A Guidebook to the Carl Barks Universe

Backstage: In a March 8, 1970 letter to Michael Barrier, Barks wrote: "About the name of Benny Burro, I don't believe I named him. My guess would be Eleanor Packer, who edited the comic books for Western in those days."

Correspondence:

March 8, 1970 letter from Carl Barks to Michael Barrier

Sources | image: © [Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-Cartoons]

Black Pete

Debut by others: ... ccus_vrmc Northwest Mounted

Additional credits: Also known as "Peg-leg-Pete" in the Mickey Mouse cartoons. Barks himself used Black Pete in «And The Inventors' Contest».

Backstage: According to Geoffrey Blum article "The Classic Barks" in Carl Barks Library in Color album "DD Adventures #3", Barks has said that "Pete was Mickey's villain", to be used only "in certain standard ways".

Sources

Bolivar / Bornworthy

Debut by others: newspaper strip

Developments: Behe is a son of Bolivar.

Sources

Brer Fox

Debut by others: ... ccus_vrmc W OS 1010-01 and the Flying Farm Hand
Last use by Barks: W OS 1010-01 and the Flying Farm Hand

Sources

Brigitta

Debut by others: Zio Paperone e l'ultimo Balabu (Romano Scarpa, 1960) ccus_vrmc [siren idea]
Last use by Barks: [siren idea]

Correspondence:

1975 letter from Carl Barks to Romano Scarpa

Sources

Bugs Bunny

Debut by others: ... ccus_vrmc in "Porky of the Mounties"
Last use by Barks: Porky of the Mounties

Sources

Clara Cluck

Debut by others: ... ccus_vrmc W OS 1055-03 The Double Date
Last use by Barks: W OS 1150-09 Undercover Girl ?

Sources

Clarabelle Cow

Debut by others: ... ccus_vrmc W OS 79-01 and The Riddle of the Red Hat
Last use by Barks: CB OIL 142 Surprise Party at Memory Pond

Sources

Daisy Duck

Debut by Barks: Mr. Duck Steps Out

Additional credits: First appearance in Barks's comics: in "The Mighty Trapper" (WDC 36).

Backstage: In 1937, a prototype of Daisy called Donna Duck appeared in animated cartoon «Don Donald»." Detailed information

Correspondence:

Questions: Is Daisy's ladies club created by Barks?

Sources

Donald Duck [name]

Debut by others: The Adventures of Mickey Mouse (1931 booklet)

Additional credits: "The Adventures of Mickey Mouse" (1931) tells about Mickey's life "in the old barn and the barnyard". In the illustrated story, his "many friends" are listed. Beside Minnie Mouse, Henry Horse, Carolyn Cow, Patricia Pig, Clara Cluck, and Robert Rooster, the name Donald Duck is mentioned. The accompanying group portrait does not contain a duck, but a small little duck is shown in an illustration elsewhere in the booklet.

Sources

Donald Duck [character]

Debut by others: The Wise Little Hen (1934 cartoon)

Sources

Donald's "313" car

Debut by others: Donald Duck daily strip: 1938, July 1 (car); 1940, March 22 ("313" number plate).

Sources

Droopy (a.k.a. Happy Hound)

Debut by others: ... ccus_vrmc happy's day off
Last use by Barks: bluebeard's buried treasure

Additional credits: In June/July 1943, the editor sent Barks a model sheet of a nameless dog whom Barks called Happy Hound. Later Barks saw him in an MGM movie short as Droopy.

Sources

Grandma's billy goat [Billy Goat?]

Debut by others: ... ccus_vrmc W OS 1010-03 and the Weather Watchers
Last use by Barks: ...

Additional credits: In and the Flying Farm Hand, an unnamed goat is shown.

Sources

Dobbin [Grandma's horse]

Debut by others: ... ccus_vrmc W OS 1010-02 and A Honey of a Hen
Last use by Barks: ...

Additional credits: In and the Flying Farm Hand, an unnamed horse is shown.

Sources

Gus Goose

Debut by Barks: Interior Decorators / Donald's Cousin Gus
Last use by Barks: CB OIL 142 Surprise Party at Memory Pond

Backstage: In «Donald's Cousin Gus», Gus makes his first and last appearance on the screen. He became an established secondary character in the comics. Al Taliaferro included him in the Donald Duck daily strips of May 9, to May 24, 1938, basing his own series of gags on the cartoon storyboards. In Taliaferro's daily strips of November 7, to November 19, 1938, Donald visits Gus at a farm.

Gus became a permanent character when he surfaced in the comic books as a hired hand on Grandma Duck's farm, in stories that were often drawn - but seldom written - by Barks.

Sources

Huey, Dewey and Louie

Debut by Barks: Donald's Nephews (1938 cartoon)

Backstage: The inspiration for Donald's nephews may have been sown as early as 1932, when Al Taliaferro, later artist on the Donald Duck newspaper strip, inked the first appearance of Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse in the Mickey Mouse Sunday page. Detailed information

Correspondence:

Interviews:

May 29, 1973 interview by Donald Ault

Sources

Ludwig von Drake

Debut by others: Wonderful World of Color (first episode), Septemper 24, 1961 ccus_vrmc W US 54-06 Flowers Are Flowers
Last use by Barks: W US 54-06 Flowers Are Flowers

Additional credits: The professor made his television debut on Septemper 24, 1961. He hosted the first episode of Walt Disney's "wonderful world of color". It was a 13 minute film introducing the changeover from black and white television to color and also Disney's switch from airing on CBS to NBC.

Sources

Mickey Mouse

Debut by others: ... ccus_vrmc Thru the Mirror
Last use by Barks: CB OIL 128 In Uncle Walt's Collectery

Sources

Mooseface McElk

Debut by others: ... ccus_vrmc boxing lessons
Last use by Barks: vanishing watches

Additional credits: Of Mooseface McElk, Barks said in a August 1, 1970 letter to Michael Barrier: "I'm fairly sure he was the invention of an MGM writer and artist who was one of Western's most prolific contributors in those days. He wrote and drew the Li'l Wolf stories for years, and in spare moments did other scripts like an occasional one for Barney and Benny. I believe his name was Gil Turner, but I'm very hazy at remembering names. Anyway, I always welcomed scripts from him, they were rich in gags and situations." (Michael Barrier notes Barks has the name of the artist right.)

Correspondence: