Barks and religion

[Daniel van Eijmeren]

VIDAR SVENDSEN, 18-03-2005:

> I've received an email from a guy (Tore Ismanto Hofstad)
> who's writing a thesis about religion and popular culture.
> He asked me for sources on Barks' relation to religion.
> Does any of you know if this has been hinted on
> in any books or interviews?

By head, I remember a quote in a October 19, 1960 letter from Carl Barks to 
a fan named Joe Cowles, who wanted to look at Barks's work methods. 

Barks ends the letter with: "It would be a pleasure for me to meet a reader
who digs comic books. Up here in the bible belt people only read the good 
book and the Walnut Growers' Nutshell News."

Full transcription:
http://www.seriesam.com/barks/deta_text_s_cb-jc601019.html

Large scan of the letter:
http://www.seriesam.com/barks/bl_cbjc601019u.jpg

BTW. What does "bible belt" exactly mean? What tone does it have? I've heard 
it as a common phrase, but can't find an exact meaning in my dictionary.

--- Daniël

"All this GOOD LUCK comes from having a MASCOT!"
(Which Barks story?) :-)