tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297847469736903606.post2282491976519575650..comments2023-11-02T10:15:43.460-04:00Comments on I Can Break Away: The Disney Comics Story (1990-1993): Ready to LaunchDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03441890672931597080noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297847469736903606.post-71622496553366066742013-12-06T12:45:38.394-05:002013-12-06T12:45:38.394-05:00Thanks, Dana!
Yes, I still have quite a bit of gr...Thanks, Dana!<br /><br />Yes, I still have quite a bit of ground to cover, the "Explosion" itself is a pretty deep well–Disney Adventures will certainly be covered next time. I think the digest might deserve a few smaller history posts in itself, simply by virtue of the digest's longevity (long outlasting the Disney Comics line *and* The Disney Afternoon.)<br /><br />The current state of dormant Walt Disney comic books is unfortunate, but Fantagraphics has their Barks and Gottfredson rolling out, as well as the upcoming Don Rosa collection. My educated guess is they'd want to circulate those books before publishing traditional comics with reprints featuring any of that material.<br /><br />Not quite Carl Barks or Walt Kelly, but Marvel is testing the waters in January with their take on "The Museum of the Weird" the abandoned W.E.D. project by Rolly Crump. So who knows what we might see in 2014?<br /><br />– DanDanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441890672931597080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297847469736903606.post-22195304305665768432013-12-06T12:31:17.134-05:002013-12-06T12:31:17.134-05:00Dbenson:
Thanks, I'll see if I can't find...Dbenson:<br /><br />Thanks, I'll see if I can't find that article! It's pretty interesting, and not too surprising considering Beatty's Hollywood clout. I've heard stories of many stars having clauses for final approval in likeness rights negotiations.<br /><br />Kind of makes ya wonder about the octane level of the martinis Beatty's people slugged down during the lunch when they approved those funky/chunky Dick Tracy movie action figures released that summer?<br /><br />– DanDanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441890672931597080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297847469736903606.post-80472775786584692712013-12-05T18:08:51.508-05:002013-12-05T18:08:51.508-05:00WOW! I look forward to this peek at the downward s...WOW! I look forward to this peek at the downward spiral. I remember the last Comic Con panel on Disney comics was a grab-bag with some of the folks doing comic books (maybe from Gemstone?) and some folks doing stuff for Disney Adventure Digest (like Gorilla Gorilla) plus maybe Don Rosa. My impression is at that point the studio still saw the digest as an incubator for properties that could be turned into TV shows, etc. Some of the digest characters also had book collections. Plus Disney Italia's Kylion and W.I.T.C.H were touted in Con giveaways one year and I think a few collections of them issued in the U.S. Joe has a copy I gave him of the giveaway the Disney booth at Con had a few years ago I grabbed a bunch of copies of celebrating the history of Disney comics. It was full color and rather elaborate, for a freebie. Thought it might mark some sort of publishing push (maybe through their youth book publishing division). At this point the Disney comics activity in this country is limited to the Fantagraphics series. Marvel has allegedly said no to doing any comics with Disney properties.Dana Gabbardhttp://socata.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297847469736903606.post-45298571406796522202013-12-05T17:36:51.181-05:002013-12-05T17:36:51.181-05:00If you can find it -- I think it was "Spy&quo...If you can find it -- I think it was "Spy" Magazine -- Kyle Baker wrote a funny piece about the Dick Tracy project, specifically Warren Beatty's people needing to approve how he was drawn.Dbensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297847469736903606.post-25892150356086579402013-12-05T00:38:28.611-05:002013-12-05T00:38:28.611-05:00Thanks, as always, Dana! Thanks, too for the link ...Thanks, as always, Dana! Thanks, too for the link to the Touchmark flyer, which will certainly be utilized... I'll be sure to quote your comment.<br /><br />The Touchmark and Hollywood imprints (plus more) will play a role in the next installment, posting sometime in January. It'll focus on the ferocious push towards the Disney Comics publishing expansion and the projects that never were (it's going to be extremely image-heavy.)<br /><br />The installment following that will indeed take us into the "implosion" again, with due credit to you! There's been so much positive response to this series and I REALLY appreciate the assistance and feedback from everyone.<br /><br />– DanDanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441890672931597080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297847469736903606.post-22751322410745701152013-12-04T23:22:25.412-05:002013-12-04T23:22:25.412-05:00As someone who had a front row seat to this histor...As someone who had a front row seat to this history this post pretty well tracks with the buzz we fans heard. Love that comic strip publicity photo! The hubris of Disney in thinking they could on the cheap waltz in and become a peer of Marvel and DC stuns. Hope you mention roadkill like Touchmark (which at one Comic Con was promoted with <a href="http://myoldbox.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/before-vertigo-there-was-touchmark/" rel="nofollow">flyers</a> for Sebastian O. by Grant Morrison) or those European properties at one Con they previewed in a slide show as among upcoming offerings. <br /><br />Onward to the Implosion! (a phrase I coined based on the legendary DC implosion of the 70s).Dana Gabbardhttp://socata.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297847469736903606.post-52054014163116663252013-12-01T15:22:50.382-05:002013-12-01T15:22:50.382-05:00Joe:
Thanks for the heaping praise, sir and thank...Joe:<br /><br />Thanks for the heaping praise, sir and thank YOU so much for the attention you've brought to this and other related posts around here!<br /><br />One thing I thought interesting when looking back at this time period is not only the comics that were never produced, but the comics that were never even conceived... the Studio had produced Jim Varney's films like "Ernest Goes to Camp," a character that was EVERYWHERE during that time, not to mention Disney's initial purchase of Jim Henson's Muppets, and so on.<br /><br />Sure, a "Golden Girls" comic might not have been a big seller with five print runs in 1990: but it would sell like CRAZY today. Hmm. I may have to either make some calls or do a blog post on this subject, someday... *<br /><br />Thanks again, for all ya do and keep it up!<br /><br />— Dan<br /><br />* "Golden Girls" comic books ©2013 Dan CunninghamDanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441890672931597080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297847469736903606.post-28213077452814824862013-12-01T15:12:19.019-05:002013-12-01T15:12:19.019-05:00Hey, Scarecrow:
Thanks for so much excellent feed...Hey, Scarecrow:<br /><br />Thanks for so much excellent feedback! It's clear you were there every month watching things unfold and grow month by month at the beginning.<br /><br />I thought the Roger Rabbit titles (TITLES? more on that in the next installment, folks) were quite good, considering the boundaries they had to work with—no licensed characters from other Studios and just a smattering of Hoskins as Eddie Valiant. The comic probably would have resembled the "Roger Rabbit" TV series they couldn't get off the ground because of extended rights issues w/ Amblin, etc.<br /><br />Caesar is a very apt analogy to the story of the Disney Comics line! I don't intend to portray any one side in a bad light here, but the recent anecdote by Floyd Norman certainly lines up with your comparison to Caesar's reign!<br /><br />— DanDanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441890672931597080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297847469736903606.post-79036084731154626962013-12-01T09:25:37.999-05:002013-12-01T09:25:37.999-05:00Dan:
Will you EVER cease to amaze?!
I hope the...Dan:<br /><br />Will you EVER cease to amaze?! <br /><br />I hope the answer to that question is NO! <br /><br />Thanks for the all-too-kind words on my humble Blogging efforts, and consider them reflected back a hundred-fold! <br /><br />I’ll have my linking post to this up by Monday morning! Amazing work, my friend!Joe Torciviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00421096229407174474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8297847469736903606.post-1748468334859659232013-11-30T23:32:20.974-05:002013-11-30T23:32:20.974-05:00Once again, Dan, you've provided a fascinating...Once again, Dan, you've provided a fascinating backstage glimpse at the formation of Disney Comics. What a launch it was! Eight regular monthly titles, comic albums, movie tie-ins, etc. It looked like Disney had every intention of satisfying even the most critical and discriminating comics buyer. The early months of the Disney Comics were sheer delight. And I'm glad you referenced the Roger Rabbit title, which was extraordinarily good and was a popular subject of conversation among comics collectors of the time. While ostensibly aimed at kids, it had a lot of "adult" humor and in-jokes, in the manner of the film that inspired the comic book. (There was a little bit of concern that Jessica seemed to be drawn with only one eye in any given panel.)<br /><br />Printed on high-quality paper with vibrant colors, the Disney Comics seemed to be setting a standard, and showing that they were going to treat us fans as responsibly as the folks at Gladstone had done. Every month there seemed to be something new to get excited about. Reprints of classic material, plus a wealth of new stories. So OK, I thought, more power to Disney with their own comics line!<br /><br />Yes, that was how it started. Looking back on it now, this looks like the perfect setup for a Shakespearian tragedy. Caesar's popularity is assured; he is at the pinnacle of his success. While it was Goofy who was associated with historical figures during this era, the Caesar figure was really Mickey, at least as far as my analogy goes. Little did anyone know that the Mouse's demise was soon to come. Et tu, Disney?scarecrow33https://www.blogger.com/profile/10552306802823617940noreply@blogger.com