Funny Books: Ducks and Covers! Disney's Donald and Scrooge...

 

Redartz:  Some of the first comics I ever read, and loved, were Walt Disney books featuring the adventures of Donald Duck, his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, and Donald's financially obsessed Uncle Scrooge McDuck. These stories grabbed my youthful  imagination, and held me fast even through the teen years and on into adulthood. Indeed, there were times when I stopped buying superhero comics, or dropped Archie comics, yet still maintained interest in these Disney Ducks. And much of the reason for that was the gargantuan influence of Carl Barks. 

Carl Barks was the writer /artist for Donald Duck for decades, and was the creator of many beloved Disney characters, particularly Scrooge McDuck himself. Barks' storytelling skills are the stuff of legend; going way beyond the limited 'gag strips' that were found in some "funny animal" books. Barks told humorous tales, cautionary tales, morality tales, and usually with a hefty dose of adventure. How could any kid resist titles like "Ghost of the Grotto", "The Cave of Ali Baba", or "The Lost Crown of Genghis Khan"? 

And the cast of characters Barks weaved into his 'Duck Tales': the Terrible Beagle Boys, Magica DeSpell, Gyro Gearloose, Flintheart Glomgold, just to name a few. Barks gave each character a unique voice and personality, and gave the world of Disney's Ducks a level of characterization rivaling that used later by Marvel. And that characterization certainly applied to the main cast: manipulative Scrooge, bemused Donald, and the nephews (who generally seemed the most rational and capable of the whole family). 

But there was much more to Carl Barks than just his writing. His artwork is equally legendary; not for nothing was he known as "The Good Artist" (for years there were no credits for Disney creators, but his rendering stood out from the rest earning him that sobriquet). Barks was unparalleled at giving emotive expression to his characters. 

  

He also excelled at , well, basically everything. He could beatifully render dramatic scenery, 

 

 

 animals, 

 bizarre monsters, 

 and intricate architecture.

 There weren't many humor books in which you found artwork that you could pore over and admire, regardless of the story. Barks' work, in that regard, puts him among the greats of the comics genre: Eisner, Kirby, Wood. And I'm not overstating things here; Barks' work has stood the test of time. Each generation rediscovers these great stories. In the bronze age, we had Gold Key and Whitman. In the 80's Gladstone Publishing kept them in the comics shops. Still later Disney itself published the books, and today we have Boom! and Dark Horse.

Don Rosa's first Duck cover

 

And what's more, there's more to it than simply representing the genius of Barks' work. Another artist/writer, Don Rosa, took on the Duck reins (where would one put reins on  a duck?) in 1987 and brought a whole new tradition of excellence to books like Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge and Walt Disney's Comics and Stories. Like Barks before him, Rosa worked with intricate storylines and equally intricate artwork. I've come to love Rosa's work too, to the extent that I'm currently awaiting delivery of a copy of Rosa's magnum opus: "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck"; a two-volume biography of the famous curmudgeon extrapolated from the whole history weaved by Barks. "Life and Times" won an Eisner for best story some years ago, and I'm finally going to enjoy it. 

 

 

 

Which brings me to one final point: the availability of the Disney Duck stories. One great strength of Gold Key was the variety of formats they used to present these comics. The regular comic series were supplemented by Digests, Giants, and large format collections. This practice has continued to the present day, as we have unprecedented access to finely bound collections of Barks (and Rosa's) works. 

 

 

To sum up: my love for the Disney ducks quite literally continues even today; a common reading thread that took me from childhood to grandparenthood! And chances are many among you are also fans of these books. Which is one way of saying it's time to hear from you; what are your thoughts about Donald, Scrooge, their creators, comics, casts, and all the rest? And while you compose those thoughts, here's some covers from the whole range of Duckdom...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Funny Books: "A Christmas for Shacktown" : a Carl Barks holiday gift

Walt Disney's Christmas  Parade, 1971

Four Color 367, 1952

Redartz: Hello, everyone! How could we get through the holiday season without looking at a holiday-themed comic? Not on our watch! Today we will look at a Disney classic by the great Carl Barks, originally presented in Four Color 367. "A Christmas for Shacktown" has been reprinted numerous times since it's original appearance, the image above right shows a Bronze Age edition. Speaking of which, I have to wonder why Disney  (or was it Gold Key Publishing) that chose to replace the original Barks cover art with a similar illustration by artist Tony Strobl. Nothing against Mr. Strobl, but how can you beat that Four Color cover? 

Anyway, let's start with a capsule story summary ( the traditional 100 word review just won't work here, but I'll keep it brief). 

Donald Duck's nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie are walking home from school when they take a turn through "Shacktown", a section of town where the people have very little hope, and even less of anything else. Christmas is coming soon, and the boys are touched by the plight of the local denizens. So they talk to Daisy Duck, who convinces Donald of the need to help those folks (even at the cost of the Duck's own Christmas). 

The plan is to raise 50 dollars to buy turkeys for the village, and a toy train for the poverty-stricken kids. Daisy, Donald and the boys are a bit short of the needed funds, however, and are forced to ask Uncle Scrooge McDuck for a contribution. Scrooge is grudgingly convinced to purchase the food, but won't have any part of a "silly, useless toy train". 

Many are the challenges and impediments faced by the charitable Ducks, as they try to put together the money. One such scene involves Donald sitting at a park bench where someone tosses a dollar into his cap. This inspires Uncle Scrooge to try his luck at panhandling, but he only scores a dime from his nephew Donald. 

That dime is a costly one, however: when Scrooge tosses it into his world-famous Money Bin, the whole thing collapses into a deep underground cavern! Absolutely crushed, the now penniless Srooge moves in with his nephew, who still lacks the funds for the poor kids of Shacktown. 

 























But never fear, the Junior Woodchucks come to the rescue! Huey, Dewey and Louie belong to the ever-resourceful scouting group, and they devise a solution to Uncle Scrooge's loss: they piece together a toy train, run it into the cavern from  below, and slowly extract his money car by car. Scrooge is so grateful to the boys, he offers them the contents of the first toy train car as a reward. It turns out that first car contains 100,000 dollars! As Scrooge swoons, the boys are ecstatic. They end up with funds to buy loads of toy trains and treats for the Shacktown kids, who celebrate their glorious Christmas while Scrooge impatiently waits for his money to be shuttled out!

This story is  sentimental, and perhaps a bit melodramatic, but that's often the case with Christmas tales. And Barks was known for making many of his stories into little morality plays", as seen here. Uncle Scrooge is rescued from the loss of his fortune by the very thing he ridiculed as useless. There are other gentle messages as well: Donald's cousin Gladstone Gander and his reliance on luck, Daisy and the boys' quick, selfless sacrifice of their Christmases for the sake of Shacktown; Donald's frustrations trying to make ends meet. So "Shacktown" is a fine example of a Christmas-themed story, complete with cautionary lessons and a happy ending, all presented in four color brilliance.

"Shacktown" is also a perfect vehicle for showcasing the contrasting personalities of the Duck family. Barks brilliantly characterizes each one; the boys mischievous but big hearted. Daisy generous and helpful. Donald, pragmatic, just trying to get through the holiday. Gladstone, glibly working his magic for some easy money. And of course Scrooge McDuck: crusty, money hungry (dare we say obsessed), yet also vulnerable- he seems completely defeated as he glumly eats Donald's oatmeal. Barks takes his Duck stories beyond mere 'funny animal' humor and gives them individuality. He makes us care about them; sort of a Stan Lee for the Disney set. There have been others who made some truly great Duck stories (Don Rosa, for one); but Carl Barks is the godfather of them all.  

As for the artwork: it's truly wonderful. Barks puts his mark on every panel. He is known for his detailed artwork, from his depiction of Shacktown to the gaping cavern to Srooge's money piles. Even more striking, to me, is the attention he gives to each character and their expressions. Rarely do you see such emotion shown so clearly in the 'funny animal' genre. Indeed, the misery on the faces of the poor residents of Shacktown is almost uncomfortably haunting. And the Ducks? Barks renders each one perfectly; with just a few lines he shows Daisy's concern, the boys' determination and Scrooge's stubbornness. Carl Barks fully deserved his reputation, and today is rightly honored among the comics industry's greats.

To sum up, I find this story to be almost a Frank Capra-esque tale of struggle, sacrifice and gentle heroism. Kind of like "It's a Wonderful Life" but with talking Ducks. I love the artwork, the sentiment, the nobility of the boys, and the humor found throughout. This is a worthy book to add to your 'required holiday reading list'. It is most certainly on mine.

Off the Bookshelf: Learning About Comics History...

Comix- A History of Comic Books in America, by Les Daniels; graphics by Mad Peck Studios

Redartz:  Good day, everyone! Anyone for a history lesson? I always am, especially when it's comics history. Which brings us to today's topic: learning about comics and the creators behind them. 

Shortly after I first got hooked by the comic bug, early in 1974, I found this book on sale in the 'cutout's section of a Walden Books (remember them?). I'd never heard of the author, and was at the time unaware of the alternative comics referred to by the title's term 'comix'.  Nonetheless, a quick browse through the book convinced me to buy it. Imagine, a book ABOUT comics, illustrated with the actual comics! Yes, there had been  other histories; Steranko had his "History of Comics". There was Jules Feiffer's "The Great Comic Book Heroes". But overall, there weren't that many books yet about the medium of comics, or the wide variety of subjects found therein. So, long story short, "Comix" became  my first comics history lesson. 

And it was a rich lesson indeed. Published in 1971, early in our illustrious Bronze Age, "Comix" reached waaaay back to Richard Outcault and his "Yellow Kid", and followed up with a fascinating tour of comics throughout the 20th. Century. Writer Daniels gives the prose a bit of a countercultural feel (certainly to be expected, given the pop cultural background of the late 60's/early 70's). Yet it also reads as an engaging , entertaining overview of comics history; filled with fascinating anecdotes. Consider some of the chapter headings: "The Birth of the Comic Book". "Dumb Animals". "The E.C. Revolution". "The Comics Code Controversy". "Mighty Marvel". "Underground Comics". Yes, Daniels touched all the bases here. And it was pure manna for this comics-starved kid. 

An example of a 40's "Crime" comic

Jack Cole. Amazing composition...

This book was my first exposure to EC Comics, to Golden age comics, to crime comics, to underground comics. So many genres I'd never dreamed of. Here, for the first time, I was introduced to some of the towering figures behind some of the stories I'd enjoyed: Will Eisner, Carl Barks, Harvey Kurtzman, Basil Wolverton. Further on, Daniels revealed to me the work of later creators such as Trina Robbins, Robert Crumb, and Gilbert Shelton. The story of the Comics Code Authority, and Fredrick Wertham? All that was in there as well. Oh, so much to absorb...

And it was easy to swallow this informative medicine: Daniels sweetened it with a generous dose of actual comics. Not only individual panels and pages, but many entire stories; color and black/white! He included some excellent examples, well chosen to give the reader a dose of the very best comics have to offer. We find Jim Steranko's entire story "At the Stroke of Midnight"from Tower of Shadows #1 (only complaint; wish this had been a color selection).

 

"A Visit With the Fantastic Four" by Lee and Kirby. From EC- "A Little Stranger" by Graham Ingles. A complete Barks Uncle Scrooge story. An early Two-Face story from Batman. Several great horror tales from Warren publishing. A "Mad" story by Wally Wood. An EC war story by Kurtzman. A Jack Cole Plastic Man story. And much, much more. Truly, it was an embarassment of comic riches. I devoured every page.

Les Daniels, through this book, lit the spark of interest for the vast wonders of comics past and present. He showed me how much more there was besides superheros and funny animals. Daniels put the works of the masters before me, identified them, and through them fired a fascination that continues to this very day. For this, I owe him immensely. Les Daniels, years later, produced a fine book about Marvel Comics; if memory serves Doug and Karen once discussed that tome over at the BAB. As much as his first book affected me, his later one is something I also need to add to my library.

Two  DC 'funny animals'; Fox and Crow

A cool EC house ad

 

A last word from Robert Crumb...

Before reading this book, I loved Spider-man and the Fantastic Four; Batman and Superman. After reading it, I loved Comics. So now I ask you; was there any book about comics that roused your interest? Where did you first learn of the early names and faces of the medium? How did you discover the early tales of our heroes, and their predecessors?  Tell us all about your 'history texts'...