Hello everyone and welcome to an extra crunchy bonus review, as I take a look at something you knew I was going to get eventually but thanks to mom telling me I wasn't getting it for christmas, I bought way sooner than expected: The Art of Ducktales, the art book released just last week from Dark Horse, containing interviews with tons of the crew, mostly Matt and Frank as you'd expect, behind the scenes art, and more good stuff. It was 50 bucks for the standard version but was it worth it? Join me to find out
This was something I was jazzed for and for good reason: My love of ducktales is well documetented on this blog having covered the major arcs for season, all of season 3 and some assorted episodes. And i'm not really slowing down as I have a Gizmoduck arc planned for sometime next year (whenever Kev wants to do it), and a review of "last Christmas!" in just a few weeks. While I plan to still pace myself I do want to have reviewed EVERY episode at some point.
Ducktales was everything I coudl've hoped for, more and then more AFTER THAT, an expertly crafted show spread over three wonderful seasons that should've gotten a fourth. What we got was still great though, so naturally a book honoring that, especially from disney who RARELY makes merch for older fans of their DTVA shows, and one that's sales could impact us getting one for Owl House, was like catnip. The fact that it was written and put together by Ken Plume, the same great dude who put together the awesome Art of Venture Bros that I still use reguarly for my Venture Bros retrospective was just the cherry on top
So did it live up to the hype? Welll... yes and no. The bad news is while I HOPED for some content about what episodes could've been, some new factoids about the characters already.. there wasn't much of that. What we have gotten through tumblr (and Kev sending me posts) has mostly been thorugh the supplemental book that came with the deluxe edition I didn't buy because it was 80 dollary doos. I was already pushing my budget getting this.
From that we did find out Hortense and Quackmore are still alive and living on Grandma Duck's farm.. but...
Like... did they meet the kids before Della came back? Why would they go along with Donald's lies? why did they never try to patch the donald and scrooge riff?
What is their relationship with the kids? How would they react to Webby, both pre and post revelation about her being a clone now and the two of her just a hangin around donald adopted? how would they treat Daisy? why are they on a farm? These are questions we fans can answer and i'll have fun doing so, this book reignited my passion and writins for the show so I might just do that, but it's stil baffling to just drop that bomb and not fill it Out matt, and especailly in the delxue edition.
We also get conformation it was Matt who clearly missed the queer subtext with Webby and Lena as not only does it never come up but he outright calls them "friends who are sisters". Maybe he dosen't care some fans ship them? maybe it's his interpretation? I dunno and as one of the co creators it's fair for him to interpret it that way.. in a sense
All in good fun of course. I do respect Matt. But I also expect my right to disagree.
Anyways, we don't get any new blistering insights into the world itself. But it's MORE than made up for. While this book lacks in what we coudl've had it's a really GORGEOUS celebration of what we did get.
For starters we get a LOT of in depth info on the creation of the show, it's themes, and I gained a new respect for a guy I didn't even really know existed, Seam Jimenz who was the shows art director. The stuff he pulled off for the show, the tone he set and everything he and his crew were amazing. A lot of the book is he or other people on the show detailing how they pulled off shit that came off efortless to me and making me love the show even more. From blocking an episode in an enclosed place for Last Crash of the Sunchaser, to how they ONLY used fog for Missing Links of Morshire or the castle eps as a stylistic choice, to the little bits of comic fuz you see in every background there's a lot of cool details.
We also get lots of great art, from the protype designs of the kids, to Lena's own evolution, to various concept art for characters. There were a lot of good designs before the awesome ones we landed on. We also get art of incidental stuff like the posters from Terror of the Terra Firmians, the very gay cake from Night on Killmotor hill, the darkwing first darkness poster.. if your a hardcore fan of thes how like I am there's a LOT to love here.
So in short, as this is a fairly short review if you love hearing the people who made this show fantastic talk about how they pulled that offf, character stuff, episode ideas and other neat little stuff, this is for you. if your hoping for more of the show.. this sadly isn't it.. but maybe it'll get us more. Either way it's a great insight into the beautiful found family this show created that gave us one of my faviorite shows of the last decade. Woo-Ooo!a
Happy 35th anniversary of original Ducktales and happy 35th birthday of Launchpad McQuack!
And now the main events. Yes, even though I'm late, it's definitely important, especially for all duck fans, especially the Duckverse.
On September 18, 1987, Disney union workers worked on the second Disney Afternoon series, which started a new revolution in Disney and in general TV animation. Yes, it's called Ducktales and the main creators of this series are Michael Eisner, Art Vitello and Jymm Magon. Of course, that series was based on the Carl Barks comics. Of course, as you all know, that series is about the adventures of Scrooge McDuck with Donald's nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck. Yes, Donald Duck goes into the Navy and leaves his nephews with his Uncle Scrooge. Actually, the real truth is that Donald couldn't be in that series because Roy Disney didn't want any popularity of the Famous Six on Disney Afternoon. However, Donald appeared in eight episodes. Of course, there's also Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, Beagle Boys, Magica de Spell, and Flintheart Glomgold. There are also new characters such as Bentina Beakley, Webby Vanderquack, Doofus Drake, Bubba and Tootsie, Duckworth, Launchpad McQuack, Fenton Crackshell aka Gizmoduck, Gandra Dee, Ma Beagle, El Capitan and other characters.
Ducktales was also a great success and received three more seasons for a total of 4 seasons and 100 episodes. They also got their own movie called Ducktales the Movie: The Treasure of The Lost Lamp. It features protagonist Gene the Genie and antagonists Dijon and Merlock the Magician. Also two spin-off series like Darkwing Duck and Quack Pack, which had their anniversaries last year. As well as the Ducktales reboot, which today celebrates 5 years since the start of broadcasting.
Although the original Ducktales had its flaws and was not like the comics, it certainly became one of the most successful Disney animated series ever. Not to mention about Ducktales Theme as well as Ducktales video games. Definitely one of my favorite series.
Yes, according to Ducktales reboot canon, Launchpad McQuack also celebrates his birthday, since it's September 18th, the same day the first episode of the OG Ducktales aired. So happy birthday to him. He will have a special role in Darkwing Duck. More about it here: https://ducklooney.tumblr.com/post/662819519887245312/happy-birthday-launchpad-mcquack
And now for pictures of the original Ducktales and characters from that series. Sorry, I won't be able to put everything here, but I will certainly post the most important ones.
If you love any of these characters and are a fan of this series, feel free to like this and reblog this! Happy 35th Anniversary OG Ducktales and Happy Birthday to you Launchpad McQuack!
Spider-Man No Way Home is here!!!!! It’s been a long journey and almost everyone got a chance to see it! I did Tobey and Andrew arts, but now, Tom arts are finally here! It’s amazing how much I’ve put on effort for all of these almost 24/7. It’s not easy, but I’m finally done with all. Don’t send any spoilers around here.
The anime vibes of Astro B.O.Y.D. called to me and told me to create an anime-ish inspired poster for it ^-^ I had sooo much fun doing this and I hope y’all like it! That episode was just so good :D