The Ramona Story: a tale yet untold (in animation)

With Walt Disney Studios in Southern California all these years, it's a wonder they haven't taken on the local Rancho Era romance, "Ramona", a tale that significantly influenced Southern California culture and architecture through the Ramona Pageant, America's longest-running outdoor drama, and the popularity of Mission Revival architecture. Hopefully with the intent to produce a hand drawn feature every couple years the thought will eventually come to mind. Ramona herself would hopefully (like several REJECTED concept drawings for Princess Tiana!) be in the cartoon style of Aladdin and the Little Mermaid. Disney did explore the theme of Los Angeles during the Rancho Era in the 1950's live-action TV show, Zorro. In the world of comics, Disney 'duck artist' Carl Barks sent Donald and the boys into a world of romance and adventure in 1951's "In Old California". The latter comic book story feels like an old film drama and has the makings of a great animated feature. It tells the Romanticized story of California before the Gold Rush and was Barks' personal favorite. He tapped into his knowledge of local history and past customs for the art and script, since he lived in the San Jacinto Valley, rather than having to do research as he did for his other adventure stories. "In Old California" was reprinted in 1987 in Donald Duck #254, with a story-based cover by Dan Jippes in the 'classic Barks style', however this reprinting was poorly colored on a number of pages. *[Similar Barks stories include "The Seven Cities of Cibola" with Scrooge, that begins in the Anza-Borrego Desert near Indio and involves the local legend of the 'Lost Ship of the Desert'. A scenario from this story directly influenced the idol/boulder booby-trap scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark". The shorter "Lost Pegleg Mine" likewise involves Anza-Borrego lore. "Dangerous Disguise" doesn't feature regional folklore but sends Donald and the boys on a dramatic spy chase in the French Rivirea involving an all-human supporting cast rendered in detailed style.]