Parrot sketches and other hidden/lost Barks treasures #2

Daniel van Eijmeren dve at kabelfoon.nl
Tue Nov 28 15:40:57 CET 2000


KLAUS HARMS to me, 25-11-2000:

>> Could "talking parrot" (OS356) be a Barks-gag?
>> "http://www.seriesam.com/barks/dc_os0356-05u.jpg" 
>> [SNIP] are there noticeable differences with the other
>> two gags in the issue, which were also drawn by Frank
>> McSavage?

> It would be fine to see these two, also. Anyone has scans
> of these?

There's another such instance: Barks also made a one page gag for
Donald Duck One Shot 348.

(In his book, Michael Barrier again lists this entry as both "one-page
gag" and "one-page gag idea". I guess he means the latter?) 

There are more of such gags mentioned in Barrier, but some don't
contain any clue in which comic they should/would have appeared.
Others contain the description "to be used as needed" or "for future
use". Interestingly, besides Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge gags,
there also is a Bugs Bunny gag "for future use" among them.

Others do contain a description, but again no issue directions.
For example, a one page gag idea described as "gets picture taken"
(submitted on February 6, 1953) and a one page gag idea for 
Donald Duck described as "tennis match" (October 15, 1953).

Maybe these gags can be found by searching through the comics of
that period, looking for gags which may match the description. 

Barrier also lists covers, like an art only cover for Boys' and
Girls' March of Comics, submitted on February 21, 1952, described
as "duck plays water piccolo".

BTW. If there's enough interest for this Barks treasure hunting,
then I will list all Barks' unpublished/unidentified work in one
of my future contributions.

>> [Parrot gag] Below are some points of which I think that they
>> may have some resemblances with Barks' style. 
>> * Though the dialogue ("Say: "Polly wants a cracker!"") in the
>> first six panels keeps the same, there's an interesting detailed
>> usage of bold lettering which illustrates Donald getting more and
>> more desperate in his attempts to make the parrot talk.

> I think that monotonous repetition of a single phrase is uncommon
> in Barks' work, though the increase of intensity looks very typical
> to me.

The Uncle Scrooge parrot gag of US 61 also contains the repetition of
the same line (six times in four panels), which is "Scrooge is a nice
fellow!". In this case, without bold lettering. (Since in this case
the parrot *does* respond, there's no need for it, though.)

> (BTW: That is what made me attribute the gag page to Barks as its
> likeliest author in an article I wrote for "Der Donaldist" 89  some
> time ago).

Did you research other unpublished/unidentified Barks work as well? 
If so, did you find other work which possibly is done by Barks?

>> * Donald's comment "Oh, go fall in a lake, you blankety-blank,
>>   stupid BONEHEAD!"

> The "Bonehead" attribute is used in a later-on Barks comic, by a
> nephew in WDC 132. Strong hint on Barks as author. 

I think I remember that Barks also used "bonehead" in an Our Gang
story with Barney Bear and Benny Burro. In addition, the Yellowstone
story of Our Gang No. 24 contains a reference to Daniel Boone. 

In script-only story "The Day the Mountain Shook" (JW 13), Barks
used "beanhead" as a low (or the lowest) Junior Woodchuck rank.

>> * The backlight in panel 4. (Donald and the parrot being shown as
>>   silhouettes, because of the light coming through the window.)

> Frank McSavage is very familiar with silhouette and shading
> techniques; please look at "The Crocodile Collector", "Seeing
> Things" (both DDOS 348), and "Rags to Riches" (DDOS 356), 
> respectively, for reference.

I wish I could, but I don't have these issues.

Is there somebody who can scan the gags of One Shots 348 and 356?
Preferably in at least the same size as
"http://www.seriesam.com/barks/dc_os0356-05u.jpg"?


Best wishes,

--- Daniel

"Donald is deliberately swimming away from us!"



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