A Guidebook to the Carl Barks Universe

Landmark: First appearance of 176-080 (6.8); 176-860 (10.8); 176-070 (11.5); 176-321 (11.5); 176-370 (15.8); 176-300 (17.3); 176-167 (20.1); 176-761 (20.1); 176-330 (23.1); 176-617 (23.3); 176-117 (23.4); 176-716 (26.8); and 176-160 (27.3).

Appearances: Beagle Boys / Beagle Boys Inc. / Beagle Boys, Inc. (6.8); 176-840 (6.8); 176-830 (11.5).

Trivia: In panel 3.4, Donald mentions the sum of Scrooge's money. ("$ 500, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000. 16")

Backstage: In an August 1978 letter to Michael Barrier, Barks told that Garé - who had begun working as his assistant only shortly before - suggested the locale for this story, and told him about the menehunes.

In [1961], collector Malcolm Willits asked Barks to give titles for stories that originally were published without a title. In a January 17, 1962 letter to Willits, Barks suggested some off-the-cuff titles. The one he gave to this story was "Hawaiian Hideaway".

Correspondence:

Notes: More information about Garé Barks

Sources

W US 4-03 a penny to get weighed

Barrier: MBAC-134
CBL: 03A-187
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, February 6 (idea); 1953, May 21 (art)
Publication date: 1954, December-February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 4
Pages: 1

Description: Inside back cover.

Sources

W US 4-04 hold out your hands

Barrier: MBAC-134
CBL: 03A-188
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, May 7 (idea); 1953, May 21 (art)
Publication date: 1954, December-February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 4
Pages: 1

Additional credits: Barks's list shows him receiving credit for "art" on both of the above dates, but the May 7, 1953, entry is almost certainly for the gag idea.

Description: Back cover.

Sources

W US 5-00 cash register piano

Barrier: MBAC-134
CBL: 03A-189
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown, possibly Carl Barks]
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, July 30
Publication date: 1954, March-May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 5
Pages: 1

Additional credits: Barks: "I think the idea was mine, too. No payment to prove it."

Layout: Gag cover.

Trivia: Money-related gag.

Sources

W US 5-01 hospitality week

Barrier: MBAC-134
CBL: 03A-190
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, July 30
Publication date: 1954, March-May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 5
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 5-02 sunken city

Jumpin' jivin' jeepin' golly!
Mophead Mollie is off her trolley!
-- juke box, hit tune of 1940

Barrier: MBAC-134
CBL: 03A-191
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, July 30
Publication date: 1954, March-May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 5
Pages: 32

Additional credits: Barks says that the idea for this story came from Chase Craig, one of his editors at Western.

Trivia: Donald's address is mentioned as "1313 Webfoot Walk".

Backstage: In [1961], collector Malcolm Willits asked Barks to give titles for stories that originally were published without a title. In a January 17, 1962 letter to Willits, Barks suggested some off-the-cuff titles. The one he gave to this story was "Sunken City".

Correspondence:

January 17, 1962 letter from Carl Barks to Malcolm Willits

Sources

W US 5-03 native boys dive for pennies

Barrier: MBAC-134
CBL: 03A-223
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, July 30
Publication date: 1954, March-May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 5
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 5-04 one soda and five straws

I'll wait on our table myself, then I won't have to tip the waitress!
-- Scrooge McDuck

Barrier: MBAC-134
CBL: 03A-224
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, July 30
Publication date: 1954, March-May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 5
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 6-00 bills and washboard

Barrier: MBAC-134
CBL: 03A-225
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [Carl Barks]
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: Not listed
Publication date: 1954, June-August
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 6
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 6-01 big oil strike

Barrier: MBAC-134
CBL: 03A-226
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, October 15 (idea); 1953, October 29 (art)
Publication date: 1954, June-August
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 6
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 6-02 valley of tralla la

I can't stand it any longer! I'm MAD! MAD! MAD!
-- Uncle Scrooge

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03A-227
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, October 29
Publication date: 1954, June-August
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 6
Pages: 22
Animated adaption: The Land of Trala La

Trivia: Scrooge hates his money (3.2).

Backstage: In a March 8, 1968 letter to Dick Blackburn, Barks wrote: "As for the 'Shangri La' story, which poked fun at the idea of humans living together in unselfish Utopian harmony, it started from my efforts to find a way to use one BILLION of something in a visible way. The bottle cap gag was the result."

Details: The inhabitants of Tralla La have five fingers per hand (which is unusual in the Disney universe).

Correspondence:

Sources

W US 6-03 old man fox's money

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03A-249
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, November 26
Publication date: 1954, June-August
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 6
Pages: 10

Trivia: Scrooge's house address is mentioned as "33 B Street" (9.6).

Congruences:

Qus/QOG 35 digging up garden: Similar plot.

Questions: Could Scrooge's "B Street" address be a reference to Sherlock Holmes Baker Street?

Sources

W US 6-04 digging on beach

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03A-259
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, October 29
Publication date: 1954, June-August
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 6
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 6-05 penny for thoughts

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03A-260
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, October 15 (idea); 1953, October 29 (art)
Publication date: 1954, June-August
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 6
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 7-00 ye olde wishing well

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03B-261; 03B back cover
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, September 17 (idea); 1953, October 8 (art)
Publication date: 1954, September-November
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 7
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 7-01 wonderful day

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03B-262
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, February 11 (idea); 1953, February 25 (art)
Publication date: 1954, September-November
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 7
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 7-02 seven cities of cibola

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03B-263
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, January 28
Publication date: 1954, September-November
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 7
Pages: 28

Additional credits: Page 12 contains a caricature of Al Koch. In a June 1968 letter to Michael Barrier, Barks wrote about Al Koch: "He is the guy who led me to a bluff near Thousand Palms and showed me the ancient Indian trail that started the sequence of ideas that became the plot of the Seven Cities story. Al and I 'developed' the plot that evening over copious draughts of bourbon and ale."

Landmark: First appearance of 176-301 (12.3); 176-360 (12.3); 176-111 (12.3); 176-602 (12.4); 176-671 (12.4); 176-001 (13.1); 176-331 (22.4); 176-616 (22.5); and 176-176 (22.6).

Appearances: Beagle Boys / Beagle Boys Inc. / Beagle Boys, Inc. (12.3).

Research: Carl Barks' tale of the Seven Cities combines both legend and history. Detailed information

Correspondence:

Questions: In panel 9.6, a vase falls apart from a nephew's hands. It's filled with jewels, but Scrooge doesn't seem impressed. Instead, he only answers the nephews' observing that the vase fell apart, saying its "No wonder!"
In panel 9.7, all the ducks gather around the vase's contents and Donald states they're "beads and jewels and ornaments of heavy gold!"
In panel 9.8, Scrooge suddenly jumps over the jewels greedily, saying "Let me have a look at that stuff! I'm an expert on gold!
In panel 10.1, Scrooge holds the contents of the broken vase in his hands and says "It's real, boys! And the design shows it's at least a thousand years old!"

The timing of Donald being the first to identify the vase's contents, followed up by Scrooge's sudden excitement, might seem a bit strange and hints at a possible change made by Barks after having inked the story (or at least this scene). If so, then there are several possibilities of what might have happened.

Possibility 1: Perhaps Barks looked over the story and decided to make this theoretical scene a bit more visual by inserting the excited Scrooge into it.

Possibility 2: Perhaps Scrooge has been redrawn over a previous Scrooge, that maybe, was already excited by the sight of the jewels. Maybe Barks, re-reading it, decided to add panel 9.7, and had to change Scrooge in panel 9.6 to be consistent with the following panels.

Possibility 3: Perhaps Barks originally had Donald in panel 9.6 instead of Scrooge. If that were the case, it could have been Donald in panel 9.6 saying, "No Wonder!" and then in panel 9.7 Donald continues to speak, saying "It was filled with beads and jewels and ornaments of heavy gold," thus completing the earlier statement. This has better continuity, at least as far as the dialog is concerned. Perhaps, Barks may have drawn Donald out and inserted Scrooge to make the scene better support the action in the following panels.

Additional notes: The action of the excited Scrooge in panel 9.8 looks like panel 5.8. Maybe Barks found that Scrooge would become too impulsive/over-enthusiastic in case of "possibility" 2 and 3? Two of such impulsive Scrooge scenes (page 5 and 9) might have made Scrooge's interaction in the story too one-dimensional. With panel 9.7 in between panels 9.6 and 9.8, Scrooge's enthusiasm is "explained better" than without panel 9.7. Perhaps another, additional reason could be that Barks wanted to pad the scene, with for example a half page worth of material, because otherwise the visit to the professor would follow too soon?

In case of possibility 3, the story was changed without nescessarily having an effect on the length of the scene (or the story). If the only change would have been replacing Donald by Scrooge, then I think that Scrooge in panel 9.8 might have looked too much as if he jumps out of nowhere. Now, with Scrooge on the foreground in panel 9.6 (instead of Donald), Scrooge's jump in panel 9.8 looks visually more "balanced" to me.

Sources

W US 7-03 carrier pigeon

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03B-291
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, February 25
Publication date: 1954, September-November
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 7
Pages: 4

Sources

W US 7-04 wrong number

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03B-295
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, February 25
Publication date: 1954, September-November
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 7
Pages: 1

Appearances: CITRUS 2734 (Smith's phone number, 1.1); Mr. Smith (1.5 & 1.7); CITRUS 2737 (Daisy's phone-number, 1.4).

Sources

W US 7-05 half a cup of coffee

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03B-296
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, February 11 (idea); 1953, February 25 (art)
Publication date: 1954, September-November
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 7
Pages: 1

Cross-references: «folding cup» contains cross-references.

Congruences:

W OS 386-03 second cup of coffee free: 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 US 8-00 skating and dollar signs

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03B-297
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, September 17 (idea); 1953, October 8 (art)
Publication date: 1955, December-February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 8
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 8-01 not even money in pockets

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03B-298
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, June 10
Publication date: 1955, December-February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 8
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 8-02 message from uncharted island

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03B-299
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, May 20
Publication date: 1955, December-February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 8
Pages: 28

Changes: Rejected ink work exists. Detailed information

Surviving material: CX US 8 message from uncharted island [surviving cut material]

Cross-references: 176-167 thinks of having prunes for breakfast. (25.6) Other Beagles protest: "Shut up! We had prunes for breakfast every morning in prison! Are you getting homesick?" (25.7) Then, 176-167 humbly admits: "But I like prunes!" (25.7) The stories «The Giant Robot Robbers» and «Horsing Around With History [story]» contain cross-references to this confession.

Correspondence:

January 17, 1962 letter from Carl Barks to Malcolm Willits

Interviews:

1974, October 5 and 6. Interview by Michael Barrier

Updates: In a May 12, 2000 e-mail, Kim Weston wrote: "On the subject of US #8, I should note that I inked in the solid blacks on the 2 two-panel strips as published on page 526 of the CBL Scrooge 7-13, and joined the 2 strips together in a half page (on photostats, of course, not the originals) not that I had ever expected my inking would be published when I did it."

Sources

W US 8-03 city treasurer candidate

Barrier: MBAC-137
CBL: 03B-327
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, June 10
Publication date: 1955, December-February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 8
Pages: 4

Sources

W US 8-04 taxi on a rainy day

Barrier: MBAC-137
CBL: 03B-331
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, June 10
Publication date: 1955, December-February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 8
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 8-05 king size electric blanket

Barrier: MBAC-137
CBL: 03B-332
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, June 10
Publication date: 1955, December-February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 8
Pages: 1

Sources

CX US 8 message from uncharted island [surviving cut material]

Barrier: MBAC-136
CBL: 03B-526
Type: story segment
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: [none or unknown]
Publication date: 1984, December
Issue: The Carl Barks Library - Set III
Pages: 1 1/2
Intended issue: Uncle Scrooge 8
Intended publication date: 1955, December-February

Additional credits: See message from uncharted island, for more information.

Circulating material:

detail of two tiers: signed; "Best Wishes to my fan John", and "Best wishes to my fan Bill"; colour

Sources

W US 9-00 topiary bush as dollar sign

Barrier: MBAC-137
CBL: 03B-333
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1953, September 17 (idea); 1953, October 8 (art)
Publication date: 1955, March-May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 9
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 9-01 fabulous lawn mower

Barrier: MBAC-137
CBL: 03B-334
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, July 22
Publication date: 1955, March-May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 9
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 9-02 in The Lemming With the Locket

Barrier: MBAC-137
CBL: 03B-335
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, July 15
Publication date: 1955, March-May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 9
Pages: 22
Animated adaption: Scrooge's Pet

Sources

W US 9-03 in The Tuckered Tiger

Barrier: MBAC-137
CBL: 03B-357
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, June 24
Publication date: 1955, March-May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 9
Pages: 9 3/4
Filled out with: advertisement

Layout: Doesn't end with a full page.

Sources

W US 9-04 free skiing

Barrier: MBAC-137
CBL: 03B-367
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, July 22
Publication date: 1955, March-May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 9
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 9-05 fishing and working at once

Barrier: MBAC-137
CBL: 03B-368
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, July 22
Publication date: 1955, March-May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 9
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 10-00 money-sorting machine

Barrier: MBAC-137
CBL: 03B-369
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, September 23
Publication date: 1955, June-August
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 10
Pages: 1

Congruences:

...: money-sorting machine

Sources

W US 10-01 folding cup

Barrier: MBAC-137
CBL: 03B-370
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1954, December 9
Publication date: 1955, June-August
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 10
Pages: 1

Cross-references: The cookie says: "Here comes that old skinflint, Scrooge McDuck! He's always figuring ways to get free coffee!" (1.1) This is a cross-reference to «half a cup of coffee», where Scrooge tries to get half a cup for a nickel. The gag W US 12-03 standard size cup also contains a cross-reference to Scrooge's attempts to get his cups of coffee cheap.

Congruences:

W OS 386-03 second cup of coffee free: Scrooge tries to get a cheap cup of coffee at a diner at a diner
W US 7-05 half a cup of coffee: Scrooge tries to get a cheap cup of coffee at a diner at a diner
W US 12-03 standard size cup: Scrooge tries to get a cheap cup of coffee at a diner at a diner

Sources