Don Rosa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Don Rosa |
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Rosa in 2022
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| Born | Keno Don Hugo Rosa June 29, 1951 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Area(s) | Writer, Penciller, Artist, Inker |
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Notable works
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| Awards | Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Ann Payne
(m. 1980) |
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Keno Don Hugo Rosa, better known as Don Rosa, is an American comic book writer and artist. He is famous for his stories about Scrooge McDuck and other Disney characters. Many of his comics are inspired by the characters and places created by his hero, Carl Barks.
Between 1987 and 2006, Rosa created about 90 stories. His most famous work is the 12-part series The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. In 1995, this series won the Eisner Award, a top prize in the comic book world.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Don Rosa was born on June 29, 1951, in Louisville, Kentucky. His older sister collected comics, and she taught him how to "read the pictures" when he was very young. This helped him learn to love comics as a way to tell stories.
His favorite comics were Uncle Scrooge and Little Lulu. He also enjoyed his sister's collection of MAD magazine. As he got older, he started collecting comics like The Spirit and Pogo.
In 1973, Rosa graduated from the University of Kentucky. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering.
Career in Comics
Early Work
Rosa's first published comic was a strip called The Pertwillaby Papers. He created it for his college newspaper in 1971. After college, he worked for his family's tile company. Drawing comics was just a hobby for him.
From 1979 to 1982, he created a weekly comic strip called Captain Kentucky for a local newspaper. The main character was a superhero version of Lancelot Pertwillaby from his college comic. After three years, he decided the work was not worth the effort and stopped drawing for four years.
Drawing the Ducks
In 1986, Rosa saw a comic book from Gladstone Comics. It was the first time in years that new Disney comics were being made in America. Rosa had always loved Carl Barks' stories about Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck.
He called the editor, Byron Erickson, and told him that he was born to write and draw Scrooge McDuck adventures. Erickson gave him a chance. The very next day, Rosa started working on his first Duck story, "The Son of the Sun".
The story was a huge hit and was nominated for a Harvey Award. Rosa continued to make comics for Gladstone until 1989. He then worked for other publishers, including the Danish company Egmont, which became his main publisher in 1990.
The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck
In 1991, Rosa began his biggest project: The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. This 12-chapter series told the life story of his favorite character. It was based on clues and details from Carl Barks's original stories.
The series was very successful and won an Eisner Award in 1995. Later, Rosa created a few extra "missing" chapters that were published in a book called The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion.
Retirement from Comics
In 2008, Rosa had to have emergency eye surgery. This made it very difficult for him to draw the detailed art he was known for.
He also grew frustrated with the comic book industry. Artists like him were paid a flat fee for each page. They did not receive any extra money (called royalties) when their stories were reprinted around the world. Because of his eye problems and these business issues, Rosa announced his retirement from making comics.
Personal Life
In 1980, Rosa married Ann Payne, who was a middle-school teacher.
Rosa is an avid collector of many things, including comic books, old magazines, and pinball machines. He also enjoys growing chili plants and taking care of a large nature preserve on his property. He often travels to Europe to meet his fans.
His Unique Style
Detailed Artwork
Rosa's drawing style is famous for being incredibly detailed. He often hides funny jokes and references in the background of his panels. Because he studied engineering, he used technical pens and tools to create his precise drawings. His style is often described as more "dirty" and complex than that of other Disney artists.
Inspired by Carl Barks
Don Rosa's hero was Carl Barks, the artist who created Scrooge McDuck and developed the world of Duckburg. Rosa's stories are filled with references to Barks's work. He tried to make all of his stories fit into a single timeline based on Barks's comics.
To keep things consistent, Rosa set all of his Duck stories in the 1950s, which is when Barks wrote many of his most famous adventures. While Barks created the characters, Rosa is known for telling new kinds of stories with them, often focusing on adventure and history.
The D.U.C.K. Dedication
In most of his stories, Rosa hid the letters D.U.C.K. in the first panel or on the cover. This was a secret message that stood for: Dedicated to Unca Carl from Keno. "Unca Carl" was Carl Barks, and Keno is Rosa's first name. It was his way of signing his work and honoring his hero.
Hidden Mickeys
Even though Rosa only wrote stories about the Duck family, he often hid images of Mickey Mouse in his artwork. Sometimes, the hidden Mickey is in a funny or silly situation, like being flattened under an elephant's foot.
Awards and Recognition
Don Rosa has won many awards for his work.
- Eisner Award: He won for The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck in 1995 and as Best Artist/Writer in the Humor category in 1997.
- Harvey Awards: In 2007, he was nominated for five awards, including "Best Writer" and "Best Artist."
- Bill Finger Award: He received this award in 2013 for his excellence in comic book writing.
- International Awards: He has won "Best Cartoonist of the Year" awards in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Italy, and Spain.
See also
In Spanish: Don Rosa para niños
- List of Disney comics by Don Rosa
- Donald Duck universe
- Clan McDuck
