How This Duck Outsmarted Disney's Lawyers

An independent comics artist in Sweden is threatened by the Walt Disney Company over his crazy and funny Donald Duck parody series, and comes up with a genius plan to get out of trouble - through creative use of the comics medium! This is my favorite story about art involving trademark or copyright law, and it's a lot funnier and more interesting than that sounds.
Arne Anka (Swedish), or Arne And (Norwegian) as I know him, is a crude, filthy, sarcastic, incisive Scandinavian indie cartoon character - drawn beautifully. Arne Duck is obsessed with sex and drinking, and is decidedly an outsider with the feel of underground comix, but he actually reached impressive popularity in his native Sweden, even ending up as a very successful theater piece!
In Scandinavia, Donald Duck is an even more popular Disney cartoon character than Mickey Mouse - Donald is arguably the most well-known comics character across all ages in Sweden, so making a Donald parody there is particularly potent.
EDLUNDART is a boutique design and animation studio in New York City, and now also a KZbin channel for artists and creative people featuring me, a random guy in a hat but also variously a graphic designer, animator, artist, Art Director and Creative Director entertainingly talking my way through videos on art, design, animation, culture, creativity, and business from the perspective of an artist entrepreneur and small business owner.
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[@chemistryguy]

Ahhhh, the rich tradition of sex-crazed, irredeemable anthropomorphic ducks. Howard the Duck. Duckman. I'd never heard of Arne Anka, but I'd like to meet him.

[@edlundart]

Thanks for mentioning Duckman, I had not heard of him - looks cool!

[@masterofthecontinuum]

Ducks are crazed rapists irl, so it fits.

[@Tycahal1991]

Inspector Canardo

[@the_epipan]

What the hell is going on with the ducks? XD I would think lust would have more to do with rabbits or rats.

[@RevelationsPrimo]

​@@edlundart TO quote Pan Pizza, the Rebel Taxi driver, "OH FVCK, its DICKMAN'

[@thomaslutro5560]

I grew up with Donald Duck, then grew into Arne Anka. As a Norwegian, just got to say: We got the best neighbours ever!

[@edlundart]

Grew up / grew into - what a great way to put it! And I agree, lots of cool stuff from Sweden.

[@krank23]

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's probably trademarked by Disney

[@edlundart]

Hahah, it would seem like it!

[@macsnafu]

Unless it's Daffy Duck! A black duck instead of a white duck. Why doesn't somebody do a green and brown duck? wouldn't that be closer to real ducks?

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

Philosophically, it's basically "Waiting for Godot" with booze, hangovers, and eternal sexual frustration.

[@edlundart]

That’s very well put, hahah!

[@RThyrring]

Couldn’t agree more! 😂

[@AgsmaJustAgsma]

Arne Anka and Paraguayan Mickey Mouse would definitely hang out every now and then.

[@edlundart]

Wow, thanks for mentioning this! I had not heard of this Paraguay case, but reading about it now - very interesting!

[@romaricogalvez1024]

If it moves like a duck,walks like a duck,quacks like a duck,it is a……

[@inkchariot6147]

Chicken

[@stoferb876]

@@inkchariot6147 with a wearable duck beak.

[@arctic.wizard]

Copyright infringement.

[@mr.theking2484]

​​@@arctic.wizard Damnit, came here to say that exact line, beat me to it by 6 minutes

[@trashcatlinol]

​@@mr.theking2484sucks being a day late to drop that comment off XD

[@animtonni]

in Denmark we got a new Donald duck issue each monday, and then my dad would read it to me and my sister... it is some of my most cherished childhood memories

[@edlundart]

That sounds really sweet! I have years of Donald material lodged into my head, including "Donald pocket books," did you have those?

[@arctic.wizard]

The most wholesome thing I've read all day. I wonder if my kids will look back as fondly on skibidi toilet.

[@edlundart]

@@arctic.wizard Hah, only time will tell!

[@nisselarson3227]

@@edlundart I had most of them. The Italian and South American characters got interesting for a while. The pocket books were not that good, and only half-colored for a while... But in the late 80's they started being great! :) Even if they introduced a love interest for Scrooge and such. I liked a lot of the new characters. Maybe Knase didn't need a nephew though. And gilbert? For a while everyone had to have a nephew.

[@edlundart]

@@nisselarson3227 Yeah the pocket books got pretty wild with the storylines, it felt sort of like movies that just cast Disney characters in random roles. There was one where Donald (I think it was Donald) was a Formula 1 racer, and I think that one was sort of lodged in my head for many years and then still was instrumental in me deciding to start watching F1 at some point years and years and years after I read it. Anyway, you're right, it feels like Disney is obsessed with nephews.

[@geoffreyrichards6079]

This is going to become a lot more interesting once the year 2030 passes here in the USA, since that’ll be the year when Donald Duck enters the public domain.

[@edlundart]

We may see an explosion and flourishing of cartoon ducks in the future 🤣

[@meltdown6165]

Disney will pay some lobbyists (again) to extend the copyright terms to infinity.

[@dlxmarks]

The copyright expiration will be applied as it was to Mickey Mouse: a rolling public domain with the oldest iterations entering first.

[@josephholsinger262]

@@meltdown6165 That depends on how much money Disney still has since their movie division has been bleeding lots of cash due to making expensive flops.

[@Malakawaka]

Not true. What will enter the public domain is any work published before, according to copyright. But all characters are now trademarks, which if renewed timely don't expire

[@Popesize]

Arne Anka. A comic full of memorable quotes. If i remember right, the EIC of Tago tried to please to Disney at first. Saying that the similar looks and the name was a hommage to the originals. The fake beak actually existed in the store. That was the real reciept from the store in wich Charlie bought it from.

[@edlundart]

The idea that it’s a real store and a real beak that the artist bought is a great detail, thanks for adding that - and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Webhead123]

I love it when the writers and artists get creative in the face of adversity. If you want another story about cartoon ducks and their creators fighting back, take a look into how Steve Gerber found a clever way retain some control over Howard the Duck after feeling betrayed by Marvel.

[@edlundart]

Same here re: adversity! I just read a bit about Howard the Duck vs Disney after another comment about him. If you know a good link with info on that stuff, please do share.

[@hallowen]

Donald has actual character traits and flaws, and the stories about him are fun to read. He was always a better character than Mickey, that goddamn holier-than-thou rodent 😜

[@edlundart]

I agree! Donald Duck, especially in the earlier days, was actually a good character, and did have more of an edge to him than one typically associates with Disney. Also: "holier-than-thou rodent" is a hilarious description that made me laugh 🤣 Thanks for watching and chiming in!

[@dlxmarks]

Mickey was a much more entertaining before he got kicked upstairs to be the official corporate mascot.

[@nisselarson3227]

Yeah but mickey started out fun and even MEAN. Then he became a crime-solving genius :)

[@chromasus9983]

Even Mickey is a good character when he adventures as a detective. The mascot versions are so much lesser than the comic versions, for sure.

[@pahvi3]

I liked to read the Donald Duck comics and Uncle Scrooge, but Donald always ended up unlucky and used by his uncle and I felt so bad for him

[@OleAlexanderBrunaes]

The so-called Donald Duck stuff that is broadcast on Scandinavian television every Christmas Eve is literally From All of Us to All of You, only processed, what is variable from year to year are the Christmas surprises.

[@dangerousdays2052]

I like the part where he called the cop a fascist and kicked his car 😂😂

[@edlundart]

He is one unafraid duck 😂

[@SteamingPerson]

Well the joke is that he's disappointed Sweden isn't more fascist so he can justify his protest. The comic panel is from a page where he joins a protest (I can't remember what the purpose of it was or if it was given) and then tries to start trouble, kicking the cop car and hurling abuse at a policeman who just calmly asks him to go back to his protesting. Ends with Arne walking away disappointed that he doesn't live in a country like Chile or other politically unstable countries of the time.

[@maskharat]

@@edlundart I'd say he's Arne Goose with a prosthetic duck beak. His behavior and own beak certainly reminds me of a goose

[@nisselarson3227]

Butterick's is a real novelty store and that's their real receipt...

[@sirenia755]

I like the way he tell Disney to stuff your copyright, lol.

[@ecneicsPhD4554]

Sorry. I was so engrossed in the beautiful artwork that I missed the story partially. The artwork is so classic.

[@edlundart]

This is something I wish I emphasized more - the artwork is superb. I noticed when researching this that there is quite a lot of stylistic drift, especially in the early years, but that’s just kind of charming. Once it finds its footing, it’s one of the most beautifully drawn comics I’ve seen. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@ecneicsPhD4554]

​​@@edlundartOh it is fine. The artwork speaks for itself anyway. It has that Calvin and Hobbes kind of sketchwork to it. I really like that kind of drawing style. It really sells the comic strip kind of vibe which I prefer.

[@edlundart]

​@@ecneicsPhD4554 I agree, Calvin and Hobbes is also beautifully drawn!

[@DavidLeeIngersoll]

Hahahahahhah! This is a much happier end than that of Howard the Duck - forced to wear pants and ultimately owned by Disney.

[@edlundart]

Forcing someone to wear pants is so Disney - I’m surprised they haven’t forced their own duck to do it 😂

[@marcelo-ramos]

The pants were immediately dropped though.

[@nallenthepuh]

Its gets even funnier that the Butricks mask and reciet actually exist in real life and is at a Disney Museum in Sweden. It was so fun to see it

[@edlundart]

It’s at a Disney museum??!

[@tenzhitihsien888]

Interesting. Reminds me more of Howard the Duck than Donald.

[@edlundart]

Good point! BTW, I just looked up Howard the Duck on Wikipedia to see if it mentions anything about Disney's feelings about that character. Interesting tidbit: "The Walt Disney Company contacted Marvel in 1977 over concerns that the visual design of Howard infringed on their trademark for Donald Duck. Marvel agreed to a redesign of the character by Disney artists. A key feature of the redesign was that the character would wear pants."

[@geoffreyrichards6079]

Between Donald, Daffy, Howard, and tons of others, one has to wonder what exactly the appeal of cartoony anthropomorphic ducks is.

[@korwynias_yt]

I wish the MCU would had just went ahead and made the Howard movie they were planning and just make a list of what was bad about the old movie so as to keep things in line.

[@BrendanKOD]

@@edlundart Actually as I understand it, when Disney sent the cease and desist lettter, they also sent a sample redesign as a "This is a duck that looks as little like donald as possible." and Marvel just used that, with the comics transitioning to the look with an issue built off 'the league of decency demands you wear pants!" To this day, ever time Howard appears someone comments "It's a duck wearing pants!" with Howard responding "I've always worn pants (According to my lawyers)" Though there's also the 90's crossover event where in a thrown together crossover featuring Spiderman, Howard, Destroyer Duck and Savage Dragon, in the savage dragon part of the crossover it's stated that Destroyer mannaged to grab the real Howard, leaving a clone behind and so plastic surgery time, though with the main emphasis being to dye Howard's feathers green so he could go on as Leonard the Duck. Crazy story, though a bit obscure due to the Image books being delayed, and Marvel not acknowledging anything.

[@edlundart]

@@BrendanKOD Very interesting! There is much more to this Howard the Duck story than I realized, thanks for filling me in.

[@PS-it1dm]

I found some of the Arne Duck comics translated into Finnish from library maybe a decade ago. Loved these comics. I grew up with weekly Donald Duck magazine. In Finland it was released on wednesdays. We also watched the Donald duck cartoon at christmas time when I was kid.

[@edlundart]

Awesome that it’s available in Finnish, too! I wish it was available in English, so I could share it with friends over here in the US. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@motodotsh]

this deserves to go viral, this is great. i need this comic

[@igalbitan5096]

Disney is truly evil. It's kinda ironic to figure out that Howard the Duck now belongs to Disney...

[@TommyLikeTom]

It's a really neat detail that you decided to talk and look like Elmer Fudd for this video

[@edlundart]

Shhh. Be vewy, vewy quiet. I'm hunting wabbits.

[@Holammer]

It's not the first time Donald Duck was parodied in Sweden (or norway), Donald & Disney stuff was regularly parodied in Pyton magazine. The Swedish roleplaying system Drakar & Demoner had ducks as a playable race and the illustrations in the rulebook looked pretty similar to Donald. The comic ended and returned after a hiatus where Arne is divorced and struggling with middle age. It's not as fun as it used to be and I think it's because the artist lives in Spain and lost some of his connection to Sweden. So he compensates with a LOT of Trump jokes.

[@edlundart]

Oh yes, I bought a fair share of Pyton magazines in my day!

[@ano_nym]

Jikes... a sad end.

[@rappscallion3238]

The latest edition (2023) of Drakar and Demoner (or Dragonbane) still has ducks as a playable race although they are called Mallards in the English editionen. A proud tradition that keeps going. :)

[@ruminator3570]

He looks more like Daffy than Donald.

[@rah_sollest]

I doubt WB wouldn't give a shit about Daffy. XD

[@edlundart]

You're not wrong... but don't give Warner Bros any ideas, lol

[@bc1284]

@@edlundartyea they might just doo to daffy what they did to bugs and make a meat canyon short canon by copyright bs. After all if they claim copyright that makes it canon

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

Daffy is pretty close to Arne's personality, anyway.

[@SuperCartoonist]

At first I thought this video was going to be about Howard Duck.

[@arctic.wizard]

I love this comic. Its raw and uncensored approach to humor took me by surprise when I discovered it as a teenager, and Arne lives rent-free in my head to this day.

[@edlundart]

You and me both!

[@ProgressIsTheOnlyEvolution]

Disney is just jealous because Arne And is far more cool than Donald Duck will ever be.

[@VOLKHVORONOVICH]

Reminds me of the Captain Marvel trial in the Fifties, when DC sued Fawcett Comics over supposed copyright infringement. They'd had plenty of time to do that, since Captain Marvel showed up a year after Superman did. They only acted because Captain Marvel was outselling Superman. Just business, and to hell with all the kids who loved Captain Marvel. Same with Disney and Arne. Fuck the public and anyone who dares love Arne over Donald. Well, maybe if they'd made Donald superior to Arne folks would have flocked around him instead. Fuck you, Disney.

[@edlundart]

This comment made me imagine a cartoon duck arms race where Arne and Donald keep one-upping each other’s antics in a competition to be the crudest, most raw character. A fun fantasy, lol 😂

[@itsjustameme]

Another thing that may surprize americans is that it is Donald Duck and not Mickey Mouse who gets his own magazine in Scandinavia. Mickey is after all almost the embodyment of Disney around the world - well not in Scandinavia. Mickey is too perfect and he frankly seems a bit too clean and booring for scandinavian audiences. Donald Duck by contrast is actually interesting - he has a real life he is trying to live, he has money problems, anger problems, a somewhat fickle girlfriend he is trying to please, as well as problems with living up to be the parent he ought to be - real problems that people can relate to, but dialed up to 10.

[@edlundart]

Yes, well said! Donald is a good character in that he isn’t all good 😀 Thanks for watching and adding your voice!

[@unspeakableoaf]

I seem to recall there was a brief period Mickey had his own magazine too, long after Donald had entrenched himself in Scandinavian culture. It didn't last long, or the sieve I use for a brain is leaking again.

[@shanxmonappa870]

Enjoyed the way you narrated the whole story.

[@edlundart]

Thank you, much appreciated!

[@drzoidbergsocal]

Interesting upload, the day after Nintendo sues Palworld...

[@terraforever]

Intriguing story, and well told!

[@edlundart]

Thank you, appreciate it!

[@sharpeningtheaxe]

This was a fantastic video! You’re a great storyteller. Thanks for making this!

[@edlundart]

Thanks so much for the compliment, and thanks for watching and commenting! Your kindness is appreciated.

[@cristoffL]

Not the only time in comic book history that a writer had to trick a company concerning character rights. It only happened twice. That I know of.

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

I love this! One thing that I've thought for a long time should be added to copyright law is a clause stating that nobody can sue an entity with less than 1% of their own net worth. If you're as big as Disney, you can afford to let people parody your stuff.

[@edlundart]

Thank you! I think some kind of moderation like that seems like a great idea.

[@CrossfacePanda]

I read Arne Anka as a kid, borrowing a big hardcover book from my school library that collected the comic’s run from 1983-1995. Most of it flew over my head (I wasn’t exactly the target demographic), but as an avid duck comics reader most of my life up to that point, I was facinated by the mere existence of the comic, as it almost felt like you were reading something forbidden.

[@edlundart]

I think in a way that's how it felt to me as well. Some of my most-loved media took this path in my life.

[@mathieuleader8601]

I think its great that the cream of crop when it comes to comic strips came to Arne's supposed funeral

[@edlundart]

Game recognize game 🤣

[@moremartinthanmartin]

It's stuff like this I find extremely interesting. I don't think I would have ever found out about this in my life if I hadn't found this video. Thanks for uploading. This is fascinating!

[@edlundart]

Love getting comments like this, thanks for checking it out!

[@AbiARDH.Official]

ABSOLUTE GENIUS!

[@Hrotti]

Iceland and Finland is also obsessed with the Donald duck comics... Dont forget us

[@edlundart]

Not mentioned, but not forgotten! Thanks for watching and commenting - and representing!

[@garudo7352]

As a Swede I wonder who wrote the suing letter 😅 "Eder" and "edert" sounds like it would have been written in the late 1800's or no later than 1960's 😅

[@edlundart]

Gotta love that legalese!

[@inamabilis7423]

It’s funny because yes his colors do make him similar to donald, his facial expressions and overall balance make him seem closer to daffy imo

[@edlundart]

He does have that more angular Daffy energy, agreed.

[@AmityvilleFan]

This is genious and hilarious.

[@ThumbsAtWork]

Here's a song I wrote in 1986: Bukserne ned og trusserne af, Baby baby baby du ved hvad jeg vil ha', så ge mig det nu... ...Vi måste knulla! It was a blues in E.

[@edlundart]

Hahah, it has that same yearning and insistence!

[@Glitch-Gremlin]

Honestly i don't see how ANY of that makes him Impervious to being sued. that'd be like me making a character that looks like Spider-Man and being like "Oh don't worry, this is just a Cartoon. a DRAWING of a guy wearing a Spider-Man Costume he bought. he isn't ACTUALLY Spider-Man" or some shit lol

[@Drak_Thedp]

Depends on the copyright and how it is described.

[@ecneicsPhD4554]

@@Glitch-Gremlin Well don't marvel and DC evade taxes by saying that their characters are not humans? I don't see how that works but apparently it does.

[@bestaround3323]

The whole copyright system is BS in the first place and ripe for abuse.

[@adlaistevenson2623]

I think what gives Arne's appearance a little more legal credibility is that the beak in question is a real-life product the author bought in a store. Suing a character wearing it means admitting that the beak design (shared by other cartoon characters like Daffy Duck) is the sole copyright of Disney. Since this would have most likely been a PR-nightmare (and Warner Bros. is too big of an entity for Disney to want to have legal trouble with), the case was dropped.

[@JimBimBum]

you can't claim you own every anthro character with a similar color scheme. a duck is sometimes just a duck and just because you have 1 doesn't mean you own them all.

[@369destroyer]

If i had a nickel for everytime Disney tried to sue a guy for a rude raunchy duck comic character due to saying its a Donald Duck ripoff and the creator gave them.the middle finger and managed to get away with it via the comic medium-

[@barttheraven]

Was the other time Howard?

[@369destroyer]

@@barttheraven Howard, long story short, after his creator came back for a crossover comic with Savage Dragon, he had his charaters pull Howard out of Marvel and replace him with a clone, which is now and forever canon to the 616 marvel comics.

[@Mr-__-Sy]

Disney doesn't want to have anything to do with sex and adult themes. Yeah sure, is not like they have a shit ton of rule 34 material just so people can't say that they are OK with their art since is not the normal themes Disney use

[@TheRealStructurer]

Yes I fondly remember those Tuesdays as a kid in 🇸🇪 Then Arne Anka when I got older. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼

[@edlundart]

Thanks for tuning in and chiming in!

[@henrikschultze1668]

great video/upload , jeg kan huske at man kunne låne disse tegneserier på danske biblioteker i 80'erne & 90'erne !!! ARNE 4-EVER !!!

[@edlundart]

Thank you - and yes, long live Arne!

[@TheCludo]

Don't forget count duckula

[@edlundart]

Oooh, was there an interesting Disney lawsuit or legal threat around that?

[@TheCludo]

@@edlundart I currently don't know but the duck people in this series look pretty simmilar to the Disney duck family so I guess something should have happened

[@terrylong8894]

So basically Howard the Duck but Disney

[@angeliquebacker8522]

He kinda reminds me more of Duckman tbh, especially since they’re both cartoons.

[@cinnamonsugarcourtney6073]

ok now that's clever~

[@LiGohan]

...wait what? There has to be more to the story. I sincerely doubt that protects the author without more at play. Either local laws being very generous with parody or parody laws being loose for comics in general, or the comic is advertised with the sharp beak Arne but he looks normal inside the issue, or something. The video is also missing the Disney response to the author's changes. ....did they just shrug and say, "guess it's fine now"?

[@LiGohan]

That being said, I did enjoy the video! It was cool learning about the character and the role Donald Duck played in a lot of families lives.

[@edlundart]

Thanks for watching and commenting! I think the full story is likely that Disney learned Arne was not going to just go away in fear because of their legal threats - so they would have to go to court to get results, and they were unwilling to do so, likely in part because this would be a pretty unpopular move on their part.

[@jessenotmessy6549]

Your channel is underrated great video

[@edlundart]

That's very kind, thanks! I'm experimenting quite a bit, so some of my videos are kinda terrible and some are pretty good. But even the terrible ones are... on the way to somewhere interesting, I hope. Not for everyone, but at least for some. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Msus-dd9jd]

Genius. I love it.

[@NitwitsWorld]

Arne Anka looks cool. Hope he does a crossover with Mickey Mouse soon

[@edlundart]

Could be a legally expensive experiment... 🤣

[@NitwitsWorld]

@@edlundart yup I would read it for fun

[@macsnafu]

Well, that was an abrupt ending. How did Disney react to these changes? Is there going to be a followup video?

[@skootergirl22]

Disney does own everything, dont they even white ducks

[@grannieannie1371]

That's absolutely brilliant

[@digitig]

I'm still trying to work out which part of a *duck's* anatomy he's peeing with.

[@maighstir3003]

I can't remember if it was Arne or another duckoid, but I once read a short-form comic where one character asked the duck why he was wearing a shirt but not pants, upon which the duck responded with "who says I'm not?" and proceeded to unzip and take off his pants - which were the lower half of a duck costume. The demeanor is very much Arne, but it might just as well have been another parody of Disney's famous duck. (That is, it might not necessarily be _duck_ anatomy.)

[@tahutoa]

If the comic were brought over to America, I propose he be called Arnold Duck

[@edlundart]

I like that 👍

[@lordsqueak]

*squish* I'll be back

[@tancar2004]

What is it with duck characters and copyright? Back in the 70's Steve Gerber created Howard the Duck for Marvel. Around 1980 he sued Marvel and lost the rights to the character. But years later he was asked to come back and do a Howard the Duck story. So he setup a big multiverse crossover fight during which 1,000 clones of Howard were created, and the real Howard stepped out of the room and left while Spiderman went back to the marvel universe with one of the clones. Thereby rescuing Howard from Marvel.

[@edlundart]

I was hoping someone would drop some detail on this, thank you! Sounds like another interesting story. I think the answer to “what is it with duck characters and copyright?” Is basically “Disney.” 😂

[@ingegerdandersson6963]

It even became a play with Robert Gustafsson, one of Swedens best comedians, as Arne Anka

[@edlundart]

I heard of this, would have loved to see it! I've seen a poster for it, and thought it looked cool.

[@ingegerdandersson6963]

@@edlundart kzbin.info/www/bejne/boKxY2CIYtiVnbs I didn’t see it as I didn’t live in Stockholm so I don’t know if this is only a part of the show or the whole.

[@edlundart]

@@ingegerdandersson6963 Ooooh! Thanks, I'll check this out! 😄

[@daviddunmore8415]

I'd love to see a Arne and Daffy together (with English translation.

[@tinnasell4161]

Visually, Arne is a weird mix of Donald and Daffy.

[@eldoblixtlo1058]

Howard the Duck's Swedish cousin

[@src6339]

Correct, white Daffy duck isnt Donald!

[@joshuabingwa1040]

this was awesome!

[@edlundart]

Thanks so much! You're awesome for watching and commenting.

[@the_epipan]

How outrageous. This is like Disney suing the company that was adapting Sailor Moon into English because a character was going to be called "Pluto." But how can they really do that? No one can have intellectual property over the name of a planet or over the condition of being a duck. Well, in neither case did it reach the stage of a trial, the mere threat was enough for Disney.

[@edlundart]

Interesting, I hadn’t heard of this Sailor Moon case - sounds crazy, I’ll have to look that up! Thanks for watching and commenting. 🙏

[@the_epipan]

​@@edlundart I remember that I found out about it because it was part of one of the several examples that a youtuber cited in a video analyzing or listing cases. But I saw that video literally years ago and I don't remember the chanel o the video names. I tried to do a quick search on Google to tell you better, but I couldn't find a thing about that case. Although, well, until today I had never heard of this duck character or his case against Disney. And it seems that it is a bit difficult to even find those comics in English XD

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

Pluto is the ancient Roman god of the underworld (equivalent to the Greek Hades).

[@edlundart]

​@@the_epipan Ah, well, I appreciate your effort trying to find something about the Sailor Moon thing. Unfortunately I don't think Arne is available in English.

[@jacobbroe5279]

Yea. Kalla anka was the danish translation as i remember. I didnt mind …much… when he changed face…Just put on a mask. Sorted. 😃👍👍

[@DaddyOfTheSugarVariety]

Brilliant!

[@cortexcarvalho9423]

What a scare, I thought I had read Donald Gump

[@thrallgames]

Reminded me of the whole Howard/Leonard the Duck thing. Fascinating, why does this keep happening with cartoon ducks??

[@edlundart]

I think a big part of the answer is "Disney" but another part of the answer is also a question; "why are there so many cartoon ducks?" 😀 Maybe there is a future video somewhere within these quandaries...

[@angeliquebacker8522]

This dude is hilarious! 😂😂 Where can I read the comics? Are they available in English?

[@edlundart]

Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure it’s not available in English. I read that even in Norway, there was some difficulty around translating it from Swedish (even though the languages are so similar) because of certain specifics around politics and Stockholm-based things etc, although I think it’s not that big of a deal - I’m certain that with a bit of effort and creativity, it would translate to English just fine.

[@unspeakableoaf]

@@edlundart If people can culturally translate anime without the need for liner notes, it should be possible to transplant Arne in some cultures at least. He's pretty punk, so he might slide right into the UK, at least some time periods.

[@patriklindholm7576]

This is so current regarding every (melting) snowflake outcry from Disney corporation when their attempts on money milking products fail over and over again.

[@thoughtstorms_keith]

Arne Duck in English, please!

[@edlundart]

I could not agree more! Get on it, publishers!

[@fearnloathingingeneral]

I'm glad this came my way. Great video

[@edlundart]

Glad you liked it - thanks so much for watching and commenting!

[@krisstopher8259]

Donald duck looks a lot like a real duck so god should sue disney

[@edlundart]

Now there's an idea!

[@Crysomandiaz]

I recently bought several used Arne And (smelling very mildewy). I love the comic!

[@edlundart]

It almost seems appropriate that there would be a bit of a smell 🤣

[@Crysomandiaz]

​@@edlundartja, meget passende 😂

[@stejer211]

How about the right to parody, doesn't that exist in Sweden?

[@foxross]

I play a lot of RuneQuest (a Bronze Age tabletop roleplaying game) in which one of the select few playable races is ducks. The story of how these ended up in the game is a bit odd also. Initially the producers of the game wanted some sort of hobbitish stand in and a model maker (who had a habit of making and selling miniatures that he didn’t own the IP) for came to them with the Howard the Duck barbarian and his old lady needing someone to claim that they weren’t unofficial Marvel minis but actually RuneQuest. So they were adopted into the game. Their in-game origins are inconsistent and nonsensical as they should be.

[@edlundart]

Sounds interesting - it's fascinating how pervasive the fascination with duck characters seems to be!

[@foxross]

@@edlundart oh, I forgot. Ducks also appear in tabletop roleplaying games again after that in Draker och Demoner.

[@unspeakableoaf]

@@foxross Drakar och Demoner was reinvented recently under the name Dragonbane. A duck rogue type of character is featured prominently on the quickstart booklet :)

[@kricku]

You just call him Donald Duck in Norway? That's so cursed :P

[@reallivebluescat]

Anders And

[@edlundart]

You’re right, that IS cursed. It’s like he’s our American duck uncle, I guess.

[@kricku]

@@reallivebluescat That's what we all heard but apparently that's just the danes

[@sunlight9056]

interesting video. will definetly be reading this comic. you have my like and subscribe. one suggestion, try to cut down on the reverberations, made it a little jarring.

[@edlundart]

Thanks, much appreciated! I'll see if I can improve on the sound over time.

[@unspeakableoaf]

@@edlundart I'm sure you have plenty of egg cartons. Artists collect those, right? They double as sound padding :)

[@thecyberdork776]

Awesome story!

[@edlundart]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for checking it out!

[@Charlie_Duz]

I've never heard of this duck before. Are there English translations?

[@edlundart]

I don't believe so, unfortunately. There are some challenges to translating it, given regional specifics, but I think it could still work in English. Though, perhaps it's not the most tempting project to take on as a publisher in the more litigious US?

[@Johnmrobinson-vb5vd]

European comics are always interesting

[@edlundart]

A rich tradition, for sure! Grew up on them.

[@Johnmrobinson-vb5vd]

@@edlundart definitely wish this had an English translation

[@walgekaaren1783]

Respect my Good Sir. Have a Follower

[@gyrrakavian]

Nice!

[@tree_alone]

swedish Duckman

[@parcirecords]

respect!!!

[@mrdarryljones1]

Crazy

[@goffe2282]

you have some weird translated version here. It's a Swedish comic dammit :P. No, but this story is great and I grew up reading this comic (the real and original one). I still don't quite understand how this trick actually worked.... it feels like Disney, for some reason, did not feel like prosecuting this even though they absolutely could have.

[@edlundart]

Hahah, my apologies for using the wrong Scandinavian language and being born in the wrong Scandinavian country 😉😂 But seriously, I’ve been loving the positive pan-Scandinavian response in the comments. Regarding the legal stuff, I agree, but I guess it’s always a little easier to threaten than to actually go through with it when the target doesn’t just back down. It would have become a very public fight.

[@alvinhugosson6911]

fiffigt!

[@crazycutz8072]

Sp what about.Howard the duck?.. he passed??.

[@unspeakableoaf]

The Collector got him, but I think he escaped eventually.

[@LIKEFRITOS]

Damn

[@michaeljfigueroa]

Neat

[@registromalplena2514]

MLF

[@ahmedzaratee]

:o)

[@isaiahjackson1211]

This was 10 minutes of straight YAPPING until we got the answer 36 seconds left. Holy shit get to the point