Historical Figures Codexery

Don Rosa

The man who brought Scrooge McDuck to life.

Don Rosa

Doc Cardio · via Wikipedia: Don Rosa · CC BY-SA 4.0

Born on June 29, 1951, Keno Don Hugo Rosa, who goes by Don Rosa, is an American illustrator and comic book writer recognized for his work with Disney characters like Scrooge McDuck.[1] Don Rosa is most famous for creating comic stories centered on Scrooge McDuck and other figures from the Disney universe.[1] In 1973, Rosa earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering after graduating from the University of Kentucky.[2]

Quick Facts

Birth name
Keno Don Hugo Rosa
Born
29 June 1951
Birthplace
Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Notable works
"The Son of the Sun" (1987), The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck (1992–94)

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

While making that strip, Rosa also contributed art and articles to comic fanzines, including An Index of Uncle Scrooge Comics.[3] In early summer 2002, Rosa laid down work because he could not live under the conditions Egmont was offering him.[4] In June 2008, Rosa announced his decision to stop creating comics due to eye troubles, low pay, and unauthorized use of his stories.[5] For his college newspaper, The Kentucky Kernel, Rosa produced his debut published comic in 1971, an adventure strip called The Pertwillaby Papers.[2]

Rosa considers himself a workaholic and an introvert, a trait he attributes to experiencing social isolation during his childhood.[6] In the period leading up to his retirement, Rosa experienced depression; he thinks this was brought on by a demanding work schedule that left little time for relaxation.[7] Emergency eye surgery was required for Rosa in March 2008 after he suffered a severe retinal detachment; the operation achieved only partial success.[5] Readers in Europe show greater enthusiasm for Rosa's work than those in his home country, the United States.[8]

What the cited sources add

Rosa's own epilogue states that his work habits intensified when he began writing and drawing comics with Barks' Ducks.[9][10] Rosa explains that Disney comics are created by freelance writers and artists working for licensed independent publishers, not by the Disney company.[10] Rosa describes how publishers used his name on products without his permission, and he eventually demanded they stop unless they had his consent.[9][10] Rosa notes that all-Rosa book series in several countries are now attributed to an "anonymous" author because of this dispute.[9][10]

Carl Barks stated in a 1994 interview that Rosa's style is extremely detailed and different from the Disney style.[11] Barks added that if artists like Rosa have a good story and tell it properly, people will like it.[11] Rosa has stated that publishers started producing all-Rosa albums, calendars, and hardback editions without informing him.[9][10]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Don Rosa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Don Rosa on himself: Don's Background – STP"; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Don Rosa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Don Rosa on himself: Don's Background – STP" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Don Rosa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dalager Ditlevsen, "Andeby er splittet i to: Legendarisk tegner har i årtier fået ande-fans helt op i det røde felt", DR, 2021-07-29; "Don Rosas samlade verk", Egmont, 2011, p. 24–33; Berger, "Tre år i hælene på Don Rosas ænder", Nummer 9, 2014-09-02 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Don Rosa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: He describes this system here: http://career-end.donrosa.de/ (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Don Rosa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Message board post from Danish writer Lars Jensen, and specifications by Sigvald Grøsfjeld jr., owner and maintainer of http://duckman.pettho.com/ (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Don Rosa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Life and times of Don Rosa. A documentary by Sebastian Cordes, 2010.; "Don Rosa Collection: An Epilogue by Don Rosa, February 2013" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Don Rosa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Rosa, "Don Rosa Collection: An Epilogue by Don Rosa, February 2013", Don Rosa Collection (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Don Rosa" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Linda Perry, "Going Quackers", The Kentucky Alumni, Fall 2003, p. 26" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. He describes this system here: http://career-end.donrosa.de/. facts only, no text reused. career-end.donrosa.de
  10. Rosa, "Don Rosa Collection: An Epilogue by Don Rosa, February 2013", Don Rosa Collection. facts only, no text reused. career-end.donrosa.de
  11. "Interview with Carl Barks, by Sébastien Durand and Didier Ghez, July 7, 1994", The Ultimate Disney Books Network. facts only, no text reused. didierghez.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Don Rosa (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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