Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold (Four Color #9)



The genesis of this one is probably as interesting as the comic itself. The story was originally developed as a Mickey Mouse cartoon (which may explain the presence of Black Pete). The cartoon, however, was never produced and the plot was turned into a comic book script by Bob Karp with whom Barks had been scripting one-page comic book gags for Al Taliaferro. The book was then drawn by Barks and Jack Hannah with each doing roughly half the book.

The story itself definitely shows its origins as a storyboarded cartoon.  The layout is a very simple three tiered page with predominantly two panels per tier, though three panels isn't unusual and the occasional use of one panel tiers.  

We are introduced to Donald, who owns the Bucket O' Blood Seafood Grotto and his nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie.  This story begins to establish the characters that we would know from the comics as opposed to those in the cartoon shorts.  Donald's temper isn't nearly as bad as it is in the cartoons and the nephews aren't quite as rambunctious and exasperating.  

The story is pretty straight-forward and owes a lot to Treasure Island.  A parrot, Yellow Beak, comes to Donald's establishment looking for a treasure map that was hidden there by a pirate.  Yellow Beak is being followed by Black Pete and a couple of rat-like companions.  The Ducks hide him and the map is found.  Of course they need a ship to go find the treasure and conveniently find one for sale by a poor widow woman (Black Pete in drag) with a crew of Pete and his gang.  

During the voyage Pete attempts to get the map without letting on who he is.  It's the nephews who figure things out which leads to a confrontation with Pete and his crew.  Again, the nephews save the day and a race for the treasure begins between the two groups.  Ultimately the treasure is found by Donald and Yellow Beak with Pete following them, setting up a final confrontation in which the nephews again turn the tide and ensure victory for our heroes. 

Historically this is an incredibly important story.  The first full-length Duck adventure story.  Art by Carl Barks.  And it's the primordial soup from which we will see what comes.  But it is by no means completely successful.  The pace is incredibly leisurely.  There simply isn't enough story here to make up 64 pages.  It's decompression before we knew that term.  But it's important.  And it is a decent beginning. 

I need to get more of the Fantagraphics reprint books. I love these stories, both the longer ones and the ten pagers.

Bark's ducks was my very first exposure to comics. I read those through my moms swedish originals from the early 50ies, the sill running bi-weekly Kalle Anka (roughly "Carl" Dusck)!
When I was around 10, I got a subscription with it in orde to learn swedish when I was growing up in France. Thanks to that I got the early scandinavian exposure of the Don Rosa tales, as those first were printed there.
Those sure were a revolution, but I still prefered those old Barks ones, my favorites being the mayan square chickens and the one where Scrooges competes with his fellow billionnaire nemesis about who has the longest "line-ball"... But I'm probably forgetting dozens of those right now.
I bought the Fantagraphic HC collections and am very happy with those as I can share those without fearing for the condition of my originals

A Barks review thread...about time!

Good Deeds (WDC&S 34) Story & Art by Carl Barks. 



Barks' fourth 10-pager...yep I skipped two.  I read them...but I'm not reviewing them. 

The story opens with Donald shoveling trash over the fence and into Neighbor Jones' yard.  The boys ask him why he doesn't try to be a friend...and after Jones clobbers him with a tin can Donald decides he will spend the rest of the day doing good deeds.  Of course every time he tries...things just get worse.  Attempting to turn off the plane of a tired pilot lands Donald and the boys in a small adventure as they head south and land in a land with black native ducks.  They escape from the primitive savages and return the plane to the pilot..who is doing good deeds for the day.  

The story is remarkable for two reasons.  The first is Neighbor Jones, who is the first recurring character who is a Barks creation.  The second reason is more problematic.  Throughout Barks' run there is a recurring problem with natives...particularly of the African variety.  They are, quite simply, racist.  And it doesn't get much better as time goes on.  To some extent, I'm sure they are a sign of the times...see Ebony White in The Spirit.  But they're there...and it shouldn't be whitewashed.  

spoiler tag for those of a more sensitive nature. 

The Mighty Trapper (WDC&S 36)  



The boys are reading tales of frontiersman which causes Donald to start bloviating about his prowess as a trapper.  The boys know he's full of hot air and decide to trick him with an old fox fur of Daisy's.  Hi-jinks ensue as Donald and the boys go back and forth trying to trick each other in trapping things.  

There's nothing terribly interesting about this story.  It's a pretty typical early 10-pager with the normal domestic interaction between Donald and the nephews.  I note it here for two reasons...

1.  It's Daisy's first comic book appearance, albeit a cameo in just a couple of panels, and

2.  The subject matter.  It's just hard to see a modern comic having at its base the trapping of animals for their furs.  It also points out the incongruity of the Disney comics having anthropomorphized animals co-existing with animal animals. 

Hoping to see more from this thread soon!