Walt Disney Comics Digest
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Walt Disney Comics Digest was one of three digest size comics published by Gold Key Comics in the early 1970s. The other two were the Mystery Comics Digest and Golden Comics Digest.
Walt Disney Comics Digest was published for 57 issues from 1968 to 1976. The contents consisted (with few exceptions) of reprints, mainly from the various licensed Disney properties published by Gold Key. Most focused on the Disney animated characters (Mickey Mouse et al, Donald Duck et al, Junior Woodchucks, Uncle Scrooge, Gyro Gearloose, Chip n Dale, Scamp, Peter Pan, etc.), but also included adaptions of various live action Disney films and tv shows, such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Zorro, True Life Adventure, Summer Magic, Kidnapped, and more. Besides stories there were various text features including puzzle pages and Minnie Mouse's Hollywood gossip column.
It initially was 192 pages but gradually shrunk until the last issues were only 128 pages. As distinguished from standard comics the digest was square bound with a glued binding. In many cases stories were reformated to fit the digest format.
[edit] Trivia
The last new comic book story drawn by Carl Barks was a Daisy Duck tale (The Dainty Daredevil) published in Walt Disney Comics Digest issue 5 (Nov. 1968). When bibliographer Michael Barrier asked Barks about why he drew it, Barks' vague recollection was no one was available and he was asked to do it as a favor by editor Chase Craig.
Issue 40 (April 1973) is devoted to Mickey Mouse including a reprint of the classic Floyd Gottfredson comic strip story The Bar None Ranch. Issue 44 (Dec. 1973) is devoted to Donald Duck and contains 4 long classic Donald Duck adventures by Carl Barks. Issue 51 (Feb. 1975) reprints the adaptation of Three Caballeros drawn by Pogo creator Walt Kelly.
