Carl Barks Collections

[Tony Bang]

Throughout my life I've read a few random Carl Bark's Duck comics. The small amount I've read are wonderful, and I want more. I was just wondering if there are any collections or a place to buy big chunks of 'em?

[Hintermann]

Yes, there are some really excellent high quality collections that you can get, but it might cost you about $5 to $10 per back issue. During the 1990s, Gemstones predecessor Gladstone publishing, working under the Another Rainbow banner, did a complete large format album sized collection of Carl Barks' work most of which was called the Carl Barks' Library. You can get back issues from Gladstone's old office if they are still operational, or maybe Gemstone; they are also often available on E-bay. But before you plunge in and buy anything, be sure to have made a note of the classification and numbering.

1. Walt Disney's Comics & Stories: ALL Donald Duck 10-pagers by Barks are in some 40-odd volumes at 5 stories per book and in exact chronological order. These are under the Carl Barks Library title and the books are numbered from #1 to #47, I think.

2. Donal Duck stories: Starting with Pirate Gold, all DD stories by Carl Barks are presented in 25 volumes; depending upon the story length, there are one or two adventures per volume, with the shorter gags used a fillers. These are also under Carl Barks Library title and numbered from #1 to #25

3. Uncle $crooge adventures: You have to be a bit careful here. You can get (rare) a 'Carl Barks Library of Uncle $crooge Adventures', but these are hardbound black & white editions. The colured versions with the same format as the WDC&S & DD series are simply called Carl barks Uncle $crooge Adventures in Color.

Remember that they are all high quality album sized books. Good luck.

[TheHistorian]

While many of those are still cheap, some of those thin albums appear to be going for big money at this point.

There are also large hardcover (black & white) sets that cover this material too. Ten slipcased sets, three books per slipcase. These are also very expensive.

There are foreign editions that are hardcover, slipcased, and in color. But if you don't read, say, German, that may not be too useful too you.

So there is no simple solution.

[Chris N]

I'd just gotten Ducktales vol. 1,2 and enjoyed them. They're a random sampling though (Barks stories which inspired the show) and Ray suggested there were better stories out there. They're cheap and in print though.

I'm looking on ebay. I feel like I'm looking for more Uncle Scrooge than Donald. Each library issue is in the $10-50 range, which is annoying if they only reprint one or two stories.

I was hoping for trade-size collections.

[Hintermann]

If one wants proper collections, it is better to go for the sets indicated above. They are modern enough to be regularly available through various channels. I am sure that whoever is dealing with Gladstone's back issues now will have many of them; worth a check. Their prices are likely to be in the intermediate range. E-bay or other private outlets can vary considerably in price and it is worth keeping a check. (I have seen a classic comic graded FN- on offer at $21.95 on e-Bay, while another seller advertised the same comic, also FN- for $4.99 a few days later. Naturally, I bought the latter and it was exactly as claimed.)

[Tony Bang]

If one wants proper collections, it is better to go for the sets indicated above. They are modern enough to be regularly available through various channels. I am sure that whoever is dealing with Gladstone's back issues now will have many of them; worth a check. Their prices are likely to be in the intermediate range. E-bay or other private outlets can vary considerably in price and it is worth keeping a check. (I have seen a classic comic graded FN- on offer at $21.95 on e-Bay, while another seller advertised the same comic, also FN- for $4.99 a few days later. Naturally, I bought the latter and it was exactly as claimed.)

On Gemstone site, the Uncle Scrooge books run anywhere from $7 to $45. I might pick up the few I see for 7 bucks. (Thank for the help, everyone)

[hondobrode]

If possible, I would get the Bruce Hamilton, Another Rainbow series of slipcased hardbound oversized books. I used to see them advertised years ago and was buying the EC sets back then and still have a few to get for a complete collection.

If someone else hasn't reprinted them in a better or more affordable format in the next few years, which I suspect someone will as we see more excellent out of print material come roaring back in nicely packaged books in the last couple years, I will definitely get these.

I've never known anyone to have read any of Barks' work and not loved it.

Good Luck !

[Hintermann]

If possible, I would get the Bruce Hamilton, Another Rainbow series of slipcased hardbound oversized books.

But remember that these slipcased / hardbound books come with black & white art. Private advertisers on e-bay and such do not always make this fact obvious. If you want a colour collection (as I would), the series mentioned by me above in the answer. There are also oversized books with high qulaity computer colouring and thick, album-type softcovers.

[Allan Harvey]

I've got a huge hardbound collection of Carl Barks stuff called something like "Uncle Scrooge McDuck: His Life and Times". It's in full colour with a dust jacket and printed on glossy paper. No idea what it is, I just bought it on a whim some twenty years ago and have never gotten around to reading it...

[Sir Tim Drake]

I've got a huge hardbound collection of Carl Barks stuff called something like "Uncle Scrooge McDuck: His Life and Times". It's in full colour with a dust jacket and printed on glossy paper. No idea what it is, I just bought it on a whim some twenty years ago and have never gotten around to reading it...

Sounds like you have a collection of Don Rosa's "Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck." This is not by Barks, but it's still extremely good.

If that is what it is, though, then you couldn't have bought it 20 years ago-- I believe the series came out more recently than that.

[Hintermann]

I've got a huge hardbound collection of Carl Barks stuff called something like "Uncle Scrooge McDuck: His Life and Times". It's in full colour with a dust jacket and printed on glossy paper. No idea what it is, I just bought it on a whim some twenty years ago and have never gotten around to reading it...

That might be an expensive limited edition that they released back then. Does one of the cover pictures have $crooge walking past tossing a coin? If I remember right, that was nowhere near the full Carl Barks collection and it is virtually impossible to find it now anyway..and if you do, it is likely to cost both arms and one leg.

[Allan Harvey]

Sounds like you have a collection of Don Rosa's "Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck." This is not by Barks, but it's still extremely good.

If that is what it is, though, then you couldn't have bought it 20 years ago-- I believe the series came out more recently than that.

No, it's definitely by Carl Barks. Here's the cover:

http://www.thefifthbranch.com/images/scroogem.jpg

I remember buying it back in either '86 or '87. I'd not been working for long and had money to burn. The owner of the LCS could sell me anything without difficulty: "This any good?" "Oh yeah, it's brilliant." "I'll take it!"

As I say, I've never read it, so I don't know if it's really brilliant or not. It's sat on my shelf for the past twenty years untouched by human hands. The back cover promises "Twelve Timeless, Tingling, Tender, & Tintinnabulating Tales of Imagination & High Adventure". It's a very large 10"x13" hardcover, with the strips in full colour.

[Jesse Hamm]

Seems like the Ducktales volumes are the best place to start. 144 pages of Barks in color, for $10!

[Hintermann]

As far as I am aware, the only definitive & complete collection in colour of all Uncle $crooge adventures by Carl Barks is the aforementioned series. I have included a scan of one comic. There were a total of 57 such books for $crooge alone, in addition to 25 Donald Duck and 50 WDC&S ones.

[Cherokee Jack]

As far as I am aware, the only definitive & complete collection in colour of all Uncle $crooge adventures by Carl Barks is the aforementioned series. I have included a scan of one comic. There were a total of 57 such books for $crooge alone, in addition to 25 Donald Duck and 50 WDC&S ones.

This was the route I went. These are really nice editions, and you also got the trading cards.

And I think there was also a Gyro Gearloose set.

[TheHistorian]

As far as I am aware, the only definitive & complete collection in colour of all Uncle $crooge adventures by Carl Barks is the aforementioned series. I have included a scan of one comic. There were a total of 57 such books for $crooge alone, in addition to 25 Donald Duck and 50 WDC&S ones.

True, but some people:

A) have no problem with black and white
B) would rather have large hardcovers than thinner albums


So, there are a few options, and which one is right depends on the individual.