Lets... Get...Dangerous!

Hey look-- a blog post where I'm not angry at the republicans. Or anybody. How strange is that, folks?

Actually, I'm super happy. Like, floating on a cloud happy. Today was the first time I was caught up at work since November, it's supposed to be 40 tomorrow and my book was waiting for me when I got home and having finished it in an hour, I can honestly say it was everything I was hoping it would be.

I had been eyeing this book for months and finally decided on Tuesday that I had to have it and ordered it from Barnes and Noble. It's titled 'The Duck Knight Returns'. That's right-- I bought the comic book continuation of Disney's Darkwing Duck.

I love Disney. Yes, they have a lot of problems but I've always loved what I've felt is their overall message in their movies and cartoons (in the early 90s, not now)-- never stop dreaming and teamwork can accomplish anything. Darkwing Duck doesn't have much to do with the first (because DW's ego is the size of a small planet and his dreams of fame and fortune getting crushed are good for him), but the second one is huge. Darkwing always does better when he's working hand in hand with his sidekick Launchpad McQuack and adopted daughter Gosalyn (and with various members of the Justice Ducks- Stegmutt, Morgana, Neptunia, Gizomoduck...).

While I loved all of the Disney cartoons from the 90s (Ducktales, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, Talespin, Bonkers, Aladdin the Series and the Little Mermaid Series), Darkwing Duck has always held a special place in my heart. I dressed up as Darkwing for Halloween one year. I own Darkwing action figures and a felt poster. I own the books, videos and comics from the early 90s. As soon as the first two DVD sets were released, I snatched them up (Please, please Disney! Release the third one for Pete's sake!).

As I've gotten older, I've started to really think about why I love Darkwing Duck. Why has this character and this show stayed with me for so long? Why is Darkwing Duck elevated above all of my other fictional heroes? Why do I feel so happy when I reconnect with this show? Once I started thinking about it, I came to the answer pretty quick.

Gosalyn.

At the end of the two part series premiere, Darkwing Duck adopts Gosalyn. And to my five year old self, adopting Gosalyn was the most heroic thing Darkwing could ever do-- because I'm adopted.

As an adopted child, you don't get very many positive role models to look up to. Instead you get the TV shows and movies of adopted children who were demons or sociopaths or were throwing out the 'you're not my real--'. Or even better, shows where the worst insult you could through at your sibling was 'you're adopted'.

That is not something a five year old adopted child wants to hear or be picking up. It's not healthy to be receiving messages that you're going to turn into a monster or that your relationship with you family isn't real or insulting to other families. This was why Darkwing Duck was so huge for me (even though I probably didn't realize it at the time). Gosalyn was awesome-- nothing monstrous about her. But more importantly, from the moment Darkwing adopted her, he was dad. She never, ever used the 'you're not my real dad'. Her relationship with Darkwing was never looked down upon as less by any character in the series. She was his daughter, in every sense of the word. Like my parents and my brother are my family.

Darkwing Duck gets heralded for a lot of things. For being a super clever Batman parody. For being a modern mirror into the silver comic book age. For being one of Disney's best cartoon shows. Nobody ever talks about its hugely positive portrayal of adoption. More people should talk about that. Because even now, reading my comic book, seeing Darkwing and Gosalyn have a father/daughter moment ("I'm sorry dad, but I've been waiting a year and a half to say this-- ARE YOU CRAZY?") makes me ridiculous happy. I love this show and I love that it's being continued in comics.

So, I'm going to enjoy my book and my weekend because come Monday, I'm going to be way behind again at work. And I’m sure the republicans will do something to make me angry again. Bleh.

"I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the classic rock act that never retires. I am DARKWING DUCK!"