Magica De Spell
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| Magica De Spell | |
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Magica and her brother/pet Poe, as seen in DuckTales. |
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| First appearance | "The Midas Touch", 1961 |
| Created by | Carl Barks |
| Voiced by | June Foray |
Magica De Spell is a fictional character of the Scrooge McDuck universe, a witch created by Carl Barks. She constantly steals or attempts to steal Scrooge McDuck's Number One Dime, which she believes will play a vital role in magically obtaining the same fabulous wealth of its owner.
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[edit] Publication history
The Sorceress first appeared in "The Midas Touch", first published in December, 1961. According to Barks, he intended to create her as another recurring antagonist for Scrooge, in addition to The Beagle Boys and Flintheart Glomgold. But in contrast to the Wicked Witch Queen of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, first released on December 21, 1937, and Witch Hazel of Trick or Treat, first released on October 10, 1952, she would not be in the image of the old hag usually associated with witches. He wanted to create a youthful and attractive Enchantress, so he took inspiration for her look from Italian actress Sophia Loren. He also wanted her to be seductive, amoral, and somewhat threatening. In a later interview, Barks identified a similar figure from the comic strips of Charles Addams as another source of inspiration for Magica, namely Morticia Addams of The Addams Family. Maleficent, the malevolent fairy from Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty, first released on January 29, 1959, has been suggested as a third source of inspiration (the latter one of the most visually impressive characters appearing in Disney's films, along with Chernabog of Fantasia).
All in all, Barks drew nine stories with Magica: The Midas Touch in 1961; Ten-Cent Valentine, The Unsafe Safe, and Raven Mad in 1962; Oddball Odyssey, For Old Dime's Sake, and Isle of Golden Geese in 1963; The Many Faces of Magica de Spell and Rug Riders in the Sky in 1964. In the latter, Barks tried to increase the usability of the character by having plots turn on other magic artifacts, here a flying carpet, not always having to repeat the joke about Scrooge's first coin. Presumably dissatisfied, later claiming that Magica "demanded a strong plot", he did not use her after 1964. Later writers have been perfectly happy to have her eternally pursuing the Number One Dime. Italian Duck artists picked up the character already in 1963.
[edit] Character biography
According to Barks and his successors, Magica lives on the slopes of the Vesuvius, next to Naples, Italy, where the sorceress was born in 1908. Her primary motivation is to steal Uncle Scrooge's Number One Dime and melt it in the Vesuvius into a powerful magical amulet.
She sometimes teams up with The Beagle Boys or her best friend and sometimes housemate Mad Madam Mim. She also has a raven named Ratface in the comics. Other characters closer to Magica include her grandmother, Granny De Spell, who, although claiming be one of the most powerful of witches, has been no more successful in obtaining the Number One Dime. There is also her niece, Witch Child (Séraphine Sorcerette in French, Nocina Maghetta in Italian) a mischievous little girl witch who can be a playmate and a thorn in the side of Huey, Dewey and Louie, depending on the story. Magica even has an apprentice, Samson Hex, a bungling no-hoper. There's also Rosalio, a dim-witted goose, who claims to be her fiancé. He is supported in this by Granny DeSpell, but always rejected by Magica.
[edit] Ducktales
Magica was also a semi-regular on the animated television show DuckTales, where she was voiced by June Foray (which, in turn, made her sound like Natasha Fatale from Rocky & Bullwinkle). Magica appears mostly in first season episodes of the show. Her only appearance in the second season is in the episode "The Unbreakable Bin". In Magica's final scene in the series, she attempts to send Scrooge "your tin man back to OZ", but is herself sent elsewhere in a whirlwind when a Quackenyeeken Yeeker bird yeeks in fear, causing her jar of magic dust to break open and carry her away. Scrooge exclaims, "One thing about Magica--she always knew how to make an exit". According to the show, her brother is Poe De Spell, who was transformed into a raven and serves as her magical familiar — this is an obvious reference to Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Raven.
Sometimes Magica antagonizes Donald Duck and his nephews when they are not with Scrooge. She has also antagonized Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, Daisy Duck and her nieces on occasion.
[edit] External links
- Don Rosa's views on Magica De Spell
- Magica's profile in the Disney HooZoo
- Virtual journey in Magica De Spell's house
