BarksBase: Comic-book series

Comic-book series

The Carl Barks Library · Cheerios Premium Giveaway Y · Christmas in Disneyland · Christmas Parade · Danish Publications · Dell Giant · Disneyland Birthday Party · Donald Duck · Donald Duck Album · Firestone Christmas Giveaway · Four Color · Huey, Dewey and Louie Junior Woodchucks · Italian Publications · Kite Giveaway · Large Feature Comic · Little Golden Book D · March of Comics · Mickey Mouse Almanac · New Funnies · Our Gang · Summer Fun · Tom and Jerry Summer Fun · Tom and Jerry Winter Carnival · Top Top Tales · Uncle Scrooge · Uncle Scrooge Goes to Disneyland · Uncle Scrooge McDuck: His Life & Times · Vacation Parade · Walt Disney Comics Digest · Walt Disney's Comics and Stories · Whitman Book · Unpublished Four Color · Unpublished Top Top Tales · Unpublished Uncle Scrooge · Unpublished Walt Disney's Comics and Stories · Alternate Covers Donald Duck · Alternate Covers Top Top Tales · Alternate Covers Uncle Scrooge · Cover Ideas

The Disney newspaper strips were produced at the Disney Studio itself and distributed by King Features Syndicate; the comic books, on the other hand, were made by Western Printing and Lithographing (later Western Publishing) who also published comic books for several other major animation studios (among them Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Bros., and Walter Lantz). The newsstand distributor was Dell Publishing; bookstore publications, such as children's books, were distributed by Western's own company Whitman. In the early 1960's, Western decided to take over the distribution of the comic books themselves, for which the Gold Key label was launched.

In the mid-1960's the Disney Studio also began to produce comic books for the foreign market, a task which was later taken over by Danish publisher Gutenberghus/Egmont.

In the early 1980's Western stopped the comic-book production; the Disney license then went to Gladstone Publishing, who, after a short intermezzo when Disney produced the comic books themselves, served the U.S. market until late 1998. In the summer of 1999 Gemstone Publishing took over the Disney license and, after long negotiations, will probably begin production in 2003.

The following list is an overview of all series in which Carl Barks' works were first published.

The Carl Barks Library (CBL)

In 1983 Another Rainbow began to publish Barks' collected Disney comic works in 30 hardbound volumes, distributed in 10 sets. Barks created several new covers for this project.

Cheerios Premium Giveaway Y (CPG Y)

In 1947 cereal producer Cheerios published a series of small 32-page booklets (1 row of panels per page) which contained one Disney comic each. The booklets were collected in 4 sets (W, X, Y, and Z) with 4 comics each which could be ordered for 10 cents at Cheerios. Barks' contribution was the 1st booklet of set Y.

Christmas in Disneyland (CID)

This 100-page special was published in December 1957. It contained several Disney comics which were connected by a sort of frame story.

Christmas Parade (CP)

These Christmas specials were published from 1949 through 1958 (with a break in 1957); a follow-up appeared in 1959 as Dell Giant 26. In 1962 Western began to publish another series with the same title under the Gold Key imprint.

Danish Publications (D)

After retiring from working for Western, Barks sold several plot outlines to Danish publisher Gutenberghus (later Egmont). The finished comics were usually first published in the Danish Disney weekly, Anders And & Co.

Dell Giant (DG)

A series of extensive (mostly 80-page) comic books with varying themes, also non-Disney. The first issue was published in September 1959 and had the number 21; the preceding 20 issues had appeared as irregular specials. The series was stopped in September 1961 with issue 55.

Disneyland Birthday Party (DBP)

This 100-page special was published in 1958. It contained several Disney comics which were connected by a sort of frame story.

Donald Duck (DD)

This series, which was dedicated exclusively to its title character, was a continuation of the Donald Duck one-shots of the Four Color series; the first issue, published in November/December 1953, had the number 26, though it was preceded by about thirty Donald Duck books inside the Four Color series. Barks did not contribute much to this series since he had enough work to do for WDC and US.

Donald Duck Album (DDA)

This series did not survive more than 2 issues (August and October 1963); however, 6 specials of the same title had appeared inside the Four Color series until 1962.

Firestone Christmas Giveaway (FCG)

From 1943 through 1949, toy manufacturer Firestone published a 20-page giveaway with Disney comics each Christmas (also known as Donald and Mickey Merry Christmas). Barks' stories in the first two issues were only reprints (WDC 32 and WDC 35), for the later issues he drew special 8-page Christmas stories.

Four Color (FC)

Since 1939. Originally, this series had no title; the first 3 issues were not numbered, either. Issue 19 (1941) was the first to carry the title Four Color; after issue 25 the enumeration started over at 1. This was not a conceptually defined series, but a sort of pool for special and single issues of every kind (also non-Disney) which did not fit into Dell's regular publishing scheme. Beginning with issue 100, the series' title on the front cover was dropped, and even the issue number was hidden in the insignia (under the code O.S. for one-shot). The series was terminated in 1962 with issue 1354.

Huey, Dewey and Louie Junior Woodchucks (HDL)

This series, which was launched in August 1966, was dedicated to Donald's nephews and their boy-scout organization. Beside reprints from WDC, also comics created especially for this series were published. Barks' contribution consisted only of scripts.

Italian Publications (I)

Barks' last story was bought by Disney Italia and published after his death in the book Tesori 3.

Kite Giveaway (KG)

In the autumn of 1954, several U.S. power companies published an 8-page Barks story as a giveaway without a cover. Two slightly different versions are known to exist, which were published by Southern California Edison and Florida Power and Light, and Pacific Gas and Electric, respectively.

Large Feature Comic (LFC)

Since 1939. This series was originally entitled Black and White and was renamed Large Feature Comic beginning with issue 25; after issue 30 the enumeration started over at 1. Terminated in 1943 with issue 12. The books were black and white except for the cover and contained also non-Disney comics.

Little Golden Book D (LGB D)

A series of children's books.

March of Comics (MOC)

These books were given away by shoe shops since 1946 and in most cases did not contain any Disney comics.

Mickey Mouse Almanac (MMA)

1957. A sort of calendar with 12 separate comic stories which illustrated one month each.

New Funnies (NF)

Successor of the series The Funnies. The first issue had the number 65 and was published in July 1942. This series was dedicated to the characters of the Walter Lantz animation studio; it was terminated in 1962 with issue 288.

Our Gang (OG)

Since 1942. This series was reserved for comics with MGM characters; starting with issue 60, it was renamed Tom and Jerry in 1949.

Summer Fun (SF)

In 1958 and 1959, an annual summer special with Disney comics was published; issue 1 was entitled Mickey Mouse Summer Fun.

Tom and Jerry Summer Fun (TJSF)

From 1954 through 1957, an annual summer special whith MGM comics was published.

Tom and Jerry Winter Carnival (TJWC)

From 1952 through 1958, an annual winter special with MGM comics was published; renamed Tom and Jerry Winter Fun beginning with issue 3.

Top Top Tales (TTT)

A series of children's books.

Uncle Scrooge (US)

The first issue was published in March 1952 and had the number 4; the preceding 3 issues had appeared inside the Four Color series (FC 386, FC 456, and FC 495). Until the early 1960's, the series consisted nearly exclusively of Barks material, after that also other artists, above all Tony Strobl, were introduced.

Uncle Scrooge Goes to Disneyland (USGTD)

This 100-page special was published in 1957. It contained several Disney comics which were connected by a sort of frame story.

Uncle Scrooge McDuck: His Life & Times (USHLT)

In 1981 Celestial Arts published this king-sized volume containing selected Barks comics in Peter Ledger's airbrush coloring as well as a new picture story done by Barks especially for this book.

Vacation Parade (VP)

From 1950 through 1957, an annual summer special with Disney comics was published; renamed Picnic Party beginning with issue 6.

Walt Disney Comics Digest (WDCD)

Since June 1968. Pocket-sized Disney comics. Many reprints, but also original stories.

Walt Disney's Comics and Stories (WDC)

Since October 1940. A successor of the Mickey Mouse Magazine (since 1933). Until issue 30, it contained only reprinted newspaper strips, then also original stories, above all Carl Barks' 10-page Donald Duck comics.

Whitman Book (WB)

A series of children's books.

Unpublished Four Color (UNP FC)

Unpublished Top Top Tales (UNP TTT)

Unpublished Uncle Scrooge (UNP US)

Unpublished Walt Disney's Comics and Stories (UNP WDC)

These sections contain those works by Barks which were never published by Western.

Alternate Covers Donald Duck (AC DD)

Alternate Covers Top Top Tales (AC TTT)

Alternate Covers Uncle Scrooge (AC US)

Barks often submitted several different cover ideas for a comic book. The surviving sketches are gathered here.

Cover Ideas (CI)

Abandoned cover concepts which never went beyond the stage of a more or less rough sketch.