Over the years, my 1970 triptych has become a signature of mine. Next to each other, the three sepia photographs made at the end of my military service in Yugoslavia show me from the front, side, and back (“Front, Side, and Back,” June 18, 2002). The triptych is my best portrait ever. I used it while I was temporarily on Facebook, as well. Whenever people ask me about it, I explain that Donald Duck was my model. While I was growing up in Belgrade in the Fifties, I like to point out, everyone was familiar with the triptych that hung on a prominent wall of Walt Disney’s cartoon character’s home. It would pop up every now and then in stories about Donald Duck and his extended family, in which Daisy Duck and the three ducklings appeared most often. And it was funny each time it popped up. But few people nowadays remember the triptych on the wall. For most of them, it goes too far back. Thus I just tried to find it on the World Wide Web. To my surprise, there is no trace of it even when I search through the oldest images available, which go to the Forties. Could it be that the Donald Duck connection is nothing but my own invention? I rather doubt it, but the confusion still bothers me no end. When it comes to authorship, Disney’s artistic precedence is quite precious to me. While I was growing up, he was the greatest artist around without any doubt.

Addendum (November 29, 2015)

Every now and then, I search the World Wide Web for Donald Duck’s fabulous triptych, but to no avail. Perplexed, I just spent at least half an hour doing the same, and I came up with precious nothing one more time. This time around, I even looked for cartoons from the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties. For some strange reason, the three adjoining frames showing the Disney character from the front, side, and back have apparently not impressed too many people at the time. Otherwise, the three frames would be rather easy to find on the web. For me, this is quintessential Disney, though. And it captures Donald Duck’s character admirably. Otherwise, I would never come up with the idea of having my own triptych made close to the end of my military service forty-five years ago. To wit, I thought it also captured my own character quite splendidly. Be that as it may, I will keep searching for Disney’s triptych that is etched into my mind. With some luck, I will stumble upon it one fine day. The joy!