Some time back, we mentioned how
Chris Giarusso's Mini-Marvels gave me that "feeling of injustice making your tummy hurt," and so does today's book! From 1978,
Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #v38#6/450, reprinting "The Jinxed Jalopy Race" from 1963's
Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #v23#6 (270). Story and art by Carl Barks.
Pretty straightforward start: Daisy Duck is named queen of this year's Mistletoe Ball. To win the right to kiss her under the mistletoe, contestants have to win "the grueling fetch-the-mistletoe jalopy race," which would actually be a rather leisurely drive if cheating didn't appear to be actively encouraged. Even lucky Cousin Gladstone isn't immune, as his entire engine has been swiped: Donald manages only because the nephews had "
lived" in his car for weeks to guard it. (This would've been long before living in your car would have a much more negative implication.) Gladstone won't quit, though; counting on his good luck to hex Donald, and brother, he put the whammy on him.
A nervous Donald tries to guard against bad luck, so is of course immediately pulled over and ticketed by a motorcycle cop for throwing out a gum wrapper. He's forced to head into town to pay his fine, and nervously drinks a bottle of soda, then accidentally drops it out of the car when a wasp comes for it. The judge drives over the broken bottle, blows his tire, and gets further scraped up by the garbage on the side of the road, but he had seen the "litterbug's" plates. And when said litterbug turns up in his court...
Sentenced to pick up all the roadside trash for a stretch of highway, Donald is going nowhere fast; as Daisy wonders why he wasn't back with the mistletoe yet. She isn't thrilled to see Gladstone get another car and take off, either. Gladstone sees Donald and quickly realizes what must've happened, and dumps some more litter for him; which of course the cop doesn't see, he was taking a nap. Donald, knowing he's licked, stops breaking his legs picking up trash, since there wasn't a reason to hurry anymore. Gladstone wins, and tells Daisy that Donald was just napping by the roadside, which is not met with calm reason...There's a happy ending, sure; but still: don't trust cops! Or judges. Or luck.
Eh, at least Donald's berserker rages are funnier than Wolverine's. I'll admit that I like Donald better in Uncle Scrooge stories, where he's just lazy instead of put-upon to a Jimmy Olsen degree, but getting angry about stuff is one of his major schticks.
ReplyDeleteThat 'race where everybody cheats' idea is good enough to be a story on its own- it has a Cannonball Run feel to it.
Has Cousin Gladstone ever showed up in the cartoons? I don’t remember him in the original Ducktales series. Was in the latest one?
ReplyDeleteHe showed up in at least a couple of episodes of the recent one, including one where some spirit was feeding off his good luck and he essentially tried to trick Donald into being trapped in his place.
ReplyDeleteI could tolerate Gladstone in the comics where he just seemed to casually benefit from his good luck, but seeing him actively trying to screw people over really makes me dislike the guy.
He was in the original Ducktales but for only an episode or two near the end of the run. Magica used his super luck to get Scrooge's lucky dime. I think the other episode was just a cameo.
ReplyDeleteOh ok, cool. Thanks for catching up guys.
ReplyDelete