San Diego Reader

Mr. Alice:

Who is Huey, Dewey, and Louie's father? If Donald Duck is their uncle, then Donald Duck must have a brother. I've never seen him. My dad has a brother and he is my uncle, so who's their dad?

-- Travis, aged 10

Cartoon families are almost as complicated as real-life families these days. But in the case of Huey, Dewey, and Louie, the trio actually belongs to Donald's sister, Dumbella. Sixty-one years ago she sent them to their Uncle Donald's for a visit, and for some reason they just never went home. We don't know whether Dumbella was having troubles with her marriage, or even if she was married at all. I hope it wasn't a case of duckling abuse. Anyway, according to the Donald Duck fan club, the kids were adopted by Unca Donald about 50 years ago.