A Duck on Hard Times
Donald is, by occupation, an actor, a thespian---a member of a profession notorious for its practitioners falling out of public favor and on hard times.  There is a saying in Hollywood.  Your reputation and chance of finding work is only as good as the success of your last project. How troubling to be forgotten or to discover one's work has never been noticed.
Movie making can be a cruel business.  In 1988 Donald found himself reduced to playing a bit part and paired with a duck contracted from another studio, Daffy. Given how bright Donald's star once shinned, the experience had to have been humiliating.  Adding insult to injury, a sputtering rabbit---a nobody---got top billing in that feature.
Except for a few other bit parts and supporting roles in unimportant films, Donald has not done much work in movies or television.  So, he's done what other actors have done since the beginning of time:  Take any gig in any entertainment venue that will pay the bills. He tried his hand at being a stand up comedian.  He never made it to Vegas or the Comedy Club.
Back at his old studio, he pleaded with the new boss to give him work.  Things had changed a lot since the days when his name opened doors.
Later. . . .
Of course, over the years, Donald has done work outside acting.  That's part of the business being an actor.  However, the way one goes about finding work has changed since he was a younger duck, and Donald has attempted to adapt.  Of course his expectations have often, as in the past, been unrealistic.
And like for so many other unemployed actors, Donald has had to apply for unemployment from time to time and negotiate the government bureaucracy.
Copyright 2008  Brian R. Johnson, Ph.D.  All rights Reserved. The comic strip art is mostly from my personal collection.  With the exception of the Busy Bee Employment Agency gag, the strips are rough, preliminary sketches. They were prepared in the late 1980's for a proposed updated Donald Duck daily comic titled Poor, Poor Donald..
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