DELUXE ART
the world of Duckburg. And yet, he devoted himself first to studying civil engineering and he drew only on the side for the student newspaper. It was only in the mid 80s that Don Rosa applied to Gladstone Publishing, which was reprinting the classics by Barks and Mickey Mouse artist Floyd Gottfredson. The result was a contract to draw ‘Son of the Sun’. When he had completed a further five of a total of 18 comic books in his contract for Gladstone, Don Rosa sold his construction company. From 1990 onwards, he drew his most important work for Disney publisher Gutenberghus (from1992, Egmont): a biography of Scrooge McDuck (The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck) and a family tree of the Duck clan. Twice Don Rosa received the prestigious Will Eisner Comic Industry Award, and this man who called it his “destiny to draw Scrooge McDuck stories” was nominated several times for a Harvey Award. “He is the legitimate successor to Carl Barks,” says collector Prince von Sayn-Wittgen-stein. Don Rosa, who set his stories mostly in the 1950s, has carried on the spirit of the great master in his own particular way. A meeting in Mallorca and making the acquain- tance of the Barks collection on the Island, and its owner, were inevitable consequences of their correspondence. And this has led on to a genuine friendship. “As a Barks’ fan I recognise myself in Don Rosa,” says Prince von Sayn-Wittgenstein.
His destiny, to draw Scrooge McDuck stories Don Rosa is the most important successor to Donald Duck artist Carl Barks – on a visit to Mallorca he gave the readers of DELUXE a special present. he friendship between Donald Duck and José Carioca in the Disney animation ‘The Three Caballeros’ starts with a package. What follows is an invitation to Brazil, and as a device to travel to see to his new friend far away Donald uses a pop-up book. A crazy animation idea? No – a vision! This time, the friendship started via e-mail, the internet served as the device and it ended with a flight from the USA to Mallorca. It all started with research carried out online by Prince Karl-Heinz von Sayn-Wittgenstein into the work of Donald Duck artist Carl Barks. In Mallorca, the Prince maintains the most
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important collection of Barks’ work and he is working on a major exhibition. The art histori an wishes to examine not only the Duck universe with its protagonists and its intricate network of relationships, he is also interested in the genesis of the comic strips and print editions, their authors and illustrators. One figure stands centre stage: Keno Don Hugo Rosa (born 1951), Scrooge McDuck expert and Donald fan since childhood. From Louisville, Kentucky, he began drawing when he was only six years old. Enthralled by his sister’s collection of comic books, he developed Carl Barks’ Duck panopticon still further and interwove his own ideas with events from contemporary history. Don Rosa, as he was later called, immersed himself as no other in
Just like Don Rosa himself who on his threeday trip to Mallorca enjoyed the Island, the Mediterranean climate and, over dinner, the view of the yachts in the luxury marina of Puerto Portals. “I too am a passionate collector,” admitted the man from Kentucky who lives on a large nature reserve surrounded by flora and fauna. In Mallorca he may perhaps have found the third member of the ‘Caballeros’ band. Don Rosa drew its own Scrooge McDuck for DELUXE. The signed work, created in the presence of editor Birgit Unger is dedicated to readers of the magazine. And written in bold letters are the words “For the READERS of DELUXE MALLORCA!”. If that isn’t friendship... TexT: NOW, phOTOs: JaN KOhlrusch/ supersTar MallOrca