Donald Duckling is a fictional character from the Italian Disney comics, representing Donald as a child. Created by Bruno Enna, Diego Fasano, and Paola Mulazzi, he appeared for the first time in a comic strip at the end of 1998, illustrated by Alessandro Barbucci; his first story as a protagonist is "Paperino Paperotto e il giorno più duro", by the same artist, published in Topolino #2250 (12 January 1999).
The young Donald, in these stories, lives in the quiet Quack Town, a small town dedicated to agricultural cultivation on the outskirts of Duckburg, with Grandma Duck (but without Gus Goose to help her); in these stories, there is also a young Billy the goat and, rarely, also appears his cousin Gladstone Gander, who lives in Duckburg.
Donald Duck has many friends among his schoolmates, Betty Lou Fitzwater Van Der Built, Louis Cromb, Millicent Webfoot, and Tom Lovett. Together they form a close-knit group, always ready for any adventures. Among his friends, he much prefers Louis, with whom he has a better understanding and shares more interests (among these is "Amazing Papers", Donald Duck's favorite science fiction magazine, which he loves reading with his friends).
The relationship with Tom (who calls him "Eggplant") is bad in some stories, and good in others, even if the two always say they are great friends.
Donald has no particular interest in Betty Lou, while Tom is in love with her, and in some stories, they help him to make a good impression. Surely the relationship with Millicent is better (she loves to do business and idolizes Scrooge). Other recurring characters are Sheriff Marble and Miss Witchcraft, a local school teacher.
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Here's a gorgeous illustration inspired by the story "3 gradini per le stelle - Paperino Paperotto, Roby Vic e i conti... alla rovescia", first published in Topolino magazine #2859 (September 14, 2010), written by Alessandro Sisti, and illustrated by Stefano Intini.
In this story, Roby Vic (a fictional character based on the real person Roberto Vittori, an Italian astronaut) arrives at the Quack Town school and, thanks to the help of Donald Duck and friends, discovers his talent for mathematics and numbers, and his dream of becoming an astronaut. Thanks to his talent, he saves the filming of "Star Trick", his favorite TV series.
This illustration was published as an homage to Alessandro Sisti in the book
"Alessandro Sisti -
Sogni di un papero eclettico".
Huge thanks to Stefano!
Paper size: 21 x 29.7 cm
