Donald Duck's uncle was partly based on Wernher von Braun
Introducing the "world-famous authority on outer space...".
Introducing the "world-famous authority on outer space..."
The short version
- Did you know that the first character that Walt Disney created to specifically appear on television was inspired, in part, by early Space Age rocket scientists?
- On this day 65 years ago (September 24, 1961), Disney introduced the “renowned scientist, lecturer, psychologist [and] world traveler,” Ludwig Von Drake.
- In fact, there are going to be a lot of things out there you don’t know about, but don’t let it bother you, ’cause all of the answers is [sic] right in here,” Von Drake says at the beginning of the animated segment.
What happened
“I call my guidebook Inside Outer Space because everything known about outer space is on the inside. “Which reminds me, the way things are going, you better get your copy right away before it becomes obsolete,” he says.
Why it matters
“And prices go up.” As it turns out, Von Drake was not wrong—well, maybe not about the cost of his book, but about the part about being obsolete.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.