BGuthrie Photos: DC -- German-American Heritage Museum -- Exhibit: Fix and Foxi

DC -- German-American Heritage Museum -- Exhibit: Fix and Foxi:

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Description of Pictures: Rolf Kauka's Fix & Foxi Cartoon Universe on Show in Washington
Sep 16, 2011

Known as the German Walt Disney, Rolf Kauka is best remembered for his iconic Fix & Foxi characters. A new exhibition at the German-American Heritage Museum of the USA in Washington is now showcasing Kauka's cartoon universe, which has fuelled the imaginations of generations of children across Europe.
The exhibition, "Rolf Kauka's Fix & Foxi - Creating a Comic Universe", opened on September 15 and runs through November 11 at the museum, which celebrates German-American heritage via various permanent installations, rotating exhibitions, archival research projects, lectures and cultural events.
Before entering the museum, visitors are introduced to Fix & Foxi - and all their friends - through an endless loop of cartoon films running on several flatscreens installed outside the historic townhouse it occupies in Washington's vibrant downtown Penn Quarter/Chinatown area.

Rare original Kauka images on display:
Once inside, a series of text and image panels provide a snapshot of Kauka's entire oeuvre. Several rare original Kauka drawings were moreover flown in from the Kauka archives - housed in a secret World War II era bunker location along the German-Dutch border - exclusively for the exhibition.
A massive mosaic panel of vintage Fix & Foxi comic book covers, rare figurines, and other objects are also on display. Fun family activities, including interactive coloring challenges for kids, as well as cartoon film screenings, round out the exhibition program.

Comical connections: German-American cartoon heritage:
The exhibition moreover touches upon the historic influences of 19th-century German children's literature, such as Heinrich Hoffman's "Struwwelpeter" and Wilhelm Busch's "Max und Moritz" (A Story of Seven Boyish Pranks), which is widely believed to have served as the direct inspiration for "The Katzenjammer Kids", a 20th century American comic strip created by the German imm ...More...

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Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. GAHMFF_110921_006.JPG: In the pre-digital and pre-Photoshop era, comics and cartoons were the result of hard work and artistic talent. Every image had to be drawn, inked, photographed and colored before going to the printers. It was an immensely laborious and time-consuming process, which made each and every comic strip and image a unique piece of art. That's why these framed originals are valuable collectibles, some of them over 50 years old. The various drawings of Fix & Foxi covers, the title watercolors of the famous art director Walter Neugebauer, and dozens of sketches and drawings illustrate the different stages of the production process of Kauka's universe. The end product was tens of thousands of unique Fix & Foxi magazine covers, some of which are seen here.
2. GAHMFF_110921_059.JPG: Early Beginnings: From Altamira to Max & Moritz: From the beginning of time, people told stories through pictures. The Stone Age paintings of Altamira, the rock paintings of the aborigines in Australia and the American Indians, the tomb paintings in the Valley of Kings, as well as Trajan's Column in Rome, are some of the earliest examples of stories told with pictures. In the Middle Ages, woodcut panels featuring morality tales, fables, and epic sagas were produced to entertain and edifying [sic] the masses. They even used speech bubbles in the Middle Ages! Narrative picture sequences with accompanying texts, or without words, became a specialty of the German Neuruppiner Bilderbogen, which, in the 19th century, were hugely popular as "penny broadsides." The story of The Pumpkin Thieves already contains all the elements of a modern-day comic strip -- a continuous and entertaining story, a narrative with good and bad guys, plus a moral along the lines of "bad deeds will be punished." The year 1865 finally saw the birth of the first legitimate comic book: Wilhelm Busch's tales of two naughty boys, "Max and Moritz." Busch combined drawings and text together in such a way that each component was equally important to the story line. This was a new concept in illustrated stories; until then, either images or text drove the narrative, not both. This immensely talented illustrator and writer (1832-1908) influenced generations of cartoonists and story tellers. His stories remain classics to this day.
3. GAHMFF_110921_063.JPG: The Pumpkin Thieves, Early German Cartoon from the "Neuruppiner Bilderbogen." Much to their delight,t he two boys discover a huge pumpkin in a farmer neighbor's field, and decide to steal it. Rolling it down the hill, they start quarreling, and because they are not paying attention, they end up falling down a deep ravine, and land smack on top of the pumpkin, shattering it! Farmer Kunz discovers the theft, and the culprits, and drags them home by their ears, where they are punished for their misdeed.
4. GAHMFF_110921_068.JPG: The first speech bubbles: Fragment from the Love Tapestry, Basel, c. 1450
5. GAHMFF_110921_073.JPG: German Caricatures and U.S. Comics: A Shared History Germans are, generally speaking, considered to be quite rational and lacking in humor. But, obviously, that wasn't always the case. If we are to believe the Chicago Tribune, then the American comic strip has its origins in 19th century Germany. "Germany is the true home of humorous art," is how the paper put it on May 6, 1906. In fact, there are many indications that the development of the American comic strip was significantly influenced by German caricaturists and illustrators. German picture stories and political caricatures in publications such as Der Simplicissimus had such international fame that they can be considered midwives at the birth of the North American comic strip. Among the large numbers of German immigrants entering the U.S. were many publicists and illustrators. Here they found a very conducive climate for their work, particularly in terms of freedom of expression. Combined with enormous strides in printing techniques, the American public's hunger for a variety of entertaining stories helped to foster this development. Even the first serialized comic strip can be traced to a German-American. Rudolph Dierks was asked by his publisher, William Randolph Hearst, to invent something "similar to Max & Moritz" for the New York Journal. Since at that time, copyright law did not apply, Dierks, without blinking, "borrowed" from Wilhelm Busch and his two naughty boys, Max & Moritz. Dierks's characters were initially named "Hans & Fritz," but starting in 1897, they were published under the name "The Katzenjammer Kids."
6. GAHMFF_110921_076.JPG: The original Max und Moritz
7. GAHMFF_110921_079.JPG: Dierks "borrowed" version of the Katzenjammer Kids; one of the first covers.
8. GAHMFF_110921_082.JPG: Rolf Kauka: Artist and Entrepreneur: Rolf Kauka (1917-2000), the creator of Fix & Foxi as well as a large number of other comic characters, is often referred to as "the German Walt Disney." And, indeed, Rolf Kauka can lay claim to this informal title since there are many similarities with Walt Disney. Rolf Kauka got his start as a young man, as did Walt, when he drew his first cartoons and he, too, created a comic empire from practically nothing; Kauka exhibited an American-style pioneering spirit as well as an unusually savvy entrepreneurial talent -- much like Disney. Both men invented comic characters: Rolf Kauka created Fix & Foxi and Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse, all of whom were -- and still are -- beloved by generations by children, as well as their parents. Rolf Kauka was born in 1917 in Markranstaedt, near Leipzig. While still in school, he added to his allowance by drawing cartoons for publications such as The Leipzig News and the Weibenfelder Daily. His talent for drawing and illustration helped start Kauka on his brilliant career. And again, like Disney, he didn't illustrate his comic strips himself for very long, but according to his employees, "he breathed life into his characters." They, in turn, repaid their creator with constantly rising circulation numbers.
9. GAHMFF_110921_087.JPG: A pre-WWII sketch by a young Rolf
10. GAHMFF_110921_093.JPG: A New Start after World War II: By 1945, Germany's cities were reduced to rubble and millions of refugees had to be integrated. Many despaired, and found just enough strength to be able to subsist. After the war, Kauka found himself in Munich where, through a short stint authoring student textbooks and co-founding a publishing house, he gained an understanding of the happiness potential of comic books in post-war Germany, where people were desperate for diversion and entertainment. He wanted to give people enjoyment and his idea caught fire! Kauka began to develop his own comic characters, initially within the German tradition of fables and fairy tales. At the same time, he recruited talented illustrators from Yugoslavia, Italy and Spain, due to the fact that post-war Germany didn't have a sufficient supply of highly trained artists. He got his first big break with the Fix & Foxi characters, which were loosely based on the fable figures of Reinecke Fuchs (a fox) and the wolf who became Lupon. The influence of Walt Disney's comic characters cannot be denied. However, Kauka created certain characteristics which were entirely of his own making, and his unique style of storytelling added to his commercial success. Others assisted him in this venture, most prominently the Yugoslavian filmmaker Walter Neugebauer, as well as a host of other young and talented artists whom Kauka inspired and mentored.
11. GAHMFF_110921_098.JPG: An early Mickey Mouse import
12. GAHMFF_110921_100.JPG: From Eulenspiegel to Fix & Foxi Before Rolf Kauka's rise to comic book publisher, he was first an author of pulp fictions and American Wild West stories. This allowed him to stay afloat financially after the end of World War II and the collapse of the Third Reich. But it didn't take long for him to develop his vision. He wanted to do something involving pictures and, if at all possible, to realize his dream of making animated cartoon movies which, in the 1950s, was a farfetched vision at best. The newly minted Bundesrepublik, or Federal Republic of Germany, had been cobbled together in 1949 from the western German states of what had formerly been the Third Reich. The new Republic was completely devoid of comic strips or cartoon-type animated movies. There were a few comic books featuring Tarzan and Mickey Mouse, but they were clearly of U.S. origin, brought over by American soldiers stationed in Germany. What Kauka wanted was to create something different and new which catered to German tastes and sensibilities. With artist Dorul van der Heide, and the cartoonist Wener Hierl, he used popular German fable and fairy tale characters stories, such as Till Eulenspiegel and his Merry Escapades, or the Truly Unbelievable Adventures of Baron von Munchhausen to create drawings of their misadventures and began to publish them in the form of "picture stories." The first Till Eulenspiegel picture story came out in 1953. Shortly thereafter -- in Booklet #5 -- "Reinecke Fuchs" and "Isegrim, the Wolf," made their first appearance. So far the figures are drawn entirely naturalistically. These forerunners of Fix, Foxi, and Lupo have very little in common with their later comic book versions. But, in the next booklet, the duo of fox and wolf had become a trio: Reinecke Fuchs mutated into "Fix and Foxi" and Isegrim, the wolf, became "Lupo." And with that, the new stars of Kauka comic book production were born, and went on to conquer the hearts of millions of kids around the world.
13. GAHMFF_110921_103.JPG: The very first cover of Till Eulenspiegel, 1953
14. GAHMFF_110921_107.JPG: One of the earliest appearances of Fix and Foxi
15. GAHMFF_110921_108.JPG: The first cover of Till Eulenspiegel with Fix and Foxi
16. GAHMFF_110921_115.JPG: Fix, Foxi and Lupo: The ever popular creations of Rolf Kauka have survived decades of competing popular culture hits and misses every since their first appearance in their [sic] 1950s. The individual personalities of Fix and his twin brother Foxi, their grandmother Oma Eusebia, their uncle Fax, cousins Lupo and Lupinchen, and Professor Knox are universal, not just German and most importantly, completely normal! That is what makes them so popular and easy to identify with -- they are real characters, regardless of year or location. Fix & Foxi: These twin brothers may seem indistinguishable but on closer inspection Fix is the one in the yellow pants with a messy shock of hair, whereas Foxi is a bit tidier in blue pants. Fix is the leader of the two, perhaps older by mere minutes, always the schemer with the ideas. Foxi is a bit more cautious, always with a touch of anxiety, yet follows his brother unquestioningly. Even though they get into numerous fights, they somehow always manage to survive all their hair-rising [sic] adventures together. Lupo: Lupo can be best described as the black sheep of the family. He lives from hand to mouth in a dilapidated building and would rather laze around than work. He always looks on the bright side, even if it means he is ignoring something more important. He knows what friendship means even though he is kind of clumsy and a bit of a rascal. Unfortunately, his attempts to help his friends sometimes get him and his friends into the most adventurous situations again and again.
17. GAHMFF_110921_121.JPG: The Rest of the Family Oma Eusebia: "Oma" is the German word for grandmother, but "Oma Eusebia" has such a lovely ring to it that [it] is a shame to completely translate it! Oma Eusebia belongs to that older generation that mistrusts too many modern advances: She keeps her savings in a sock under her mattress, drives a decades-old car and is considered by her grandsons to be miserly because of her thriftiness. Only Lupinchen, her granddaughter, can easily twist Eusebia around her little finger. Lupinchen: Fix & Foxi's cousin Lupinchen lives with Oma Eusebia and is the complete opposite of her. As a teenager, Lupinchen loves fashion and new trends and her interest in new clothes, lipsticks and the latest musical hits runs counter to Oma Eusebia's thrifty habits. She uses her charms and may have a few tricks to get her way, but she is right there when things get exciting. Uncle Fax: Just like Oma Eusebia, Uncle Fax is somewhat old-fashioned as well. He is stingy and yet he always maintains a sentimental and endearing side. This shows when he starts to rhapsodize about the good old times until Oma Eusebia interrupts him with a gruff yet kind "Poppy Cock!" Professor Knox: He is the intellectual of the family. As an inventor, he knows all about technology; in fact, one could say technology is his best friend. Things go awry when the absent-minded professor misplaces the remote control for his invention, as often happens. Then, Fix and Foxi have to come to his rescue.
18. GAHMFF_110921_128.JPG: "Dear Friends, Kids love Fix and Foxi" "Liebe Freunde" is German for "Dear Friends!" Every week for decades, the opening line of each and every Fix & Foxi comic book started with "Dear Friends," the headline of a personal column by Rolf Kauka addressed to his readers and fan clubs. The column was on the part of the publisher. It created a close personal relationship between the readers and Kauka, and made Kauka sort of identical with his beloved characters. With these picture stories featuring the clever foxes, Rolf Kauka satisfied the comic-starved public, predominately children and young teenagers. As a marketing strategy, Kauka utilized the tens of thousands of newsstands across West Germany to get his comic books into the hands of his young readers. Rolf Kauka used his columns to write about anything which was important to his followers or to himself, such as the relationship between children and their parents, friendship, animal rights, schools and, later on, nature and environmental issues. His young readers rewarded him with their loyalty. And they corresponded with "their" Rolf. A special letters-to-the-editor department was established, tasked with responding to the thousands of fan letters received each month. Some of the young Fix and Foxi readers came up with their own cartoon drawings and suggestions for story lines, some of which were actually published. And so the fan clubs proliferated. Fix and Foxi clubs were founded everywhere, which resulted in a steadily increasing demand for more episodes.
19. GAHMFF_110921_137.JPG: Building a European Empire: The Heydays of "Kaukasia" The flagship enterprise Fix and Foxi wasn't alone for years. First Lupo got his own comic book, and then many others followed. The 1960s saw an amazing expansion of the Kauka empire, initially only in Germany, but eventually throughout Europe. The publishing house annually produced, printed and distributed more than 50 million copies of comic books, magazines, comic year books, paperbacks and periodicals. This made Kauka the leading publisher of comic books in Germany. The stories of the comic characters created and illustrated by him and his artists were read throughout Europe by millions of children, and were collected and safeguarded like precious treasures. Together with his young editor-in-chief Peter Wiechmann, a highly talented copywriter and business dynamo, Rolf Kauka ran his European empire sometimes from his chateau in Grunwald, and at other times from his summer residence in San Felice on the Italian coast. By the end of the 1960s, Kauka had reached the zenith of his success. And then he decided it was time to realize his long-held dream -- to get involved in the film industry. Initially he was an investor and co-producer of Louis Malle's "Murmur of the Heart," which was nominated in 1971 for the Golden Palm Award in Cannes. Kauka was less lucky with his own production. He engaged Gamma, an animated film studio in Milan, to produce a full-length cartoon movie, titled "Maria d'Oro" and [sic] based on a script written by Kauka himself. Despite the brilliant illustrations and the beloved story of "Aschenputtel," or Cinderella, the film was a flop. It simply didn't connect with its intended audience. It took another 25 years of effort before Kauka was able to realize movie success when an animated version of Fix and Foxi was broadcast on television. His comic characters definitely triumphed over his beloved fairytale characters.
20. GAHMFF_110921_145.JPG: The Franco-German Comic War The Kauka Enterprises kept expanding, and not just by inventing more titles of its own. In addition, Kauka bought the rights to French and Belgian comic titles like "Lucky Luke," "Boule and Bill" (in German, "Schniff und Schnuff"), and Asterix to publish them in Germany. However, the latter acquisition quickly turned into a problem, because Kauka went ahead and transmuted the Gallic fighters into more Germanic figures. Renaming the characters Siggi and Babarras, he also turned Gaul into Bavaria, and the Romans into Prussians who surrounded Bavaria. These unauthorized changes were too much for Asterix inventors Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. They took the matter to court and Kauka was forced to relinquish the rights. In the meantime, the competing publishing house, Ehapa, was able to obtain the rights to Asterix and Obelix, and had begun to disseminate this French title in Germany. Kauka's only claim was to have been the first one who popularized these French cult figures in Germany, but the profits went into someone else's pocket. However, the imaginative inventor was once again successful with another title of his own creation. Since he could not obtain the rights to the popular American cartoon, "The Flintstones," he engineered the development of a Stone Age comic strip named "The Pichelsteiner" -- "The Pichelstones" in English. His Stone Age characters Petra, Theolit and Flint managed to avoid the charge of plagiarism. This time, Kauka's luck held!
21. GAHMFF_110921_163.JPG: Bussi Bear Rolf Kauka continued his successes and was constantly on the lookout for even more target groups for his ever-increasing cast of comic characters. It was difficult to add market shares by appealing to older readers whose tastes in reading and comics materials tended to be more demanding. By the ages of 14 and 15, comic books tend to have run their course, and comics for adults tend not to be in high demand. Of the offerings in the 1960s, only Asterix managed to overcome this age-related threshold by offering story lines of interest for older teens or young adults. So, the only markets left to explore were the younger spectrum. But how would one find the right words and stories for 4 to 7 year olds? And with what cartoon character might they identify? The answer was the German word for teddy bears. So Water Neugebauer, the immensely talented comic illustrator and art director of the Kayka publishing enterprise, invented the Bussi Bear ("Bussi" means "kiss" in German). Rolf Kauka had no trouble publicizing Bussi Bear, and thus another success was born. It can easily be said that if he conquered the hearts of children with Fix and Foxi, then with Bussi Bear, he captured the hearts of the parents. "Dear Parents" became the opening line of his Bussi Bear editorials, which succeeded in getting the mothers and grandmothers on his side. Kauka suggested that with Bussi Bear, they were able to combine entertainment and learning for pre-school children in totally new ways. This concept proved successful. In time, Bussi Bear became the most popular German pre-school magazine. It was even published in England and turned out to be the biggest money-maker next to Fix and Foxi.
22. GAHMFF_110921_169.JPG: The first German Bussi Bear cover
23. GAHMFF_110921_171.JPG: English Buzzi Bear edition, 1991
24. GAHMFF_110921_174.JPG: The King, His Castle and His Subjects: The birth place of Fix and Foxi was a castle, naturally befitting their rank as little comic princelings. "King Rolf" was in charge, aided by his court attendants, who hailed from all over Europe. The castle in Grunwald, near Munich, had once been the summer residence of the Counts of Larisch. For Rolf Kauka, a newly minted entrepreneur in post-war Germany, this vacant piece of real estate was just the thing and he turned this aristocratic residence into the Comic Castle "Kaukasia." This externally grand residence was not an ideal work environment for the creative team housed there. Animators, draughtsmen, authors and editors all had to be accommodated, which was not easy in the antiquated place full of odd nooks and crannies. So, people learned to improvise -- much as they had to in the early years of the Economic Miracle in the rest of West Germany. But there is no castle without a master, and Rolf Kauka enjoyed himself immensely in this role. In fact, he was such a natural at it that some of his colleagues periodically felt like subjects. Kauka reigned over his comic kingdom much like a medieval feudal lords. He was a demanding boss who micro-managed the smallest details to make sure that the high standards he had set for his comic strips were met. But, to be fair, he was also their role model, their motivator, and their creative stimulator. Many of his "subjects" stayed with him over the years while others left -- at least for a while -- only to return in the end. Others, such as his former editor-in-chief, Peter Wiechmann, went into business for themselves and became successful in their own right. One of Rolf Kauka's greatest achievements was to have assembled them all at one point into one creative team. And, together with them, he invented "Kaukasia" where he wrote many of his beloved story lines.
25. GAHMFF_110921_181.JPG: The Kauka Characters: A Family Tree: Even a gigantic German oak tree probably doesn't have enough branches to accommodate the myriad of the Rolf Kauka's comic characters many of which were born on the drawing board of his brilliant art director Walter Neugebauer. After 50 years, there were many "relatives" to come together. To begin with, a good number of characters from the animal kingdom are represented, such as Bello the dog, Lupo the wolf, and Bussi Bear, as well as hares, hedgehogs and foxes. Then there are the characters from the world of fables, fairytales and fantasy: the Stone Age Pichelsteiners, the German fable figures Munchhausen and Till Eulenspiegel, the American Indian Little Beaver, plus the Germanic sword- and dagger-wielding fighters, Andrax and Odinson. They each found their target audience and fan base. Although some comic characters only had short life spans, others continue on to this day. At the very bottom of the family tree, we find the pater familias, Rolf Kauka with his pipe and next to him the likenesses of his most popular creations: Fix, Foxi, and Lupo. Added to that are the favorites of the youngest set, Bussi Bear and the mole Pauli. And, finally, in the very top branches, are the last of Kauka's famous creations, which he invented shortly before his death, the Peppercorn Family. Rolf Kauka's motto was: "To entertain with humorous stories." This maxim is easily discernible in the faces of the characters he created. Just about every one of them seems to have a smile and, if not, they appear to be either clever, heroic, or simply witty!
26. GAHMFF_110921_188.JPG: The Kauka Family Tree
27. GAHMFF_110921_196.JPG: Learning English with Kauka Comics: From 1989 to 1990, the Fix And Foxi comics regularly featured a one-page story in English. Entitled "Englisch lernen mit Fix und Foxi," or "Learning English with Fix and Foxi," the episodes had the traditional Fix and Foxi characters speaking English. Key vocabulary words were translated for the German reader at the bottom of the page. The English-speaking Lupo, Knox, Fix, Foxi and others stayed in character and had their usual share of misadventures and humorous situations on their English page. The loyal fans would still be able to laugh at the visual gags -- but it was hoped that learning English would be an educational by-product. The choice of vocabulary on these pages could be a bit unusual and perhaps not all that useful to the English learner. For example, "The Device for Getting Rid of Salesmen," explained in German as "Vertreter-Abwimmel-Geraet," in the episode "Double Knox" would not be on any basic English vocabulary list. Despite some linguistic shortcomings, the English features were popular enough to be popular enough to be published by Unipart Verlag in a hardcover compilation in 1992. The 61-page volume was entitled "Mit Fix und Foxi Englisch lernen." In 2006, a few of the original English episodes appeared again, this time in both German and English, in the individual comic books published by Tigerpress.
28. GAHMFF_110921_208.JPG: Emigrating to America: Rolf and Alexandra: In 1982, Rolf Kauka moved from his Bavarian estate to Florida, and from there to his 4,200 acre plantation "Chinquapin" in Georgia. His health was failing and he was on the lookout for a place promising relaxation and warmth. His young wife Alexandra accompanied him, and together they create[d] a new life for themselves. She was a former model, owner of an art gallery, opera aficionado, passionate equestrienne and archer (she competed in a world championship!), which he was still looking for new challenges and full of business ideas, author of a number of popular books. Here, he -- by now over 75 years old -- created yet another popular comics family: the Family Peppercorn. Between these activities, Rolf and Alexandra Kauka still found time to meet with friends from the world of politics or entertainment, either on their plantation, in New York or Washington. Both of them became American citizens due to their love for this country and its people. Rolf Kauka died in 2000. The Kauka Empire had lost its king, but his wife Alexandra was ready to take on the challenges and responsibilities. As early as September 2003, she published a 50th Anniversary edition for Fix and Foxi's 50th birthday, reflecting her initiative and vision. She also invented a whole new line of merchandise based on the most popular Kauka characters. The fan clubs and collectors of Fix and Foxi memorabilia were delighted! It continues to be Mrs. Kauka's conviction that "as long as those two clever foxes survive and continue to play their tricks, the memory of my husband will stay alive."
29. GAHMFF_110921_213.JPG: A New Beginning: Fix and Foxi come to America: Fix and Foxi's first trip to America has to be credited to Alexandra. Not only did she adopt the United States as her new homeland, she also hopes that her husband's many comics creations will find a new home in America as well. We'll have to wait and see how this Fix and Foxi adventure turns out. Maybe they'll finally get to meet Mickey Mouse in Hollywood. Until now there has been no evidence that the German cartoon foxes ever met their distant American cousins Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck and Donald's family. But according to our latest research a meeting did happen: on the drawing table. What little knowledge we have seems to indicate that the incident was not very cordial. Apparently, Lupo helped himself to some of Uncle Scrooge's money and then fled the scene with Uncle Scrooge and his nephews in hot pursuit, while Fix and Foxi tried to board the helicopter. This suggests a transatlantic comic crisis, but in real life there was a moment when Disney and Kauka might have even entered into a cooperative venture. In 1958, Rolf Kauka met Walt Disney on a flight from Frankfurt to Copenhagen. Disney was already aware of the popularity of the two foxes in Germany at that time. They were, after all, the only real competition on the German market for Mickey Mouse and his companions. As the story goes, Disney offered Kauka the immense sum of $80,000 per year if he were to join Disney's team. Kauka refused, believing that if someone was offering this kind of money, he was convinced that this venture was going to succeed and that his cartoon characters would be equally as popular as Disney's Mickey Mouse clan. He was proven right. Kauka was loyal to his foxes and they rewarded him with circulation in the millions.
30. GAHMFF_110921_221.JPG: A German-American cartoon encounter: An artist rendition of a meeting between the Foxes and the Ducks.
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Directly Related Pages: Other pages with content (DC -- German-American Heritage Museum -- Exhibit: ) directly related to this one: [Display ALL photos on one page]:
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- 2016_DC_GAHM_Pencils: DC -- German-American Heritage Museum -- Exhibit: In Praise of the Pencil (31 photos from 2016)
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- 2014_DC_GAHM_Utopia: DC -- German-American Heritage Museum -- Exhibit: Utopia (47 photos from 2014)
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- 2014_DC_GAHM_BerlinW: DC -- German-American Heritage Museum -- Exhibit: Fall of the Berlin Wall (22 photos from 2014)
- 2013_DC_GAHM_Berlins: DC -- German-American Heritage Museum -- Exhibit: Berlins -- Made in USA (36 photos from 2013)
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Same Subject: Click on this link to see coverage of items having the same subject: [German American Heritage Foundation] [Display ALL German American Heritage Foundation photos] [Museums (History)]
2011 photos: Equipment this year: I mostly used the Fuji S100fs camera as well as two Nikon models -- the D90 and the new D7000. Mostly a toy, I also purchased a Fuji Real 3-D W3 camera, to try out 3-D photographs. I found it interesting although I don't see any real use for 3-D stills now. Given that many of the photos from the 1860s were in 3-D (including some of the more famous Civil War shots), it's odd to see it coming back. Trips this year: Civil War Trust conferences (Savannah, GA, Chattanooga, TN), New Jersey over Memorial Day for my birthday (people never seem to visit New Jersey -- it's always just a pit stop on the way to New York. I thought I might as well spend a few days there. Despite some nice places, it still ended up a pit stop for me -- New York City was infinitely more interesting), my 6th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco). Ego strokes: Author photos that I took were used on two book jackets this year: Jason Emerson's book "The Dark Days of Abraham Lincoln's Widow As Revealed by Her Own Letters" and Dennis L. Noble's "The U.S. Coast Guard's War on Human Smuggling." I also had a photo of Jason Stelter published in the Washington Examiner and a picture of Miss DC, Ashley Boalch, published in the Washington Post. Number of photos taken this year: just over 390,000.
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