A Guidebook to the Carl Barks Universe

Backstage: In a June 9, 1966 letter to Michael Barrier, Barks said: "About my 'morgue' of reference material. I have four files full of clippings of every sort of subject and type of drawing. Also have many years of Nat'l. Geographics, and an Encyclopedia Brittanica. The rock of gibraltar picture in 'Ancient Persia' and the authentic-looking background props and frescoes are from Nat'l Geo. I simplify such material, naturally."

Correspondence:

June 9, 1966 letter from Carl Barks to Michael Barrier

Sources

W OS 282-00 parrot using adding machine in safe

Barrier: MBAC-109
CBL: 02A-169
Type: cover, illustrating «and "The Pixilated Parrot"»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1950, February 23
Publication date: 1950, (July)
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 282
Pages: 1

Sources

W OS 282-02 and "The Pixilated Parrot"

Barrier: MBAC-109
CBL: 02A-171
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1950, February 23
Publication date: 1950, (July)
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 282
Pages: 22

Sources

W OS 291-02 in "The Magic Hourglass"

Barrier: MBAC-110
CBL: 02A-195
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1950, March 16
Publication date: 1950, (September)
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 291
Pages: 28

Trivia: In panel 11.4, Scrooge's thoughts make the sum of his fortune calculable. ("I can't go on like this - losing a billion dollars a minute! I'll be broke in 600 years!")

Sources

W OS 300-02 in "Big-top Bedlam"

Barrier: MBAC-110
CBL: 02A-223
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1950, April 20
Publication date: 1950,(November)
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 300
Pages: 28

Sources

W OS 308-02 in "Dangerous Disguise"

Barrier: MBAC-110
CBL: 02B-253
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1950, June 29
Publication date: 1951, (January)
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 308
Pages: 28

Landmark: Last story with prominent human appearances.

Trivia: Discussable references to death. Sound of counter-counter-etc. spies shooting each other. (5.1) Operator Minus-X jumping out of the train running over a tall bridge. This is the most discussable reference in this story, because there seems to be water under the bridge. (10.1) Donaldo El Quacko prefers to jump out the window rather than being punished by his leader. (28.5)

Backstage: Most of the characters in this story are humans, rather than humanoid dogs. Barks had used human characters in other stories, but never so prominently as in this one, and Western's editors did not approve. Barks said about it in a May 30, 1971 interview by Michael Barrier: "As soon as I took 'Dangerous Disguise' in, and Carl Buettner took a look at it, he said, 'That doesn't go good, having real humans.' It takes the ducks out of their own world." (Carl Buettner was Western's art editor.) After this story, humans were rarely used again.

Congruences:

W OS 199-02 in "Sheriff of Bullet Valley": Human appearance (Carl Barks caricature).
W OS 203-02 in "The Golden Christmas Tree": Human appearance (witch).
W OS 238-02 in "Voodoo Hoodoo": Human appearance.
W OS 275-02 "in Ancient Persia": Human appearance.
W OS 291-02 in "The Magic Hourglass": Human appearances.
W OS 300-02 in "Big-top Bedlam": Human appearance.
W US 6-02 valley of tralla la: Human appearances.
W US 7-02 seven cities of cibola: Human appearance (Al Koch).
W WDC 94-02 coast patrol: Human appearance.
W WDC 188-01 olympic try-outs: Human appearance (Carl Barks caricature).
W WDC 196-02 snow statues contest: Human appearance (snow princess).
W WDC 211-01 wishing stones: Human appearance (native).
W WDC 275-01 Zero Hero: Human appearance (actress).
W DG 26-01 in The Christmas Cha Cha: Human appearance (Carl Barks caricature).
W CP 1-01 in "Letter to Santa": Human appearance (Santa Claus).
W FGW 48-01 in "Toyland": Human appearance (Santa Claus).
... Tells About Kites [Florida Power story]: Human appearance (lineman, panel 7.4)
W KGA 2-01 Tells About Kites [Southern California story]: Human appearance (lineman, panel 7.4)
QMU 1942-?04: spy theme

Interviews:

May 30, 1971 interview by Michael Barrier

Sources

W OS 318-02 in "No Such Varmint"

Barrier: MBAC-110
CBL: 02B-297
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1950, July 27
Publication date: 1951, (March)
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 318
Pages: 28

Sources

W OS 328-02 in Old California!

Barrier: MBAC-110
CBL: 02B-327
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1950, November 2
Publication date: 1951, (May)
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 328
Pages: 28

Backstage: The supporting characters are humanoid dogs. Barks said in a May 30, 1971 interview with Barrier that he would have preferred to have drawn them as real humans, but he was warned for using humans when he submitted "Dangerous Disguise" (OS 308) four months earlier.

Research: This story is set in that section of Southern California in which Barks himself lived at the time. Detailed information

Interviews:

May 30, 1971 interview by Michael Barrier

Sources

W OS 348-00 inspecting a crocodile with a magnifying glass

Barrier: MBAC-111
CBL: 02B-293; 02B back cover
Type: cover, illustrating a non-Barks story ("The Crocodile Collector")
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1951, April 5
Publication date: 1951, September-October
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 348
Pages: 1

Sources

CZ 1 OS 348-U unknown gag

Barrier: MBAC-199, 209
CBL: ---
Type: gag (script only?)
Art: [unknown]
Script: [Carl Barks]
Hero: [Donald Duck?]
Submission: 1951, February 8
Publication date: 1951, September-October?
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 348 ? (if any)
Pages: 1
Intended issue: Donald Duck One Shot 348
Intended publication date: 1951, September-October

Description: One-page gag (idea?) for "Donald Duck" Four Color No. 348, submitted on February 8, 1951. The issue contains three one-page gags, all illustrated by an artist other than Barks. It is impossible to identify any one of the gags as his.

Status: Disappeared, or unidentified.

Other Barks submissions on this date: Barks submitted no other work on this date.

Questions: Michael Barrier lists this entry as both "one-page gag" and "one-page gag idea". I guess he means the latter?

Sources

W OS 353-00 five photographs

Barrier: MBAC-117
CBL: 06C-823
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Submission: 1951, March 8
Publication date: 1951, (October)
Issue: Duck Album One Shot 353
Pages: 1

Changes: The nephews are not drawn by Carl Barks. Grandma Duck is identified as "Grandmaw Duck". It is unknown how the cover originally was drawn. Maybe there was no identification of the family members in Barks' version at all? (Just a wild guess.)

Reconstructions: The Carl Barks Library - Set VI uses Barks-drawn nephews taken from W WDC 131-00 skyrocket tied to leg. "Grandmaw" is changed in "grandma" to comply with Barks' spelling. The cover as originally published is shown in an article.

Questions: Do you have any ideas about the lettering of the names being or not being by Barks?

Sources

W OS 356-00 rich look in the mirror

Barrier: MBAC-111
CBL: 02B-294
Type: cover, illustrating a non-Barks story ("From Rags to Riches")
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Submission: 1951, May 24
Publication date: 1951, November-December
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 356
Pages: 1

Congruences:

W OS 367-00 santa donald rides a toy train: Original art taken out of the trash can at Poughkeepsie by one of the printers.
W WDC 133-00 candy and nails: Original art taken out of the trash can at Poughkeepsie by one of the printers.
W WDC 135-00 pilgrim donald and turkey nephews: Original art taken out of the trash can at Poughkeepsie by one of the printers.

Updates: Original art still exists. Apparently, it was taken out of the trash can at Poughkeepsie by one of the printers.

Sources

CZ 2 unknown gag [possibly OS 356-05 talking parrot]

Barrier: MBAC-199, 209
CBL: ---
Type: gag (script only?)
Art: [unknown]
Script: [Carl Barks]
Hero: [possibly Donald Duck]
Submission: 1951, March 8
Publication date: 1951, November-December?
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 356 ? (if any)
Pages: 1
Intended issue: Donald Duck One Shot 356
Intended publication date: 1951, November-December

Description: One-page (Donald Duck?) gag (idea?) for "Donald Duck" Four Color No. 356, submitted on March 8, 1951.

Status: Barks thinks that the gag on the inside back cover "possibly is the one." According to the Inducks database this one page Donald Duck gag can be described as "talking parrot". The story code is "W OS 356-05"; the writer is unknown; and the art is by Frank McSavage.

(Otherwise: disappeared, or unidentified.)

Other Barks submissions on this date:

«five photographs»

Notes: Barrier lists this entry as both "one-page gag" and "one-page DD gag idea".

Updates:

Scan of the gag. (Circa 300Kb.)
Initiated on November 25, 2000, this gag has been discussed on the Disney Comics Mailing List.
In mybibliotitle, the gag is mentioned in an article by Klaus Harms.

Sources

W OS 367-00 santa donald rides a toy train

Barrier: MBAC-111
CBL: 02B-361; 02B front cover
Type: cover, illustrating «in "A Christmas for Shacktown"»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Submission: 1951, May 24
Publication date: 1952, January-February
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 367
Pages: 1

Congruences:

W OS 356-00 rich look in the mirror: Original art taken out of the trash can at Poughkeepsie by one of the printers.
W WDC 96-00 super bubble soap: Original art of an alternate version has been hand-colored with colored pencils by Carl Barks in 1995(?).
W WDC 133-00 candy and nails: Original art taken out of the trash can at Poughkeepsie by one of the printers.
W WDC 135-00 pilgrim donald and turkey nephews: Original art taken out of the trash can at Poughkeepsie by one of the printers.

Updates: Original art still exists. Together with a few other duck covers, it was taken out of the trash can at Poughkeepsie by one of the printers.

In 1995, this original art was hand-colored with colored pencils by Carl Barks. Reportedly, this was done at request of Steve Geppi. Barks' signature at the left bottom corner reads "Colored by Carl Barks 1995". This coloured version has been published in WDC 633, 1999.

Sources

W OS 367-01 improvised christmas tree ornaments

Barrier: MBAC-111
CBL: 02B-362
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1951, May 24
Publication date: 1952, January-February
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 367
Pages: 1

Sources

W OS 367-02 in "A Christmas for Shacktown"

Barrier: MBAC-111
CBL: 02B-363
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1951, February 15 (10 pages); 1951, March 15 (22 pages)
Publication date: 1952, January-February
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 367
Pages: 32

Backstage: Ten pages of this story were accepted on February 15, 1951, the remaining twenty-two pages on March 15, 1951. In a 1974 interview with Michael Barrier, Barks said about this: "I think what happened there was that they wanted some of the material early, and so I just sent them the ten pages I had drawn at that point."

Interviews:

1974 interview by Michael Barrier

Discussions: On the Disney comics Mailing List, there was a discussion in about continuity in comics. Gary Leach said about the story's ending: "Think of how different that milestone event would have been had Barks let himself get hung up by the concluding moments of "Shacktown." I suppose, had he been continuity minded, he could have looked ahead and ended "Shacktown" differently, but would we have wanted him to do that?" (August 12, 1997)

Rich Morrissey replied: "Not at all hard to explain? If you'll recall, the crust over the quicksand was solid enough to keep all those tons of money from falling... it was just so delicately balanced that sending buckets down, as the kids suggested, might have broken it. Once the train had removed a ton or two, though, enough of the weight would've been removed so $crooge could send buckets down to recover the rest more quickly." (August 14, 1997)

Sources

W OS 367-03 teenie weenie mistletoe kiss

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-289
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1951, May 24
Publication date: 1952, January-February
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 367
Pages: 1

Sources

W OS 367-04 microfilm christmas list

What's going on here, kids? Writing a novel?
-- Donald Duck

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-290
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1951, May 24
Publication date: 1952, January-February
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 367
Pages: 1

Sources

W OS 386-00 rowing on lake of money

Barrier: MBAC-132
CBL: 03A-017; 3A front cover
Type: cover, illustrating «in "Only a Poor Old Man"»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Submission: 1951, September 27
Publication date: 1952, (March)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 386
Pages: 1

Layout: Gag cover illustrating inside story.

Appearances: Money Lake No. 1; Penny Wise (boat name); depth gauge (20 ft level).

Trivia: Money-related gag.

Sources

W OS 386-01 osogood silver polish

Barrier: MBAC-132
CBL: 03A-018
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1951, September 27
Publication date: 1952, (March)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 386
Pages: 1

Layout: Caption without border, 6 panels.

Appearances: Osogood Silverpolish (only fifty cents a quart, 1.1); Scrooge's home (mentioned, 1.3)

Congruences:

W OS 386-04 soupline eight raffle: Interest in product, but not in the seller's benefit

Sources

W OS 386-02 in "Only a Poor Old Man"

Barrier: MBAC-132
CBL: 03A-019
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1951, September 27
Publication date: 1952, (March)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 386
Pages: 32

Landmark: First appearance of 176-824 (5.3); 176-825 (5.3); 176-831 (10.1); 176-830 (11.5); Papa [Beagle] (14.7, on reward poster); 176-838 (23.1); 176-840 (23.1); 176-836 (28.6); and 176-837 (30.5).

Appearances: Beagle Boys / Beagle Boys Inc. / Beagle Boys, Inc. (3.5).

Backstage: As this story reveals, Scrooge is able to dive into a pile of hard metal without crowning himself. "I don't explain that trick because I don't understand it myself," says Barks. "Perhaps it has something to do with his character: often he can do things which other people can't. He can go out in the desert and smell the presence of gold; other prospectors would have to dig mountains of dirt before they could find any nuggets."

Congruences:

W US 28-01 and the "Paul Bunyan" Machine: Scrooge calling himself a poor old man or duck. "Oh, woe is me! I'll be a POOR old duck!" (4.1)
W US 58-02 The Giant Robot Robbers: Scrooge calling himself a poor old man or duck. "I knew it! I knew it! They'll ROB me! I'll be a POOR old duck!" (8.4)

Interviews:

August 4, 1975 interview by Donald Ault and Thomas Andrae

Sources

W OS 386-03 second cup of coffee free

Your perseverance touches my heart, my good fellow! Come with me!
-- Scrooge McDuck

Barrier: MBAC-132
CBL: 03A-051
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1951, September 27
Publication date: 1952, (March)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 386
Pages: 1

Additional credits: The first of a series of one-page gags set in a diner, where Scrooge tries get a cheap cup of coffee. This gag contains a dog-eared "waiter". The other three gags contain a human-eared, cigar-smoking "cookie".

Congruences:

W US 7-05 half a cup of coffee: Scrooge tries to get a cheap cup of coffee at a diner
W US 10-01 folding cup: Scrooge tries to get a cheap cup of coffee at a diner
W US 12-03 standard size cup: Scrooge tries to get a cheap cup of coffee at a diner

Sources

W OS 386-04 soupline eight raffle

The tires last for years! It uses no oil, and look at those springs - covered with velvet!
-- car demonstrator to Scrooge McDuck

Barrier: MBAC-132
CBL: 03A-052
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1951, September 27
Publication date: 1952, (March)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 386
Pages: 1

Additional credits: Al Taliaferro's July 30, 1940 Donald Duck daily strip contains a similar gag.

Description: Scrooge goes to a car shop and asks the saler about the good points of a car, the Soupline Eight. After an extensive explanation of the saler, Scrooge decides he can afford to take a change on the car. He thanks the saler for his trouble and walks to a raffle to buy a ticket for that type of car.

Layout: Caption without border, 7 panels.

Appearances: Soupline Eight (car, 1.1); O.U. Drip (slogan, 1.6).

Congruences:

W OS 386-01 osogood silver polish: Interest in product, but not in the seller's benefit

Sources

W OS 394-00 malayalaya

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-295
Type: cover, illustrating non-Barks story "Malayalaya"
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1951, November 8
Publication date: 1952, May-June
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 394
Pages: 1

Congruences:

QMU 1938-?12: Donald rides a sack of bouncy rubber pellets
W OS 238-02 in "Voodoo Hoodoo": Donald rides a sack of bouncy rubber pellets

Sources

W OS 408-00 golden helmet and map of labrador

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-394; 02C back cover
Type: cover, illustrating «in "The Golden Helmet"»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1952, January 3
Publication date: 1952, July-August
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 408
Pages: 1

Sources

W OS 408-01 professional sparkle

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-291
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1952, January 3
Publication date: 1952, July-August
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 408
Pages: 1

Appearances: D. Duck Grocery (1.1), Super Service (1.6)

Sources

W OS 408-02 in "The Golden Helmet"

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-396
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1951, December 3
Publication date: 1952, July-August
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 408
Pages: 32

Sources

W OS 408-03 loaned roller

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-292
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1952, January 3
Publication date: 1952, July-August
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 408
Pages: 1

Backstage: The duck's unseen neigbour in panel 1.4, "Mr. Craig," may be a reference to Chase Craig, Barks' editor at the Los Angeles Office of Western Printing.

Sources

W OS 408-04 park fountain towels

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-325
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Donald's Nephews
Submission: 1952, January 3
Publication date: 1952, July-August
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 408
Pages: 1

Sources

W OS 422-00 mail sack and a gilded man

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-429
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1952, February 21
Publication date: 1952, September-October
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 422
Pages: 1

Sources

W OS 422-01 riding stable robbery

If you want to ride cheap, bring over a group of friends!
-- Donald Duck (to Scrooge McDuck)

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-430
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1952, January 31
Publication date: 1952, September-October
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 422
Pages: 1

Appearances: D. Duck's Riding Stable (1.1)

Sources

W OS 422-02 and the "The Gilded Man"

Imagine that! Mr. Garland Goosepimple didn't want a reward!
How confoundedly noble can a person get?
-- Philo T. Ellic

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-431
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1952, January 31
Publication date: 1952, September-October
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 422
Pages: 32

Appearances: British Guiana, South America (1.1); Blue Centennial stamp, worth ten cents apiece (1.1); Belgian Prince Leopold stamp, worth four bucks apiece (1.1); Green Bermuda stamp, worth sixty cents (2.7); 1932 Kookabura stamp from Australia, worth thirty cents (2.8); stamp collector Philo T. Ellic, living at millionaire row "120 Swankmore Drive" (4.6); Sprigley (6.7); El Dorado, legendary gilded man (8.1); Sir Walter Raleigh, who made three expeditions up the Orinoco (8.3); Pedro (8.8); Maria (8.8); a stamp collector from Boston (9.4); Georgetown (9.6); the old riverman, whose father was the mail carrier from the river settlements to Georgetown in 1856 (10.4 12.1); Trader Corn, the oil man (10.7); 1856 One-cent Magenta stamp, worth more than fifty thousand dollars (1.5, 11.4); Mexico (17.1); his majesty (24.2); Dockside post office (24.5); Miss Susiebelle Swan, late distant relative of Gladstone Gander. In 1880 she left 60 Honker Street, Mudhen, Ohio, U.S.A., giving a forwarding address of 10 Quack Road, Webfoot, Oregon. In 1901 she floated away from Webfoot, said to forward her mail to 45 Mallard Avenue, Duckburg, Calisota (25.3, 25.7, 26.1, 27.2); Gizmo Tool and [...] factory, 45 Mallard Avenue, Duckburg, Calisota (26.5); San Francisco (29.5); Boston (29.8); St. Louis (30.2); Chicago (29.5)

Philo T. Ellic's erroneous names for Gladstone Gander: Mr. Garfield (5.7); Mr. Gallstone Ginkle (6.4); Mr. Gillfinkle (6.7); Mr. Garland Goosepimple (6.8); Mr. Goldbrick (29.5); Grindstone Gimmick (32.5)

Research: Barks tells of the gilded man being in British Guiana, which is thousands of miles from where he was supposed to have been in legend and in fact. This apparently was an error Barks must have made in reading the historical references to El Dorado (or Eldorado) which spoke of him being in "Guiana", so Barks assumed this was the modern Guiana, which is incorrect. The original Guiana was all of northeast South America from the Atlantic to the Andes.

The Gilded Man was the leader of a South American tribe of Chibcha Indians. The spaniards called this legendary figure "El Dorado". But they came to call the lost "city of gold" that the Gilded Man was supposed to have ruled "Eldorado", obviously after him, but as a different definition, in the form of a single word.

Sources

W OS 422-03 going to rescue daisy's cat

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-326
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1952, January 31
Publication date: 1952, September-October
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 422
Pages: 1

Sources

W OS 422-04 painted into a corner

Barrier: MBAC-112
CBL: 02B-360
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1952, January 31
Publication date: 1952, September-October
Issue: Donald Duck One Shot 422
Pages: 1

Congruences:

ARC WDC 597 painting towards door: surrounded by paint after painting the floor

Questions: Isn't there a more or less similar Al Taliaferro gag, in which Donald paints himself towards the wrong side of the room, so that he has to escape through the chimney?

Sources

W OS 450-00 neat family pose

Barrier: MBAC-117
CBL: 06A front cover; 06C-823
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Submission: 1952, July 31
Publication date: 1953, (February)
Issue: Duck Album One Shot 450
Pages: 1

Sources

W OS 456-00 old woman interrupts gold digging

Barrier: MBAC-132
CBL: 03A-067; 03A back cover
Type: cover, illustrating «in "Back to the Klondike"»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Submission: 1952, August 28
Publication date: 1953, (March)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 456
Pages: 1

Layout: Cover illustrating inside story.

Appearances: Glittering Goldie (aged, with bear).

Sources

W OS 456-01 waiting for traffic light to change

Barrier: MBAC-132
CBL: 03A-106
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1952, August 28
Publication date: 1953, (March)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 456
Pages: 1

Appearances: taxi stand (1.1), city hall (mentioned, 1.1)

Sources

W OS 456-02 in "Back to the Klondike"

Barrier: MBAC-132
CBL: 03A-069
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1952, September 18
Publication date: 1953, (March)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 456
Pages: 27
Animated adaption: Back To The Klondike

Changes: Shortened from 32 pages to 27 pages. Detailed information

Surviving material:

CS OS 456 Back to the Klondike [surviving cut material]: Original page 12, 13, 14, 15, and 20B.

Lost material:

CZ OS 456 Back to the Klondike [lost cut material]

Status: A total of one half page is lost.

Remakes:

XUC USCA 1B Back to the Klondike [new blue pencil half page]
ARC GCA 4B Back to the Klondike [inked blue pencil half page]

Appearances:

Glittering Goldie (aged, with bear): First publication does not show Glittering Goldie being young. (See changes.)

Research: The song "After the Ball" mentioned in panel 11.6, is an existing song. It was written by Charles K. Harris in 1892 and it became a very big hit in the same year. "Back to the Klondike" takes place later (1898?), but in those days popular songs lasted for years, so it easily could have been part of Goldie's repertoire long after it first became a hit.
In 1893, "After The Ball" was a cylinder hit again, being on the charts for 10 weeks starting April 23, 1893 and reaching #1; as recorded by George J. Gaskin and an apparent whistling version by John Yorrke was on the charts for three weeks starting July 8, 1893 reaching the #3 position.
The song was from the Broadway Musical "A Trip To Chinatown". This musical started playing on November 9, 1891 and is considered the first "long running" broadway musical; and the sheet music sold 5 million copies.
The lyrics have some resemblance with Scrooge's situation: An old man who never married is remembering a girl he could have married but never did. In the song it is because of a misunderstanding, but the stubbornness of the man is in a way the same as Scrooge's.

Correspondence:

February 17, 1972 letter from Carl Barks to Kim Weston

Interviews:

1974 interview with Michael Barrier

Sources

W OS 456-03 in "Somethin' Fishy Here"

Barrier: MBAC-133
CBL: 03A-101
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1952, September ?
Publication date: 1953, (March)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 456
Pages: 5

Additional credits: Barks notes on his list, "I can't find voucher for 5 page story of fish money in Uncle S.#2. The story and drawings are mine." He indicated that the story was accepted by Western sometime in September 1952-and the date was probably late in the month, after Western had rejected a total of five pages of "Back to the Klondike."

Sources

W OS 456-04 money bale ladder

Barrier: MBAC-133
CBL: 03A-107
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1952, October 16
Publication date: 1953, (March)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 456
Pages: 1

Sources

W OS 456-05 game for a billion dollars

Barrier: MBAC-133
CBL: 03A-108
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1952, October 16
Publication date: 1953, (March)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 456
Pages: 1

CBL-notes: Chair, feet, and frame are shaded with dots.

Sources

CS OS 456 Back to the Klondike [surviving cut material]

Barrier: MBAC-132
CBL: 03A-069
Type: story segment
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1952, September 18 ?
Publication date: 1984, December
Issue: The Carl Barks Library - Set III
Pages: 4 1/2
Intended issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 456
Intended publication date: 1953, (March)

Additional credits: See in "Back to the Klondike", for more information.

Sources

CZ OS 456 Back to the Klondike [lost cut material]

Barrier: MBAC-132
CBL: ---
Type: story segment
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1952, September 18 ?
Publication date: [none or unknown]
Issue: [none or unknown]
Pages: 0 1/2
Intended issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 456
Intended publication date: 1953, (March)

Additional credits: See in "Back to the Klondike", for more information.

Sources

W OS 495-00 pirate jack-in-the-box

Barrier: MBAC-133
CBL: 03A-117
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, March 6
Publication date: 1953, (September)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 495
Pages: 1

Description: Scrooge, Donald and the nephews are frightened by a pirate jack-in-the-box popping out of a treasure chest.

Layout: Gag cover.

Changes: Significant differences with jack-in-the-box [inked cover preliminary] are the knife in the pirate head's mouth; Scrooge's looking frightened instead of surprised; and the decoration on the spring and around the head's neck.
If jack-in-the-box [inked cover preliminary] was a concept sketch Barks submitted to his editors, who would pick and choose and return the drawings with suggestions for revisions, then they evidently have asked Barks to tone down his concept.
In the cover art, there's no confrontation with a sharp, scary knife. The pirate head's mouth is empty and only shows its teeth, the ducks are only startled by surprise, and Scrooge is laughing. (This might suggest that Scrooge is responsible for the joke.) Without the dangerous knife, this is a much prettier scene for a Disney comic book cover.
Also, another objection could be that the scene in jack-in-the-box [inked cover preliminary] seems to hint at a pirate story while there's no such story in the issue.

Surviving material:

CR OS 495 jack-in-the-box [inked cover preliminary]

Backstage: jack-in-the-box [inked cover preliminary] is one of three works given to the family Robinson while Barks lived as a guest at their family ranch near Hemmett, Riverside California, in 1953.

Sources

W OS 495-01 trimming sideburns

Barrier: MBAC-133
CBL: 03A-118
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, February 6 (idea); 1953, February 26 (art)
Publication date: 1953, (September)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 495
Pages: 1

Appearances: Barber College (1.4)

Sources

W OS 495-02 case of horse-radish

Barrier: MBAC-133
CBL: 03A-119
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, February 26
Publication date: 1953, (September)
Issue: Uncle Scrooge One Shot 495
Pages: 22
Animated adaption: Down and Out in Duckburg

Changes: Apparently, the word "horse-radish" has been lettered into the story by the editor.

Backstage: When Uncle Scrooge McDuck: His Life and Times went to press in 1981, Carl Barks and Ed Summer discussed titles and agreed what would be listed in that book's SCrooge comics' chronology. Not all the stories had originally appeared with a title. Barks even offered two alternate titles for this story: "Trouble From Long Ago" and "The Month of the Golden Goose."

In [1961], collector Malcolm Willits asked Barks for essentially the same information. In a January 17, 1962 letter to Willits, Barks suggested some off-the-cuff titles. The one he gave to this story was "Trouble From the Deep".

Congruences:

W US 52-01 The Great Wig Mystery: When villain Mr. Scalpnick is drowning, Scrooge at first does not want to save him. After Mr. Scalpnick is saved, he throws the Ducks into the water.

Correspondence: