The Disney Afternoon Adventures: DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp and Other Stories
Editor: David Gerstein
Series Design: Chelsea Wirtz
Volume Design: Ben Horak
Cover Art: Drew Struzan
Cover Design: Doug Erb
Production: Paul Baresh
Publisher: Fantagraphics
True, the origins of my lifelong comic obsession are no doubt the newspaper funnies. As a child, I would pick through the family newspaper each morning, heading directly to Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield. But the first comics I sought out independently were those in the pages of the monthly issue of Disney Adventures Magazine.
So, the ongoing Fantagraphics series of comics collections, The Disney Afternoon Adventures, has been a nostalgic joy for me since it launched in 2021. While the sixth volume, subtitled DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp and Other Stories, doesn’t break the mold established by the series so far, that’s just fine with me. As long as it continues to include high-quality reproductions of 1990s comics based on The Disney Afternoon properties, what else could I ask for?
Everyone’s Getting Ready for Disney Afternoon
“The Disney Afternoon” (TDA) was a programming block of animated shows that launched in September 1990. Consisting of four thirty-minute slots, TDA boasted a rotating roster of shows that would shift based on the availability of new episodes. The programming block was built around DuckTales, which debuted in 1987. DuckTales was joined by Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers in 1989, with Gummi Bears and TaleSpin joining the lineup when TDA proper launched in the fall of 1990.
In the 1991-92 season, TDA replaced Gummi Bears with Darkwing Duck. Additional shows that were added down the line included Goof Troop, Bonkers and The Lion King’s Timon and Pumbaa. All the cartoons I’ve specifically mentioned so far have had comics appear in The Disney Afternoon Adventures series. However, neither Bonkers nor Timon and Pumbaa are featured in volume six – check volumes one, three, four and five for Bonkers and volume two and the forthcoming volume seven for Timon and Pumbaa.
It’s also worth noting that there were additional cartoons in later years of TDA’s run that have yet to make an appearance in The Disney Afternoon Adventures series. These include Gargoyles, the popular fantasy series that featured big-name voice actor talent, including Keith David, Bill Fagerbakke, Ed Asner, Frank Welker, Marina Sirtis and Jonathan Frakes. If I had to guess, any Gargoyles comics are being held back, since the cult popularity of the show most likely justifies a dedicated volume sometime down the line.
Finally, there are a few less popular (or even downright infamous) TDA shows that have yet to show up in The Disney Afternoon Adventures series: Quack Pack, Mighty Ducks and The Shnookums & Meat Funny Cartoon Show. I think a Mighty Ducks comic could have potential, but I suppose time will tell.
Treasure of the Lost Lamp and Other Stories
Like every entry in Fanta’s The Disney Afternoon Adventures series, Treasure of the Lost Lamp and Other Stories features a single show on the cover – in this case, DuckTales – but comics from the majority of TDA shows inside. Typically, the featured show gets the lead story, along with at least one more later on.
In addition to variety among the shows, each volume includes varying lengths of comic stories. Some are one- or two-page stories. Others are the length of a typical comic book. And some are multi-part stories that were presumably originally published over the course of several periodical issues. The variety of shows, combined with the variety of story lengths and styles, creates a varied and interesting reading experience.
But the variety doesn’t end there. There are also variable points of origin for the stories. While some were indeed originally published in issues of Disney Adventures, others were originally published elsewhere. These include comics that were originally published overseas, in languages other than English. So, even if you remember reading every issue of Disney Adventures, there will nevertheless be some fresh material for you to enjoy in these collections.
These comics are reproduced in full and vibrant color on high-quality paper. Not to mention, the books are a larger format than Disney Adventures magazine utilized, so the comics that originally appeared in that title are presented in more detail than ever before. It all adds up to a very nice presentation that leaves no room for complaint.
“The Gates of Shambhala”
As with the five previous volumes of The Disney Afternoon Adventures series, I thoroughly enjoyed Treasure of the Lost Lamp and Other Stories. I enjoyed TDA shows at a formative time in my life and devoured the associated comics when a new issue of Disney Adventures appeared in the supermarket checkout lane or, later on, in the mailbox thanks to my first magazine subscription. When I read these volumes, I may not remember the stories (if I previously read them at all), but visiting with the familiar characters feels like a welcome vacation with longtime friends.
As a fan of all TDA shows I’ve mentioned so far, I enjoyed all of the stories in Treasure of the Lost Lamp and Other Stories. But while my childhood favorites were Darkwing Duck and Rescue Rangers, I found myself most enjoying the book’s three-part TaleSpin story, “The Gates of Shambhala.” This was written by JG Weiss with pencils by Oscar F. Saavedra and José Massaroli, inks by Raul Barbero, Robert Bat, Carlos Paura and Rubén Torreiro, colors by Sam Parsons and lettering by John Costanza.
“The Gates of Shambhala” is an almost-50-page story in which Higher for Hire is commissioned by Shere Khan’s associate to track down an ancient hidden treasure. But their treasure hunt is complicated by the fact that Don Karnage and several of his Sky Pirate cronies are hot on their tails. As a child, I always enjoyed Kit and Baloo’s exploits in the Sea Duck, but I don’t think I appreciated the show’s adventure serial antecedents. Now that I’m in a better position to do so, I find TaleSpin more appealing than ever.
A Kiss and a Wish
I’m not going to claim I’m not influenced by nostalgia. However, I do think that other readers with similar experiences will be equally won over by Treasure of the Lost Lamp and Other Stories and the other books in Fantagraphic’s The Disney Afternoon Adventures series as I have.
Noting that I am a white American woman, I do want to applaud the book for the decision to keep potentially offensive elements of the stories intact, along with a disclaimer on the table of contents page. This disclaimer explains that the offensive elements, including negative depictions of “people or cultures,” were as wrong then as they are now. However, these “of their time” elements are included to keep the historical record accurate and foster discussion.
I think these are worthy goals, even if I do find the offensive material, well… offensive. By keeping the offending material, we can understand why we must learn, grow and no longer include such elements in our stories. (See: DuckTales (2017) for an example of how to tell these stories inoffensively, but without losing any of the original series’ charms.)
Finally, I have one wish for the series. In the first and third volumes, there are short, page-long essays included. In volume one, David Cody Weiss wrote an essay called “The Legend Behind ‘The Legend of the Chaos God,’” detailing how a certain crossover story came to fruition. And in volume three, Doug Gray writes about “The Tale of Fluffy,” about a Darkwing Duck character he created for the Disney Adventures comic.
I found both of these essays to be enlightening, and I wish every volume of The Disney Afternoon Adventures series included one. For example, what does Comics Beat’s Editor in Chief, Heidi MacDonald, have to share about her time editing Disney Afternoon’s comics? I’m sure there is no shortage of stories about the process of creating these popular licensed comics from MacDonald and others, and this perspective is missed when it is not included.
Available from Fantagraphics Now
The first six volumes of The Disney Afternoon Adventures series from Fantagraphics are available now, including the sixth and most recent, Treasure of the Lost Lamp and Other Stories. These decently-sized hardcovers look gorgeous on the Fanta shelf, and they are complemented by the “spin-off” Disney One Saturday Morning Adventures, which includes Recess, Doug and Pepper Ann comics.
Whether you’re a new or old fan of 1990s Disney comics, you’ll adore Treasure of the Lost Lamp and Other Stories and The Disney Afternoon Adventures series in general.
The Disney Afternoon Adventures: DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp and Other Stories is available now from your local book and comics seller and/or public library.
