Donaldism

Donaldism is the fandom associated with Disney comics and cartoons. The name refers to Donald Duck and was first used by author Jon Gisle in his essay "Donaldismen" from 1971 and expanded in his book Donaldismen in 1973. In some (especially European) countries, Donaldism is mainly centred on comics and comic strips, while in other countries, e.g. the U.S. and Japan, these are largely neglected while motion pictures and shorts are relatively much more popular. Originally the term, as defined by Gisle, referred to a "Research branch as well as the material that is the object of this research. In the latter meaning, the word denotes every Disney signed comic story. In the former meaning, Donaldism is a branch of comics research, specialising in the study of precisely Disney's production." While this original meaning of the word was defined in 1973, today Donaldism tends to also cover general fandom within Disney comics and even motion pictures and shorts. Although the term refers directly to the Donald Duck universe, it includes other Disney universes.