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TaleSpin Comics: The Old Man & The SeaDuck Comparisons Rant

Reviewed: 09/15/2015
Additional Commentary: 11/23/2025

Welcome To The Wacky World Of TaleSpin Comics, TV/Comic Book Check #2!

Original Release: 10/00/1991.

The Old Man & The SeaDuck is one of the most amazing stories you will ever see on children's television. Yes; there are a few notable logic breaks near the end of the episode, like having three human photographers in a flashback for instance. Yes; it featured the dread amnesia gimmick that everyone loathed because all amnesia angles are usually the same: Someone gets a concussion that causes memory loss due to a bump on the head due to some unintentional, but still reckless behavior and then comedy arises until they restore the memory by doing a second bump on the head. It's always brutally unfunny because making fun of people with brain damage is no longer funny. (2025 Gregory Weagle Says: And probably should never have been funny to begin with.) The Adventures Of Teddy Ruxpin got this whole angle right by using it to fuel Teddy reuniting with Burl Ruxpin after he went missing for ten years. No one thought it would be topped because it was never played for comedy. (Although they also had Tweeg losing his memories and that was played for laughs, although Tweeg is a heel and did it to himself. Thus no one was going to feel sorry for him. Ironically, Tweeg being the oppressor of MAVO before this was glorious. Plus; no bumps to the head were involved in either case, so it wasn't nearly as offensive as it could have been.). Then Libby Hinson came along and wrote this classic TaleSpin episode. Even though there were moments where they played it off for laughs; it often was funny because it didn't punch down on Baloo who had the concussion; the jokes were always at someone elses expense and there were only enough of them to not warm out their welcome, nor start to punch down. Also; the bump Baloo took was believable and violent, and the way they brought back his memories was awesome and believable. It was like Libby Hinson knew about concussions and their effects years before all of us did. And then there is that killer finish and ending that makes TaleSpin, well; TaleSpin. This episode was so great; that Disney did TWO adaptations of this story. One of them is a children's hardcover is of course marketed to kids under the age of eight, and so a lot of concessions had to be made to make the show lawsuit resistance so to speak. (That one also featured WildCat during the start of the episode and not just there at Higher For Hire since Higher For Hire didn't exist and Rebecca Cunningham was erased in that episode. Sounds like "The Lost Cargo Of Kit Cloudkicker!" all over again.) The second one that I'm comparing it to was the comic version; which is much more faithful to the original episode and in some respects, it was for the best. How does this adaptation do? Let's rant on shall we...?!

The Old Man & The SeaDuck is written by Libby Hinson, and the comic adaption is done by Bobbi JG. Weiss.

Opening Moment #1: The cover of the comic is basically a shot of the SeaDuck going through Mirkle Pass with Baloo yelling that he is doing everything he can; but doesn't think they'll make it as the wings are broken off the SeaDuck. Spoiler Alert: They don't quite make it.

Page 1: Minnie & Me collector cards promo. Been there, done that; should have them just for a rib.

Page 2/3/4: The opening is almost exactly the same as the televised version. The only difference it that there are clouds in the comic version when there were none in the televised version. Mostly the same; but Baloo talks a bit more in the comic. Basically he says that it's getting squeezy in there very fast. Very lame Bobbi. Otherwise; everything is more or less the same as the televised version.

Page 5: There is an added conversation between Kit and Baloo about being unable to see due to it being foggy. The fog bank is in the televised version; but Baloo says a different line while Kit says nothing in the television version. Baloo also talks slightly more when the controls are out. I should note that the rear tail-sections get bused the same in both versions; but only the left wing is broken in the comics version and I don't think the wings were damaged in the televised version. (Despite the fact that both of them were broken off on the cover. Really bad continuity there.) When Baloo get nailed in the head; in the televised version, it was the metal black box that hit him. In the comics, it's the circular gauge that hits him. Also of note; Kit's panic promo is in the cockpit in the television, while in the comics, it's outside the SeaDuck.

Page 6: The "In Between The Lines" promotional segment. Yeah; half of it is spent on how awesome Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck are. Just to note: There is a comic series called The Time Tetrad and they promote Book one, three and four. What about book two?! Is that where Ducktales meets TaleSpin or something?! It seems that the filler motif that TaleSpin got from the marketing "geniuses" extends to comics as well. What a shocker?!

Page 7/8: There are a few changes here. We don't see Kit grabbing the hot dog from the floor in the comics. The only real difference is in the televised version, Kit and Baloo talk about Rebecca, while in the comics, it's Miss Cunningham. Not a big deal and outside of the narration, it's dead on to the televised version. Another change: The top panel has Rebecca talking more and quite frankly; this should have been in the televised version as well. Well done, Bobbi. Another minor change: Baloo says "Whoa, lady" in the televised version and "Hello, lady" in the comics. In the morning panel; WildCat is working on the tail-section of the SeaDuck alone in the comics, while in the televised version; Kit was helping him with the toolbox and giving him a hammer. There was actual dialogue from WildCat, calling the SeaDuck a little ducky in the televised version. In the comics; Kit instantly sees Baloo walking out of the office and says "Baloo!". The televised version doesn't have that extra dialogue from Kit. Also, Baloo in the comics says that what a dream he had last and stops there. In the televised version; he stops at "I...".

Page 9: Sales Leadership Ponzi Scheme...ERRR..I mean Sales Leadership Club promo. Here's a hint: If they demand your name, address and zip code; but force you to buy a kit in order to figure out what's going on, that's a scam. Apparently; you need to sell more items to get a Nintendo Gameboy than a Nintendo Entertainment System. I call bullshit on that one. (Somehow, I don't think anything has changed and has gotten worse since this comic strip actually.)

Page 10/11: The first major change of this episode: The entire funny moment of Baloo cos-playing the stick and having the tail-section flop back (Including WildCat's reaction of being sorry for hurting the tail-section.) and smack WildCat into the water is cut out completely in the comics. Only Baloo cos-playing the stick is kept. Other than a few slight changes in the dialogue (One seems to be to prevent viewers from thinking Kit is Canadian.); it's more or less the same as the televised version. Kit's panicky "What?" from the televised version is removed. More of Rebecca's dialogue is changed slightly from the television version; but otherwise, it's more or less the same in the comics as it is in the televised version. I should note that I have misspelled "Fractillator" in the transcript, so it's not a change from the comics to the televised version, it's just me.

Page 12: The second major change of the episode: In the comic version; the SeaDuck has already taken off as Rebecca is not impressed with Baloo clowning around when cargo needs to be delivered. In the televised version; Rebecca says three lines separately instead of one paragraph together in the comics. The three lines in the televised version: The first one is that she has cargo to deliver, the second line is that it's about time and the third line accuses Baloo of showing off. So, she basically said the same thing in both versions, but two of her lines in the television version are in the same scene as the comic version. While the first line in the televised version is in the previous scene because the actual scene in the televised version is not over at this point. You got that?! In the comics as the SeaDuck is in the air, Kit finally points out that Baloo has amnesia just like that after seeing Rebecca not being amused by Baloo's antics. In the televised version; the previous scene continues on as Kit slowly realizes that he has amnesia. Then Rebecca's line of shipping cargo is said. Also of note: The entire sequence of Kit pointing out that Rebecca will fire her if he doesn't do his job; and Baloo asking that funny question causing Kit and WildCat to look at each other is cut out completely. Another major change: The entire showing off sequence with the tugboat and the SeaDuck; along with Baloo panicking is cut out completely as well. And to think; Bobbi was going along quite nicely.

Page 13: Kit's "Whoa!" is removed from the comics. The narration in the comics actually claims that that the storm sequence was literally an hour later. The flight manual WildCat uses had a pink cover in the televised version, but a blue cover in the comics. WildCat's dialogue is slightly different, but more or less the same. Everything else is the same as the televised version.

Page 14: A Ball Park hotdog gear promo. Get sunglasses, a hat and a belt bag for free if you buy twelve Ball Park Hot dogs, which are probably more than the free items combined. No thank you. I got my belt bag from my dietitian and it's foil shielded to keep my stuff cool. Not to mention I get a free granola bar and a small bottle of meal replacement as extras! Take that Ball Park! (Joke is on former self since this was a few months before I had to go on insulin and had my infamous hospitalization for an abbess in the anal canal for 65 days and a nearly full year of full recovery.) Oh, and we have an anthro dog trying to look hip and cool; in a comic where we already have Kit Cloudkicker, who is hip and cool without looking like a guy who is out of touch with reality.

Page 15/16/17: Baloo doesn't say "Oh my gosh" in the televised version. There is slightly more dialogue from Kit in the entire panel; but it's mostly about putting the parachutes on. The side door locking after Kit and WildCat's free fall is cut. Otherwise; it's more or less the same. Baloo speaks more; but that's mostly because they cut out the door locking, so they had to move it here to save space, I guess. Only the door stuck part was added to the comics. Baloo's "Where?" in the televised version is cut out. Joe MacGee speaks about aiming for in between the runway lights in the comics; that wasn't in the televised version. In the comics; when Baloo gets out of the SeaDuck, he gets out from the pilot's door. In the televised version, he uses the locked side door which somehow has opened for no reason. Baloo talks slightly more when looking for Joe. Joe MacGee dresses the same in the comics more or less; although his fur is lighter in the comics than the televised version; although not as light as the hardcover version.

Page 18: In a strange logic break: In the televised version; Joe was poking a platoon which breaks off and falls to the ground, along with the left prop which springs out. That was cut out in the comics; but the left prop springing out is still left in despite not being touched by Joe at all. During the Kit/WildCat scene; in the televised version, Kit was shown first and then he runs over to WildCat who has the parachute over his head to remove it. That was cut in the comics. I should note that the "hire a car" thing is kept and the town is not named Zambizi Flats. (Odd on television and the comics since Libby Hinson's scripts and storyboard confirm that the name of the town was Zambizi Flats.) In the comics; Baloo is sleeping on his belly the whole time; while in the televised version, he tosses from his back to his right side.

Page 19/20: In the televised version; the pictures on the board were blurry and undone while they were clearer in the comics. Strangely; the girlfriend picture with Joe in the televised version was cut in the comics. Also in the televised version; the medals were in fact real and in the flesh; while in the comics, there is merely a picture of them. Why?! I don't know. When Baloo comes out of the main hanger, he only says "Man" in the televised version. He speaks more than that in the comics. Everything else is more or less the same. The partially blocked exit is basically an unblocked cave in the comics now. The televised version had it partially blocked with an opening in the shape of an airplane flying. Hilariously; all the dialogue is the same as the televised version here. Otherwise; no real changes.

Page 21: Disney Comics Promo featuring Darkwing Duck. Again; I don't need to tell you how stupid Disney is by not inserting cards into the comic book, so we can read the comic book and order stuff without cutting the comic book to pieces. Again; if you want a definition of disposable entertainment, here's a prime example of it.

Page 22/23: Baloo repeats Joe McGee's line in the comics, he doesn't do that in the televised version. In the comics; the mattresses were pink and they were white in the televised version. Baloo just grumbles in the comics while saying "...Out in the middle of nowhere..." and then grumbles in the televised version. Also the plane in the televised version is navy blue while the plane is green in the comics. This also applies to the pulley plane with the haystacks: It's light blue in the televised version and orange in the comics. Some of Joe's dialogue in the second test was changed as the nose up and going too low were cut from the comics. In the purple hover plane test; Joe telling him to do a barrel roll and a loop and approving when Baloo does it is completely cut from the comics.

Page 24: They also shuffled Joe McGee's dialogue a lot in the most important part of the episode: In the televised version; Baloo's memories slowly start to come back when Joe says "You have forgotten what flying is all about". In the comics; they come back when he says "having a good time". I have zero idea why Bobbi decided to shuffle the dialogue because everything Joe said was exactly the same as the televised version otherwise. Oh; and "A good time" uses a stutter effect. Also of note; the shot of Baloo dodging Air Pirates is cut out, which is fine because it was not needed. The flashback is the same otherwise, except Kit spoke more in the televised version.

Page 25/26: Baloo's Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder flashback through his eyes is completely cut out in the comics. It's probably for the best because in the televised version, they used the thunderstorm memory; but used the bump on the head audio from the beginning of the episode instead of the dialogue from the end of Act I. Very sloppy editing there in a show that almost never makes that mistake. I should note that in the televised version: the entire aborted attempt to take off by Baloo was done in complete silence. In the comics; Baloo is talking like a 4Kids character. I swear he was doing this. Also of note: Kit Cloudkicker's airfoil is metal steel in the comics like it usually is in the televised version; while in the televised version had it caramel color. (This is likely a Wang Films coloring mistake, but it was probably the only one Kit's airfoil was a different color compared to the comics, so I was fine with this.) Kit also says one more line of dialogue in the comics. Next major change: All references to Baloo using black pepper and onions to fake being sick is completely cut out of the comics. The comics simply cut to Joe McGee faking his leg injury. He says quite a bit in the comics to cover up the previous scene being completely cut.

Page 27/28: By the way; I make a mistake in claiming it's Doc Goober (due to the audio); but it is Doc Cooper in all versions. Baloo doesn't panic as much in the comics as in the televised version, but he talks a lot more. Again; they shuffled McGee's dialogue a bit here. Baloo doesn't almost buzz Kit with the SeaDuck in the comics. Kit speaks a bit more in the comics. Zambizi Flats looks different in the comics, but it still has a church with a cross on the roof, which changes in the next shot we see it. The doctor's office is southeast in the comics rather than east in the televised version. Doc Cooper stutters more in the televised version than in the comics. Doc Cooper is now a parrot instead of a turtle and he's dressed up like a business suit with a doctor bag in the comics, instead of just wearing a blue tie in the televised version. (The comics are somehow an improvement.)

Page 29: Rare Carl Barks Comics For Sale promo. Whatever.

Page 30/31/32: There is a lot more talking in the comics compared to the televised version; but the scene plays out mostly the same. The shot where WildCat sits beside Doc Copper is snipped out for the comics though. Also of note; Doc Cooper is also wearing shoes in the comics, which he is not in the televised version. While Doc Cooper's dialogue is exactly the same in both versions; the entire flashback was edited out in the comics. Which is kind of odd actually; although it does prevent us from seeing Wang Film use three human photographers during said flashback and killing the entire anthro angle dead. (Good for Bobbi Weiss to pay attention there although the comics should have just used dognoses since even TaleSpin has those in the television series.) Baloo doesn't shed a tear in the comics when he thanks Joe; and doesn't put the photo in his pocket. Probably because in the comics, it's much bigger than the televised version. The last panel has the same dialogue as the televised version; but the comics added a pink phantom image of Joe McGee which should have also made television as well. That completes the comparison of this comic and it is the most faithful adaption Bobbi Weiss did. **** (80%). Sadly; she removed several funny scenes, shuffled dialogue around, along with adding more for no real reason; and disrupted the flow of the episode; but all the important plot points were kept and a few scenes were better than the televised version. Good job Bobbi; but stick to original stories like "The Long Flight Home" which you are at your best at. But we're not done yet; because...

Page 33: It's time for MailSpin #6: The most sucking up by viral marketers ever to try to prop this show up, even though Disney doesn't care one iota. This one actually features Don Karnage as the mail reader. AWESOME! To no one's surprise; he stole the letters. Now; the first letter is basically a praise letter towards the comic book "Idiots Aboard" which sounds like it was written by Trader Moe or something. That is funny by itself; but guess who signed it...wait for it... Christopher E. Barat from Richmond, VA. Wait a second; the late Christopher Barat wrote a letter to MailSpin? Wow; thanks to him, MailSpin has instant credibility now. Or maybe not. Still; that letter was great. Thank Chris. Don of course blows it off because it's not addressed to him. That's like saying that one day you'll grow up to be bigger and taller than Jeff Jarrett. We discover that Don Karnage has a major hang up with age and doesn't want to be married. And after Aunt Louise; can we really blame him? Look; just because Ransom of the Red Chimp was funny doesn't mean the marriage angle is a good idea. I should note that Don Karnage Id's himself as a wolf even in the comics, and it's a red wolf anyway. The end is classic as Don basically tells them to stop prodding him for his origin story and leaves for the next plundering of a plane. Also of note is the next issue which is F'reeze A Jolly Good Fellow which features Don Karnage hijacking a shipment of Frosti Pep (Called Frosty Pep in the comics. Didn't someone inform them that Frosty is trademarked by Rankin-Bass or something?!) and Baloo has to get the shipment back. Funny how they remembered the Frosti Pep angle from It Came From Beneath The SeaDuck.

Page 34/35: Disney Collector Cards Promo. Don't care. There is also a promo for Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers Fudge Bars. Why didn't TaleSpin get anything like this? I can see it now: TaleSpin Frosti Pepsicles. It would make millions I tell ya! Disney marketing sucks! (No lies detected.)

THE REVIEW LINE

That completes all of the adaptions from the comics and the hardcover editions. (One fine note that I should comment on: Recently, "DailyKarnage" from Tumblr actually released sketches of what might have been a future TaleSpin comics cover had the series continued and Disney comics not imploded. The cover coveyed that there was going to be a future comic adapation of a TaleSpin episode "Stuck On You" and Kit Cloudkicker might have made an appearance in that episode despite not being in the actual television episode! Although it might have also been a hardcover adaption of the same story considering the artistic changes made in those adapation due to the age rating being much lower. Yeah, "The Spy Who Bugged Me", which is totally not an adapation of "A Spy In The Ointment", was not the only known comic episode planned after all. My theory on Kit being on this cover might also be that Kit Cloudkicker was going to read mail in that comic book story during the MailSpin segment since he never got to do that before the comic book series imploded. This just makes TaleSpin look even more tragic as a series in hindsight.) This one is the most faithful in spite of the differences as all the important plot points are there and most of the changes were not huge. Cutting out some of the funny scenes like the "smack WildCat with the flap while cosplaying" and the "Baloo fakes sickness by using black pepper and an onion" scenes hurt it quite a bit; but it was mostly as good as it was going to get. Next up is the next transcript; but I might also do the "Ghost Ship" Golden Book story before that and complete all the non-comic materials for this series. Yeah; Disney had no confidence in this show at all, I'm sorry to say over and over again. So...

Thumbs up for this comic book story and I'll see you all next time.

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