MATT’S PICK :: WALT DISNEY DONALD DUCK DAILY NEWSPAPER COMICS HC VOL 01: This is truly a glorious day for Donald Duck fans the world over! We FINALLY get to bask in the artistic glory of the finest duck artist who ever lived! And no, I am not talking about Carl Barks! Blasphemous, I’m sure, right? In my humble opinion, Donald (and his sadistic nephews) are best rendered by the great Al Taliferro. His ducks are more faithful to the animation model sheets than any other “duck artist’s” work. Furthermore, (I mention this often when praising Al’s version of the ducks) his duck drawings consistently have me laughing out loud at a mere glance of his character staging and attitude. He truly shines when he presents an exasperated or incredulous Donald meeting the reader’s gaze.

These gag strips are fun, quick reads. Nice for digest reading or a quick chuckle. In comparison, the duck strips are a departure from the long form/serialized strips featuring the mouse. I appreciate the work of Floyd Gottfredson – this is a whole different animal. As a reader with a very strong opinion on all things Disney, I can say without reservation: this volume is sure to delight! Also, as a fun side-note, it was Al who came up with the concept of “Unca Donald’s” troubled nephews for use as foils in this strip before they were featured in the animated shorts.