Comics and Stories truly begin

I've been reading Walt Disney's Comics & Stories chronologically, and after a few years of reprints from Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Silly Symphonies newspaper strips (Bucky Bug, lots of Floyd Gottfredson), and adaptations- usually text-based- of shorts, I've finally gotten to the original stories.

And as can be expected, they show hallmarks of things to come.

The first one (I'm 99% certain) is of all things a Jose Carioca story, his second published- the first was in a '42 newspaper story. Starring an unexpected character? Check.

The next ones surprised me even more. Flower from Bambi (beautifully drawn by Ken Hultgren, I might add) meeting Little Hiawatha, renamed Little Bear for no reason, complete with racist dialect. A text story about Elmer the Elephant (why??) together with the crows from Dumbo, as blackbirds for no reason. Friend Owl thwarting off-model Foulfellow and Gideon. Unexpected, sometimes inexplicable crossovers? Check!

Carl Barks ducks? Checkeroonie.

Licensed character kids' comics are just... so... weird.