A Guidebook to the Carl Barks Universe

Research: At the end of this story there's a silhoutte of Donald chasing the cat just crossing a county border, which can be seen by a sign saying "ENTERING SQUASH COUNTY - DON'T PICKA DA PUNK!" This is a gag of which even some modern-day Americans may now have major trouble understanding it. Detailed information

Sources

W WDC 77-02 bug spray concoction

Barrier: MBAC-170
CBL: 07C-535
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1946, September 25
Publication date: 1947, February
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 77, Vol. 7, No. 5
Pages: 10

Sources

W WDC 78-02 jam robbers

Barrier: MBAC-170
CBL: 07C-545
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1946, October 28
Publication date: 1947, March
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 78, Vol. 7, No. 6
Pages: 10

Sources

W WDC 79-02 picnic poetry

Rumble on, buxom bumble bee!
Go sit on a cowslip - far from me!
-- Donald Duck, writing poetry

Barrier: MBAC-170
CBL: 07C-557
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 19446, November 18
Publication date: 1947, April
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 79, Vol. 7, No. 7
Pages: 10

Sources

W WDC 80-02 flower garden contest

Barrier: MBAC-170
CBL: 07C-567
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1947, January 10
Publication date: 1947, May
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 80, Vol. 7, No. 8
Pages: 10

CBL-notes: Panel 8.3 is redrawn.

Sources

W WDC 81-02 lost turk gold mine

Barrier: MBAC-170
CBL: 07C-577
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1947, January 28
Publication date: 1947, June
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 81, Vol. 7, No. 9
Pages: 10

Sources

W WDC 82-02 super-magician

Barrier: MBAC-170
CBL: 07C-587
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1947, February 19
Publication date: 1947, July
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 82, Vol. 7, No. 10
Pages: 10

Sources

W WDC 83-02 salesmen disturb vacation

A whole week of rest will put me on my toes!
-- Donald Duck

Barrier: MBAC-170
CBL: 07C-597
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 194,
Publication date: 1947, August
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 83, Vol. 7, No. 11
Pages: 10

Sources

W WDC 84-02 costume ball waltz contest

Stop? I did stop ten minutes ago! The fool room keeps going around!
-- Donald Duck

Barrier: MBAC-170
CBL: 07C-607
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1947, May 1
Publication date: 1947, September
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 84, Vol. 7, No. 12
Pages: 10

Research: Just before he attacks a big man at a bus stop, Donald says: "I'll give him the flying arm-lock that I learned in commando school!" (7.7) As a result, the big man is running away, and yelling: "What ran into me - A Tiger tank?" (8.1) As this story was made in 1947, it's likely that "Tiger tank" means the infamous World War II German Tiger tank. (Maybe a hidden joke could be that the big man Donald beat up was a war veteran?)

Sources

W WDC 85-02 string trio

Adt last dey haf learned to blay vun note!
See dot dey bractice idt vile I go home undt haf a nervous breakdown!
-- music teacher

Barrier: MBAC-170
CBL: 07C-617
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1947, May 5
Publication date: 1947, October
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 85, Vol. 8, No. 1
Pages: 10

Sources

W WDC 86-02 absent-minded fireman

A flire! A frier! I must shave the women and children!
-- Donald Duck

Barrier: MBAC-170
CBL: 07C-627
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1947, June 23
Publication date: 1947, November
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 86, Vol. 8, No. 2
Pages: 10

Congruences:

QMS 1940-013: Donald as fireman
W WDC 225-01 romantic volunteer fireman: Donald as fireman

Sources

W WDC 87-02 wild turkey hunting

Barrier: MBAC-170
CBL: 07C-639
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1947, July 31
Publication date: 1947, December
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 87, Vol. 8, No. 3
Pages: 10

CBL-notes: Pages 3, 5 and 6 are redrawn. Apparently, in 1983 the original version was printed by Dutch publisher Oberon.

Congruences: Donald tries to carve a "turkey" meal with a knife. The "turkey" is too tough, so Donald uses a mincer. (9.6 to 10.3) This scene is more or less similar to Al Taliaferro's December 26, 1938 Donald Duck daily strip. (Donald tries to carve a turkey meal with a knife. The turkey is too slippery, so Donald uses a vice.)

Congruences:

YD 38-12-26 slippery turkey

Sources

W WDC 88-02 swimming on christmas day

Barrier: MBAC-170
CBL: 07C-649
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1947, August 15
Publication date: 1948, January
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 88, Vol. 8, No. 4
Pages: 10

Landmark: First appearance of Gladstone Gander.

Sources

W WDC 89-02 night watchman in dockshed

Hmm! Never knew this chair was so soft!
-- Donald Duck

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 07C-659
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1947, September 4
Publication date: 1948, February
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 89, Vol. 8, No. 5
Pages: 10

Sources

W WDC 90-02 telegram messenger boys

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 07C-669
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1947, October 9
Publication date: 1948, March
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 90, Vol. 8, No. 6
Pages: 10

Sources

W WDC 91-02 garden party monkeys

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 07C-679
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1947, October 28
Publication date: 1948, April
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 91, Vol. 8, No. 7
Pages: 10

Sources

W WDC 92-02 the art of child rearing

Stifling the child's extrovertentualities tends to subjunctuate his bio-physical transmogrification!
-- Pulpheart Clabberhead

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 07C-689
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1947, December 30
Publication date: 1948, May
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 92, Vol. 8, No. 8
Pages: 10

Congruences:

QMS 1938-005: child psychology

Sources

W WDC 93-02 rocket race to the moon

Papyuh! Papyuh!! Readyuhmawnin' papyuh!
-- Donald Duck, as newsboy

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 07C-699
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1948, January 16
Publication date: 1948, June
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 93, Vol. 8, No. 9
Pages: 10

Updates: Stuck on the moon, which in this story must have an air atmosphere, the ducks accidently drink from a "natural rocket fluid" spring containing "kerosine", "oil of gun cotton" and "essence of nitro-glycerine" (8.7). At that point, Donald has just scared away a moonman with a burning match (8.4), about which he comments: "No wonder that guy was afraid of fire!" (8.8)

The documentary "95 Worlds and Counting", premiered on Discovery Channel in February 2001, mentions it can rain fuel (methane?) on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. And if there would be air, one could cause an enormous explosion with a lighter.

Sources

W WDC 94-02 coast patrol

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 07C-709
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1948, February 3
Publication date: 1948, July
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 94, Vol. 8, No. 10
Pages: 10

Sources

W WDC 95-00 new heat wave due

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 08A-017
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Submission: 1948, March 4
Publication date: 1948, August
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 95, Vol. 8, No. 11
Pages: 1

Landmark: Barks' first published cover for Walt Disney Comics & Stories, submitted on the same date as the cover for issue 96.

Backstage: In 1983, Barks commented in an interview with Bruce Hamilton: "I am very poor at lettering and hate every inch of it. My biggest problem with the cover for number 95 was lettering the newspaper lying in the sand. But I did all of my lettering until 1952, when my wife Garé took over."

Interviews:

1983 interview by Bruce Hamilton

Sources

W WDC 95-02 raising five dollars in half an hour

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 08A-019
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1948, February 19
Publication date: 1948, August
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 95, Vol. 8, No. 11
Pages: 10

Sources

W WDC 96-00 super bubble soap

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 08A-018
Type: cover
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Submission: 1948, March 4
Publication date: 1948, September
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 96, Vol. 8, No. 12
Pages: 1

Surviving material: Original art of alternate earlier version. Published as cover for "Walt Disney Comics & Stories" No. 540, 1989.

Sources

W WDC 96-02 hole-in-one caddies

There's more here than meets the eye!
Cousin Donald has hydrophobia or something!
I better cash in on it!
-- Gladstone Gander

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 08A-029
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1948, March 25
Publication date: 1948, September
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 96, Vol. 8, No. 12
Pages: 10

Congruences:

QMS 1938-015: golf contest
W WDC 131-02 unluckiest golfer of the day: golf contest

Sources

W WDC 97-02 pearls for daisy

Open up, Donald Duck! You smart aleck! You wisecracker! I'm here to thank you for your little joke!
-- Daisy Duck

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 08A-039
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1948, April 29
Publication date: 1948, October
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 97, Vol. 9, No. 2
Pages: 10

Research: On the Disney comics Mailing List, Dwight Decker gave an answer to the question if Mexican jumping beans really jump: "Yes, they do! They're seeds of a Mexican plant with an insect larva inside. The movement of the larva inside causes the seed to seem to jump. The movement is real, and even startling, though exaggerated in cartoons."

Sources

W WDC 98-02 fox hunting sportsman

Here Finnan Haddie! Here, Smoked Barracuda!
Shad Roe, where are you?
Kippered Sprats! Marinated Mackerel! Filet Of Sole!
Sardines In Olive Oil! There you are!
Columbia River Smelt, come to papa! Grilled Halibut, ol' boy, it's me!
Dogfish! Catfish! Sawfish! Swordfish! Goldfish! Whitefish! Chub! Carp! Minnows! Guppies!
Callico Bass! Bluegills! (Pant! Puff!) Red Snapper! Jelly Fish!
-- Donald Duck

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 08A-053
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1948, May 28
Publication date: 1948, November
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 98, Vol. 9, No. 2
Pages: 10

Landmark: First appearance of Uncle Scrooge in Walt Disney Comics and Stories.

Appearances: Frank Bucko (2.8); Red Herring (3.1); Lord Tweeksdale (9.1).

Research: Big game hunter Frank Buck, upon whom "Frank Bucko" on page 2 was obviously based, was a popular real life adventurer of the day. His exploits were chronicled often in that era's journals and were even the subject of a short-lived comic book series, "Frank Buck", published by Fox Features in 1950. More recently, the Frank Buck legend enjoyed a brief resurgence in the form of 1982/83 television adventure series, "Bring 'Em Back Alive."

Congruences:

W US 30-04 Yoicks! The Fox!: Similar plot.

Sources

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W WDC 99-02 radio quiz show

Nine trillion multipadillion, six hundred and eighty-six squadrificillion, fifty octodecimadillion, eight hundred and sixty-three centrifipillion --
nine hundred and forty overplusillion, six hundred and five duplicatillion, thirty-three impossibadillion --
seven hundred and ninety-one compounded ultrafatillion, three hundred and forty super trillion, fifty-nine duper dillion, twenty-nine billion, seven hundred and fifty million --
four hundred and six thousand, five hundred and thirty three drops!
-- Donald Duck

Barrier: MBAC-172
CBL: 08A-065
Type: story
Art: Carl Barks
Script: [unknown]
Script rewriting: Carl Barks
Hero: Donald Duck
Submission: 1948, June 10
Publication date: 1948, December
Issue: Walt Disney Comics & Stories 99, Vol. 9, No. 3
Pages: 10

Additional credits: In his 1969 list of work for Western, Barks wrote about this story: "Script came from the office. I was paid $ 25 extra for 'revising' it."

Landmark: Mickey Mouse is mentioned in panel 5.7. Barks seldom used Disney characters outside the Duck Family in any of his stories. When asked to comment for the Library about this reference, he wrote, "I can't remember the origin of the 'Mickey's Social Security number' gag. It probably was in the script as it came from the office. I doubt that I would have felt it permissible to mention Mickey."

In Barbara Boatner's Introduction to The Fine Art of Walt Disney's Donald Duck (page 24), Barks commented on Western Publishing's policy of keeping the identities separate of the traditional Disney characters whenever practical because of the many titles using the different names, saying "I wouldn't have been tempted to use them, anyway."

Research: The radio-quiz show Donald appears on was based on the then popular games series, "Truth or Consequences." This show entertained audiences by demeaning its contestants, forcing them to take the consequences if they failed to answer questions correctly. The results could be cruel, and Barks made Donald's humiliation positively brutal to satirize the sadism of basing a show on such a concept.

Panel 1.1 states that "Caesar was born in 102 B.C.!" Actually there have been different opinions about this date. The introduction to a 1897 edition of Caesar's Gallic Wars mentions that "Gaius Iulius Caesar was born July 12, in the year 100 before Christ [Some scholars put the date two years earlier. Cf. Mommsen, "History of Rome," (ed. of 1895), vol. iv., pp. 278-280.], being thus six years younger than Cicero and Pompey."

Congruences: