PKNA
Encyclopedia
PKNA - Paperinik New Adventures is a Disney
comic, published in Italy
from 14 March 1996 to 20 December 2000, about the new adventures of Paperinik, the superhero
created in 1969 by Guido Martina, Elisa Penna and Giovan Battista Carpi
, which served as Donald Duck
's secret identity.
The first issue of the series was called Evroniani, and featured Paperinik's new alien enemies, the Evroniani (Evronians, or Evrons). Introduced in the same issue were Paperinik's two new allies, the A.I.
Uno, who resides in the skyscraper Ducklair Tower, and Lyla Lay, a journalist and robot utilized by a time police organization based in the 23rd century.
The series was extremely well received at the beginning of its run, and saluted as an unexpectedly innovative project for Disney.
magazine Topolino
. Throughout the series' run, they used themes such as: the relationship between man and robot; the struggle between what is right and what is logical; the essence of true love; the difference between mankind and other alien races; the essence of being a superhero
; the relationship between knowledge and power; the importance of History
and past historical events.
Among the writers of the Pk Team, were many talented and generally young authors: Francesco Artibani, Davide Catenacci, Gianfranco Cordara, Bruno Enna, Tito Faraci, Augusto Macchetto, Alessandro Sisti, Ezio Sisto.
The PK project was seen as a testbed for a generation of new authors, who were given ample freedom to innovate, leaving behind many of the typical storytelling conventions of the company and creating a blend of the "classical" Disney comics and the American superhero
comic books, which were a primary and acknowledged source of inspiration. Despite this, both the company and the public were deeply used to Disney characters being used for kid-friendly stories, so that a slow transition towards edgier storytelling and graphic depictions was required.
Especially in the first issues, there is a contrast between the harsh themes hinted at or explicitly introduced by the narrative and the depicted events. It is made clear since the beginning that the Evron empire has depopulated a number of worlds, killing or enslaving billions of intelligent aliens, and a main character clearly announces to have sworn to destroy the entire Evronian race in revenge: but the fights with the Evronians mostly feature the usual Disney slapstick violence, with no graphic depictions of any hero killing or realistically wounding an enemy (while entire starships could be destroyed in the background). Despite this, the Italian readers didn't decry the restraint but were content with scenes they deemed already audacious for a conservative comics company like Disney.
The character of Paperinik was firmly based in the established Topolino
continuity as the superheroic secret identity that Donald Duck had already assumed long before the start of the series: but connections with the "classic" Paperinik stories was cut short since the first number, giving Donald completely new allies, weaponry and occupations. The appearances of the other Disney Club characters was reduced to a minimum, and many of them (like Gyro Gearloose
and Huey, Dewey & Louie) were written off the story even if they were featured prominently in the previous Paperinik adventures. This reinforced the notion that PK was meant to be a "real superhero", existing in its own world, related to but fundamentally different from the mostly parodic and humorous Paperinik.
The first series of short 8-page stories are Angus Tales and the main character is Angus Fangus. This series consist of 7 stories. All of those stories where mostly colored with yellow, orange, brown, gray and black ink, giving it a little "vanishing" atmosphere. The plot of those stories is usually about how Angus gets into trouble (there is usually a gangster or more involved), and how he gets out of it. All of the stories is drawn by Silvia Ziche.
The second series of the short 8-page stories are about Trip, Razziatore's son. This is the first of two series about Trip. The plot of this series is to introduce Trip.
The third series is of 8-page short stories is "Starring the great Burton La Valle". Burton La Valle is an actor from the 23rd century, and those stories is about Burton and what he does at work. This series is also experimenting with different styles of art. This series is one of the more artistic/experimental of all the short story series.
The fourth series (each story is still 8 pages) is about Evronians, and it's named "Evron - Extracts from the infoguide". There is not really a story or plot in this series, but the series gives information about the Evronian empire in an illustrated way.
The fifth series of the 8 page stories is about the Class 5Y Droid; Lyla Lay. Some of the stories are about some of her minor problems, and the rest of them is about her normal life.
The sixth series of short stories somewhat differ from the other series (except the third one) with the fact that there is no black outlines between different colored objects. Those short stories are about short happenings in Xhadoom's life.
The seventh series of short stories is about "Behind the screens" at Chanel 00.
The eighth series of short stories is the second series about Trip. This series is introduced by the short story of issue #34, what is a side story of the main story in I PKNA #34. In this series, Trip has to draw its own super-hero comic, and he ends up with a character named "Time-Boy". Time-Boy is Trips Alter-Ego.
The ninth series is the last series of 8 page stories. This series is about Everett Ducklair's normal life at a monastery
in Siberia
.
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
comic, published in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
from 14 March 1996 to 20 December 2000, about the new adventures of Paperinik, the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
created in 1969 by Guido Martina, Elisa Penna and Giovan Battista Carpi
Giovan Battista Carpi
Giovan Battista Carpi was an Italian comics artist. He worked mainly for Disney comics, mostly on books featuring Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck, although he occasionally drew Mickey Mouse as well...
, which served as Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
's secret identity.
The first issue of the series was called Evroniani, and featured Paperinik's new alien enemies, the Evroniani (Evronians, or Evrons). Introduced in the same issue were Paperinik's two new allies, the A.I.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
Uno, who resides in the skyscraper Ducklair Tower, and Lyla Lay, a journalist and robot utilized by a time police organization based in the 23rd century.
The series was extremely well received at the beginning of its run, and saluted as an unexpectedly innovative project for Disney.
Evroniani
The Evroniani are aliens, travelling in space aboard a giant planet-turned-spaceship named Evron. The species originated with the first Evron emperor a long time ago, and is organized similar to that of bee-hives, with each Evroniano having a predetermined caste and role since birth.Themes
The PKNA writers developed more adult themes than the classical Disney stories published in the ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
magazine Topolino
Topolino
Topolino, is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics. The series has had a long running history, first appearing in 1932...
. Throughout the series' run, they used themes such as: the relationship between man and robot; the struggle between what is right and what is logical; the essence of true love; the difference between mankind and other alien races; the essence of being a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
; the relationship between knowledge and power; the importance of History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and past historical events.
Among the writers of the Pk Team, were many talented and generally young authors: Francesco Artibani, Davide Catenacci, Gianfranco Cordara, Bruno Enna, Tito Faraci, Augusto Macchetto, Alessandro Sisti, Ezio Sisto.
The PK project was seen as a testbed for a generation of new authors, who were given ample freedom to innovate, leaving behind many of the typical storytelling conventions of the company and creating a blend of the "classical" Disney comics and the American superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comic books, which were a primary and acknowledged source of inspiration. Despite this, both the company and the public were deeply used to Disney characters being used for kid-friendly stories, so that a slow transition towards edgier storytelling and graphic depictions was required.
Especially in the first issues, there is a contrast between the harsh themes hinted at or explicitly introduced by the narrative and the depicted events. It is made clear since the beginning that the Evron empire has depopulated a number of worlds, killing or enslaving billions of intelligent aliens, and a main character clearly announces to have sworn to destroy the entire Evronian race in revenge: but the fights with the Evronians mostly feature the usual Disney slapstick violence, with no graphic depictions of any hero killing or realistically wounding an enemy (while entire starships could be destroyed in the background). Despite this, the Italian readers didn't decry the restraint but were content with scenes they deemed already audacious for a conservative comics company like Disney.
The character of Paperinik was firmly based in the established Topolino
Topolino
Topolino, is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics. The series has had a long running history, first appearing in 1932...
continuity as the superheroic secret identity that Donald Duck had already assumed long before the start of the series: but connections with the "classic" Paperinik stories was cut short since the first number, giving Donald completely new allies, weaponry and occupations. The appearances of the other Disney Club characters was reduced to a minimum, and many of them (like Gyro Gearloose
Gyro Gearloose
Gyro Gearloose is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic chicken created by Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company. He is part of the Scrooge McDuck universe, appearing in comic book stories as a friend of Donald Duck, Scrooge and anyone who is associated with them. He was also a frequent star...
and Huey, Dewey & Louie) were written off the story even if they were featured prominently in the previous Paperinik adventures. This reinforced the notion that PK was meant to be a "real superhero", existing in its own world, related to but fundamentally different from the mostly parodic and humorous Paperinik.
Short stories
PKNA is also famous for its short side-stories that follow the main story in most issues. All of those short stories are more artistic than the regular main story.The first series of short 8-page stories are Angus Tales and the main character is Angus Fangus. This series consist of 7 stories. All of those stories where mostly colored with yellow, orange, brown, gray and black ink, giving it a little "vanishing" atmosphere. The plot of those stories is usually about how Angus gets into trouble (there is usually a gangster or more involved), and how he gets out of it. All of the stories is drawn by Silvia Ziche.
The second series of the short 8-page stories are about Trip, Razziatore's son. This is the first of two series about Trip. The plot of this series is to introduce Trip.
The third series is of 8-page short stories is "Starring the great Burton La Valle". Burton La Valle is an actor from the 23rd century, and those stories is about Burton and what he does at work. This series is also experimenting with different styles of art. This series is one of the more artistic/experimental of all the short story series.
The fourth series (each story is still 8 pages) is about Evronians, and it's named "Evron - Extracts from the infoguide". There is not really a story or plot in this series, but the series gives information about the Evronian empire in an illustrated way.
The fifth series of the 8 page stories is about the Class 5Y Droid; Lyla Lay. Some of the stories are about some of her minor problems, and the rest of them is about her normal life.
The sixth series of short stories somewhat differ from the other series (except the third one) with the fact that there is no black outlines between different colored objects. Those short stories are about short happenings in Xhadoom's life.
The seventh series of short stories is about "Behind the screens" at Chanel 00.
The eighth series of short stories is the second series about Trip. This series is introduced by the short story of issue #34, what is a side story of the main story in I PKNA #34. In this series, Trip has to draw its own super-hero comic, and he ends up with a character named "Time-Boy". Time-Boy is Trips Alter-Ego.
The ninth series is the last series of 8 page stories. This series is about Everett Ducklair's normal life at a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.
The Art of PKNA
- PKNA represented a change from the classic Disney comics style, such as ItalianItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
TopolinoTopolinoTopolino, is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics. The series has had a long running history, first appearing in 1932...
. The format of each PKNA issue was bigger and similar to that of American comics. The size and the order of the panels break the traditional six panels order, alternating splash pages, longer or flattered panels. Strong colorization, with monochromatic panel, is used to mark emotional moments or action. Inspiration also comes from JapaneseJapanese peopleThe are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and American comics, with the use of kinetic lines, eyes representation, and muscular characters drawn in an oblique way in the panels. - The comic was a showcase for the talent of so many young, at the time, comic artists: Graziano Barbaro, Alessandro Barbucci, Fabio Celoni, Andrea Ferraris, Andrea Freccero, Francesco Guerrini, Ettore Gula, Stefano Intini, Alberto Lavoradori, Corrado MastantuonoCorrado MastantuonoCorrado Mastantuono is an Italian comic book artist.Born in Rome, Mastantuono worked in the animation field until 1989, and then started to work for the Italian magazine L'Eternauta...
, Paolo Mottura, Lorenzo Pastrovicchio, Manuela Razzi, Claudio Sciarrone, Stefano Turconi, Silvia ZicheSilvia ZicheSilvia Ziche is an Italian comic book artist and writer.Silvia Ziche is mainly known for her work on the Italian Donald Duck comics. Her drawing style is simplistic and comical, and includes many funny facial expressions on the characters...
and many others. They were almost all scholars of the great Giovan Battista CarpiGiovan Battista CarpiGiovan Battista Carpi was an Italian comics artist. He worked mainly for Disney comics, mostly on books featuring Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck, although he occasionally drew Mickey Mouse as well...
. - PKNA, with its revolutionary style, set the basis for other great Disney comics, such as MM Mickey Mouse Mystery MagazineMM Mickey Mouse Mystery MagazineMM - Mickey Mouse Mystery Magazine is a Disney comic, published in Italy from May 1999 to March 2001, about Mickey Mouse and his investigation in the city of Anderville....
, W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H.W.I.T.C.H. is an Italian fantasy/Magical girl comic series created by Elisabetta Gnone, Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa. It tells the story of five teenage girls who are chosen to be the new Guardians of Kandrakar, protectors of the center of the universe from people and creatures who wish...
, Monster AllergyMonster AllergyMonster Allergy is a comic book series of Disney Italy published by Buena Vista Comics.- History :In 1996, Disney Italy launched a new comic company called PKNA with an unusual format, featuring human characters rather than the typical anthropomorphic animals that Walt Disney used the first thirty...
and many others.
Fanbase: the Pkers
- "Pker" is the name that identify a fan of PKNA. The term originated in the mail corner of the series and became very popular among the readers. To become a real pker, with the Pkard, readers were called upon to answer some questions about characters in some of the issues.
- One of the best moments for readers is the mail corner. Each issues is full of messages, most of them dealing with jokes and silly questions about PKNA, among which: the errors in the series, the Pk Team members, the creators of PKNA. Pk Team always answers in the same funny and silly way, often making jokes on the names of the fans. Due to the silliness of many questions it was believed by many pkers that Pk Team invented most of the letters, but they were indeed all true. The one responsible for answering fan questions was Fausto Vitaliano.
- Pkers were called to face four trials to gain the ultimate title of "Pk Action Hero". Among the trials were: having a shower in a telephone cab; skiing on the beach, in winter dress; walking on water; taking a photo with their own twin; meeting an alien. Not all the results were approved.
- Pkers of Sbonk Forum made a long term poll about the best issue of all the Pk series. The winner was PKNA #22 Frammenti d'Autunno. The second place was for PKNA #10 Trauma and the third for PKNA #20 Mekkano.
End of PKNA
Due to a decrease in sales, together with a lack of fresh ideas and many continuity errors, the authors believed that it was better to end the series. After issue #30, some short arcs were created, focusing on Xadhoom, Razziatore, Lila Lay, Due and other characters to finish their stories. The last issue is a double issue, in which Everett Ducklair appears, in the Dhasam-Bul monastery, with a Book of Destiny. He changes past events to create a new timeline, and thus a new series, PK2, which got a mixed response from fans.External links
- Sbonk Forum in ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
.