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TaleSpin Books: Captains Outrageous Hard Cover Comparisons

Reviewed: 04/11/2015
Additional Commentary: 10/12/2025

Welcome To The Wacky World Of TaleSpin Books, Part Five!

Original Release: ??1991??

So, after going through the comic books versions of Plunder and Lighting; we'll now go through the hardcover book version of several episodes, starting with Captains Outrageous. Steet from TaleSpin Animation Source has released the book images for this version of the episode and after reading it, you can see just how much they put the episode through the shredder. (2025 Gregory Weagle Says: That's really no surprise due to the differences in audience difference, which is one of the pitfalls of demographics culture. It works a lot better with Peppa Pig because the target audience for television and books are exactly the same, so any change will be seen as artistic rather than BS&P putting their fingers in the pie so to speak.) Now some of this was to shorten the book down to 40 pages or so and there were a number of scenes that were too scary and too violent to show as well since this was another toy marketed to a demographic that was lower than the show's own audience. So; how did Captains Outrageous fare? Let's rant on shall we...?!

Captains Outrageous was written by Jan Strnad and the adaptation was written by Don Ferguson while illustrated by Vaccaro Associates Inc. This book was published by Twin Books and Mallard Press (!!!). Dammit Disney; it's bad enough that you focused on your fetish of ducks; but did it have to seep into your booking decisions too?! (Why should a name like that bother you, former self? It's not like weird names for game developers wasn't a thing before and after this company existed or anything.) The picture on the inside cover shows Don Karnage looking outside at two men parachuting. Now that I think about it, Don has done something Jan didn't do: Show how Dumptruck and Mad Dog got into Cape Suzette during this episode so I assume the two parachute jumpers are Mad Dog and Dumptruck. Personally; I think the Clouding Riches origin of Dumptruck and Mad Dog getting into Cape Suzette made more sense; but whatever.

Opening Moment #1: Despite making no sense with the television episode; I did like the front cover to this story with Oscar looking like he wants to kill Don Karnage with the secret anti-pirate weapon as Baloo and Kit watch on smiling and Don Karnage backing off. I should note that outside of some of the usual shading quirks and texture mapping animation not being in evidence, the artwork here is actually really great.

Page 1/2: We get no outside shot of the Jungle Aces Secret Midnight Club which is supposed to be in a junkyard. In a surprise; the book version of this is much more detailed and feels like a legit tree house instead of a rundown shack. So Vaccaro did a great job here. All the Jungle Aces are almost perfect to their television counter parts and they also look better too. Sadly; the Jungle Aces Secret Midnight Club name has been changed to Jungle Aces Adventure Club; probably because Midnight Club makes no sense since their meetings take place in daylight rather than midnight. Or they felt that it was too long in a Japanese to English translation sort of way. Oscar Vandersnoot is still Oscar Vandersnoot (complete with the shingle like hair style and everything); although his last name is spelled "Van Der Snoot" instead. Perfectly acceptable change. (I think this was always the way the name was supposed to be spelled officially from Disney canon.) Also of note; all references to Kit's Air Pirate story at the beginning is gone from the book version. The book also cut out the entire Jungle Ace Fight Song completely. Ernie's opening speech about Kit introducing a new member is gone. Kit introducing Oscar is simply him saying "This is Oscar Van Der Snoot!"; in the books. While in the television version; Kit rolls up the door behind him and calls Oscar to come in. Oscar's entrance is cut from the book as well; introducing bumping his head on the top of the door (like Miss Lips from Fish Hooks; only the top doesn't crumble) and he says hello in a nervous voice. Also in the book; Kit only says that Oscar wants to be a Jungle Ace.

In the televised version, the Jungle Aces completely do not accept Oscar at all. They blow him off and Ernie proclaims that Oscar is a walking disaster and a zero; making Oscar look embarrassed to be there. In the books as mentioned before; Ernie actually asks Oscar if he has any adventures and doesn't dismiss him out of hand. I realize that this is written for small children, but small children do watch the show and are thinking that this is stupid. Seriously; someone thought that it was bad for Ernie and the Jungle Aces to not accept him out of hand; and wrote it so Ernie and company are okay with this. Worse; in the books, Oscar answers the question outright saying no and it's because his mother thinks adventures are not safe. That in itself makes perfect sense in a way. However, in the television version, Oscar's mother was fine with adventure as long as Oscar was "properly" protected. (She goes completely into Bubble Wrap mode which actually can be dangerous due to possible smothering to death.) Also, she is supposed to be overbearing; but not to the point where she is blowing off adventures per se. Interesting enough; the bottom of the safe contains connected car batteries; but there is nothing connected to the other end. By the way; in the televised version: Kit points out that the rules of being in the Jungle Aces is you have to have at least one adventure. Heck; he was even confident that Oscar had at least one. Oscar says "Not really". Kit lists at least four different methods of adventure and Oscar says at one point that "My mother thinks it's too dangerous!". Granted, that is similar to what Oscar said here; but Oscar also added that his mother wouldn't let him ride a bicycle, indicating that he would ride a bicycle if his mother wasn't so overbearing. That is how you build sympathy heat for Oscar. In the books; he sounds like a fuddy duddy and the Jungle Aces look like the ones with sympathy heat; which is not what you want in this story.

Page 3/4: Ernie does not act nice to Oscar in the televised version. He basically blows off Kit for thinking that Oscar is Jungle Ace material. You know why the Jungle Aces are jerks? Because Jan is trying to build sympathy heat towards Oscar Van Der Snoot. However; again, Ernie feels sorry for Oscar in the books thus transferring the sympathy to Ernie instead of Oscar, who is the focal character of the episode, with Kit being the second focus character. Also cut out of the books was Oscar blowing his nose on the curtains; which was pretty funny. However; the writers of this book did in fact keep Oscar's line of "If it was my club, I wouldn't want me either!" That's was a money line; but because Ernie feels bad for Oscar, it doesn't quite work. Remember what I said about the Jungle Aces Adventure Club looking similar to a tree house? Well; that what it is in the books. I'm surprised the televised version didn't have it this way. Also, it looks like a steampunk's paradise too. There is no ladder either. Anyhow; Kit does grab Oscar by the hand to lead him out; but the dialogue is different. In the books; Kit is much nicer and has an idea. In the televised version; Kit is angry and leads Oscar out basically saying that he is going to get him his adventure. I kind of like the book version; although Oscar pulling the curtain out at the end was amusing.

Page 5/6: Okay; I do have the book on retainer and it's easier to simply point out two pages at a time. There are a lot of differences between the book and televised version. For one; they make it like they knew Kit from the start in the books. In the televised version; Mad Dog doesn't even know that Kit is with him until he sees Kit with him. In fact; Mad Dog sounds panicky when he finds out in the televised version. Also the abandoned property next to the clubhouse is farther in the televised version than in the books since they made it as if Mad Dog knew where the clubhouse was; which he doesn't mention in the televised version. I think their hiding spots are different from the televised version, but it does look cool. Also all the "Oscar is clumsy" sequences have been cut out as well. Don Karnage using the jury rigged radio and the Iron Vulture shots are cut as well. Don also sounds like a normal human being since he only tells them to follow Oscar and kidnap him when he is alone.

Page 6/7: Amazing enough; Baloo's introduction is kept in all of it's glory. Wildcat's on the other hand has been changed a lot. First; in the books, he's working on the "Secret Anti-Pirate Weapon" (Read: Propane tank) and Kit's introduction to Wildcat is more subtle in the televised version since Wildcat is called a mechanical genius in the books. In fact; the tank is aim straight at Baloo in the books. Also of note: Wildcat is outside on the docks in the books; while inside his boathouse in the televised version. This means; there was at least one clumsy Oscar scene causing Mad Dog to fall into the drink was also cut out. Kit never mentions what the propane tank is in the books; so the books had to do a different line for WildCat. In the books; he says "pleased to meet..."; in the televised series, it's "Well; to tell you the truth, I..." I think that is what he said in the televised version. (The official line in my transcript is: "Actually, it's only a tank full of.... ")

Page 8/9: Because of the changes made to page seven; the rocket's path had to be changed and both Dumptruck and Mad Dog splash into a sand spit like area. More on that in the next two pages. Baloo's dialogue is also cut from the books, and the propane tank simply disappears in the books; but the tank in the televised version destroys the abandoned building/construction site like a nuclear missile. Yeah; I can see why that was cut. That means...

Page 10/11: In the books; Oscar thinks that this is a secret weapon on his own; causing Kit to motion to Wildcat to just play along. Since Kit called it a secret weapon in the televised version with Oscar deducing from Kit's speech rather than the propane tank demonstrating it; the dialogue is changed to reflect the destruction of the propane tank as Oscar asks if this is an adventure -- which would be the third time in the episode that he said that --, with Kit responding in pain that this was a disaster. Most of this is all right; but page eleven contains a massive logic break: Dumptruck and Mad Dog are hiding in a wooden building and the book claims it's the offices of Higher...For...Hire. Wait; WHAT?! Doesn't this writer know that Rebecca Cunningham is probably working in that office?! This is stupid. Sure; Mad Dog and Dumptruck do hide in the televised version; but it was still somewhere on the docks, not inside the office.

Page 11/12: Strangely; the next scene takes place inside the wooden garage next to the office and Mad Dog/Dumptruck are outside the office now in the books. In the televised version; the conversation takes place inside the office with Rebecca at her desk. The entire conversation is completely different too. For example: Kit never tells Rebecca about the "secret weapon" (and thus doesn't play along with this) in the televised version. In fact; she resists the idea of Oscar coming on for the ride. Baloo and Kit state their case with Kit pointing out that the Van Der Snoots would be big clients implying that the Van Der Snoots are in fact rich. Rebecca likes the idea in that version too. However; there was a slight bit of nuance missing from the books: While both Rebecca's say that it's all right as long as his mother gives him permission to do so; the book Rebecca is smiling while saying it and is even petting Oscar on the head. The televised Rebecca is pointing the pencil looking stern at Kit telling him "As long as he get permission from his mother." People think that Rebecca acts like a jerk here; but this is a non-verbal cue towards Kit saying "don't ever take advantage of my beliefs ever again." Which makes sense because Kit did in fact manipulate Rebecca's love of business to get what he wanted as mentioned above. (Sadly for Rebecca, Kit would not only not learn his lesson, she would crack again in "My Fair Baloo".) I don't think Dumptruck and Mad Dog used a walkie-talkie in the televised version, I think it was a steampunk style jury rigged radio. Also of note; the shipment list is also gone with Rebecca's checklist, which is fine since Walt Disney Animation Japan went all Engrish on us.

Page 13/14: Here's another prime example of the book not knowing what it's doing: For one; Don Karnage and Mad Dog's conversation had more flair in the televised version simply because Don Karnage doesn't sound like Don Karnage in the books! Worse; jury rigged radio in the books looks like a 1980's sci-fi control panel complete with television monitor. Excuse me; but this makes no sense. The jury rigged radio in the televised version is supposed to be 1930's steampunk; not 1990's Clinton modern style. This angered me. Also all the funny stuff is removed including Don Karnage's always funny sign off where he wants dounuts and cappuccino, Karnage out! This is another example of Disney trying to market toys to a bunch of kids who just watched the show; and thinks that these kids do not use their brains. (I guess coffee is on the Disney pre-school ban list in the 1990's despite Peppa Pig, a show for pre-schoolers, allows coffee and tea as long as kids don't drink it.)

Page 15/16: The Baloo, WildCat, Kit plan to play Air Pirates is shortened to just them saying what they are going to do. There is no cosplaying from Baloo and Kit in the books which is sad because the cosplaying part in the televised version was awesome and it really made Wildcat paranoid. It was great and they removed it. Also; the plan was done later in the afternoon in the books while the televised had it slotted to just before Oscar arrives with his mother. Oh; and WildCat and Kit were wearing the costumes; and Kit's pirate captain outfit is still awesome and WildCat's outfit is still making him look like a tool. Although much of the dialogue is shorten up; Mrs. Van Der Snoot's arrival with Oscar on the next page is faithful at least. With one major exception...

Page 16/17: Mrs. Van Der Snoot's overbearingness is gone in the books now. She does show Oscar wearing a football helmet and other safety gear. She also doesn't show any medication, which I'm fine with since she did turn the whole overbeingness to eleven in the televised version. (Also, medication probably tripped the BS&P filter for these hardcover books anyway. Despite Peppa Pig being allowed to be vaccinated in her storybook compared to television when Mummy Pig merely mentioned her vaccines were updated.) All that happened in the books was: "Is it safe? Oscar is fragile." Rebecca says "Absolutely safe." and Oscar's mother says "Very well; you may go." and Oscar is cheering like he won the Wrestlemania main event. I like the televised version better because Mrs. Van Der Snoot is supposed to be this paranoid about the safety of Oscar, since that puts sympathy heat onto Oscar. Here; Oscar loses sympathy and is just another kid on this show. The next page is faithful in some ways. However, since all the overbearing stuff is gone, that means Baloo didn't toss all of Oscar's safety gear out which Oscar points out how paranoid his mother is.

Page 18/19: The first page is shortened to Oscar noticing the secret weapon and Baloo telling him to be quiet. I should note that Baloo's take off is compressed to remove any reference to Oscar's mother getting splooshed. All of Baloo's flying skills are removed from the books and reduced to Baloo merely taking off. Yeah; all of those frightening scenes of Oscar looking scared is gone. They also cut out the "Yahoo" exchange from the books. Now; with that said, the next page is really great. I think the artists did a better job of creating a kickass red baron-equse airplane; and even remembered to put the Don Karnage Air Pirate symbol on the tail section. Awesome! Even Walt Disney Animation Japan didn't pick up that detail. (The product was a rush job to buy time for Darkwing Duck, what can you do?!)

Page 20/21: In the books; they actually showed the Iron Vulture using the double golden JAWS OF HALF LIFE while in the televised version, the Iron Vulture appears in shadow over them and the bottom bomb bay door of the Iron Vulture simply opens. Apparently; the Seaduck came within seconds afterwards because on the next page, the Iron Vulture is heading for the SeaDuck. Here's what was edited out for the books: (1) The entire Air Pirate/WildCat and Kit scene where Don realizes that this is not the secret weapon which means WildCat never gets punched out, Kit never gets threatened and Don doesn't almost try to break Kit's jaw. All dog-fighting scenes from the televised version are removed in the books...

Page 22/23: In the books; Don Karnage is ordering Baloo to surrender before going into Skull Cave. In the televised version; The SeaDuck goes into Skull Cave for more dog-fighting before escaping. This also removes the scene where Oscar uses the telescope and a scene where both babyfaces almost get killed and Baloo talks about them being angels chirping harps, implying that they almost died. In the televised version; the SeaDuck is captured in the JAWS OF HALF LIFE before Don Karnage orders him to surrender. Also different; in the televised version, Baloo refuses to surrender at first and doesn't even believe that Kit is on board until Kit is on the microphone pleading for him not to surrender, in which Baloo surrenders. In the books; Don says "I have Kit and Wildcat". (Which begs the question: Since when has Don Karnage even known WildCat?) Baloo surrenders right there. Next page is a repeat of the opening; so I gave too much credit to Don Ferguson. As usual. The potato sacks/parachute scene is kept; but it's far away and Don claims that they bailed out despite the fact that the SeaDuck was never actually captured in the books. DUMB!

Page 24/25: In a major surprise; everything in the next two pages is faithful to the original, it is that most of the dialogue was cut.

Page 25/26: The next page is faithful as well; even down to Oscar holding the book of matches. (Toon Disney cut this out in repeat airings starting with the Disney Channel run in the mid 1990's.) Sadly; we never get to see Baloo try to plant the dynamite which means there was no scene of Mad Dog offering him a match; and leading to Baloo getting captured as well. And this was absolutely no surprise at all to me; the entire torture scene is removed. I don't like it because R.J. Williams is awesome, but I can see why they removed it. Baloo never gets chained up with the rest of the babyfaces in the books.

Page 26/27: Sadly; Oscar doesn't do the Jungle Aces fight song the short version; but him lighting by the dynamite and blowing down the door was somewhat faithful to the televised version. Although he blew down a wall; and didn't say anything about the matches or blowing down the door himself. He just entered smiling. I'm sorry; but the televised version is better just for that. Still; I'm more shocked Disney allowed Oscar to use dynamite in any context in this book actually! We also don't get the charming moment when the other babyface scream at him to run. There is a number of differences when Don grabs Oscar: Don actually praises him and up the ransom money to $10 million; which is an important plot point -- even with Clouding Riches in play -- to the babyfaces that Oscar was supposed to be kidnapped and ransomed off. This is not the case in the books. (If it was a BS&P decision; it's a stupid one because Mad Dog and Dumptruck were clearly trying to kidnap him the entire time.) Don simply asks how the secret weapon works. Also; Oscar only says "okay" in the books. In the televised version: Oscar asks Don to let his friends go and he'll show him how the anti-pirate weapon works. Again; the televised version is better because Oscar is playing hero. Also; in the televised version; Kit can see this plan a mile away, while Baloo doesn't. (Baloo's trying to point out that the weapon is fake.) In the books; no one knows what is going on; not even Kit himself. (Even though Kit was there when the propane tank caused chaos. That's a logic hole right there.)

Page 28/29: The entire scene where Don orders the Air Pirates to turn around, plug their ears and no peaking because Oscar points out that the crew might know the secret. That one is in fact funny and they threw it out in the books. In the books; Oscar asks of a wrench. In the televised version; he says this is automatic and all you do is this and he puts the wrench and turned it. Oscar's showing is better than him saying it. Don Karnage's reaction in the televised version is gone. ("I'm beginning to have the slightest bit of regret." while covering his eyes before the missile hits him in the midsection.) The entire sequence of Oscar finding the keys and unlocking the babyfaces is also gone from the books. Sadie's fur is grey in the books and brown in the televised version. If it was because brown is racist; then grey is not much better because Capcom had to edit Karn's face in Breath Of Fire for the SNES. (I'm going to chalk it up to a color stylist not knowing what it is doing with character designs in general instead of any anti-bigtory attempt that failed epically.)

Page 30/31: Now overall; the blowing of the floor with the SeaDuck swaying from the ledge is kept for the most part. However; the big sequence of the explosion was changed to make sure that the babyfaces never get blown away like in the televised version. This is sad in a way because when they were blown away Wildcat lands on bottom with Kit and Oscar in the middle and Baloo on top crushing Oscar and Kit in the process. That was a really scary spot..only to mean nothing as they all got up and no sold it. This is where I finally felt that the "Kit is a God" theory holds water. But wait; Oscar no sold it too, as well as Wildcat. I guess it was to prove that they are cartoons. Still a scary moment nevertheless. I also note that the babyfaces were on floor level in the televised version; not on the catwalk in the books.

Page 32/33: The remaining Don Karnage scenes are cut from the books; which means we never see him on the pulley hook yelling that he is going to free them from their miserable hides; which implies he is going to kill them. The rest of the scene is different as well mainly because Don Karnage is not involved. In the books; Baloo, Kit and Wildcat simply get into the side door of the SeaDuck in time. Then the floor collapses before Oscar can get to the SeaDuck and both the SeaDuck and Oscar free fall. In the televised version. Baloo and Wildcat get into the side doors --I think -- and Kit jumps into the tail section of the open SeaDuck. He then calls for Oscar to jump; but Oscar is grabbed by Don Karnage just as the SeaDuck falls through the floor. This is also another example of why the televised version is better because it was a tease that Don Karnage has successfully kidnapped Oscar. Only Oscar bites his hand and Don is forced to let go causing Oscar to free fall. See the difference?

Page 34/35: I realize that the "Kit saving Oscar" sequence is very long; but here goes. In the books; most of the scene is faithful to the televised version, but most of the dialogue and emotion is cut from the books. Baloo trying to start the engines; WildCat noticing the contacts are corroded in the wiring of the SeaDuck, Kit's entire sequence of saving Oscar is reduced in the books to simply Kit trying to grab Oscar. Oscar is trying hard to grab his hand, but comes up short until finally he does it. This is living proof that many times; books might sound great, but they do not convoy the feel of what I read. Books are great in many situations; but fiction is not one of them. Television conveys fiction much better because it's an emotional medium. Books are better for non-fiction ventures; because entertainment is not the first goal of science books and math books. It's about facts and evidence. They also cut out Oscar asking if this is an adventure and Kit saying "You better believe it" for the books.

Page 35/36/37: The whole sequence of Kit flying over Higher...For..Hire is changed a little bit in that it's still in the late morning. Also most of the exchange on the docks between Oscar's mother and Rebecca is gone from the books. However; they kept Oscar's call out to his mother and his mother fainting; although his mother faints in a different pose. They also removed Kit and Oscar surfing to the Jungle Aces Adventure Club where all the members except Ernie appear and cheer Oscar who waves back. The entire newspaper sequence is completely kept; except for a changed shot of Oscar's mother looking like she is going to faint again. In fact; Oscar's mom faints again in the books; but not in the televised version. Oh no; she suffers a much worse fate than that. (How is this a worse fate...Oh, the rollercoaster ride, my mistake.) The last scenes are completely different: In the books; the story ends with the Jungle Aces crowning Oscar as a new member of the Jungle Aces Adventure Club and make him honorably president despite doing a coronation like he was a king, complete with a staff made from a four iron golf club. I like this; but the televised version is still better. The book ends with Kit winking and saying that this is not bad for a first adventure. I disagree Kit. I gave the televised version of Captains Outrageous a ***** rating; which is an awesome adventure in my book. The televised version ends like this: The honorably president thing is still kept; but there is no coronation for Oscar as Oscar is not in the tree house. Ernie asks where Oscar is and Kit whispers to him, to which Ernie says "You're kidding?!" Then we head to an amusement park where Oscar and his mother are riding the roller coaster. That was awesome and Oscar's mother is just so scared of this while Oscar is having a blast; and I laughed and crackled at it. (Honestly, in the modern world, you can speed up the television series enough to let Oscar get his coronation in and then Oscar leaves. Ernie asks where is he going, then Kit whispers in his ear and this leads to Oscar and his mom riding the rollercoaster. Time constraints is a factor and it's not like modern cartoons care about letting anything breathe anymore, so there you go.) That ends the hardcover book. For what it was; this book did do a good job in the artwork and it tried to be faithful in places; but BS&P and bad logic killed it. I'm going to be generous and give it *** 1/4 (65%).

THE REVIEW LINE

For small children who have never watched this episode before; it's fine. However; if they watched the episode first, I recommend against giving them this hardcover book because it would be a heinous insult to their brains. They know better and they know that the televised version is better than this. Next up; I might do Her Chance to Dream or The Old Man & The Seaduck comparisons. Old Man has two comparisons, one for the comic books and one for hardcovers. Or I might do a new TaleSpin comic strip, maybe The Girl From Spango-Pango or something among those lines. So...

Thumbs in the middle for this book and I'll see you all next time.

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