(GeekyThursday) DuckTales Rebooted

The nostalgia that flaps in the night!... no, that was Darkwing Duck...

The return of DuckTales is already promising to be a huge hit, and the subject of much talk over the Internet. Brilliant idea or just the umpteenth remake "trend" riding the coat tails of former glory? Here are some musings on the series premises and the expectations it stirred!

CRI -  Woo hoo! If you were a '90 kid like me, and grew up with the iconic cartoon series of the day, you've probably been pretty hyped about the recent reboot of one of the milestones for Disney lovers. Yes, DuckTales once more hits the screen, revamped and spiffied up - and with one (or more) twist to surprise both long time and first time viewers alike - or so the previews assure. How could I not write a #GeekyThursday post about that? *big grin* 

Expect a time travelling episode... - Nabs

Now granted, it'll probably be a while before I can actually watch it in Italian - and on a free TV channel to boot (no, I can't afford a subscription to Disney Channel). But with all due respect for adaptations (I'm a freelance translator. I know the pains of the trade!), I sometimes prefer watching shows in their original language first (except when the adaptation is too hilariously out of this world... like in the case of Steven Universe. But I plan to write a separate, detailed post about that sometime in the future!). And besides... it's David Tennant voicing Scrooge in the original. Sorry not sorry, italian dubbers - I've got to hear that!

Of reboots, remakes, and nostalgia

CRI - If you haven't lived the DuckTales phenomenon in your childhood, it'll probably be difficult to understand why this new reboot is such a hot topic over the Internet. Some people are just psyched that the iconic stories and characters of the '90s are coming back on TV. Some just hate the new elements - new design, new graphics, new voice actors, and of course a brand-new storyline that does not just pick up where the original '90s DuckTales ended, but rather  spins a wholly new tale of our favorite duck family.

(And yes, in case you're wondering - "spin a tale" is not a coincidence. TaleSpin was another of the Disney shows that I cherished back in the day, alongside with DuckTales, Bonkers the Bobcat, Rescue Rangers, and of course my beloved Darkwing Duck. I was raised a Disney kid - and while I did not watch just Disney toons, they played an important role in forging my love for animation!)

The charm of reboots, and the reason why they are so popular, is that they ride the wave of nostalgia. Of course, much of the success of a reboot depends on the working crew - the producers, storytellers and artists - ability to preserve the most characteristic traits of the original (its "heart") while at the same time adding something new. It's tricky - and it's especially tricky when it comes to such fan favorites as DuckTales. And there's the catch, and the reason why not every reboot is as good as the original; because a reboot is not about repeating established patterns and elements that "work", but about how they're re-interpreted and remastered. It's a painstaking work in which various elements, and not in the least the hardcore fans reception, must be taken into account. Any approach to a reboot that considers it just a "quick and easy" way to monetize a brand is doomed to backfire badly.

Especially, reboots aren't for everyone. And this is a trait that too often gets underestimated. No matter how well done or original a "new take" might be, there'll always be people who will prefer the original. And it's okay. Because usually, reboots entail one positive aspect that most detractors might not get at first sight. They bring old classics back to trend. Renewed interest is just another way to expand a show's life - its vitality - and stir interest in its trademarks aspects and especially its story. How many "new" readers were hooked into the Marvel world who had formerly not been into superhero comics at all, on the wake of all the recent movie remakes? And similarly - how many times the nostalgic purists of the original Disney "Beauty and the Beast" have rewatched their DVDs... or even old VHS (gasp! They were still a thing in my time!)... even if the remake didn't really do a thing for them?

Nostalgia works by juxtaposition too. You might forever like your original concept better - well now it's becoming popular again you have the chance to rewatch it. To once more experience the charm and thrill and the involvement that first got you hooked. Even if subsequent retakes might not do much for you... the spirit of revival is to bring it back to the spotlight - and to your attention.

Myself - I'm just as hyped to finally get new DuckTales episodes as I'll be to re-watch some "old favorites" in the wait. But what made those toons so special and why they had such an impact on us '90s kids? And can that magic be repeated again? I think so. Good storytelling knows no age, and it's the reason why we can still love the cartoons that were such a pivotal part of our childhood. There's many a nugget of wisdom that the old DuckTales series can lend to its successor, if the producers and animators will prove themselvews up to the task. So, let's see briefly what were the keys of the success of the original DuckTales and what we can look forward to in this new installment.

The Disney toons of the '90s and what we liked about them

CRI - I won't dawdle too much on the subject of the old Disney toons and the first "age of glory" of the animated cartoons. Mostly because my art sis Nabi and me plan to devote another installment #GeekyThursday entirely to this subject! ;)

However, I still think there's a few key elements of the '90s Disney shows that made them so popular, and that I'm hoping to savor again in the highly acclaimed new DuckTales relaunch. I believe, if Disney can tackle these elements once again, this new DuckTales will have all the right numbers to be the success it was once.

One of the most important aspects was that the episodes had a heart. Even if they were most auto-conclusive and (unlike more modern tv show) did not always have a concept of "horizontal" overarching plot, during the course of the episode's run you were engaged and involved in the characters adventures. They were episodic shows, but for this very reason, no episode really did feel like a "filler". You started watching each day (each weekend in Italy's case) with the burning curiosity to see what our heroes would be faced with, and day by day you were surprised... amused... and sometimes moved to tears.

You never knew where the next episode would take them - but you were up for the ride from the moment the theme song started playing. The new DuckTales is walking into some pretty big footprints here - and I believe it can succeed! ;)

DuckTales wasn't the only show to do this. Even the more whimsical Bonkers, with all his over-the-top cartoon gimmicks, never failed to pack laughs, action and entertainment over the course of each episode. This can be trickier with horizontal-type plotlines - and it's why TV series with this kind of structure occasionally do have less engaging episodes. It's not still clear which way the new DuckTales will take - but it'll sure be interesting to see what direction they decide to follow with this. A return to the old style? A mix of modern and traditional? I'm positively anticipating this!

(The original DuckTales also had strong connections with the less mainstream comic 'verse established by the Ducks creator, Carl Barks, and later expanded by following Disney authors. While it was not necessarily a 'pro' for every viewer, it did have its charm. Darkwing Duck, Rescue Rangers and Bonkers all went on to built their own in-show mythology. In lateryears, Goof Troop and Quack Pack would also try to achieve the same result, IMHO less successfully. The new DuckTales, however, seems to be going this route too with the inclusion of characters from even other shows - like Darkwing. I think, if this isn't played as mere fanservice but works toward building a believable inner storyworld, it should be totally ace!)

Scrooge's Klondike's saga was part of the original DuckTale mythology - and a much loved homage by the comic books aficionados who loved Barks's work. It'll be interesting to see how the new series goes about portraying it.

Expectations and musings on the new DuckTales

CRI - Shoot... where do I begin? I expect that there'll be enough of the old spirit to rekindle my passion and keep it thriving - but also enough "new stuff" to keep the excitement and the hype elevated throughout the series. I want to watch stories that I can admire for their visuals and storytelling, but that can also involve me emotionally. The old DuckTales ruled at this. It made you care for the characters, and presented the obstacles, threats and setbacks they faced in a believable way.

Of course, even in the day, it *was* a Disney family show - so the ending of each episode was necessarily going to be positive and uplifting. Yet it was never taken for granted. DuckTales and its sibling shows excelled in their handling of the suspension of disbelief, a lesson that later shows (at least the really good ones) have stayed true to. Naturally even back in the days we didn't expect that they'd get to kill off Donald, or Scrooge - but nonetheless, the threats felt real, because the characters were truly called to test themselves in order to overcome them. 

While we "knew" instinctively that they'd make it and there'd be yet another episode, how we'd get from the crisis to the closing credits was in no way predictable or "played safe". The stakes were high and you followed the action on screen wondering how they were going to get out of troubles. There was almost surely a way out and yes, the characters would find it - but at what cost? And after going through how many challenges? Even to date I'm positively floored by such episodes as the one where Magica De Spell mistakenly causes shadows to come to life (with malicious intents) or, in the Rescue Rangers run, where a fortune teller prophesized an endless row of "close calls" to Chip. (And don't get me started on "The treasure of the lost lamp" special. It was aired in theaters here in Italy and by the end of it, I was gripping my seat in anxiety.)

Despite being regularly defeated and sometimes played for laugh, Magica was established as a concrete threat and when she appeared on screen you knew she'd mean big troubles. 

The new DuckTales, in my opinion, should follow this route to create engaging and involving sequences in which we, the viewers, really come to care for the characters on screen. Not just because they're part of our childhood or because they are *the* Duck family and so no one could think of harming them - but because their personalities should still ring true. They need the strong points and the flaws that never lacked in the old series. Donald's nephews were clever and resourceful - but still mischievious kids who often ended up getting in troubles before they knew what was going on. Webby was shy and naive and the archetypal "girly" girl - but she could get a backbone. Scrooge was still the gold-lusting skinflint and adventurer we all know and love - but he could come around, on the long shot, for his family. 

NABS - So far, I'm liking the new designs for the triplets, making them more individual instead of just three colour coded clones, and Webby's is a big improvement too; she's rocking that new hairstyle! (Or is it feather-style?) I really like the rest of the aesthetics, such as the backgrounds looking like they've come straight out of a Disney Adventure comic book. The designs look new yet classic, and though I'm not a fan of the trend of giving kid characters grown up voices (Gravity Falls is guilty of this), the cast seems pretty good in their roles.

CRI - Judging by the spoilers about the pilot, the new DuckTales seems to be paving the way for an analogous development, and I'm particularly intrigued to see how the relationship between Scrooge and his nephews will be developed. We already know that Donald is going to play a bigger role in this remake than in the original DuckTales, and the key seems to lay in his long-buried resentment of the old rich uncle. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out in the course of the series. The opportunities for interesting conflicts, cute yet thought-provoking moments and heart warming scenes should be aplenty.

A family called to overcome years of reclusion, diffidence, distrust and past grudges. If the pilot's any indication, the new DuckTales will not be lacking in the feels department!

The conclusion both of each single episode and of the overall series, light hearted as it is, should never feel cheap or like just another caveat. It should flow naturally like the rewarding conclusion to a rollercoasterride that keeps viewer on the edge of their seat. The higher the stakes, the more rewarding the conclusion will be - but it should never feel contrived or forced. In my opinion, the best way to obtain this is working hard on the characterization and the dynamics of the story. Disney has done it all in the past. They can do it again.

I'm not even so much worried as some reviews I've read about the more "modern" aspects that set the story into our present time. But consider this; I'm Italian. We have a long-standing culture of Disney comics which has lasted since way over the '60s and adapted to the changes of everyday lifestyle. In our comic culture, modernity has already caught up with Disney characters. Pick up any of our current "Topolino" magazine - the stories are rooted in today's world just as they were in the stories from the last two decades. 

In the italian Disney comics it's not uncommon to find stories in which
the adventures of Donald and his family are rooted into the ordinary everyday
world. Introducing elements of modernity, if done sensibly, can be a
charming touch. Like with reboots themselves, though, the key is in the
use. Bringing the ducks into "our" reality must not just be a pretext. It's
must enrich theri world and present new challenges and opportunities.

Modern-day Huey, Dewey and Louie are still Junior Chipmunks, but they play at videogames and surf the Internet like any modern kid. Mickey Mouse has his very own cellphone, and Scrooge's obsolete telephone might still be played for laughs on how he pinches and scrapes over the smallest thing - but his offices are now equipped, among the other things, with computers. He's a natural adaptation of the Scrooge that he was in any "Topolino" magazine in 1990 when I was a kid, because these stories were always, to some extent, reflecting the everyday life. Early in the 2000's, we even had our very own cyber-revolution with the creation of a slew of new generation comic books series such as the beloved fan classic "PKNA", in which Donald's superhero alterego lived some spectacular sci-fi adventures. And this is why I might have lesser qualms than some other viewers with the modern elements in the new DuckTales. They just don't feel so forced to me because my comic culture - even more than cartoon culture - is so different. 

But I don't think adding a touch of modernity to the stories, or setting them into the present time, is a bad thing in itself. It can be - if it's not played right and it ends being just an accessory element. However, set it as part of the in-show mythology and use it in a manner's that useful to the enhancement of the story overall, and it can be a value of its own right, as it helps us identify more strongly by setting the characters into our own culture. Just like the idea of a remake - it's the use that ultimately determines whether it's good or bad. I want to trust Disney with this.

Will the new DuckTales walk in its ancestors footprints - or will that apple fall far from the tree?

CRI - The Disney shows in the '90s, ultimately, had the purpose to tell a story - and not merely sell a product (but we'll get back to this). Of course, they were still commercial shows whose purpose in need of good shares to survive, but they catered to that need in the best way possible - offering the viewers a combination of entertaining stories, familiar characters, and lots of family fun. 

Will the new DuckTales have this same drive? It's early to say - but by what we've seen so far, there seems to be quite some good numbers up there. The attention to the story and the development of the characters, a new graphic style that recaptures some of the old favorite aspects and expresses them in more streamlined fashion - and, if the rumors about a possible Darkwing appearance are anything to go by, even the importance that these characters came to have for viewers, are aspects that the working team behind the new DuckTales seems to be keeping tabs on. We'll see how it all comes to play - but if they can stay true to what made their shows unique back in the day, they can once more ride on the wave of a great success. Animated shows have covered quite some ground since then and truly come into their own. There's no reason Disney shouldn't be able to take the challenge and win it with shining colors!

And on top of the curiosity to see how the new DuckTales will flow, yours truly is really rooting for *ahem* the special guest appearance of the terror that flaps in the night... *____* 

NABS & CRI - So stay tuned next week for a new #GeekyThursday with our in-depth review of the DuckTales pilot and an overview of the first episodes! D-d-danger lurks behind you, there's a stranger out to find you, what to do? Just grab on to some... NOI posts! ;)

(MondayFluff #1) Everybody wants to be a cat!

Monday morning? Cats think different!

CRI - Hello here, NOI readers! The first Monday of September rolls by and it goes without saying that if all Mondays are generally depressing, this one marking - for the most part - the very end of summer vacations can't be but worse. However! We don't want our readers to feel depressed so we've thought of cheering up your Mondays with a scheduled appointment that animal lovers will bookmark; every Monday we'll post some of the fluffiest, cutest and most adorable animal photos from our archives!

And today's #MondayFluff is all about cats. Who can resist their eyes? When Dreamworks gave the character of Puss in Boots the trademark "kitty eyes"  weapon, they knew what they were on about! Far from being the cold and unaffected pets they are normally cliched as, cats find a thousand ways to express their adorableness and their love for their humans. Like our little sis Tree said - they are just tsunderes!

Cats are dignified, and like to play cool. But it's why we love them!

It's not a coincidence that even the famous show Steven Universe played on this trait of cats personality (and expressiveness!) with the iconic scene where Steven asks his otherwise aloof pet Lion (who,  not coincidentially, sports a heart-shaped nose) to "blink if you love me". Cats may not be big on PDA usually... but their eyes tell a different story. The eyes have it. Just look at this adorable kitten - what are his eyes telling you?

Blink means you love me.

And cats are strongly empathetic too! The little kitten below on today's #MondayFluff had given up eating or drinking when he realized the family who rescued him from a street was going to give him up for adoption. As soon as they introduced him to the other cats of the house, and it became clear they had all got so attached to him there was no way he'd be given away, he found his will to live and his happiness again. He didn't want to leave the family he had chosen for himself!

The eyes of cats will always win. Seriously. Who CAN resist them?

So enjoy your daily cuteness, courtesy of my art sis Nabi and myself, with this choice selection of cat-a-licious fluffiness. Not enough fluff for you? Check back next week for another #MondayFluff - and find a reason to look forward to your Mondays from now on! ;) 

NOI - A little about us (and what you can look forward to in our blog!)

CRI - Greetings! And welcome to our brand new blog, run by my awesome art sis Nabi, her boyfriend George, and myself! We have only just begun this online adventure, but have many great plans for the future. If you want to stick around, we believe that it'll be worth your time! Don't you agree, sis? ^_^

NABS - Yep! Ahoy everyone, and welcome to NOI! We'll be posting about all sorts of things that interest us, from talking about our favourite books, films and other media (and maybe reviews of our "not-so-favourite" things), animals and science, relevant news we might find, and travel.

CRI - And from time to time we'll also post interactive stuff to which you can partake, like polls and quizzes. We'll also tell you a little about our other ongoing projects which you can follow to show us your support! 

GC - So welcome! Sit back, relax, and hopefully you'll find something you enjoy.