Donald Duck’s Halloween Scream! 2017

25-pack for Donald Duck’s Halloween Scream!

I know I’m a bit late with this post, but we got a new issue of Donald Duck’s Halloween Scream! for Halloween this year. This is the second issue, and it actually says so on the inside too.
 

The 2017 issue is numered #2 on the inside

We didn’t get any last year, but we got one for Halloween ComicFest in 2015. This year’s issue got a Halloween ComicFest logo too, but it’s not intended for free giveaway in comic shops like the last one (although some shops might do it anyways). Instead this year’s issue is sold in packs of 25 comics for $4.99 and intended for people to buy and give out for free themselves. So instead of giving away candy when someone is trick-or-treating at your door, you could get one of these packs and give away a comic book instead. Just like last year’s preview comic for Mickey’s Inferno that was sold in a similar pack (check my blogpost last year about this one)

As this year’s Donald Duck’s Halloween Scream! is sold in packs of mini-comics, the format is a lot smaller than the first issue.
 

Donald Duck’s Halloween Scream! 2015 (#1) and 2017 (#2)

But like the 2015 comic the new one also have a reprint (i.e. not new to the USA) story by William Van Horn.
 

"Kid Stuff" by William Van Horn

Kid Stuff is not really about Halloween, it’s just about Donald painting a house that might be haunted – so I guess it kind of fits the Halloween theme.

We didn’t get any Giant Halloween Hex from IDW this year, so I’m glad Donald Duck’s Halloween Scream! is back instead. But I hope we’ll get a new issue of Giant Halloween Hex next year!

Books about Carl Barks' surviving comic book art

Books by Matti Eronen

Earlier this year Matti Eronen published a new book about Carl Barks' surviving comic book art. It's the second book about this topic he has (self)published, and at the time I'm writing this both are available for sale on eBay directly from the author. The new book is also available on Amazon and Adlibris, or you can find contact information on www.illusi0n.com and I'm sure other arrangements can be made.

Carl Barks' Surviving Comic Book Art – 1994 – ISBN 952-90-5644-3

The first book was published back in 1994 just in time for Barks' European Tour. The main part of the book is a listing of the known pages of surviving comic book art and is the result of years of study in auction catalogs, magazines and with the help of other Barks' fans around the world. From the roughly 6700 pages of comic book production this books is listing about 200 pages of surviving artwork. Not a huge amount of art has surfaced after this book was written, so it's still relevant for anyone interested in the topic.
 

Example from inside the book, just text no illustrations

The book also has an index of all of Barks' comic book production and a listing of the paintings, but those parts are of less interest as they are better covered elsewhere.

A Study from Shadow: Carl Barks' Surviving Comic Book Covers – 2017 – ISBN 978-952-93-8893-6

The new book is just focusing on the surviving art of Barks' covers, including 11 newly discovered covers not mentioned in the previous book. Unlike the 1994 book that just had text, this book is illustrated with both the original artwork and the original published covers.

 

Example from inside the book, illustrated with both the original art and published cover

The most interesting part for me in this book was the analysis of how the editors had removed Barks' inked shadows in a lot of the covers. I have seen examples of this before, but had no idea it was this thoroughly done!
 

Comparison with the removed shadows highlighted

The back of the book also has an interesting article more general about the covers made by Carl Barks and for his stories.