good duck comic you think would be great in animation?
