Doctor Witchie Britchie wrote:I've never seen much written about William Van Horn here or on the Disney Comics Mailing List, so I'd like to start a thread about him. For my money, he's the greatest living American Duck artist/writer, and the second greatest Duck artist/writer of all time (Barks is Number One, of course). His ten-page stories by and large are comedic gems, very much in the Barks tradition but completely his own. And his longer stories (such as "The Pauper's Glass," "A Tuft Luck Tale," "The Black Moon," and his recent Scrooge vs. Rumpus story (can't recall the title, but it's the one where Rumpus tries to claim a third of Scrooge's fortune) are less frequent, but just as good.
I think the thing that makes Van Horn a great storyteller in the Barks tradition is his complete lack of self-consciousness. His tales are simple and compelling trips into the Duck world, and aren't dedicated to building up a chronology or expanding upon other stories. In addition, he has a good streak of the slightly cantankerous conservatism that Barks always displayed, giving his stories an additional satiric twist from time to time without submerging them in heavy-handedness (unlike Geoff Blum's recent stories). I know most Americans prefer Don Rosa, but I think Van Horn will endure as a giant of the Duck genre as Barks has endured. I only wish his stories were available in collected form somewhere--of course, he hasn't finished writing them yet.
WB wrote:Theres something to be said for stories that end up losing something in translation. Unless you have someone who is wonderful at dialogue that isnt stilted or someone that can translate a story accurately, its always little things that may end up being lost for good. =
Having said that - I LOVE William Van Horn's work and fond of his longer stories as well. i wish he would partner with John Lustig more often like they did in the Disney comics run era here in the states - they complimented each other SO WELL. IMO he captures the simpler things and insanity/absurdity of Donald Duck's universe masterfully, plus his characters that he's introduced are bar none funny. I always get smiley when I read anything with Baron Itzy Bitsy, the Whistling Flea as that was my first exposure to his work. Theres just something about his work that I think Don Rosa can't/doesnt capture - but I suppose its like apples and oranges in that sense. I've always said that if you put the intricacies of Rosa together with the utter absurdity of Van Horn, you'd end up with something that would probably rival and/or equal Carl Barks on nearly every level.
I've never really seen a problem with the off modelness (except in his earlier work up through the Disney era where its obvious he was trying to get a feel for things) beecause considering some of the stuff that came from the pike and trickled here to the states from Denmark during the original Gladstone/Disney run I was of the opinion that unless it was Branca or one of the other artists who bucked the occasional trend to make everything stiff and unlikable then most of it was kind of garbage. = of course I have a FAR FAAAR different tone now that I've seen a lot of the good examples European stories but I didnt even like anything by Vicar until the second Gladstone run sadly. i suppose that there is something to be said for the quality of the stories and such but i am getting off topic.
Doctor Witchie Britchie wrote:Oh no, Doctor Witchie Britchie no havee split personality! I thinkee this new member be Jonathan Gray, American DCML-member. That's just based on his opinions and writing style, though, so I could be wrong.
Doctor Witchie Britchie wrote:Oh no, Doctor Witchie Britchie no havee split personality! I thinkee this new member be Jonathan Gray, American DCML-member. That's just based on his opinions and writing style, though, so I could be wrong.
A topic about Van Horn? Does Van Horn serve that?
Who's responsible?
The anonimousity is to project you guys against ME.
Especially when holy Barks is sacrileged, I'll break out of my shell.
Let that be a warning to you all.
Does Van Horn deserve that?
My answer is of course NO.
Van Horn should be sent outside the Barksian city walls forever. There he can go treading the desert sand and think about what he was thinking at the time. Andif Doctor Witchie Britchie not like that, he can join him!
just to please some silly brainless feelingless readers and editors,
WB wrote:What do you mean by that? Cause the way it reads it seems like you're saying that if anyone talks ill of anything Barks that isn't anything but "pure like" then you'll flame them. (Not to mention it makes you come off a wee bit obsessed)
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests