--Important New Listings--
Disney's Donald Duck Adventures
Issues 1-38
(In mid-1990 Gladstone lost its comic book license to the Walt Disney Company, who decided to publish themselves. Their impressive output quantity was launched with eight monthly titles, but they didn’t want to handle back-orders or subscriptions, so those jobs were given to Gladstone. We still have a relatively small inventory of their three-year run in stock, which we are highlighting for sale for the first time in years. The books are printed on quality paper, the color is generally excellent. Also, as one scans the numbers, you’ll note more and more credits by Gladstone people. Some collectors have forgotten that some titles had fabulous contents. Descriptions follow.)
See below for ordering information.
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #1 (June 1990)
Don Rosa’s great cover art and a12-page Donald and Uncle Scrooge adventure, “The Money Pit,” begins the issue with Don and the boys polishing coins (at 30 cents per hour), but their fate rapidly spirals downward thereafter! This issue also boasts two one-page fillers by Europe’s legendary Vicar, plus a long, interesting introductory letter by editor, Bob Foster.
$12.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #2 (July 1990)
An all-star issue, the William Van Horn cover is followed by a 12-page lead “Rootin’, Tootin’ Duck” by the Lustig / Van Horn writer-artist team; Vicar contributes a 4-page Huey, Dewey and Louie story; and a beautiful reprint of only the third Donald Duck 10-pager Carl Barks ever wrote, the “dude” ranch tale of Donald and nephews decked out as cowboys in “Limber W Guest Ranch” (from Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #35, August 1943). A must.We have an limited quantity in stock.
$9.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #3 (August 1990)
This book highlights 12 pages of “Beachhead Bathos,” written and drawn by William Van Horn, in which “the sandy tranquility of a golden beach” is disturbed for the ducks by an encounter with Neighbor Jones. A 14-page Duck Family story with Uncle Scrooge leading the duck clan to find hidden riches follows, “The Treasure of Quack Island,” art by Vicar. The comic ends with an informative mini-autobiography by and about writer John Lustig.
$5.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #4 (September 1990)
A very limited quantity remains of this themed comic that’s all about bees: William Van Horn ’s “The Bees Have It” (cover and story, which, in 1990, David Gerstein wrote, “takes my vote for the best William Van Horn story of all time”); also there is Carl Barks’ 10-pager from 1953 (Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #158) that tells of the nephews raising bees as a Junior Woodchuck project, but, instead, getting Donald in trouble with all of Duckburg.
$12.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #5 (October 1990)
Script and art for the cover and story, “Snore Losers,” is by William Van Horn (while Donald dreams of getting rich, Scrooge has nightmares about giving Donald a million dollars); all other art in the issue is by the capable Vicar.
$4.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #6 (November 1990)
A very limited quantity remains of this issue that begins with a Donald Duck “Mastery” story written by John Lustig and drawn by William Van Horn. Called, “It’s Bats, Man!” in which no job is too tough for Donald Duck, Master of Pest Removal. The story continues a unique tradition originated by Carl Barks. Other art by Vicar.
$10.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #7 (December 1990)
“It’s in the Bag,” by William Van Horn tells of when Donald bets his nephews he can collect more Halloween candy then they can, but when he crosses paths with a disguised burglar, it’s a short jump to Trick or Treat chaos. Other art by Vicar. This issue also published a two-column letter from a 14-year-old reader that may be the funniest fan correspondence ever to appear in a Disney comic.
$4.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #8 (January 1991)
Gyro Gearloose is featured in William Van Horn’s “Public Ugly #1,” a story that becomes a Chocoholic’s nightmare when Donald discovers he has 48 hours to rid his front yard of 25,000 pounds of chocolate creams. More Vicar art.
$4.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #9 (February 1991)
One of Disney’s most important issues, reprinting Carl Barks’ famous tale that first introduced stingy Uncle Scrooge McDuck, who has decided to test Donald Duck’s bravery by coming to his cabin dressed as a bear. “Christmas on Bear Mountain” takes up most pages in this comic (reprinted from Donald Duck Four Color #178, December 1947). We have an extremely limited quantity in stock.
$25.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #10 (March 1991)
Limited quantity in stock. A John Lustig - William Van Horn story develops in which Donald is a health-and- exercise nut … but he is challenged by Senior Citizens and, in the process, learns a painful lesson. “Run-Down Runner.”
$6.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #11 (April 1991)
Editor Bob Foster freely admits his inspired parody for the cover (drawn by Disney staff artists Todd Kurosawa and Scott Shaw!) mimics Mad #l by the late Harvey Kurtzman. Permission was given by the owner of Mad, William Gaines, a short time before his death. Editorially, Foster details his reasons and policy to not put credits on each individual story. 14 pages of art by Vicar. A very limited quantity remains of this issue.
$11.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #12 (May 1991)
An excellent lead story, “The Head of Rama Putra,” is a 21-page effort drawn by Daniel Branca. The follow-up story art is by Vicar.
$5.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #13 (June 1991)
Confident he is destined to be a failure, Donald becomes a success … more than once in “Just a Humble, Bumbling Duck,” with script, art and lettering by William Van Horn. Vicar art rounds out the issue.
$4.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #14 (July 1991)
Kudos to editor Foster for devoting his letters page to two very critical missives from fans. It shows class in not backing down from what could be perceived as badly reasoned negativism. Lead story scripted by Michael T. Gilbert and drawn by Pete Alvarado and Larry Mayer for “The Day Gladstone’s Luck Ran Out.” Another Gladstone tale is drawn by Vicar, but the incomparable Carl Barks brightens up the comic with a story called “The Dog Catcher” in this 1956 reprint from Donald Duck #45. Donald is a failure as a dogcatcher, fleeing town after locking up a pack of foxhounds.
$5.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #15 (August 1991)
By popular demand, William Van Horn does a 19-page, full-length Donald Duck adventure complete with black-clad villains, threatening firearms, and strange locales (such as Easter Island at night) in “Tuft Luck Tale.” Add seven pages of Vicar art pairing Gyro Gearloose with the ducks.
$5.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #16 (September 1991)
Vicar’s art is featured “In the Talons of the Ancient Roc Bird,” a long Donald adventure leading off the book, but the 12 following William Van Horn pages are the best part of issue #16, a story called “Kid Stuff,” in which Master Painter Donald is hired to paint a house … that turns out to be haunted.
$4.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #17 (October 1991)
Vicar’s long lead adventure, "The Secret of Atlantis," is followed by a very funny Carl Barks classic in which Gyro Gearloose has invented rifle pellets made out of custard that … well, just read the story: it loses something when described (reprint from Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #183, December 1955). Note: The lead Vicar story is Book One in what Editor-in-Chief Len Wein describes as "The Time Tetrad," a series of four consecutive titles - - each published a week apart in October, 1991. Book One of the inter-connected time travel series appears in this issue of Donald Duck Adventures. Book Two, that came out a week later, appears in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #564. After that, Book Three is in Uncle Scrooge #259 and, finally, concludes with Book Four in DuckTales #17. The complete series of four comics may be purchased at a discount in a package offered now by Gladstone. See the listing for DuckTales #17 that has this offer.
$4.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #18 (November 1991)
Great issue. William Van Horn returns as the cover-and-lead artist, the story scripted by Michael T. Gilbert, “That Ol’ Soft Soap,” co-starring Uncle Scrooge and Gladstone Gander. As one fan wrote about this issue, “Donald Duck #18 demonstrates a strength few, if any, other publishers can boast: the ability to use multiple levels of story telling.” Two Carl Barks one-pagers add to the middle and Vicar’s back-up is a wild tale involving a wild crocodile. A very limited quantity remains of this book.
$11.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #19 (December 1991)
William Van Horn’s scripted and drawn “The Not-So-Silent Service” tells of Donald’s ultra-light submarine that he built himself which is designed to help modern-day scavengers and is equipped with dangerous depth bombs. Plus Vicar art. An extremely limited quantity remains of this book!
$25.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #20 (January 1992)
Donald and the boys confront Hank the Hermit, who has become legendary as “The Ghost of Kamikaze Ridge,” written and drawn by William Van Horn. Note that an extremely limited quantity remains of this book!
$25.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #21 (February 1992)
The cover and art to the long lead adventure, “The Golden Christmas Tree,” is by Carl Barks, a holiday favorite (from Donald Duck Four Color #203, 1948). A magnificent issue but, unfortunately, an extremely limited quantity remains of this book. (As a side note, editor Foster wrote in “Between the Lines that “the biggest news this month, is the announcement of an agreement that’s been reached between Disney and Glad-stone Publishing to create a 51-volume set of The Carl Barks Library in color.” A full-page ad in the same comic declares that it was “a four-and-a-half-year project beginning in January 1992, consisting of albums reprinting in strict chronological order all of the two thousand, five hundred forty one and a half (2,541 1/2) pages of interior art drawn for Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories by the Old Duck Man between 1943 and 1966.” Each album includes exclusive Trading Cards and was then followed by similar Libraries reprinting in color all of the Adventures of Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge, in addition to nine other catch-all miscellaneous albums.
$25.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #22 (March 1992)
A top-flight, wonderful issue. Don Rosa returns to the Adventures title with a Donald Duck “Master Craftsman” story as only he could tell it (perhaps second only to Barks), “The Master Landscapist,” where the simplest tasks escalate into disaster. Also Romano Scarpa debuts with “Delay of the Land,” (titled “The Procrastinator” on the credits page). Plus another Vicar story.
$10.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #23 (April 1992)
“The Lost Peg Leg Mine”, written and drawn by the Old Duck Man, Carl Barks, heads up this issue (which originally appeared in Donald Duck #52, March 1957). Scrooge and kin search for the legendary mine, which is said to be haunted! Color by Susan Daigle-Leach. Two other Vicar stories.
$8.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #24 (May 1992)
13 pages “On Stolen Time” by Duck Man heir apparent, Don Rosa, is a funny tale featuring Donald and the boys, Uncle Scrooge and his money bin, Gyro Gearloose and the nefarious Beagle Boys. A very clever concept. Two more stories boast the art of fan-favorite Daniel Branca.
$12.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #25 (June 1992)
For three months beginning with DD Adventures #25 -- and simultaneously in three issues each of Uncle Scrooge Comics and Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories -- one full-page piece of a color Duckburg Map appears in a pull-out centerfold that, when removed, does not affect any story or comic art. When assembled together the map measures an imposing 31 1/2” high by 19 1/2” wide. This issue of DDA #25 has Map #1 featuring Huey, Dewey and Louie’s Schoolhouse, plus two fine stories with art by Daniel Branca and Vicar.
$5.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #26 (July 1992)
A very special Carl Barks issue reprinting only the third long adventure with Uncle Scrooge and the first long adventure co-starring Gladstone: the famous March of Comics “Race to The South Seas” #41, a 22-pager from 1948 beautifully colored by Susan Daigle-Leach that tells one of the best examples of greed, selfishness and lessons learned as only the Old Duck Man could tell it. Add three fillers written by Bob Foster, one of which was penciled by Daan Jippes and inked by Ulrich Schroder and the other drawn by Jippes alone; plus Duckburg Map #4 (depicting the location of Uncle Scrooge’s money bin). Quantities of this great issue, sad to say, have become limited.
$15.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #27 (August 1992)
To mark the opening of EuroDisneyland the first story is “inspired” by one of the park’s attractions, “Adventure in Fantasyland,” art by Vicar. Duckburg Map #7 is included as a pull-out centerfold depicting Glomgold’s house. “Nap in Nature,” a funny two-page short written and drawn by William Van Horn is followed by a Carl Barks ten-pager Disney titled “The Houseboat,” in which Donald takes the nephews sailing on Lake Erie to keep them out of mischief. But that is when the mischief -- real and imagined -- begins (reprint from Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #142, July 1952). Guess who ends up going over Niagara Falls in a barrel?
$5.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #28 (September 1992)
Each September 1992 issue of DDA, Uncle Scrooge and Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories featured a tribute to the Summer Olympic Games with a left-hand corner emblem proclaiming the comic as an “Official Licensed Product of the U.S. Olympic Committee.” Highlight: “The Travel Tightwad,” the story of Scrooge’s indecisiveness of whether his stature as a billionaire dictates that Donald should chauffeur the miser around in a limousine or a motor scooter with a sidecar. Carl Barks drew the art and posed the questions (originally in Uncle Scrooge #45, October 1963). An extremely limited quantity remains of this book.
$25.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #29 (October 1992)
Sometimes the unexpected stands out: a black and white cover amid a field of full color stands out. Western Publishing had a policy that used to bother Carl Barks when it was decided that the size of the body of the main character on each comic book cover had to be drawn a certain percentage of the total surface area. An early issue of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories had on it only Clarabelle Cow. Maybe it didn’t sell as well, but collectors do tend to remember it today. Gladstone published an Uncle Scrooge album reproducing an oil painting in a horizontal wrap-around for the front and back cover, the front showing only two nephews, while the back had the third nephew, Donald and Uncle Scrooge. It worked! Now -- for the first time in Disney comics history -- no characters are shown on the front of DDA #20 except for small silhouettes of the ducks in a canoe. What you see of Donald is a half inch high and Huey, Dewey and Louie … only 3/8ths inch! The uncredited cover art for this story is virtually lifted from the first panel of the classic Carl Barks story inside, “Darkest Africa” (see panel one, ninth page). The color is also uncredited, but we’re sure it was by Susan Daigle-Leach. “Darkest Africa” is the famous 22-page Donald Duck adventure in which Don and the boys are hired to go to Africa to capture an Almostus Extinctus, rarest of butterflies, but run into an evil collector, Professor Argus McFiendly and a tribe of cannibals. (First appeared in the giveaway, Boys and Girls’ March of Comics #20, in 1948.) A rapidly declining and an extremely limited quantity of this special comic remains in stock.
$25.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #30 (November 1992)
A new cover illustrating the lead story, “Viking Island,” is the first of three tales, all with art by the highly rated Vicar. A full page explains the history and conception -- and approval for -- DDA #11’s parody cover of Harvey Kurtzman’s art to Mad #1. At the time of publication, editor Bob Foster had just learned of the passing of Mad’s venerable publisher William Gaines, who earlier had approved the parody. Limited Supply.
$9.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #31 (December 1992)
Huey, Dewey and Louie grace the cover of issue #31: it’s dark outside, the ducks are in a small rowboat and they look up in terror! Are those large raindrops falling on their heads, or, perhaps, it’s merely teardrops from “The Sobbing Serpent.” Art for the cover is by Michel Nadorp who worked from Bob Foster’s conceptual design (Nadorp was originally introduced to Disney fans by the covers he did for Gladstone’s Series I comic books and albums). The comic ends with the beginning of a fascinating several-issue series of one-page concepts and final art -- with commentary by “Editor Emeritus” Foster on the design and finished art by Jukka Murtosaari for DDA #22’s cover. Following Vicar’s long adventure, there are three exceptional Carl Barks one-page gags reprints.
$5.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #32 (January 1993)
Two creditable stories with art by Vicar and a third by Daniel Branca (part one of “Return to Bear Mountain”). Once again, former editor Bob Foster comments about his concept for a DDA cover (#24) that he originally intended for the Uncle Scrooge title and how he and artists Jim Mitchell (pencils) and Larry Mayer (inks) dealt with this change to the DDA cover. As Disney did with each issue’s background article, the original pencil sketch by Foster is compared with the final published art.
$4.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #33 (February 1993)
Almost sold out (we’ll pay $10 or trade for like-new, unread copies -- inquire if it’s available). The 22-page conclusion to “Return to Bear Mountain” (art by Daniel Branca) highlights the cover story … with appearances by most of the Duck Family: Donald, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Scrooge, Grandma, Gus Goose, Daisy Duck and 1947’s dog, Bolivar (a thoughtful choice). Add two great Carl Barks one-page fillers. If still available,
$25.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #34 (March 1993)
Another terrific sequel by Don Rosa of a Carl Barks story, “Super Snooper Strikes Again” to lead this book, written and drawn by the Middle-Aged, Kentuckian Duck Man. He did the cover, too, from a concept by Bob Foster. The story centers around Donald drinking radioactive isotopes to become the type of superhero that the nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie will look up to. This issue also reprints a 1948 one-pager, “The Trial of Donald Duck” -- taken from the animated film -- art by Harvey Eisenberg (originally in Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #95, July 1948); plus “Can Crazy,” ten pages of zaniness drawn by Vicar; and a two-pager by Al Taliaferro, “Grandma Duck’s Visit” (from WDC&S 100, January 1948).
$12.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #35 (April 1993)
Cover credits should be acknowledged for this beauty: layout by Bob Foster, percils by Jim Franzen, inks by Bruce Patterson and colors by Cris Palomino. Really charming. The best parts of the interior are two one-pagers by Carl Barks and a 10-page story Disney decided to name, "The Sleepies" (rest easy, Carl). This romp is hilarious, equaling most of the early Neighbor jones squabbles (from Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #178, July 1955). Highly recommended, except it's sold out!
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #36 (May 1993)
A very limited quantity remains of this book. “Donald Duck and the Titanic Ants” leads the issue, a 20-pager as written and drawn by the legendary Carl Barks. (Originally appeared in Donald Duck #60, July 1958.) Giant ants and a huge mole disrupt the Duckburg Billionaire’s Picnic. One- and two-page filler reprints from 1948 and ’49 issues of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories round out this comic.
$10.00
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #37 (June 1993)
This issue is a triple whammy! "The Duck Who Fell to Earth, by Don Rosa is the lead 12-pager; a pari of Donald Duck single-page Carl Barks gags follow; and the book ends with a 10-pager by William Van Horn, "Balms Away." All great stuff. The problem is, Gladstone's supply is sold out!
Disney’s Donald Duck Adventures #38 (June 1993)
This was the last issue of Donald Duck Adventures published by the Walt Disney Company before the license was given back to Gladstone. (We have on good authority that the three-year exercise by Disney lost money and the license was returned for the simple reason that Gladstone was the only publisher in 20 years to successfully market the Disney comic books.) As this last issue of DD Adventures clearly shows, by the end of Disney’s run their comics were clones of Gladstone’s former format, which was to immediately begin again with Series II as promoted in a double-page, full-color ad in this issue.)
On the letters page, editor David Seidman notes that Gladstone had published 20 issues previously of Donald Duck Adventures and we were going to pick up at that point, with #21 (rather than continuing Disney’s independent numbering, which we’re sure has confused some new fans in recent years).
As promoted within, “ AN ALL-NEW adventure by fan favorite, William Van Horn, where Donald Duck gets hold of a gun that can shrink or enlarge anything.” Though I never saw the movies, that reminds me somewhat of Touchstone’s “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” or the follow-up, “Honey, I Blew Up the Kids.” And following that -- in somewhat typical Gladstone fashion -- there are four Carl Barks one-pagers followed by the Old Duck Man’s ten-pager, “Have Gun, Will Dance” (from Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #278, November 1963).
$6.00