The hunt for the anonymous cartoonist who transformed pop culture
How did Disney hide the most popular comic artist in the world?
Carl Barks Reading Guide
While all of Barks’ work has merit, the peak period is generally considered from the late 40s through the early 50s. The key volumes are linked here. The first two are currently out of print, but still available digitally. There’s no continuity, so no need to read in order anyway.
Vol. 7: Lost in the Andes - amzn.to/427DEkS
Vol. 8: Trail of the Unicorn - amzn.to/47GQebY
Vol. 9: The Pixilated Parrot - amzn.to/427y6qt
Vol. 10: Terror of the Beagle Boys - amzn.to/48RgBwS
Vol. 11: A Christmas for Shacktown - amzn.to/3tQEd65
Vol. 12: Only a Poor Old Man - amzn.to/48WUaGz
Vol. 13: Trick or Treat - amzn.to/493FC8f
Vol. 14: The Seven Cities of Gold - amzn.to/4239hvZ
One word of warning: many of the books feature racist depictions of non-white characters, a lot of national origin based humor, and in general reflect an imperialist worldview. Not all of the stories do, of course, but they are scattered among the volumes, and Fantagraphics have chosen not to censor anything as previous editions have.
Other Sources:
Carl Barks Conversations - amzn.to/3O9VVZc
Funnybooks - amzn.to/47Q7uM8
The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime - amzn.to/48EQ8Tz
Floyd Gottfredson’s Mickey Mouse Strips: amzn.to/3U5Eqg8
FULL SOURCES, REFERENCES & NOTES:
pastebin.com/aUFrEsM0
CC Photo Credits
Thompson photos: www.flickr.com/photos/alan-li...
Full on made me cry. Dude was uncredited by his boss, never allowed to know how much he was loved, abused by his wife. So glad he lived to see how loved he was.
The saying goes that behind every successful man there is a supporting woman (or something to that effect) and yet here is a hero who against all odds finally found that woman finally, and coincidentally he achieved true personal recognition only after breaking ties with those that would hold him back.
I literally cried too, i actually started crying around the same time i read this comment
Same. And he’s so humble. What struck me was his inner strength, despite all of the trials and awful traumas he endured. Such an inspiration to someone struggling with mental illness like me at the moment. I too find an escapism in my art and writing. I just never thought I’m good enough to attempt to do anything with it. Learning about him really inspires me to not give in to self doubt.
I have no respect for Walt Disney, but love and admiration for Carl Barks. Disney was an egoistic freemason to the core.
@@etmax1 Hearing this guys story and how hard he worked and what he went through was sad enough, but hearing he is one of the many many men who suffer violent spousal abuse at the same time was the bit that broke me. Poor dude! I’m glad he finally got his recognition :)
To be honest, I started literally crying at the end of video. It was beautiful to watch this humble man getting a recognition he deserved. Thank you for getting attention to this amazing story
Same and to think that I almost skip this one. I will never skip any video by matt
So did I, had my eyes wallop with tears
Me, too. Holy crap.
Joining the choir, seeing the oil paintings broke me Matttt does a great job pacing the narratives of these docs for maximum emotional impact
SAME OMG
“And now I see I didn’t waste my life” My god that hit me so hard.
We all wish to feel like this.
I started watching this and said “what are you saying? That’s Carl Barks.” I had no idea of his degree of anonymity for so much of his life. Thank you for sharing his story.
I was surprised as well.
I swear
I quit watching after a minute. Bet this clueless guy has never heard about Al Taliaferro, Floyd Gottfriedson, Paul Murry or Romano Scarpa either.
@@JanoTuotanto Taliaferro is mentioned in the video and the other artists worked on mickey mouse and later editions specifically so itd make sense to focus on barks specifically
"I had no idea of his degree of anonymity for so much of his life" Same. Barks was a given to me. Grew up with Donaldist parents who taught me all about him. Gen Xer here.
Barks not only looks like Disney, but actually is the kind of person Disney tried to convince us Walt was.
Disney kept him anonymous, but he did sneak his name into a 1950's Walt Disney's Comics and Stories cover. As typical, it shows Donald doing something not related to his ten page duck story inside, and features a crate labelled "Bark's Soup."
You put what i was feeling into words wonderfully, thank you so much. :)
@@charlesyoung7436wow a small reference amazing so kind or disney /s
Exactly....Walt was never good
Disney a pretty typical capitalist boss.
It's crazy to think that a man who might have gone completely unnamed is so influential to the world of pop culture.
Considerably less crazy when the company involved had a habit of it.
Not really. Cataloging everyone and their supposed achievements is more of an obsession of the information age. We forgot so many people throughout history. And many we remember are so mythologized as to be unreal.
Why aren’t we able to remake it in public domain? Karl Barks all of his work and so many other Amazing work should be public domain. If Disney has a problem, well Disney be damned for not caring for the fans, the public, the audience and the people.
@@WorldsUnhealthiestFitPerson Yeah Disney had a dream team of legendary artists they tried to bury
@@gapsule2326 Interesting point. And no, not crazy. But certainly the fact that he was intentionally kept anonymous yet became known solely based on his work more than suggests his story deserves to be told. And I think the desire to document is for better or worse just a behavioral norm of human beings. To say information and its collection is reserved to a particular era forgets the pre-historic documentation of human history.
In germany Barks's genius met with another one: Dr. Erika Fuchs who translated his stories into german over decades and just like Barks she also stayed widely unknown for a long time. Her work was extraordinary and creative, she coined now classic phrases for the duck's speech bubbles and teached young readers the possibilities of the german language. The duck comics got even more popular in germany then in other countries. When Barks came overseas they had a brief meeting - two elderly artists who had worked together over decades without knowing each other!
It's thanks to her, then, that I'm a newly minted fan, in a very roundabout way. I'm learning German, and recently became a big fan of a German band. The singer of this band is a big fan of the comics. I recall my German mother mentioning to me as a kid how much more popular they are in Germany. Curious, I looked them up, and found some of them in an online archive. I read a few, and found them to be hilarious and entertaining. And so now I sing the praises of old school Donald Duck comics to my friends. :)
Good to know, but I don't think that creating something from the back of your mind can be compared to just translating things to another language...
Translating media is not the same as being an interpreter, where you're doing a literal 1:1 translation of their speech in real time. Instead, translating work like this in a way that jokes, idioms, puns, cultural references, rhythm, meter, etc. are preserved, but they still make sense to the intended audience AND fits the space of the media (speech bubbles, lip synching, etc.) is a tremendously creative process. It's not an easy one, either, especially if you're working against a publishing deadline. You don't simply have to know both languages and be able to translate between them. You have to take that translation and re-craft it in the second language, which requires creative thinking, a large vocabulary, and a cultural literacy that allows you to understand of the intent of the author and the purpose of the source material, but ALSO being able to quickly communicate those cultural elements to them in a way that still makes sense. It's easy to make poor decisions about that stuff, and when you do, dumb things happen, like the infamous "jelly donut" of the Pokemon series. I don't think it's something that can be fully appreciated until you've tried to do it, yourself. Simply translating something is relatively easy, especially if you just need to understand the plain meaning of the words. Translating something while preserving the unspoken elements of art and communication is a totally different story.
@@oldfan4049 Never intended to compare two different crafts directly to each other, one beeing inventing stories and draw them, the other translating them and unleash their potential in another language. Actually when you read Barks's original and Fuchs's translation side by side you'll find how much flair she added and how much of her own ideas she brought in - while always completely serving the story! Barks himself didn't spoke german and he only came to know about Fuchs when he finally visited Europe, but in an interview he once stated when he was talking to german fans he often had the impression they had understood his humour even better then people from other countries.
@@pitodesign "how much of her own ideas she brought in" - that's NOT what localizers should do, actually. You've missed the part when novadays people all over the internet are actively fighting off those "localizers who tries to put something from themselves instead of just faithful translation"? I don't think that in Germany back at the days a localizer could indeed hurt the product, but overal this IS a problem, which could be adressed all over the place, be it manga, anime, games etc. etc.
What a beautiful story of Carl barks life. As a 70 year old writing my first series of novels its a real inspiration. Thankyou.
Thank you for saying the name. Good God, wtf
reply here when you release one, so we all can buy it =)
Please feel free to share your name or the name of your novels!
Go Philip go!
Good luck on the novel! You've got this!
Now I understand who Urasawa was referring to in his manga Billy Bat when we see a comic artist chained to his desk and forced to draw billy bat comics without any recognition, while Chuck Culkin (Walt Disney) was taking credit for it and getting rich
That also was a stand in for Ub Iwerks, who's work was also eaten up by Disney's insatiable ego. But good point given the artistry of comics specifically in Billy Bat for Carl's situation.
Knowing a lot of artists screwed over by Disney and the extent of it, Billy Bat feels a lot different
Its interesting that he (Urasawa) said that he didn't intend to be about Disney despite all the similarities.
@@tgeFallman I think he just don't want to get into trouble. Just like how Rian Johnson denied that Miles Bron from Glass Onion isn't based on Elon Musk.
@@bakacdaz i think he meant by "not being about Disney" that the story being focused on the "Disney" character. If you actually read Billy Bat you know there's much more to the story than just "Disney bad".
I was lucky enough to meet Carl a year or two before he died. He was giving a talk in London and only about 20 people turned up as he was still not known much outside comic fans here. He signed reproductions of his work for all of us. A lovely generous man. Rip ❤
I can’t say how much his work meant to me growing up. It blessed my childhood with joy and wonder. Lovely to respond to someone who met him. Thankyou.
@Max-dd7du ah thank you. It was an honour-i think he was about 94 at the time and I remember him standing tall and looking remarkably well & distinguished for his age, so that was good to see.
Here in Denmark, Barks is an institution!! We had some brilliant translations of his classic stories, and they just kept getting reprinted - we all grew up on them! When Barks finally did his world tour in the late 90s to meet his European audiences, I was one of TENS OF THOUSANDS of people who showed up to pay tribute to him (and he was suitably flabbergasted at the turn-out! I swear, it was like a friggin' scene from one of his stories!!) at the Danish National Museum, and later the same day at our famous Copenhagen amusement park, Tivoli! It was a media circus!
What was your favorite Donald Duck comic that was written by Carl?
Wow 8-) That's another comic adventure come to life... only he lived it in 3-D !! Great story... really, adds an extra, well-appreciated dimension to this biography. He was, indeed - his own Superhero ! @%☆
I've known of Carl Barks since I was a kid, reading comic books at the local 7-11, in the 70s. At first I would collect the comics that had the best illustrations, not knowing that they were all by Carl Barks. When I learned of Carl Barks, I realized that all my collected comics were by him, and THEN I started a never ending journey to collect everything by him. I would re-draw many of his comics from cover-to-cover trying to obtain even a hint of his genius. Carl Barks and his works have no equal. He is the Master of sequential art & literature, bar none. I have not known of the life of Carl Barks, though. Love this short video! Thank you!!!
Same, I grew up in the 80s reading a lot of his comics (in French translation!), then learned about him years later and thought “Wait I know this guy’s work”.
“That man’s name was OZAMU TEZUKA” was a crazy gut punch
30 years driving service/delivery routes with a Donald Duck stuffed toy on the dashboard looking back at me, reminding me to keep a smile on my face. I collected Disney comics pre-teen and kept them in an old briefcase. At 13 and living on a river, I would row out, drop anchor, and read Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck comic book adventures as I listened to the water lapping up on the side of the boat. That’s love. Thank you for this story which, at 77, I’ve waited my whole life to see! Well done.
donald duck will always cheer you on in his raspy voice
❤ I loved them too, & that’s such a cool life to be able to row out on a river & read comics. City kids could only dream 😂
fantastic comment
Thanks, man, maybe I need a Donald Duck to remind me to keep smiling!
That’s beautiful
I'm a Finnish, and here Donald Duck comics are incredibly large cultural thing. Everyone here can name Carl Barks and recognize his style. I really couldnt believe that he was "unknown" at a time!
Me too
That's interesting to know.
Its the same here in Norway.
yeah, same in Sweden!
Yeah but still. the answer to the question he posed at the start.. "Its not carl?"
It remains funny to an animation artist like myself who's also a funnybook fan to think that Carl Barks us considered "erased" or forgotten because the work of Barks, "the good duck artist" is the gold standard in funnybook art.
It's the typical youtube 'creator' clickbait for views.
I cannot read this
The comment section in your videos truly show how much these stories were needed to be heard, and also how well you tell them, thanks a lot!
It's so sad Carl Barks believed for decades no one appreciated his work. His obsessive fans, the ones who knew his true talent, elevated Barks from obscurity. I'm happy he learned how much his fans loved him and his art before passing on. In a way, we could also call Carl Barks the wellspring from which manga flows. When Osamu Tezuka collects a person's art, you know it's important.
I agree
That's one good thing about the Internet and social media, those crimes don't happen as easily (sadly replaced by other crimes).
Kinda inspiring hearing he didn't get his big break until 34, and then made the comic that inspired so many at 40. I always feel it's too late for me being 34 myself right now.
You must have some real life experiences before you can tell new stories... The same with Hal foster, starting prince valiant at his 40s..
Right? And then he won acclaim in his seventies and put out some of his best work.
@@nadjagalimova1659bs... robert e howard, creator of conan, solomon kane, steve costigan, etc, died at thirty and was eighteen years old when he sold his first story.
You beat me to it. I was gonna say, life experience adds a lot to the story telling and also being a little older helps wit hthe discipline needed for being this type of artist@@nadjagalimova1659
Never to late keep pushing on your dreams...
This is one of the most beautiful stories about comic books I have ever heard. How someone that could not even read or write properly became one of the most influential people in this world through his work. What an inspiration; what a legend
As an adolescent in the 1950s, I devoured comic books…Disney, Looney Tunes, Batman, Captain Marvel, Blackhawk, Casper…I tried them all and enjoyed most. I do remember the artistry and storytelling of Duckville, but never realized why, until now! This video was one of THE most memorable and interesting of any I’ve seen on KZhead. As a history buff (and university major) I was enthralled by this story. Truly an American success tale. I intend to further research Carl Barks and his works. Thank you.
I live in Sweden where Donald Duck comics rule the comic world. When I was kid Carl Barks, Don Rosa and Marco Rota were almost as well known Stan Lee among comic enthusiasts. It’s crazy to hear how overlooked a legendary comic auteur like Carl Barks has been in many parts of the world.
Same in Denmark
And in Finland
I'd say in Finland Barks and Rosa are even more well known than Stan Lee. Donald Duck is still huge over here, I believe it's still one of, if not the most subscribed comic.
Yep Germany had the names on books and novels as well. Don Rosa was my favorite style because of the dark and detailed style with lots of background on the characters.
Yeah I was confused by the title because I didn't know Bark was unknown
It almost brings a tear to your eye to see someone as talented as Barks work hard all his life and actually live long enough to FINALLY get his flowers. This video was phenomenal, matttt. I had no idea about the Japan connections. With me living in Tokyo, it made the video resonate that much more for me. Thank you so much for making this - you've got a new fan.
I have tears...
When you get to the part where he gets to travel at 95 years of age…awwwwe it melted my heart@@nufosmatic
Carl Barks was in my state of Oregon. He died in the same year I was born. He changed my life and so many others with Donald Duck and Duckburg. I definitely want to do the same and with Mike Royer and so many cartoonists and animators throughout America. We have have start from scratch and replenish 100 years of all history, cultures and medias that has changed our lives over the years.
References to specific panels from now on?
It really does prove how important fans can be, that the once anonymous Donald Duck comic artist is now rightfully credited as the legendary Carl Barks. The readers campaign to make his name known was such a success that people now don't even realize he was being hidden. Always give credit where it is due.
From years of reading Walt Disney comics that my brother and dad had bought, I knew the name and I knew his work. Shoot before you named him I was like "Isn't that Carl Barks?" But I never knew his story. I just knew that this great man named Carl Barks was revered and his stories were some of the greatest ever put to paper. I had actually been buying the collected editions to give to my brother every birthday and Christmas. I am not ashamed to say it had me tearing up in the end. I am happy Carl found his success and finally realized how much he was adored. I really wish I'd known his story before this video. For me this was just another video to listen to while I played solitaire and ignored my responsibilities for the moment and it had me in tears by the end. Happy for Carl and missing my little brother. Thank you for putting this video out. Wow.
Disney should make an affordable omnibus of Carl Bark's work. They owe him to have his work easily available for the public and aspiring artists alike.
They did (more than once, actually). Look for the Complete Carl Barks Disney Library.
They did several years ago. But unfortunately it was focused only in scrooge mcduck
You give Disney too much credit for thinking they actually care about artists 😂
@@cronosnow6284 fair
It's hard to do an affordable omnibus since there is so much he did. But fantagraphics have a great Carl Barks collection.
I’m from Finland, and here the Disney comics and especially the weekly Donald Duck magazine are like an integral part of our culture. Here the Disney comics are read by more people than anywhere else in the world, and many kids (including me) even learn to read with them. Barks’ stories have been a big part of my life since early childhood, and I know I’m not the only one. It was almost surreal to watch this amazing video with all those familiar comic panels popping up here and there, but framed inside a story that was mostly unfamiliar to me. This was both very educational and beautiful. Thank you!
Are the Donald Duck comics still poplar with young kids in Finland today ? Curious to know why he took off in Scandinavia, while in the states, he's almost unknown with young kids today. How about Daffy Duck ? Is he well known there ? Thank you in advance !
@@SpringNotes We’ll know in a few years when my kid is old enough to start reading comics, but at least there’s a nice Disney library at our place waiting for him. 😄 The weekly Donald Duck (Aku Ankka) magazine still has a respectable number of subscribers (including me…), so someone is still reading it. Donald Duck is easily the most popular and visible Disney comic character in Finland, and there has been some discussion that maybe his personality somehow appeals to the Finnish state of mind, and that explains his popularity here (and I guess this is also the case in other Nordic countries). Barks mostly made duck stories (I think he only ever did one Mickey Mouse story) and his stories have been featured a lot in the Aku Ankka magazine since the early 50’s, and that way his stories have become such an important part of many people’s lives here. I remember watching quite a lot of Daffy Duck (Repe Sorsa) animated films on TV when I was a kid, I’m pretty sure most people here at least know the name & what he looks like. 😊
@@MarkusKaarlonenMusic That's fascinating. Perhaps, Carl Barks has some Scandinavian heritage. And since he was born in 1901 - he could've acquired that cultural mindset, passed down thru generations. As a young man, he looks kind of Scandinavian. There's not much in American Wikipedia. Oh, your son will be so lucky, to read those wonderful Donald Duck comics !
It's the same kind of magazine in the Netherlands.
Same in The Netherlands. It's really popular. Just like in Germany they release monthly pocket comics (Donald Duck Pocket). You have the weekly comic, you got the monthly extra comic (Donald Duck Extra). Each week it's a joy to read. As they said for year Donald Duck is for 8 to 80 olds :)
Thank you for this biography. I'm a lifelong Carl Barks fan. I'm so glad he persisted in his dream despite all the obstacles and setbacks he had, and glad he enjoyed fame and comfort in his later years. For me Barks is right up there with George Herriman and Walt Kelly as a great cartoonist. I also appreciate the video itself is respectful in tone and free of the cheap gimmicks common in a lot of KZhead videos
Truly an awe inspiring story for such a beloved and talented artist. Fantastic video On a personal note, I about had a heart attack when I recognized the address as down the street from my old apartment. Rather fun knowing I lived so close to a history maker, even after he had died.
As a fan of history, comics, and manga; this was fantastic. I always have a soft spot for old men who have worked hard, don't get the recognition, then finally at the end of their lives get the chance to see how much people appreciate/love them.
Like Sixto Rodriguez, aka Sugarman ❤. His movie is probably my favorite of the genre. This one too, of course! ❤❤
It's a wonderful life!
At 24:00 he is visiting the national museum in Copenhagen Denmark back in the 90'ies. I was there and stood in a tightly packed hall waiting for him to arrive. When he finally entered the room a spontaneous cheer and salute broke out that lasted several minutes. So many fans just wanted to express their gratitude to this old man. I remember it as very touching.
That's so good to hear ! Thank you for sharing your story.
As I said in a previous comment, Barksism is a recognised religion in Denmark. Ok, maybe not quite, but close. Personally reading the Danish Donald Duck magazine is how I learned to read at age 4 or 5. It also helped form my personality, my philosophy and ethics. It tsught me that money in itself has no value whatsoever, what is important is to do something, form memories, have experiences, be inventive like Gyro Gesrloose. I learned that it is important to be protective of nature (the story where Donald and the nephews go camping in a national park, and almost get killed by a forest fire, but end up ensuring that the bad guy who started it is caught, is one of my earliest favorites. The landscape imagery in that story is so stunningly beatiful, I can visualise it from memory.) I learned from Gladstone Gsnder, that being lucky is great, but even if you are never lucky, or even have only bad luck, ss longbas you are a nice person, you can have a good and interesting life full of adventure. Also bragging is not nice, and things you have made an effort to achieve are much more valuable than if you have things given to you. And it's okay to have a temper, but don't be evil. Thinking about it, there is a _lot_ of Donald Duck in me. And I'm sure I am not the only Dane who feels that way. And Scrooge McDuck is a far more sympathetic fantazillionaire than any real-life billionaire. He is truly self-made through hard work, earning - in the literal sense of the word - his fortune by being tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties. And he made it *square* ! Barks' legacy and memory _will_ last forever, even if he didn't dare dream of it. The comparison to Shakespeare is completely valid.
Seeing his paintings after hearing his story gave me chills. They're so beautiful and detailed, just like his comics. I got a little teary-eyed.
Wow…. What a truly inspiring story. So hard working, so driven, so so humble. I’d say it say it was a GREAT Tale if it wasn’t for the toil it took on his personal life. Than again, “greatness demands sacrifices” but why the Family. Many Blessings All 🙏🇺🇸
I grew up in the 80's when Barks was already considered a legend. It was fascinating to learn that his identity was once hidden.
Me too
Same. Had no idea good identity was ever considered a mystery. He’s on the Mount Rushmore of great comics creators, perhaps the greatest of all.
Me too. I bought a signed lithograph of one of his oil paintings in the early 90s after growing up reading his books, seems like it has since lost value, so maybe his legacy is sadly diminishing now. The story telling reminds me of what kids today may get from The Legend of Zelda for example.
I really needed to watch this today. I've felt like throwing in the towel on my dreams lately. I'm 34 years old and circumstances just keep blocking me from making progress. I need to be a little more like Carl Barks.
He won acclaim and did some of his best work in his 70’s. You have time! Just keep following your passion!
As somebody else commented just above... you can't write about life until you've lived it!
You can always count on this channel for an emotional roller coaster that'll end with you crying. Thanks, Matt, I really needed this. I'm in a situation a lot like Mr. Barks's early life, helping out parents who are barely making ends meet, and that combined with my high school sweetheart leaving me for a rich granite worker, I was ready to throw away my dreams of becoming a comic writer. Thanks to this, I know that if I just tough it out, maybe I'll eventually make it, too
One person can change the world. What you do and who you are can inspire someone positively. Once you know this your outlook on the world completely changes. This was an incredibly well done piece of journalism. Thank you for treating the story with the care it deserved.
I started crying when it was revealed that Barks finally got his comics printed in a higher quality. What a amazing video. Good job!
I agree.
It's crazy to me that Barks was so incredibly unknown when he first published his work because Donald Duck comics are what I grew up on. Reading the Carl Barks collections always placed him high up in the ranks of comic book artists for me; he was _the_ Carl Barks, I never would have guessed that this is how his story went! But I'm glad he got the recognition he deserved :)
No, I'm not crying deeply with such and amusement and admiration... ok, yes I am! Carl Barks probably lives one of the most inspiring lives ever!
This has got to be one of the most inspirational videos in a while. As someone who really wants to break into either the comics or animation industry, this man was really a beacon of resilience and passion for his craft that I aspire to!!! Comics history is so awesome
The hours, the YEARS, this man put in, producing some of the best storytelling the medium has ever seen. I was lucky to meet him once and he was as humble and as nice as anyone could be.
Fantastic you got to meet him, it’s nice to text you. He certainly enriched my life since childhood, same as Herge.
Thanks mate. I don't normally tear up at videos, but this one did. At 40 yo myself, who had many failures, periods of unemployment and attempts at being a 3d artist on my own, his story is inspiring. It gives me hope. Thanks again.
I agree
Same here. I didn't think I would be sitting at my desk today bawling at a story about a man that drew pictures of ducks, but here we are. I fully expected this to end as, "he died penniless without ever knowing his impact," but I started bawling when he finally received the acclaim he rightly deserved.
@gregthorne4292 Same. It was so wonderful for him to see his impact on artistic culture. So many don't. It was great to see.
This is a wonderful channel man. I been liking all the other videos but this one made me cry. Love hearing stories about artists that don't "make it" till they're 40. It's nice to know we have time
Thank you so much for this. It made me smile when I really needed to. I have no idea why this video even showed up in my queue, but I'm glad it did. Carl Barks clearly was an amazing human being and I'm happy to have met him through your channel. Cheers.
It was a privilege being able to contribute to this video! That video clip of Carl Barks at the end of this video made me tear up.
Also, he really is popular even today all over the world, especially Scandinavia and Italy. His works continue to be reprinted, in weekly Disney Comics Magazine run in those countries. And his works have inspired legions of artists over the decades to tell their own duck stories. Imagine Shonen Jump or the TinTin Magazine, that's exactly what is these magazines of Duck Comics in those countries. And they continue to be some of the most selling on this earth
Wow that is amazing to hear/read.
Thanks for sharing this info bro
The same goes for southern Europe as well.😊
Are there really comics fans who don't know Carl Barks? He's been revered for decades. People love those ducks.
Wait, Carl Barks went uncredited in the states? The guy was a massive legend in Finland though, ever since the debut of his first comic in the Finnish publication of Donald Duck comics, which is released weekly every Wednesday since 1951. He has been credited in every published story since day 1 and he wasn't censored in the Finnish releases of his stories. I'm honestly surprised that he was made to be anonymous in the states.
As an American, we had no idea how popular Duck comics were/are in other parts of the world. My wife’s boss is Belgian, a very serious person who helped launch Tesla. I was shocked at his admiration for Duck comics even to this day. She works a lot in Denmark now and the same goes for many of the people we meet over there. It’s fascinating and heartwarming on so many levels. I’ve now bought the collected editions of Barks and Rosa for my young kids and enjoy them a lot myself. Wonderful that this man finally got the attention and admiration he deserved. Great video ❤❤❤
Yes, love the comics. After a week of hard work at the office. I have earned to read the new weekly comic (they come out on Thursdays) :)
@benjaminwyatt3778 @@greenpulp. I'm more interested in the pockets than the weekly magazine but yeah Donald Duck is insanely popular here. If a grocery store sells books/magazines, you're bound to see a few Donald Duck related books, from the main magazine, to a pocket, to Donald Duck Junior for the younger kids to Katrien a spinoff focusing more on Daisy (known here as Katrien) and her life
Over here in Iceland, the Donald Duck comics are really popular.
I was a Swedish kid in the 1980's, and that's when a Swedish publisher started releasing huge omnibus collections of the Barks comics - complete with a little essay at the start of each about how Barks finally got credit for his work. I'd sit there in the library reading these enormous books with dozens of comics per volume.
So glad he got his recognition.....❤❤❤
Wow, this made me cry. Thank you for making this video
I was a fan of Carl Barks and what led to Ducktales but completely unaware of his anonymity until his 60's. The end of this video made me tear up as one of the few artists recognized for their worth within their lifetime. Thank you for this.
Agree ❤
As a pure comics reader, and a Barksian at heart, I consider DuckTales to be an abomination. It contaminated the Ducks universe set up by decades of Barks work.
I'm grateful, too, that he didn't become acknowledged just at the very end of his life. He had 3 good decades of love and appreciation.
This was so inspiring. I'm glad Carl got to see the lives he touched with his artwork. And he inspired the OG mangaka, which is something else I did not know. Donald Duck stories are fantastic, and Mr Barks managed to elevate and sculpt several of the most influential comic characters. What a joy to see!!
One incredibly interesting reveal was Bark's awareness that his work could've been influenced by fans - the bane of today where a good idea eventually goes down the drain as those that create respond and 'attempt' to please their customers by reading/listening to those 'loudest' and working by committee - changing what was special and turning it into generic fodder.
Your comic history videos so fascinating. I don’t know anything about comics, but I do happen to be a historian, and the way you structure these narratives is really impressive. It feels quite academic while also being friendly to ignorant viewers such as myself, and that’s what we all aspire to as educators.
I’m tearing up here, thank you for this video, I found a deep appreciation for this man, thank you
Having grown up reading Donald Duck comics, Carl Barks's work was constantly present during my childhood. While my personal favorite Donald Duck artist is Don Rosa, Carl Barks is a close second. It's weird thinking though, that I might have never known his name or known to credit anything other than a faceless corporation for the comics that kept me company for countless hours if it hadn't been for the work of fans such as Willits and Spicer. On a side note, Disney comics are just a really fascinating phenomena, especially their Italian branch who've done some really weird and cool stuff. Donald Duck as a serious, crime fighting super hero? With time travel plots and alien invasions? How about Mickey Mouse as a noir detective? Those are actual things that exist in official Disney publications and it's wild!
Italian here, and Disney comics here have a fairly large independence from the headquarters in California. It may help that the comics use the Disney logo and its characters, but the stories are fully original, and they've been printed by national typographies (Mondadori, then Panini). Donald Duck has been given also a secret agent doppelganger (DoubleDuck), and also a decent amount of "prequel comics" (him living in the countryside before moving to Duckburg). And that's only a fraction of all the additions (in locations, characters, personalities even) italian writers did. They even did parodies of classic literature books (Iliad, Odyssey, Divine Comedy, Promessi Sposi)!
@@gab_v250Hi there Duckfan as well, i’m Dutch and we also have a weekly duck strip that iirc is made for the Dutch audience, could be a mix of both foreign and local works though. alongside many other variants like Superdonald he’s called like that here, there’s doubble duck as well. Pockets include comics from Italië as well as other places, the Netherlands in general have always been big fans of Donald.
You should read the old Floyd Gottfredson Mickey Mouse serials from the newspaper. Mickey was no pushover like in the movies and shorts.
Paperinik is so fascinating. Started off as a parody of Diabolic. Nowadays, who even knows Diabolic? Paperinik went full Deadpool. Or was it Paperink?
@@gab_v250the topolino pocket books(or stories from there) are republished in finnish as their own pocketbooks series(for decades now). The stories are timeless and work as entertainment on their own as capsules. Something that is lacking in modern american comics.
I was raised by an OG nerd (my Mom) who got me hooked on comics well before they became the cultural juggernaut they are today. I remember being introduced to Carl Barks work around the time he was finally being lauded as the genius he was so I wasn’t aware of how poorly he’d been treated all the years he labored in obscurity. His work was truly a stand out, noticeable to anyone reading what was available at the time. In a lot of ways his work was as important to my childhood and development as an artist as Beatrix Potter, Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein et al. I feel like he brilliantly bridges the gap between the worlds of childhood and adult literature/entertainment. Thank you for making such a beautiful and well produced video covering his story! It’s brought back a lot of happy memories and filled in gaps in my knowledge of an artist whose work I love.
My dad was the one who introduced me. Many Boomers in Greece were raised with these great stories and they later passed on their interest and love for them to Gen Xers and even us Millenials.
Fun fact: A similar story like this happened to the co creator of Batman. He was hired knowing he wouldn’t be allowed to get credit for anything and his story wasn’t heard until decades later. As homage to him, his son sprinkled his ashes next to a beach in the shape of a bat.
This was such a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing it, and putting it together the way you did!
His patience and humility led to his appreciation and admiration later in life. He didn’t feel he needed a grand treatment. He was a simple guy that had an amazing talent, and I really hope we’re able to recognize all that he gave us.
I haven't sobbed over a youtube video in a long time, but learning that the writer and illustrator who helped revolution comics has a life that mirrors my own in so many ways really took me out. I've been a cartoonist my entire life and reached a bit of notoriety in the goth and alt comic scene online and then I went on hiatus 2 years ago and haven't posted any of my work since. But I've been working non stop on my graphic novel, something that has been decades in the making. I quit feeding the machine so I could improve my drawing skills which were sub standard when compared to my writing. I have dreams of revolutioizing comics in some way, even small. I aspire to be even half of what Barks was. Thank you for covering him so compassionately.
In case you need to hear it, Please keep creating, even if you think it's bad, even if you're not satisfied or even if anything you make ends up getting bad reviews and criticism This might come from left field, but the hell with it My favorite game franchise still hasn't released their fourth installment, despite it being a decade from the third. And you know what? I'd gladly take a lukewarm, even shoddy story in the 4th game as long as it comes out. Because despite what you may have heard, I think it's better to release badly written or lack luster endings than to keep it from being finished
Keep at it!! 👍👍👍
Good luck!!
Finally, a video about Carl Barks, I really loved his work and Don Rosa's, I'm very happy you're talking about it!!
Made me cry too. I gave up early on cartooning and I admire his talent and tenacity. Never give up, never surrender.
I grew up in the 50s and 60s in New York City, and for much of that time the arrival of new Duck comics at the newsstand under the subway station was one of the most exciting rituals in my young life. I was absorbed in the world Barks created, but, of course, never knew his name. In later years, through a former comics store in Cambridge, MA, I acquired the whole set of that Barks library, and Barks' lithograph of Xerxes and his harem as ducks, signed, graces the landing on my staircase. Yup, he was more important to me than any author who just used words. RIP Carl, you did me well.
Carl Barks is pretty well known around Europe. I am from Greece and I knew about him before I was 10 years old albeit being only a casual fan of Disney comics.
😄 good for you
Same here.
I'm absolutely sobbing over this. This was so incredibly moving
You actually made me cry with this video. What an amazing story
Companies taking credit for others ideas is such a sad terrible thing. I am so glad his name finally came out. Thank you for sharing his story with us!
Near the end I cried. What an inspirational story. Even if you do not yet see the fruits of your labour, value it. Also it is never to late to get into something.
I agree
this is wihout a doubt one of my favorite youtube videos that i have ever watch, thank you for the great content and thanks for spreading the legend of this man
I don't know if this was one of the most touching, ennobling things I've ever seen, or one of the most crushingly, tragically-sad. You did both well, and right by him in making this. Well done. I learned something I was totally unaware of and that I'd never have thought to look into myself (and I both read those comics as a child AND have an art degree!), and was moved in the process. Thank you.
You know, Disney made a Ducktales reboot a few years back, and I gotta say it feels almost exactly like the old comics modernized. Nice to see that SOME PEOPLE at Disney have actual respect for the classics (and not just their overrated animated musicals).
Every time I watch one of your videos, I'm overwhelmed by how compelling you make these stories. This one was especially poignant because I started my career at Disney in 1977. Barks' co-worker, Jach Hannah (pictured in this video), was my animation teacher at the California Institute of the Arts. Thank you for producing magnificent content and bringing recognition to worthy creators!
Dude that’s awesome. TY for sharing. 👏😎 What an honor.
Wow. You must have been at the studio along side Tim Burton and Brad Bird and others when they began rebuilding the animation studio! Amazing.
Brad and I were roommates at Cal Arts; he and I got hired at Disney at the same time, along with Jerry Rees and John Musker. Tim was a year behind us in the Character Animation program and started at the studio a few years later. In 1977, Star Wars had just come out, and It was an exciting time to be working in the film industry. @@everythingisawesome76
So I've just spent the last few hours binge watching your channel. So well done! Great research and amazing storytelling, and I haven't seen anything like it here on KZhead. Thank you. 😍
I've watched all your videos. They are, without a doubt, some of the most interesting and well crafted things on this website. I can't wait to see more.
It's so weird that probably the most important work in comic history, which inspired many other artists, cineasts and even probably an indirect factor in the creation of the manga industry as a whole were Donald the Duck comics.
Maybe to Americans but in much of Europe it seems almost obvious. The Donald Duck comics are by far the best selling comics and in many cases the best selling magazines flat out in several parts. Especially the Nordic countries like Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, as well as Italy and Greece in the south. The cultural impact that Donald Duck comics have had here and continue to do (They're still in regular print with new weekly comics to this day) here is ginormous! Donald Duck even appears within a huge artwork in the Danish parliament about all the cultural progress of the 20th century!
@@drdewott9154 I'm from europe too, Spain, and you may be right. The reason why I don't think the donald duck comics were succesful here was because Spain was really messed at the time. A civil war and a dictatorship from the 30's-70's. By the seventies, the national comic scene was at it's peak. They eventually got published here, but never had an impact. I once saw the whole collection being sold by 30 euros but didn't bought it and someone took it first. It's now of my biggest regrets, it would have been one of the best deals of my life.
The Disney Comics were so much a part of my childhood in the Fifties. We were a family of 8 kids who read the comics over and over again then trade them in for new ones. Cash in our pop bottles and used that money as well to buy more. What a magical touching story. Thank you for bringing his story to the light. 🙏🏼🎨✨♥️
Same here - 2 cents per bottle :)
I hope you never stop making videos like this, I love your work.
It could have been a world where this man was never known, and he may have passed without knowing his impact, and where we only found out about him long after the fact. Seeing him happily receiving recognition towards the end, knowing that the world did manage to thank him personally in time, was truly heartwarming.
You're arguably the best comics/pop culture essayist working today and i think this might be my favourite video of yours. What an amazing and touching story to see this humble and sweet man get the recognition and riches he deserved in his later years
I agree
Whenever, you start to lose hope in humanity, remember how people who had never even met the guy went out of their way to make sure Barks could be credited for his work.
Happy to see this type of video. unfortunally is not a surprise to me as early disney often gave Walt Disney all the credit for others work and some people were really important and talented people were overshadowed in history
Keep these videos coming! I can see the hard work and hours of research you put into your vids.
This was a story I have never heard before. Thank you for the history lesson! Mr. Barks was a very dedicated man and he seems like he was a very decent human being. I am glad he received the recognition he deserved.
It's sad that Barks had to remain anonymous behind Disney animations. His story deserved to be told. Thank you matttt!
Agreed.
It's not uncommon for artists to have a studio to handle the work. People like Hergé had several artists working alongside him to make his comics. Some even ran multiple series which were published under a single name, but were made by different artists and even though they passed away many years ago, the books are still made under their name today. A good example is Edgar P. Jacobs, who was first one of the artists working on Tintin, but then started his own series Blake and Mortimer, unlike Hergé whose will forbids anyone from continuing the series, Jacobs had no special provisions, so the series continues under his name, though these days the new authors are mentioned.
As a creative who is currently working a standard job supporting my family this is a great encouragement. Thank you for documenting and sharing Carl’s story.
I absolutely love your videos. There is so much information that otherwise could get lost or not have the exposure it deserves. Really great information and often times incredibly inspiring
Such an inspiring artist, humble, hardworker and with the vision to never give up that almost no one could have. Thanks for sharing his story
Cried like a bitvh with this one.I cant believe he STARTED making comics ate 40 and only got recognized for his work over 20 years later after making the most legendary run in comics history.
A terrific, inspiring, sometimes heartbreaking story of a man who wouldn't give up his dream! Instead of surrendering to mediocrity, he outlasted and conquered the disbelievers of his life and finally reaped the rewards he sorely deserved! I have my own Carl Barks collection of original comics from the late 50s and 60s! Thanks so much for producing this!
I admit, I'm in tears. That guy took a huge bit of my childhood and made me become a graphic artist later on in life. And I didn't even know about him. Thank you for sharing his story!
Man do I remember seeing those comics as a kid and admiring his way with the pencil. Those drawings were always so clean and, when he did the splash pages they could so intricate. A real inspiration for a kid that dreamed of being a cartoonist himself and ended up as designer in Civil engineering. I still draw every day. Thanks Carl from yet another fan.
Wow. It was not clear to me what difficult path this great artist had. Made me very emotional. When I read his first stories they were already in hard cover and properly credited. I also did not know of his early connections to the Japanese great artist Tezuka. Thank you very much for this video!
Tezuka was the first artist who's work I remember from childhood - Astro Boy.
This is such an awesome video. I remember reading those old disney comics as a kid but never really appreciated them at the time. Thanks for reminding me, and thanks for highlighting the talented individual behind them!
Now I see where the 90s Disney toons (Ducktales, Chip and Dale, etc.) get their adventure-based inspiration from.
I remember Jeff Smith, the creator of Bone, citing Carl Barks as a major inspiration and wishing that he had made a 1,100 page Uncle Scrooge story on par with The Odyssey or War and Peace, and that was part of what led him to creating Bone. Maybe your next video can be about Jeff Smith or Bone, it's the closest thing american comics have to a Lord of the Rings equivalent (epic fantasy american comics are surprisingly rare).
Yes
Thank you for sharing and telling this story. It's beautiful and touching. I am relieved to know that he got the recognition he deserved. I also find it inspiring that he kept telling great stories despite any recognition.
Thank you for making this episode, the man deserve the recognition and all the good things in life thank you for presenting him with all your effort, work and research
Carl Barks’s art actually reminds me of Bill Watterson and Albert Uderzo. Beautiful and effortless looking.