tth2 Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 [...] FC 189 is the second appearance of Uncle Scrooge (I think - is that right?) [...] To me, FC 189 is one of the most impressive comics of the Golden Age. Every time I browse through its 36 pages, I am in awe of the art and the atmosphere that Barks created in the castle. Of course it is nowhere near Hal Foster's standard compared panel by panel, but I'd be hard pressed to think of another 30+ page story with so much complex architecture, such clever use of lighting and perspective, and so many fun little details that you don't notice as you read the story but which subconsciously add to the experience. This book is a pièce de résistance of overachieving from an immensely talented artist who was paid a nominal fee to fill his page quota every month. I sometimes wonder what motivated Barks to create masterpieces like this out of nothing. His work was already so superior compared to stories like "Malalaya" and he had no one around him to create the pressure cooker effect that inspire so many super talented individuals. Whatever it was, we are fortunate that it was there. Hear hear!! +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50YrsCollctngCmcs Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 This one got lost at the local post office for a month. There were a couple of really nice WDC&S in the sales forum recently. Unfortunately I'd blown my entire March and some of April's budget on some nice EC sci-fi comics two days earlier. Oh well, they went to a good home. ( 40y) Thanks Andrew, I actually wondered why you had not grabbed those as I debated the purchase overnight. They arrived this past Thursday night and I gave them a quick perusal. I will try to get scans up in this topic with a little review of the contents sometime this weekend. They are the earliest Barks' WDCS I have and I look forward to looking them over in detail later today or tomorrow morning. We have a big storm coming into California tonight and tomorrow so other than work I should be doing it is an outstanding weekend to be looking at old classic comics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50YrsCollctngCmcs Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I can resist anything but temptation. I picked these up from MYNAMEISLEGION on the for sale forum. FC 189 is the second appearance of Uncle Scrooge (I think - is that right?) I've never read Malayalaya - I'm going in with low expectations, but sometimes the non-Barks stories are good. I really like the 'Fabulous Fiddlesticks' story, but not so much ones like 'The Crocodile Collector'. Now I have to find nice copies of FC199 and 238. Congratulations on these. FC 189 is hands down my favorite Barks Duck Epic. No other story matches the sheer spookiness and thrills of this book along with laying down the basis for what would become the Scrooge canon. I don't think Barks had any idea of the legacy he was creating but we are sure glad he did! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJD Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Here's where I've got to with my Donald Duck FC set. (I know DD26 strictly doesn't fit, but it's the last of the Dell Barks 'story covers' and has a spiritual home here, IMHO. As I said earlier, I really want 199 and 238 but I'm not really a completist these days, so I'm in two minds about some of the others. I think I like these as much as any books in my collection. I bought the Barks library in the 1980s thinking I'd never get to own the originals. My how the internet has changed things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffman_Comics Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Here's where I've got to with my Donald Duck FC set. (I know DD26 strictly doesn't fit, but it's the last of the Dell Barks 'story covers' and has a spiritual home here, IMHO. As I said earlier, I really want 199 and 238 but I'm not really a completist these days, so I'm in two minds about some of the others. I think I like these as much as any books in my collection. I bought the Barks library in the 1980s thinking I'd never get to own the originals. My how the internet has changed things. A lovely group shot, AJD. A set I'd be proud to call my own. You're in the A.C.T., right All kidding aside, this is one difficult accomplishment here. None of the Dell Four Colors ever appeared on publication in Australia. The stories were reprinted (many times) locally, but any originals, like AJD's, that found their way here were imported by collectors. Yes, internet has made it easier to do, but it still requires some dedication. So Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow Kid Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Beautiful books! The duck four colors have always been my favorites. I hope you will add Frozen Gold and The Magic Hourglass to your want list. FG has two great Barks stories, where the second might be better than the first and served as a swipe for an Uncle Scrooge story, while TMH had to be inspired by Ancient Persia and they go together nicely. Congratulations on some great books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tth2 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 Great collection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciorac Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Great collection! Agreed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50YrsCollctngCmcs Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Here are the recently mentioned WDC&S picked up from Iggy in the sales thread last weekend. I also got a DC Mutt and Jeff #12 but that doesn't quite fit this thread so it won't be appearing here. This little set of books was appealing as they were original owner books with nice page quality. The covers are a little below what I normally buy but these early Barks originals don't come along very often so I gave it a whirl. Since it is pouring in Los Angeles today and the kids are away at a class it was the perfect time to give them both a quick read. These books are interesting as they are the beginnings of what will become the classic WDC&S of the late forties and early fifties. They feel a little experimental, still looking to find their way with even some remnants of the old Mickey Mouse Magazine evident in crossword puzzles, longwinded text pieces and even a Minnie Mouse Hollywood gossip column. On a side note Roddy McDowell bore mention in both of these columns which I found surprising. The two Barks features were the highlights of the book, the first featuring a classic Mr. Jones the neighbor battle and the second a short piece on salesmanship. His characters appear larger on page with simpler backgounds but the evidence of his story mastery is all there. Other features include Gus Gremlin, not very interesting, Panchito from the Three Caballeros in #38, an early Bucky Bug strip in #39 and two chapters of the Mickey Mouse Love Trouble serial. Issue #38 is 64 pages plus the covers while #39 is 56 pages plus the covers all chronologically numbered so you know all the pages are there. I can only imagine it was war paper shortages that drove the short page count on #39. Also, there seemed to be a sparing use of ink in both books, not on all pages so it was not a printer's defect but rather it looked like a shortage of manpower or some commodity driving the suspicious lack of color. All four colors are present so it appears to have been done on purpose. Enjoy the covers as well as the back cover to #38 which I found to be kind of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB-Gun Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 These are some of my older ducks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50YrsCollctngCmcs Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Doesn't get much better than stacks of Duck Books!! Love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow Kid Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Nice books, Frank! The first ten Barks WDCS are really hard to find in nice condtion and you have two pretty ones. Even the next ten are tough to find, but after #50 things get a lot easier. Congratulations! Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJD Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Great stuff BB Gun. I often think that we duck collectors have it good - prices are moderate (even if I still can't buy all I want) and the books are fantastic. And don't they look nice in a big group? 40Y: thanks for your insights into those books. Much as I love ECs (and I've been looking for a nice Weird Science 15 for two years now), I kinda regret missing those ones. Oh well - I can enjoy them at a distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB-Gun Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Great stuff BB Gun. I often think that we duck collectors have it good - prices are moderate (even if I still can't buy all I want) and the books are fantastic. And don't they look nice in a big group? 40Y: thanks for your insights into those books. Much as I love ECs (and I've been looking for a nice Weird Science 15 for two years now), I kinda regret missing those ones. Oh well - I can enjoy them at a distance. Prices seem to be pretty good for most of the duck books. I would like to pick up a few more of the first 20 WDCS and the rest of the Four Colors but I can wait a few years more. The Mickey Mouse in the middle is the first comic size issue and it has a duck on the cover which is what a duck collector would want. Right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50YrsCollctngCmcs Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 40Y: thanks for your insights into those books. Much as I love ECs (and I've been looking for a nice Weird Science 15 for two years now), I kinda regret missing those ones. Oh well - I can enjoy them at a distance. So not only do we share an interest in Ducks but in nice EC's as well. See my recent purchase of a Weird Science here... Weird Science 11 We better coordinate our purchases to keep the prices down!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50YrsCollctngCmcs Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Nice books, Frank! The first ten Barks WDCS are really hard to find in nice condtion and you have two pretty ones. Even the next ten are tough to find, but after #50 things get a lot easier. Congratulations! Rich Thanks Rich, you are right I don't remember ever seeing these issues offered before. Those first hunred issues are going to be a tough but fun run to put together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david20009 Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 These are some of my older ducks. That is a nice looking set of books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJD Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 40Y: thanks for your insights into those books. Much as I love ECs (and I've been looking for a nice Weird Science 15 for two years now), I kinda regret missing those ones. Oh well - I can enjoy them at a distance. So not only do we share an interest in Ducks but in nice EC's as well. See my recent purchase of a Weird Science here... Weird Science 11 We better coordinate our purchases to keep the prices down!! PM sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJD Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Since we seem to be in group shot mode, here's 29/30 of my WDC&S 1-100. (I have no idea where the other is - I'm going to have to check some other boxes.) I'll do this again when I hit 40. Don't hold your breath. Edit: Found it. It's #77 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Point Five Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Awesome shots, Andrew. Blazing colors on those puppies! This makes me want to get back to my own early WDCS run. They are such purely fun books... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
