Donald Duck versus Two-Face, and the Philosophy of Flipism!
Imagine how I felt when I learned that there existed an actual pseudo-philosophy known as Flipism, based around making all life decisions on the flip of a coin! And imagine my surprise when I learned that this idea is credited not to Harvey Dent, but rather to Donald Duck. No, seriously!
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I'd heard all about those other things that the Ducks were responsible for, but inspiring the Manga style is news to me - I'd always heard it was inspired by Bugs Bunny cartoons. Oh well, you live and learn.
Flipism (almost) leading Donald to get his revenge is fairly par for the course with him - Barks was known for his ironic twist endings. In this case, the status quo is preserved, and both Donald's gullibility and the Professor's con artistry are slapped down - Donald by not getting his rightful revenge, and the Professor by having to leave town in a hurry with the fear of Duck put into him. Not bad for a two-page wrap-up.
How is Professor Batty's name a coincidence? Am I missing something?
Personally, I don't find it all that strange that Donald prioritizes fame over adventures and riches, since neither of the latter two are in any way strangers to him. He has, after all, been all over the world on various escapades and at several points gained possession of fabulous wealth for short periods of time. Fame, though, has always eluded him - his stories frequently feature him being well-known for one thing or another, but it never lasts long, and he always ends up being a regular schlub again. Real, genuine celebrity is the one quality that he's never had - of course he'd desire it over money and adventure, which for him are easy come, easy go.
I understand why you left it out (since the link to the actual story is right there, and it's not relevant to the subject), but I wish you'd included a reference to the sign on the Judge's podium: "You haven't a chance! The city is broke, and the judge wants a raise!" I love that line.
If you ever wish to expand that new Disney tag, there are plenty of other Barks stories that deal with similar topics to this - his confrontations with Gladstone Gander, for instance, often expound on issues of luck and fate. I could look up a few for you, if you want.
And hey, something I just found out - the study, discussion, etc. of Disney comics has the popular nickname of 'Donaldism'. So this article is about two 'isms' at the same time - Flipism and Donaldism!
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You're like, Bats, Man.
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I need to read more Duck comics. I've read several, but it's not enough. I initially wrote an entire paragraph espousing the awesomeness of Don Rosa's The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, and I forgot to find a way to slip it back into the post. It's a shame because, seriously, The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck is one of my favorite graphic novels ever. In any genre. It's so rich and complex, like a family-friendly There Will Be Blood, that I'm not at all surprised that there is a field of study for the Duck comics.
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Yeah, 'Life and Times' is pretty great stuff, all right. It's not quite as much of a favorite for me - I'm really more of a Donald than a Scrooge fan, and I don't like the way that Rosa so often depicts him as a dim-witted bumbler, especially here - but there's no denying that the bulk of it is terrific.
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