Best Barks' stories 0

[rjpb]

I posted this earlier but apparently in the wrong forum, though I thought I'd posted here. Even though some of his work qualifies a SA, the bulk of his classic works I gather is GA.

Over the years I've read a number of Barks' Duck stories in various reprints, but not enough to tell which are the best, and it's been long enough that what I have read sort of blurs for me. What are the favorites with knowledgable fans? One I haven't read in years that made a big impression on me as a kid was "The Seven Cities of Gold".

[Badger]

For Donald Duck, "Trick or Treat" in Donald Duck #26 is a favorite of mine and my wife's.  For Uncle Scrooge, "North of the Yukon" from Uncle Scrooge #59 made me happy when I was young and still almost makes me shed a tear for Barko.

[Robot Man]

Hands down Christmas for Shacktown for me. Trick or treat or Old California are close seconds for me.

[BitterOldMan]

I have read every Barks story.  Any Uncle Scrooge story written and drawn by Barks is great.

My favorites are FC 189 Old Castle's Secret, FC 199 Sheriff of Bullet Valley, FC 223 Lost in the Andes (Square Egg story), and FC 408 Golden Helmet.  I also love Uncle Scrooge 59 North of the Yukon from the silver age. US 59 shows that underneath Scrooge's gruff and avaricious nature, he is sentimental and a decent guy. I was fortunate to win the US 59 owned by Carl Barks.  Unfortunately, all the OA from US 59 was way out of my price range. 

Even though I bought many comic books prior to slabbing, I purchased an extra nice CGC copy of these Barks stories for my collection.  Raw reading copies of Barks stories are not too expensive.  I bought most of my Barks books in the seventies and the prices have not increased except the super high grade books.

[AJD]

Off the top of my head... five of each main type.

Long stories: Shacktown, Luck of the North, Golden Fleecing, Tralala, Lost in the Andes

10 pagers: quiz show, chicken farmer, tornado hits money bin, bing! you're hypnotized, new year's resolutions (the skiing one)

I'm sure I could add a lot more...

[Sqeggs]

So, tough to choose, but here are five in no particular order:

FC 422 Gilded Man

FC 386 Only a Poor Old Man

FC 367 Christmas for Shacktown

FC 408 Golden Helmet

FC 189 Old Castle's Secret

I have had to choose one, it would probably be FC 408.

So many great WDC&S 10-pagers that it's tough to think of the best or remember the names (if they were given one).  Here's one that I read not long ago that's laugh-out-loud funny: "Omelet" [name given when it was reprinted] originally published in WDC&S 146, Nov. 1952.  The period from the late 1940s through the early 1950s was probably Barks's prime, imo.

[BitterOldMan]

The original March of Comics 4 Maharajah Donald can be challenging to find and expensive, but has been reprinted several times, including given away on Free Comic Book Day in 2003.  The story revolves around Donald's nephews’ great trading skills starting with a pencil stub, which leads to chaos.

Don't forget the great Christmas stories in the Firestone giveaways from the forties.

Edited July 18, 2018 by BitterOldMan
Correct grammar

[AJD]

1 hour ago, Sqeggs said:

So, tough to choose, but here are five in no particular order:

FC 422 Gilded Man

FC 386 Only a Poor Old Man

FC 367 Christmas for Shacktown

FC 408 Golden Helmet

FC 189 Old Castle's Secret

I have had to choose one, it would probably be FC 408.

So many great WDC&S 10-pagers that it's tough to think of the best or remember the names (if they were given one).  Here's one that I read not long ago that's laugh-out-loud funny: "Omelet" [name given when it was reprinted] originally published in WDC&S 146, Nov. 1952.  The period from the late 1940s through the early 1950s was probably Barks's prime, imo.

Yes, Gilded Man and Golden Helmet could just as easily been in my top 5 too.

The 'Omelet' story is the one I called 'chicken farmer'. An all-time classic, and apparently based on Barks' own experience at raising chickens.

[pooroldman]

As one would imagine given my Forum name, "Only a Poor Old Man" (Four Color 386) has always been a special favorite of mine.  Also, "Lost in the Andes"/ the square egg story (Four Color 223)  and "The Fabulous Philosopher's Stone" (Uncle Scrooge #10).  But really, it's hard to go wrong with just about any Barks' story.

[sfcityduck]

Carl Barks was asked a number of times over the years what his favorite story was.  Interestingly, his answers to the "favorite story" question varied over the years.  

BUT, he ALWAYS said his "second favorite story" was "Land of the Totem Poles."  That's my favorite.  Personally, I think FC 263 is the best Barks' comic to own because it features two of his very best stories (also "Trail of the Unicorn").

[thehumantorch]

Four Color 386 Only a Poor Old Man
Four Color 223  Lost in the Andes
Four Color 282 Pixilated Parrot
Four Color 159  Ghost of the Grotto

What issue has the story about Scrooge and Donald having to go on the road and spend money because the money bin is full and overflowing with money?

 

[thehumantorch]

Also want to give a nod to Don Rosa's Life and Times of Scrooge.  Wonderful read.

[AJD]

40 minutes ago, thehumantorch said:

What issue has the story about Scrooge and Donald having to go on the road and spend money because the money bin is full and overflowing with money?

 

That one almost made my top 5 ten pagers list. It's in WDC&S 144.

While looking that up, I came across a few other excellent ten page stories - flippism, Gyro's trained worms, think boxes for animals, Maharajah of Howdoyoustan... the list goes on.

[pooroldman]

Flippism!  Boy, I haven't read that store in years, it's a great one, WDC&S #149.

"Life is a gamble, let flippism chart your ramble!"

 

[thehumantorch]

1 hour ago, AJD said:

That one almost made my top 5 ten pagers list. It's in WDC&S 144.

While looking that up, I came across a few other excellent ten page stories - flippism, Gyro's trained worms, think boxes for animals, Maharajah of Howdoyoustan... the list goes on.

*Spoiler Alert*

I laughed out loud after reading that story.  Poor Scrooge is forced to go on the road and spend money because his money bin is full.  When he gets back his accountant is frantic, somebody is out there staying in all your best hotels and eating in your best restaurants and buying your finest cars and money is flowing back in faster than ever.

[Pickie]

I just have to say that if there hadn't been Carl Barks I'd be a very different man. These days I enjoy going with the CB edition by Fantagraphics. First time read for me in the original language = double fun. 

[Ryan.]

11 hours ago, thehumantorch said:

Also want to give a nod to Don Rosa's Life and Times of Scrooge.  Wonderful read.

Agreed. As was Rosa's 'A Matter of Some Gravity'. Really impressive on a technical scale.

[jimjum12]

I just ordered Four Color 367 from Jim Payette, and am hoping Christmas in Shacktown lives up to the hype. I must confess, in the 70's I just couldn't understand what all the fuss was about a funny animal book, but about 10 years later I got my hands on a copy of Vacation Day Parade and my eyes were opened. I picked up a copy of Uncle Scrooge 7 from an original owner collection, pretty sharp, and thought Seven Cities of Cibola was pretty cool. I sold it to Bill, but miss it enough that the next copy I get will likely be a keeper. GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[ThreeSeas]

Which story or stories I like the most? Too many to list. When I think of Barks' stories, what pops into mind is Christmas at Shacktown, the Andes story, the Fountain of Youth story, the African Adventure where they peel off part of a ticket book and all scatter for their lives, and many more. Most of these I haven't read in over 25 years so I cannot remember the titles.

But I'm starting to reread them. I just got one of my old Abbeville Press hardcover books out last night (The Best of Uncle Scrooge, that one I bought in '79). I had forgotten how small those reprints were. I didn't need reading glasses the last time I opened that book.

Next I'll probably go to the 30 volumes in ten slip cases set in B & W, but I may skip those and go right to the color reprints. 

It's a fun adventure.

[rjpb]

Thanks everyone for chiming in, there definitely are a few which seem to be broad favorites. I have a few misc. Gladstone books, and the two Carl Barks' Greatest Duck Tales Stories squarebounds  that came out about 10 years ago. I wasn't crazy about the recoloring in the latter, but bought them for my kids to read.  While there is always a unique pleasure in reading stuff in the original comic form, I'll look for some of the stories chosen in reprint form.