Archive for May, 2009

Columnist Rick Johnston at Comic Book Resources is reporting that Boom! Studios in the United States has picked up the Disney license that Gemstone Publishing lost earlier this year. This is definitely not an official statement and the page is sort of a rumors column, but if this is true it is some great news!

Earlier this year Boom! Studios obtained the license to publish comics based on characters from Disney/Pixar’s animated feature films. The first issues of these new comics hit newsstands in March, including a Cars and The Incredibles series.

Now this young publishing company (founded in 2005) may add Disney’s classic characters to its line-up, which reportedly will include: Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories (a monthly comic that started in 1940 and by the mid-1950s became the best selling comic book in the US), Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck (both ended in 2006 already), Don Rosa’s The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck (out of print for a while but still in high demand) and more.

Last time it took over four years for a new publisher to pick up the Disney license. Gladstone’s run ended in February 1999 and it wasn’t until July 2003 that Gemstone continued publishing Disney comics in the United States again.

I so much wish that this news is true and I hope that all the good people that lost their job at Gemstone earlier this year will be able to continue doing their great work at this new publisher as soon as possible. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

Source: at Comic Book Resources here (via DCF)

This weekend’s The Wall Street Journal has an article about the popularity of Disney comics in Germany, and in particular Donald Duck. The article talks about Dr. Erika Fuchs, Micky Maus‘ first editor-in-chief, who became famous in Germany for her quality translations of Carl Barks stories and set a very high standard for the language used in the German Disney comics. More »

Ehapa Verlag in Germany has released the cover of their new English Disney comics series: Lustiges Taschenbuch English Edition. The first issue will come out on July 1st and will feature stories previously printed in the popular German pocket books. I can’t find any information yet on how to order these books from outside Germany. If you have any more details about this exciting title please let me know or leave a comment below.

More »

In a recent post on his Prehistoric Pop Culture Blog, David Gerstein talks about the first appearance of Fethry Duck, Donald’s cousin and “Duckburg’s most highly motivated citizen”. The character was created by Dick Kinney and artist Al Hubbard for a 1964 story titled “The Health Nut” (still available here) and David has published some rare sketches that Kinney created for the story. The artwork was discovered several years ago in a previously lost box at the Disney studios. More »

Ehapa, publisher of Disney comics in Germany, has recently announced that it is planning to launch an English version of its hugely popular Lustiges Taschenbuch. The 256-page books feature 3-tier Italian and Danish Disney comic stories starring Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. Not much is known about the new English title, but the chief editor wrote in a German forum this week that the English version of the pocket books will launch on July 1st and will contain only stories that have already previously been published in Germany. More »

Today, May 2nd, is Free Comic Book Day in the United States. Unfortunately no entry from Gemstone Publishing this year, but there is one other Disney comic: Disney/Pixar’s Cars #1, the first issue in BOOM! Studios’ new line of Disney/Pixar-based comics. The free comic includes an exciting excerpt from Cars #1, revealing the plucky origin of Lightning McQueen! In addition, readers will be treated to never-before-seen sketches, character designs and script pages! Visit freecomicbookday.com to find a participating store near you! More »