CARL BARKS CORRESPONDENCE, 1963 - 1984

Finding Guide prepared by Tony Gardner

(1 ms box)

Call No. PN6727.B35Z48 1963

Jump to:

• History
• Provenance
• Organization
• Published Books
• Correspondence

History

Carl Barks (1901 - 2000) started drawing for Walt Disney in 1935. Disney soon transferred him to the story board department where he worked on animated cartoons. He left Disney in 1942 and moved to Hemet, California to start a chicken farm. Barks's unsuccessful chicken farming venture led him to return full time to comic book work. In 1943 he began drawing Disney stories for Western Printing and Lithography which produced the Dell and Gold Key comic books. He created Scrooge McDuck, the miserly uncle of Donald Duck, in 1947, Gladstone Gander in 1948, the Beagle Boys in 1951, and Gyro Gearloose, a self-portrait, in 1952. He retired in 1966 at age of 65. He began painting his characters in 1968 which were in great demand after 1976. This new income allowed him to purchase a home in Santa Barbara. He spent his last years in Grants Pass, Oregon.

This collection of correspondence consists of over 70 letters written to Chase Craig and his colleagues at Western from the 1960s to the 1980s. They contain Carl Barks's story ideas, synopsis for Uncle Scrooge, Donald Duck, and Junior Woodchuck stories, and insights into his personal and financial life.

Provenance

These letters, mostly addressed to Chase Craig, form part of Bruce Craig's gift of his father's papers to the University Library in 2002 and 2003. He donated the correspondence in 2003.

Organization

The letters are arranged in chronological order. The dates of the undated letters have been determined by the publishing dates of the comic books discussed or other internal evidence that corresponds to biographical information. These dates are enclosed in brackets.

Published Books

J. Michael Barrier. Carl Barks and the art of the comic book. New York, N.Y. : M. Lilien, c1981. (Special Collections PN6727.B35Z54 1981)

Box Listing

Box 1. (AS/RS 30700109692896)

• 1-01. 28 February [1963?]. Del, Chase. . .
• 1-02. 11 November 1963. Del and Chase.
• 1-03. 8 February 1964. Jack, Chase, Del, Larry.
• 1-04. 5 May 1964. Chase Craig.
• 1-05. May 1964. You guys. . .
• 1-06. 1964. Larry, Chase. . .
• 1-07. 1964. Jack, Chase.
• 1-08. 1964. Men of Western.
• 1-09. [July] 1964. [Synopsis. Uncle Scrooge #61].
• 1-10. [May 1965?]. Chase Craig.
• 1-11. 12 May 1965. Men of the Ruling Junta.
• 1-12. 29 October 1965. Smogmen.
• 1-13. 8 November 1965. Chase Craig.
• 1-14. [1965?]. [Synopsis. Uncle Scrooge # 63, May 1966.
• 1-15. 1965. Chase Craig.
• 1-16. [1966?]. Chase Craig.
• 1-17. 1966?]. Fellows of the Royal Duckerie.
• 1-18. 16 March 1966. Chase Craig.
• 1-19. 13 April 1966. Chase Craig.
• 1-20. [Summer 1966]. Chase and the Lads of Western Ho..
• 1-21. 22 June 1966. Chase Craig.
• 1-22. 4 July 1966. Chase Craig.
• 1-23. 8 July [1966]. Larry. Uncle Scrooge #68, March 1966..
• 1-24. 22 September 1966. Merry Men of Western.
• 1-25. 7 October 1966. Chase Craig.
• 1-26. [Late 1966?]. Chase Craig.
• 1-27. 1967. Men of Western.
• 1-28. 8 July 1967. Chase Craig.
• 1-29. 26 October 1968. Chase Craig.
• 1-30. 7 November 1968. Chase Craig.
• 1-31. [1968?]. Chase Craig.
• 1-32. [January 1966 - March 1968?]. Chase Craig.
• 1-33. 22 April 1969. Chase Craig.
• 1-34. 5 October 1969. Chase Craig.
• 1-35. 5 December [1969?]. Chase Craig.
• 1-36. [1969?]. Merry Men of Western.
• 1-37. 17 October [1969?]. Chase Craig.
• 1-38. [1979?]. Chase Craig.
• 1-39. 14 February 1970. Chase Craig.
• 1-40. 21 February 1970. Chase Craig.
• 1-41. [March 1970]. Chase Craig.
• 1-42. 13 March 1970. Chase Craig.
• 1-43. 13 August 1970. Chase Craig.
• 1-44. 5 November 1970. Chase Craig.
• 1-45. 2 December 1970. Chase Craig.
• 1-46. 14 December 1970. Chase Craig.
• 1-47. 12 January 1971. Chase Craig.
• 1-48. 1 February 1971. Chase Craig.
• 1-49. 2 May 1971. Chase Craig.
• 1-50. 26 May 1971. Chase Craig.
• 1-51. [July 1971?]. Chase Craig.
• 1-52. 26 September 1971. Chase Craig.
• 1-53. 4 October 1971. Chase Craig.
• 1-54. [October/November 1971]. Chase Craig.
• 1-55. 4 November 1971. Chase Craig.
• 1-56. 14 November 1971. Chase Craig.
• 1-57. 23 November 1971. Chase Craig.
• 1-58. 7 January 1972. Chase Craig.
• 1-59. 12 January 1972. Chase Craig.
• 1-60. 18 January 1972. Chase Craig.
• 1-61. 25 January 1972. Chase Craig.
• 1-62. 28 March 1972. Chase Craig.
• 1-63. 16 May 1972. Chase Craig.
• 1-64. 3 September 1972. Chase Craig.
• 1-65. 1972. Chase Craig.
• 1-66. [1972?]. Chase Craig.
• 1-67. [1972?]. Jokes.
• 1-68. 16 January 1963. Chase Craig.
• 1-69. 29 March 1973. Chase Craig.
• 1-70. 4 September 1973. Chase Craig.
• 1-71. 14 November 1973. Chase Craig.
• 1-72. 3 December 1973. Chase Craig.
• 1-73. 27 July 1975. Chase Craig.
• 1-74. 1 April 1984. Chase Craig.
• 1-75. 4 November 1987. Chase Craig.
• 1-76. No Date. Reprint requests.