A Guidebook to the Carl Barks Universe

Research: This story is based on the traditional Christmas song "The Twelve Days of Christmas". There seem to be two other versions of the song, of which the authors are known. The first version has "a possum in a gum tree" (Milne / Chick, copyright Milne) and the second has "an emu up a gum tree" (Bolt / Williams, copyright Williams). Detailed information

Sources

W US 47-03 Man versus Machine

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-133
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Gyro Gearloose
Submission: 1963, July 22
Publication date: 1964, February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 47
Pages: 4

Sources

W US 47-05 light bulb testing

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-042
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1962, September 24
Publication date: 1964, February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 47
Pages: 0 1/2
Filled out with: «gadget that can find gold»

Additional credits: Inside back cover, top half.

This is almost certainly the gag identified on Barks's list as "no bargain," with no issue specified.

Layout: Doesn't end with a full page.

Sources

W US 47-06 gadget that can find gold

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-042
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1962, September 24
Publication date: 1964, February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 47
Pages: 0 1/2
Filled out with: «light bulb testing»

Additional credits: Inside back cover, bottom half.

This is almost certainly the gag identified on Barks's list as "up and at it," with no issue specified.

Layout: Doesn't end with a full page.

Sources

W US 48-00 reflections of magica in pond

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-137
Type: cover, illustrating «The Many Faces of Magica de Spell»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1963, October 15
Publication date: 1964, March
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 48
Pages: 1

Layout:

Logo in upper right.

Surviving material:

CR US 48 Which Face Is Witch? [faceless person and water]
Which Face Is Witch? [fence and spray]

Sources

W US 48-01 The Many Faces of Magica de Spell

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-139
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1963, October 5
Publication date: 1964, March
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 48
Pages: 22

Additional credits: Early title: "Which Face is Witch?"

Sources

W US 48-03 Jonah Gyro

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-139
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Gyro Gearloose
Submission: 1963, September 16
Publication date: 1964, March
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 48
Pages: 4

Sources

W US 49-00 space ship and pick

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-138; 05A front cover
Type: cover, illustrating «The Loony Lunar Gold Rush»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1963, November 12
Publication date: 1964, May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 49
Pages: 1

Layout:

Logo in upper right.

Surviving material:

CR US 49 Loony Lunar Gold Rush [digging gold on moon]

Sources

W US 49-01 The Loony Lunar Gold Rush

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-165
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1963, November 12
Publication date: 1964, May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 49
Pages: 17

Sources

W US 50-00 flying carpet

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-187; 05A back cover
Type: cover, illustrating «Rug Riders in the Sky»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1963, December 26
Publication date: 1964, July
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 50
Pages: 1

Layout:

Logo in upper right.

Surviving material:

CR US 50 Rug Bugs in Old Bugdud

Sources

W US 50-01 Rug Riders in the Sky

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-189
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1963, December 26
Publication date: 1964, July
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 50
Pages: 16

Changes: According to a surviving cover pencil, the title of this story was to have been "Rug Bugs in Old Bugdud".
According to Barks' work records, this story was written and drawn as a 17-pager. It was published as a 16-pager. In March 25, 1989 notes for "The Carl Barks Library", Barks describes the cut as "a gag sequence of the ducks chasing east after Magica, who runs out of 'fuel' and has to land the carpet in the desert. That would have been about page 13. No doubt readers got more pleasure from the Bullwinkle Cheerios ad that was made possible by the scrapping of that page."

Lost material: CZ US 50 Rug Riders in the Sky [lost cut material]

Status: Original version is lost.

Correspondence:

March 25, 1989 notes from Carl Barks for The Carl Barks Library

Sources

CZ US 50 Rug Riders in the Sky [lost cut material]

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: ---
Type: story segment
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1963, December 26 ?
Publication date: [none or unknown]
Issue: [none or unknown]
Pages: 1
Intended issue: Uncle Scrooge 50
Intended publication date: 1964, July

Additional credits: See Rug Riders in the Sky, for more information.

Sources

W US 51-00 greenback lettuce

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-205
Type: cover, illustrating «How Green Was My Lettuce»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, January 18
Publication date: 1964, August
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 51
Pages: 1
Based on: greenback lettuce [cover rough]

Additional credits: Front cover.

Layout:

Logo in upper right.

Surviving material:

greenback lettuce [cover rough]

Sources

W US 51-01 How Green Was My Lettuce

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-207
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, January 18
Publication date: 1964, August
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 51
Pages: 15

Changes: Cut down from 17 to 15 pages to make room for ads. Detailed information

Surviving material: CS US 51 How Green Was My Lettuce [surviving cut material]

Lost material: CZ US 51 How Green Was My Lettuce [lost cut material]

CBL-notes: (R) Balloons are added, altered and deleted in the first reconstructed two pages, to fit in surviving unpublished art that was cut out by Western. Also, the silhouette of Scrooge is deleted from the first print's panel 8 of page 2. A full explanation is given in an article, where the first print's page 2 is shown.

Reconstructions: The survived material is published in The Carl Barks Library - Set V by putting it back in the story. To make this possible, changes were made to art that was possibly altered / added by the Western editors. The word balloon "Wak! Gophers!" in panel 4 of page 2 has been deleted because the next sequence in the excised portion reveals that Scrooge does not yet know about the gophers. The words "Now what?" in Scrooge's dialogue in panel 5 of published page 2 have been changed to "Suddenly," because he has just exclaimed "Wak! Now what?" in the cut previous panel. A small black dot, intended to represent Scrooge running from his bin, has been whited out of panel 7 of published page 2. In this panel, an additional dialogue balloon has been given to one of the nephews. He now asks "Where's Unca Scrooge?" because Donald's dialogue in the cut next panel is, "I don't see him, but there's a two-ton sack of money coming out of the door!" The still missing quarter-page is represented by a blank box in between first and third tier of restored page 2, where it logically seems to have been.
For the comic reprint in Uncle Scrooge 241, Don Rosa created a new tier to fill the gap.

Sources

CS US 51 How Green Was My Lettuce [surviving cut material]

Barrier: ---
CBL: 05A-207
Type: story segment
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, January 18 ?
Publication date: 1989, April
Issue: The Carl Barks Library - Set V
Pages: 1 3/4
Intended issue: Uncle Scrooge 51
Intended publication date: 1964, August

Additional credits: See How Green Was My Lettuce, for more information.

Sources

CZ US 51 How Green Was My Lettuce [lost cut material]

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: ---
Type: story segment
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, January 18 ?
Publication date: [none or unknown]
Issue: [none or unknown]
Pages: 0 1/4
Intended issue: Uncle Scrooge 51
Intended publication date: 1964, August

Additional credits: See How Green Was My Lettuce, for more information.

Sources

W US 52-00 wig with six feet

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-206
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, February 19
Publication date: 1964, September
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 52
Pages: 1

Layout:

Logo in upper right.

Sources

W US 52-01 The Great Wig Mystery

For a cushy flight that started to get a load of wigs, this one ended as a real hair-raiser!
-- Donald Duck

Barrier: MBAC-149
CBL: 05A-227
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, February 19
Publication date: 1964, September
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 52
Pages: 20

CBL-notes: The splash-panel of the story is trimmed in height at the lower border.

Details:

On page 9 and 12, the Kookoo Coco natives have human feet. On page 13 and 19, they have webbed feet. On page 20, the witch doctor has human feet. He does not appear on the pages with the webbed feet.
Panel 9.3 shows a native having nine toes (five on the right foot, four on the left foot). One panel 9.6, the witch doctor appears to have five toes on his left foot.

Congruences:

W OS 495-02 case of horse-radish: When villain Chisel McSue is drowning, Scrooge at first does not want to save him. After Chisel McSue is saved, he does an (unsuccessful) attempt in trying to make the Ducks jump overboard.
CM 11 jivaro witch doctor: witch doctor
W US 32-02 That Small Feeling: witch doctor
W US 39-02 A Spicy Tale: witch doctor

Questions: Is the reprint in "The Carl Barks Library" identical to the reprints in "Uncle Scrooge" No. 85 and No. 152?

Sources

W US 53-00 air mail

Barrier: MBAC-150
CBL: 05B-247
Type: cover, illustrating «Interplanetary Postman»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, March 27
Publication date: 1964, October
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 53
Pages: 1

Layout:

Logo in upper right.

Sources

W US 53-01 Interplanetary Postman

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-249
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, March 27
Publication date: 1964, October
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 53
Pages: 15

Trivia: Scrooge McDuck's address is mentioned as "Scrooge McDuck, 1313 Quack Street." (1.4) (Not to be mistaken for Stooge McDock, 1313 Quick Street, mentioned in panel 1.3.)

Sources

W US 54-00 ducks on speckled elephant

Why does an elephant have polka dots and a square trunk?
for the answer read THE BILLION-DOLLAR SAFARI!

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-248
Type: cover, illustrating «The Billion Dollar Safari»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, May 11
Publication date: 1964, December
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 54
Pages: 1

Additional credits: Front cover.

Layout:

Contains a promotional text.
Logo in upper right.

Changes: Barks originally drew a background for this cover, but it was deleted by Western.

Surviving material:

CR US 54a threatening tiger and approaching elephant [three trees]
CR US 54c threatening tiger and approaching elephant [two trees]
CR US 54b running away from chasing elephant

Status: Complete version has appeared in The Carl Barks Library - Set V (page 05B-248).

Sources

W US 54-01 The Billion Dollar Safari

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-265
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, May 11
Publication date: 1964, December
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 54
Pages: 20

Sources

W US 54-04 stranded on raft

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-264
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1962, December 20 (idea); 1963, June 7 (art)
Publication date: 1964, December
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 54
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 54-06 Flowers Are Flowers

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-324
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1961, November 1
Publication date: 1964, December
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 54
Pages: 1

Additional credits: Barks's records show him receiving payment for both the art and the idea for this page, but he has said, "I am not sure, but I think this was drawn for a gag that was sent to me by the office. I never used [Ludwig] von Drake except when asked to." (September 11, 1973 letter from Carl Barks to Michael Barrier)

Landmark: First (and last) appearance of Ludwig von Drake.

Backstage: Ludwig von Drake was introduced on the Disney television program in the fall of 1961, just a few weeks before Barks submitted this page, so it seems likely that the gag was part of an effort by Disney and Western to promote the character.

Correspondence:

September 11, 1973 letter from Carl Barks to Michael Barrier

Questions: Does someone know the exact date of Ludwig von Drake's debut on television, and the title of that program?

Sources

W US 55-00 mirage water cooler

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-298
Type: cover, illustrating «McDuck of Arabia»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, July 13
Publication date: 1965, February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 55
Pages: 1

Layout:

Logo in upper right.

Sources

W US 55-01 McDuck of Arabia

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-299
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, July 13
Publication date: 1965, February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 55
Pages: 24

Sources

W US 55-04 lost watch

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-323
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1962, December 20 (idea); 1963, August 3 (art)
Publication date: 1965, February
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 55
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 56-00 locomotive and ghosts

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-331
Type: cover, illustrating «Mystery of the Ghost Town Railroad»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, August 31
Publication date: 1965, March
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 56
Pages: 1

Additional credits: Front cover.

Layout:

Logo in upper right.

Landmark: One of two finished covers illustrating the same story in the same issue.

Sources

W US 56-01 ghost talk spooken here

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-332
Type: cover, illustrating «Mystery of the Ghost Town Railroad»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, August 31
Publication date: 1965, March
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 56
Pages: 1

Additional credits: Inside front cover.

Layout: Inside front cover. No logo.

Landmark: One of two finished covers illustrating the same story in the same issue.

Sources

W US 56-02 Mystery of the Ghost Town Railroad

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-333
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, August 31
Publication date: 1965, March
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 56
Pages: 24

Sources

W US 57-00 alligator and porcupines

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-393
Type: cover, illustrating «The Swamp of No Return»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, October 19
Publication date: 1965, May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 57
Pages: 1

Layout:

Logo in upper right.

Surviving material:

CR US 57 gun and little black box

Sources

W US 57-01 five dollars for cup of coffee

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-329
Type: gag, three tiers per page
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, September 28
Publication date: 1965, May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 57
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 57-02 The Swamp of No Return

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-395
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, October 30
Publication date: 1965, May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 57
Pages: 24

Sources

W US 57-04 click pat pat

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-419
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, September 19
Publication date: 1965, May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 57
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 57-06 parachute jumping school

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-420
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, September 28
Publication date: 1965, May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 57
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 57-07 hiss!

Very good show! Here is a reward for you and your talented reptile!
-- Uncle Scrooge

Barrier: MBAC-151
CBL: 05B-330
Type: gag
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, September 28
Publication date: 1965, May
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 57
Pages: 1

Sources

W US 58-00 giant money sack [inked version]

Barrier: MBAC-152
CBL: 05B-394
Type: cover, illustrating «The Giant Robot Robbers»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, December 3
Publication date: 1965, July
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 58
Pages: 1
Based on: giant money sack [pencil sketch]

Layout:

Logo in upper right.

Surviving material:

CR US 58 giant money bucket

Sources

W US 58-02 The Giant Robot Robbers

It's alive! It walks! It's a jukebox factory that wants to be a man!
-- citizen

Barrier: MBAC-152
CBL: 05B-421
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, December 13
Publication date: 1965, July
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 58
Pages: 20
Animated adaption: Robot Robbers

Appearances: Mayor Hogwilde (mayor of Duckburg, panel 1.2)

Cross-references: One nephew says: "It seems to me I remember one of the Beagle Boys had a weakness, but I can't recall what it was!" (16.7) This weakness turns out to be that "one of the Beagle Boys can't resist the smell of prunes! (17.7) This is a cross-reference to «message from uncharted island», where 176-167 admits his fondness of prunes.
The story «Horsing Around With History [story]» also contains a cross-reference to this confession.

Sources

W US 58-03 laundry soap

Barrier: MBAC-152
CBL: 05B-441
Type: gag, three tiers per page
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, December 21
Publication date: 1965, July
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 58
Pages: 1

Layout:

Three tiers per page

Sources

W US 58-07 front bumper accident

Barrier: MBAC-152
CBL: 05B-442
Type: gag, three tiers per page
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1964, December 21
Publication date: 1965, July
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 58
Pages: 1

Layout:

Three tiers per page

Sources

W US 59-00 huskies on dog sled

Barrier: MBAC-152
CBL: 05B-443
Type: cover, illustrating «North of the Yukon»
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1965, January 16
Publication date: 1965, September
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 59
Pages: 1

Layout:

Logo in upper right.

Sources

W US 59-01 North of the Yukon

Barrier: MBAC-152
CBL: 05B-445
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Uncle Scrooge
Submission: 1965, January 25
Publication date: 1965, September
Issue: Uncle Scrooge 59
Pages: 24

Surviving material: Original art of all 24 pages.

Appearances: file 90L-6F (6.3)

Research: In panel 1.1, the caption reads: "Uncle Scrooge losing his fortune in a desperate dog sled race against the wiliest rogue north of nome? How did he get into such a snafu?" "Snafu" is military slang for "situation normal, all fouled up". It was first used by U.S. soldiers during World War II. Most people (but maybe not when Barks wrote it) probably know that "fouled" is a euphemism for an originally stronger word. In the 1950s, with its original use still a fairly recent memory, the company now known as Marvel Comics used "snafu" as the title of a children's comic book. Possibly, though opinions differ, "snafu" is swell now. Swell is slang that's so outdated it's humorous to use it, a little tongue-in-cheek (i.e. slightly humorously/sarcastically).

Correspondence: