The nineties can be remembered in different ways. For some, this is the dashing era of “wild capitalism” and crimson jackets. And for some it’s a time of cozy childhood, games on Dendy and Sega and Disney cartoons on weekends. And the first to burst onto the screens of our country were perky ducks. Their massive popularity in Russia, as well as in America, began in 1987 with the animated series “DuckTales”, but the first comics about Donald and his nephews appeared in the early thirties. In this article, we invite you on an exciting journey through the “duck” universe. Zigzag, start!

It all started with Donald

The hot-tempered drake in a cap was born in June 1934 in the cartoon “The Wise Little Hen” and already in the fall of the same year made his debut on the pages of newspaper comics. Early Donald lived in the village, was much more emotional and carefree: he did not yet have a girlfriend, nephews, or a rich uncle.

DONALD'S FIRST APPEARANCE, THE WISE LITTLE CHICKEN. THE LAZY DRAKE WAS AVOID FROM WORK, BUT RUSHED TO THE FREE TREAT

Donald initially remained a minor character in the Mickey comics, but eventually came to the fore in the Silly Symphonies strips. In 1937, Donald welcomed his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie (known to us as Billy, Willie and Dilly). An uncle was looking after the triplets, whose father ended up in the hospital after their latest prank. At first, the guys were inveterate hooligans and always made fun of their uncle, but over time their character improved. It was assumed that the nephews would return home when dad got back on his feet, but in the end the trio stayed with their uncle, and their parents were no longer remembered.

DONALD AND HIS NEPHEWS IN NEWSPAPER STRIPS

By the way, the names of heroes are localized not only here. In Finland, where Donald is so popular that he is sometimes voted for in protest elections, the drake's name is Aku Ankka. And in Italy it is known as Paperino.

YES, IN THE EARLY NEWSPAPER COMICS DONALD WAS YELLOW

And in 1942 it came finest hour Donalda: Western Publishing has received the license for comics about Disney characters. The plot of the first story, “Donald Duck is looking for a pirate treasure,” was invented by the studio’s scriptwriters, and the drawing was entrusted to the artist Carl Barks. Carl was then working as an animator for Disney, but he was oppressed by the studio system, which killed creativity. He was thinking about quitting and starting a duck farm. Fortunately, Barks also liked drawing ducks - he took a new order from Western and at the same time offered to refine the script. The result impressed the editors so much that from the second issue Karl was also entrusted with the work of a screenwriter. The next thirty years for DuckTales became the era of Carl Barks.

Barks's Donald remained a hot-tempered, boastful lazy person, but he learned to take responsibility and began to speak clearly. He took care of his nephews, although this forced him to break away from his favorite idleness. The tenacity with which Donald sought a job is matched only by the consistency with which he lost it.

“Donald is sometimes the villain in my stories, but mostly he is a good guy, although he makes stupid mistakes like a typical person.”

Carl Barks

BARKS WAS VERY CAREFUL IN THE DRAWING. FOR EXAMPLE, HE STUDYED NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISSUES FOR WRECK ILLUSTRATIONS

Scrooge takes the stage

In the 1947 comic strip Christmas on Bear Mountain, Donald has an eccentric millionaire uncle who lives on a secluded mountain estate. In this story, intended as an allusion to A Christmas Carol and Citizen Kane, Scrooge wanted to
to test Donald and his nephews to see if they are worthy of inheriting his fortune.

IN "CHRISTMAS" SCROOGE IS OLD, BEARDED, LEANS ON A CANE AND WEARS GLASSES

“Scrooge from Christmas on Bear Mountain was my first version of a rich old uncle. I made him too old and weak - and only then realized that he should be more mobile. A decrepit old man could not have accomplished everything I planned for him.”

Carl Barks

Scrooge was a one-off idea, but the old curmudgeon caught on with the public, and Barks began using him again in stories about Donald, sometimes even as a villain. Noticing the popularity of the character, the publishing house proposed building the plot of another story around him. So in 1952, Four Color published the comic Just a Poor Old Man. From that moment on, Scrooge began to pull the blanket over himself. Now he has become the main adventurer, and Donald and company are left with the role of not always voluntary assistants.

Good duck artist

Carl Barks began his career at Disney, drawing short films about Donald. But he gained real recognition when he started drawing comics. Barks created about 500 ducktales. It was he who came up with Uncle Scrooge and most of the minor characters in the series. As a rule, he did all the work alone: he wrote the script, drew sketches and painted illustrations.

For many years his name remained unknown - Disney rules prohibited identifying artists and screenwriters. Generations of fans knew Barks only by nicknames like “The Good Duck Artist.” The secret of his identity was revealed only in the late 1960s, when Barks retired. He died in 2000, just short of reaching the age of one hundred.

"Rereading own stories, I realized that I had embedded in them philosophical ideas that I had no idea about at the time. I think the philosophy in my comics is conservative: in my opinion, civilization reached its peak in 1910. We've been going downhill ever since. The old culture has qualities that the new culture cannot achieve. Take a look at these wonderful cathedrals and palaces! They don't build something like this now. It seems to me that we should preserve the old ideals and methods of work - honor and honesty. We must allow others to believe in their own ideals; there is no need to paint everyone with the same brush. That's what I don't like about modern political system: she tries to make everyone the same.”

Carl Barks

The Life and Times of Don Rosa

DON ROSA. IF BARKS CREATED DUCKTALES AS WE KNOW THEM, THEN ROSA ORDERED THEM

The Life and Times of Don Rosa Western went bankrupt in 1984, but the ducks didn't search for long new house: Licensed by Gladstone Publishing. They mostly reprinted old comics, but were also looking for new blood. Gladstone hired young artist Don Rosa, who attracted the editor with his unshakable confidence that he was destined to revive DuckTales.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SCROOGE MCDUCK INSPIRED NIGHTWISH LEADER TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN TO WRITE A SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS COMIC BOOK. THE ALBUM COVER WAS DRAWN BY ROSA HIMSELF

Like Barks, Rosa was self-taught and learned to draw from the works of his idols. Rosa's first works for Gladstone were a clear imitation of Barks: he came up with the plots himself, but redrew the background and poses of the characters from old comics. Rosa considered only Barks' stories to be canon and was guided by them. He set the story in the 1950s and 1960s, when The Good Duck Artist was set, and wrote a number of sequels to its stories. Over the years, Rosa himself acquired cult status. He brought back interest in ducks and did a great job organizing Barks' comics. After analyzing Scrooge's chatter about his relatives and past adventures, Rosa compiled his family tree and wrote a biography of the rich drake - the graphic novel "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck."

IN HIS FIRST “DUCK” COMIC “SON OF THE SUN,” ROSA INTENTIONALLY COPYED BARKS’ DRAWINGS

ALTHOUGH DONALD IS MOST FAMOUS FOR HURT, SCROOGE WAS NOT A FOOL FOR A FIGHT IN YOUR YOUNG TIME

McDUCK IN THE RIGHT AGE OF PRIMARY CAPITAL ACCUMULATION IN THE WILD WEST

The Life of Scrooge (Don Rosa chronology)

1867. Scrooge was born in Glasgow to Fergus McDuck and Downey O'Drake. He was the eldest child; later he had sisters Matilda and Hortensia.

1877. To earn money, Scrooge becomes a shoeshine boy. The first customer tricks the boy by paying with a ten-cent piece, which is useless in Scotland. Scrooge will keep the coin for the rest of his life as a symbol of success and will swear that no one else will be able to cheat him.

1880. 13-year-old Scrooge leaves for the USA and gets a job as a cabin boy on the river steamer of his uncle Angus McDuck. Angus soon retires and gives the ship to his nephew, but a gang of Gavs brothers destroys the ship. Scrooge decides to try his luck in the Wild West.

1896–1899. After unsuccessful attempts to find gold, Scrooge comes to the Klondike and luck smiles on him. In the Klondike, McDuck meets saloon owner Goldie Goldie. He will keep his love for her for the rest of his life.

1902. Scrooge becomes a billionaire and moves to the village of Duxburg, Calisota.

1930. McDuck becomes the richest drake in the world, but in the pursuit of profit he forgets about his family and finally quarrels with them.

1942. Having fallen into depression, Scrooge decides to retire and isolates himself from the whole world in his estate on Bear Mountain.

1947. Scrooge meets his nephew Donald and great-nephews Billy, Willie and Dilly. An interest in life awakens in him, and together they set off on adventures.

1967. Non-canonical date - like Barks, Scrooge dies at the age of one hundred after a life of adventure.

THE McDUCK FAMILY TREE BY DON ROSA

DuckTales

THE UNFORGETTABLE TITLE THEME OF THE ANIMATED SERIES WAS WRITTEN BY MARK MUELLER, AND WITHOUT IT IT IS NOW IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE DUCKTALES. EVEN IN THE RESTART IT WAS KEPT

In the mid-1980s, the Disney studio decided to invest a large amount of money in television cartoons based on syndication. What does this term mean? Typically, studios produce content for a specific channel, which remains in charge the last word. Low ratings bad reviews, hostility from management - and the show is closed. But if a series goes into syndication, the studio can directly sell broadcast rights to dozens of channels around the world.

The show could go into syndication only after overcoming a certain barrier - for animated series it was 65 episodes. Disney needed to remove them before negotiations with buyers began. It was a big risk: if it failed, the studio could lose $20 million. It was necessary to understand what to bet on.

IN THE ANIMATED SERIES, MONEY SERVED SCROOGE AS A NOSTALGIC REMINDER OF PAST ADVENTURES. HE COULD REMEMBER HOW HE EARNED EACH OF HIS COINS

“DuckTales” was not an obvious choice: Disney was initially going to release it as an hour-long series on one of the major channels. But syndication chief Bob Jacumin saw the potential of the series and got Disney head Michael Eisner to allow him to take on DuckTales himself.

Animation production was transferred to Asia - the Taiwanese studio Wang Film and the Japanese Tokyo Movie Shinsha. The American press accused Disney of trying to make cartoons on the cheap, although in reality they did not save money - the falling dollar only increased costs. Each episode of DuckTales cost 300 thousand. But time has proven Disney right. Now “Ducks” is considered a classic, and the level of its animation is a reference.

Experienced actors were involved in the dubbing of the series. The role of Scrooge was entrusted to the legendary comedian Alan Young (1919–2016), whose career began back in the 1940s. Young returned to this role more than once: he last voiced Scrooge four months before his death, in an episode of the animated series Mickey Mouse.

The plot was based on Barks' comics, but the original source was not followed in everything. One of the key differences was almost complete absence Donald, who in the story was sent to serve in the navy. For Barks, he played an important role, but Jakumin decided that in DuckTales Duck would appear sporadically, and the focus would be on the relationship between Scrooge and his nephews. There are several reasons why Donald was relegated to the background. Firstly, the studio did not want to “waste” one of the most popular characters by putting him in a minor role. Secondly, Barks' Duck talks a lot - but in the cartoons he slurs his words. The vacated space was filled by new characters: the brave pilot Zigzag McCrack, the prim butler Duckworth, the wise housekeeper Mrs. Klyuvdia, her granddaughter Ponochka and the klutz Pups.

The premiere took place on September 18, 1987. The press was initially skeptical of DuckTales, accusing the series of poor quality, whitewashing Scrooge, and not respecting the spirit of the comics. But the audience was delighted. The ratings were so high that Disney ordered additional episodes, and “Ducks” ended up lasting four seasons.

What is the reason for success? Already from the opening chords of the title screen, “DuckTales” captivated viewers into a world full of adventures. A world where the dreamer Scrooge invited every week to go in search of the crown of Genghis Khan, Atlantis or the Lost World. Young viewers were shown the richness and diversity of the world and encouraged to explore it. You can't learn the history of the Great Geographical Discoveries from DuckTales. Civil War in the USA or the Klondike gold rush, but the series showed that learning and learning new things is interesting. No wonder Scrooge said that he owed his outlook to books.

The series unobtrusively preached family values and business ethics. Scrooge earned his fortune through honest work, without deviating from his principles. If in the comics McDuck loved money most of all, then in the animated series he was more interested in the treasure hunt itself. And the most important thing for Scrooge was family. More than once McDuck was forced to choose between wealth and nephews - and each time he chose his family. At the same time, morality did not harm the fascination - all episodes are still watched in one breath.

BARKS' COMICS INSPIRED THE AUTHORS OF INDIANA JONES. AND THE CREATORS OF THE “CHECKED LAMP” LEFT A LOT OF REFERENCES TO “INDIANA” IN THE PICTURE

The success of Ducks ushered in the Disney Renaissance. They were followed by other successful series: “Chip and Dale”, “Miracles on the Bends”, “Black Raincoat”. In the wake of their success, Disney tried to make a full-length cartoon, DuckTales: The Treasured Lamp. If successful, it could become the first in the series: according to rumors, other full-length films about ducks and Chip and Dale were in development. However, “The Treasured Lamp” did not “take off” - critics and viewers thought that it simply looked like a drawn-out episode of “DuckTales”. At the box office, the cartoon earned only $18 million - not a failure, but plans to transfer animated series to the big screen were put an end to.

THE ACTION OF “THE BLACK COAL” TAKES PLACE IN THE WORLD OF “DUCK STORIES”, BUT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ZIGZAG AND TECHNODAK (AKA SUPERCRACK), THERE IS ALMOST NO CROSSING BETWEEN THE SERIES

And soon DuckTales ended. In the fall of 1990, the last season of eight episodes was released, ending with an epic finale where the heroes saved the world from the golden apocalypse.

Ducks in Russia

“DuckTales” became the first TV series shown in the Soviet Union, and then comic books entered the USSR. Since 1989, the Egmont publishing house began publishing Mickey Mouse comics, and in the early nineties, the publishing line was supplemented by DuckTales, MikkiDetective, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. For several years, comics were sold in all newsstands, but since the second half of the 1990s their popularity has waned. We had to wait almost twenty years for the return of Scrooge - since the fall of 2016, AST has been publishing collections of classic comics by Barks and Rosa.

"Black Cloak" (Darkwing Duck)

DuckTales needed a replacement, and producer Tad Stones thought of DuckTales. That's how it was working title spin-off of "DuckTales", based on two episodes: in one, Zigzag tried on a white tuxedo and the role of a secret agent, and in the other, Scrooge became a masked avenger. Stones planned to make Duck Two Zero a parody of spy films, and saw Zigzag as the main character. But it turned out that the rights to the “Two Zeros” brand had already been registered by another company, and Zigzag was clearly not up to the central role. So the parody of spies was replaced by a parody of superheroics, Zigzag was demoted to assistant, and main role They came up with a new hero - the Black Cloak. The premiere took place on September 8, 1991, and a total of 91 episodes were released.

SPECIAL AGENT DUCK TWO ZEROS WAS SUPPOSED TO WEAR A WHITE TUXEDO AND A BLACK MASK

Black Cloak lived in the city of Saint-Canard, an obvious parody of Gotham. At night he protected the city from crime, and during the day he led the life of an ordinary man named Kryak Lapchaty. The series never revealed where Quack worked in ordinary life and where he got the money for his gadgets. Perhaps he was paid a salary in the secret organization SHUSHU.

“DUCK TALES” BECAME THE FIRST AMERICAN ANIMATION SERIES SHOWN IN THE USSR, AND “BLACK LOAD” WAS THE FIRST IN NEW RUSSIA

Each episode parodied characters from superhero comics, pulp detective stories, or spy movies. The Black Cloak himself made fun of the superheroes of the Golden Age of comics - mainly, of course, Batman, but also the Shadow, the Green Hornet and even Zorro and the Lone Ranger. His signature lines like “I am the terror that flies on the wings of the night!”, “Take a whiff of gas, villain!” and “Come on, away from the screw!” let's go to the people. And his supervillain enemies seem to have come out of DC comics and Bond films: a plant duck, an evil clown, a rooster with a steel beak... From “Black Cloak,” Russian children learned about the superhero genre and its cliches before they became acquainted with the subject of the parody itself.

But the Cloak also had unique features. Unlike his colleagues, he was terribly vain, stubborn and narcissistic and did everything to become famous. However, even for the huge ego of the emergency there was control in the form of Gusena’s daughter. She put pressure on the best sides of Quack's character, forcing him to make the right decisions.

"Quack-Bryak" (Quack Pack)

In the mid-1990s, animators again turned their attention to the Ducks. The series “Team Goofy” has just ended, where they successfully modernized one of the “big three” Disney characters. They decided to repeat the experiment with Donald: producers Kevin Crosby Hopps and Toby Shelton took on the task of modernizing it. They decided to abandon Barks's comics, threw out most of the heroes of the "duck" universe, and added age to the remaining ones.

According to the plot of the animated series "Quack-Bryak", the nephews again live with Donald, having forgotten about Scrooge. Donald left the Navy and became a television cameraman - he travels around the world and films stories for the Around the Planet program. The brothers have gone from energetic children to lazy, arrogant teenagers who will do anything to avoid school and housework. Nothing good comes of their pranks, and the trio are forced to bend over backwards to correct their mistakes.

IN "CRACK-CRACK" THE NEPHEWS FINALLY STARTED TO BE DIFFERENT. EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN HOBBIES, THEY DRESS SOME DIFFERENTLY, ALTHOUGH THEY KEEP THEIR FAVORITE COLORS

The experiment turned out to be a failure - the series was closed after the first season. In the mid-1990s, management changed in the studio's animation department, and "Ducks" fell out of favor. The new bosses switched to producing TV spinoffs for hits like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King. Fans of “DuckTales” could only hope for comics, but even with them in those years everything was sad: rights changed hands, and publishing houses went bankrupt one after another.

Ducks in games

Duck Tales, 1989

In 1989, Capcom released the platformer DuckTales for the NES (known in Russia as Dendy). The game is still considered one of the best representatives of the genre thanks to its bright graphics, non-linear gameplay and memorable design. Well, and Scrooge’s ability to jump on a cane. In 2013, a remake of Duck Tales Remastered was released for modern platforms with completely redrawn graphics and dialogues voiced by the actors of the animated series.

Darkwing Duck, 1992

A game about the Black Cloak from the same Capcom was made in a similar style. Only instead of exotic ruins, the scene of action was the back streets of gloomy Saint-Canard, and instead of jumping on a cane, the player could force the villains to “sniff gas” from a pistol that fired a variety of projectiles.

Return of the ducks

We had to wait almost 20 years. In September 2017, the new “DuckTales” started airing on the Disney XD channel. Producers Matt Youngberg and Francisco Angones grew up watching the original animated series and have long dreamed of making a new version. They tried to adhere to the spirit of the original sources - not only the series, but also the comics and short films about Donald. Already in the pilot episode, you can find many references to both Barks (his paintings hang in Scrooge’s estate) and to various Disney series (Cape Suzette, Spoonerville and Saint-Canard are mentioned - the locations of “Miracles on the Bends”, “Team Goofy” and "Black Cloak" respectively). This is not without reason - there are persistent rumors that the new “Black Cloak” will be released in 2018.

In terms of style, the new “DuckTales” is more similar to “Gravity Falls” than to the previous “Ducks”. You shouldn’t be surprised at this similarity - in the credits of these two series, many surnames coincide. But Mark Muller's iconic song from the opening title sequence has been preserved, except now it is performed by Felicia Barton, and not Jeff Pessetto. The characters' personalities changed slightly: Scrooge became even softer, Donald turned into a seasoned adventurer, the nephews began to differ from each other, and Mrs. Klyuvdia and Ponochka began to participate in events much more actively. From the new reading, at first glance, Zigzag lost: he was a klutz before, but now he has completely turned into a walking misunderstanding. But in the pilot episode he got several bright lines that allowed him to come to terms with the new interpretation of the hero.

IN THE NEW DUCKTALES, WE WERE SHOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME THE IMAGE OF THE TWINS' MOTHER

The main intrigue of the animated series is why Donald and Scrooge have not communicated for so many years. Judging by the pilot, this is connected with the mysterious "Spears of Selene" and Donald's missing sister - the mother of the triplets. So far, this mosaic is missing pieces, and it is all the more interesting to wait for new episodes, especially since the Russian Disney Channel will begin showing the series in November. Looking forward to the continuation!

Most people in Russia, as well as in America, know “DuckTales” from the 1987 animated series. However, it all started much earlier - with comics, which arose in the early thirties. In this article and its continuation, we invite you on a fascinating journey through the history of the “duck” universe. Zigzag, start!

It all started with Donald

The hot-tempered drake in the cap was born in June 1934 in Walt Disney's cartoon "The Wise Little Hen." In it, a lazy drake shirked work, but rushed in for a free treat. Already in the fall of the same year, Donald made his debut on the pages of newspaper comics.

Donald's first appearance in "The Wise Little Hen"

Early Donald lived in the village, was much more emotional and carefree: he did not yet have a girlfriend, nephews, or a rich uncle. Donald initially remained a minor character in the Mickey Mouse comics, but eventually came to the fore in the Silly Symphonies strips.

Yes, in early newspaper comics Donald was yellow.

And in 1937, Donald had nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie (known to us as Billy, Willie and Dilly). An uncle was looking after the triplets, whose father ended up in the hospital after their latest prank. At first, the guys were inveterate hooligans and always made fun of their uncle, but over time their character improved. It was assumed that the nephews would return home when dad got back on his feet. However, in the end, the trio stayed with their uncle, and their parents were no longer remembered. For the first time in almost a century, they were talked about only in the new animated series of 2017.

Donald and his nephews in newspaper strips

And in 1942, Donald’s finest hour came: Western Publishing received a license for comics about Disney characters. The plot of the first story, “Donald Duck is looking for a pirate treasure,” was invented by the studio’s scriptwriters, and the drawing was entrusted to the artist Carl Barks.

Carl was then working as an animator for Disney, but he was oppressed by the studio system, which killed creativity. He was thinking about quitting and starting a duck farm. Fortunately, Barks also liked drawing ducks - he took a new order from Western and at the same time offered to refine the script. The result impressed the editors so much that from the second issue Karl was also entrusted with the work of a screenwriter. The next thirty years for DuckTales became the era of Carl Barks.

Barks was very meticulous in his drawing. For example, to illustrate shipwrecks, he studied issues of National Geographic

Barks' Donald has changed better side. He remained a hot-tempered, boastful lazy person, but he learned to take responsibility, stopped being overly emotional and began to speak clearly. He took care of his nephews, although this forced him to break away from his favorite idleness. The tenacity with which Donald sought a job is matched only by the consistency with which he lost it. However, the drake did not lose heart. Unlike his famous uncle, who did not know how to stop in time, Donald needed something small for complete happiness, for example, a piece of pizza or a glass of soda.

Donald is sometimes the villain in my stories, but mostly he is a good guy, although he makes stupid mistakes like a typical person.

Carl Barks

How did Scrooge appear?

In 1947, Barks published the comic strip "Christmas on Bear Mountain." Here Donald has an eccentric millionaire uncle who lives in a secluded estate in the mountains. In this story, intended as an allusion to both A Christmas Carol and Citizen Kane, Scrooge wanted to taunt Donald and his nephews to see if they were worthy of inheriting his fortune.

In "Nativity" Scrooge is old, bearded, uses a cane, and wears glasses.

Scrooge from Christmas on Bear Mountain was my first version of a rich old uncle. I made him too old and weak - and only then realized that he should be more mobile. The decrepit old man could not have accomplished everything I had planned for him.

Carl Barks

Scrooge is stingy, grumpy and irritable, but he earned his fortune absolutely honestly

Good duck artist

The writers cared little about creating a unified chronology of stories about ducks, so disputes often arose among fans whose stories were considered canonical. Most agreed that the only true canon was the work of Carl Barks.

Carl Barks. The man who created DuckTales as we know it (Photo: Alan Light | CC BY-SA 2.0)

Karl always wanted to become an artist, but poverty got in the way. To make ends meet, Barks took on any job: he was a farmer, a lumberjack, a mule driver, a rivet maker, and a printer. But that's it free time he devoted himself to self-education. Karl studied the paintings of his favorite artists, trying to copy their style and find his own.

In 1935, Barks became an animator at Disney, where he made 36 short films about Donald. But Karl was dissatisfied with this work, believing that studio restrictions kill creativity. In 1942, he went to the Western publishing house, which soon received a license for “duck comics”. Here he found his true calling.

Barks created about 500 ducktales. It was he who invented Scrooge and most of the minor characters - Vint Razboltaylo, Gladstone Gander, Flinhart Glomgold, Magicu de Hypnosis and the Gavs brothers. As a rule, Karl did all the work alone: he wrote the script, drew sketches and painted illustrations.

For many years his name remained unknown - Disney rules prohibited identifying artists and screenwriters. Generations of fans knew Barks only as "The Good Duck Artist." The secret of his identity was revealed only in the late 1960s, when Barks retired. He died in 2000, just short of reaching the age of one hundred.

As I reread my own stories, I realized that I had incorporated philosophical ideas into them that I had no idea about at the time. I think the philosophy in my comics is conservative. In my opinion, civilization peaked in 1910 - we've been going downhill ever since. The old culture has qualities that the new culture cannot achieve. Take a look at these wonderful cathedrals and palaces! They don't build something like this now.

It seems to me that it is worth preserving the old ideals and methods of work - honor and honesty. We must allow others to believe in their own ideals; there is no need to paint everyone with the same brush. That's what I don't like about the modern political system: it tries to make everyone the same.

They say the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers are villains because they made their fortunes by exploiting the poor. And I think everyone should be able to climb as high as they can, as long as they don't kill or torture anyone. And a little exploitation is characteristic of us by nature. This can also be seen in the behavior of animals - each exploits each other to some extent.

Carl Barks

The Life and Times of Don Rosa

After Barks' retirement, Western Publishing continued to publish Scrooge and Donald comics. But with the departure of the “old guard,” the quality of the stories dropped, and editors often reprinted old stories. This could not continue forever, and in 1984 Western went bankrupt. But the “ducks” did not search for a new home for long. Shortly before this, Barks fans Bruce Hamilton and Ross Cochrane founded the publishing house Another Rainbow, opened the Gladstone imprint and bought a license to print the ducks.

Gladstone mostly reprinted old comics, but were also looking for new blood. It was then that they hired a young and then completely unknown artist, Don Rosa. He attracted the editor with his unshakable confidence that it was he who was destined to revive DuckTales.

Don Rosa. If Barks created DuckTales, then Rosa turned it into an ordered universe (Photo: Darrenmambo | CC BY-SA 3.0)

In his first comic, Son of the Sun, Rosa deliberately copied Barks's style.

Over the years, Rosa himself became a cult comic artist comparable to Barks. His contribution to DuckTales is enormous. He brought back interest in ducks and did a great job organizing Barks' comics. After analyzing Scrooge's chatter about his relatives and past adventures, Rosa compiled his family tree and wrote a biography of the rich drake - the graphic novel "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck."

"The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" inspired Nightwish leader Tuomas Holopainen to write a soundtrack for this comic. The album cover was drawn by Rosa himself.

The Life of Scrooge: Don Rosa Chronology

1867 Scrooge was born in Glasgow to Fergus McDuck and Downey O'Drake. He was the eldest child; later he had sisters Matilda and Hortensia.

1877 To earn money, Scrooge becomes a shoeshine boy. The first customer tricks the boy by paying with a ten-cent piece, which is useless in Scotland. Scrooge will keep the coin for the rest of his life as a symbol of success and will swear that no one else will be able to cheat him.

1880 13-year-old Scrooge leaves for the USA and gets a job as a cabin boy on the river steamer of his uncle Angus McDuck.

1882 Angus retires and gives the ship to his nephew, but a gang of Gavs brothers destroys the ship. Scrooge decides to try his luck in the Wild West.

1896–1899 After unsuccessful attempts to find gold, Scrooge comes to the Klondike and luck smiles on him. In the Klondike, McDuck meets saloon owner Goldie Goldie. He will keep his love for her for the rest of his life.

1902 Scrooge becomes a billionaire and moves to the village of Duxburg, Calisota.

1930 McDuck becomes the richest drake in the world, but in the pursuit of profit he forgets about his family and finally quarrels with them.

1942 Having fallen into depression, Scrooge decides to retire and isolates himself from the whole world in his estate on Bear Mountain.

1947 Scrooge meets his nephew Donald and great-nephews Billy, Willie and Dilly. An interest in life awakens in him, and together they set off on adventures.

1967 Non-canonical date - like Barks, Scrooge dies at the age of one hundred after a life of adventure.

McDuck Family Tree by Don Rosa

Ducks in Russia

DuckTales was one of the first Disney series shown in the Soviet Union. And then comic books entered the USSR. Since 1989, the Egmont publishing house has been publishing comics about Mickey Mouse, and in the early nineties, the line was expanded with DuckTales, Mickey Detective, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. For several years, comics were sold in all kiosks, but since the second half of the 1990s their popularity has waned. We had to wait almost twenty years for the return of Scrooge - since the fall of 2016, AST has been publishing collections of classic comics by Barks and Rosa.

And in 1987, “DuckTales” experienced the main event in its history. Disney Studio began producing an animated series based largely on the comics of Carl Barks... But that's another story.

Every Saturday, meetings were held at the Millionaires Club, at which club members discussed many different issues. As a rule, the conversation revolved around huge amounts of money. That day, the conversation resulted in a lively exchange of opinions about what can be considered the largest treasure that disappeared in the mists of time. When everyone was already hoarse from arguing, the club president, Major Pincherton, took the floor.
“Without a doubt, gentlemen,” he said, pointing to the map, “the largest of the lost treasures is the precious cargo of Genghis Khan’s Tibetan campaign.” They say that when the legendary emperor crossed the Himalayas, a huge snowman - the Yeti - attacked the caravan and, taking the jewelry, disappeared.
“Remember, gentlemen,” warned the major, who served as the judge of the competition, “dishonest methods are prohibited!” And the winner will be awarded the Gold Medal of Honor of our club.
- Simply amazing! - exclaimed Scrooge, who was listening attentively.
“The most curious thing,” the major continued, “is that among the countless riches stolen by the yeti, there was also the famous crown of the emperor - the most valuable thing in the world!”
The conversation interested all the other club members, who immediately began to consider the possibility of finding the crown. Sir Utkine proposed to arrange a competition and see if any of the club members could get the treasure. And a week later, all the participants met in a small village at the foot of Mount Everest.
“You can say whatever you want, Major,” the treacherous Lord Psinson decided to himself, “but I will not allow anyone to take my crown.”
He took advantage of the fact that everyone was busy discussing plans and damaged Scrooge's plane.
“One is ready,” thought Lord Psinson. “Now let’s take care of that klutz Sir Watkins.”
Hiding behind a snow ridge, he began to wait for the millionaire to arrive. He was riding a sleigh in a dog sled.
“The dogs run too slowly,” the lord chuckled. - We need to somehow correct the situation.
And then a hare jumped onto the path right in front of the dogs! They rushed after him, the harness came unfastened from the sleigh, and... Sir Utkin dropped out of the competition.
- Hehe! One less,” Psinson laughed. -Let's move on to the last one. I'll wait until Mr. O'Quacken comes up.
O'Kryakven climbed the slope in the company of a guide. As they approached, Psinson threw several stones in their direction, which caused an avalanche that carried both climbers down to the very base of the mountain.
- So, the way is clear! Scrooge's plane will soon crash due to lack of fuel, and the crown will be mine! -Psinson simply squealed with delight.
And in the cockpit, Zigzag tried his best to control the plane, but it continued to lose altitude.
- Oh, damn it! We only have one parachute! - exclaimed Uncle Scrooge. “We’ll all have to cling to him.”
Before the parachute had time to open, the plane crashed into a mountain and shattered into a thousand pieces. Lord Psinson watched this picture, grinning with satisfaction - now nothing stood in his way to victory.
Some time later, a parachute with Uncle Scrooge, McCrack, Ponochka and nephews landed in the middle of a snowy valley.
“The beginning of our enterprise leaves much to be desired,” said the uncle. “We are lost in the snowy desert, and we have nothing to get out of here.”
“We’ll have to prepare a shelter for the night,” said Dilly. - The sky is frowning.
They built a tent from a parachute and some found airplane wreckage, and soon a snowstorm broke out over the plain.
By morning the snowstorm subsided and a calm dawn broke
“Fortunately, the parachute withstood the onslaught of the blizzard,” said Uncle Scrooge.
“Nevertheless, a serious problem remains unresolved,” answered Zigzag. “Without suitable transport, it will be difficult for us to return home.”
- Come back home? - the uncle exclaimed angrily. Who wants to go home? We came here for the crown and I’m not going to return without it!
The millionaire did not think about the unsteadiness of the soil under his feet, but a huge amount of snow had piled up overnight. With his screams, he caused an avalanche, which quickly dragged the entire company down the slope among the rocks sticking out everywhere.
Half an hour later the elements calmed down again. The travelers were thrown back several kilometers and covered with snow.
“Are you... are you okay?” - Billy asked, getting out.
- Dear mother! - Zigzag exclaimed. “Even my pockets are full of snow!”
- Where is Ponochka? Has anyone seen her? - Uncle Scrooge caught himself.
Until now, no one realized that the baby was not with them. They immediately split up to comb the entire area, and after a while they heard Willie's alarmed cry. Ponochka's footprints were visible in the snow, and next to them there was something of a monstrous size!
- W... wh... whose tracks are these? - Dilly stammered. - Foot size is at least sixty-four!
“Undoubtedly, this could not have happened without the monster that Major Pincherton talked about.” “It probably dragged Ponochka into that cave over there,” said Uncle Scrooge, pointing with his hand.
Stepping carefully, the travelers entered the cave and began to make their way between the ice columns. Suddenly, a giant shadow began to grow under their feet, and, turning around, they saw that a huge female Yeti, completely painted with cosmetics and decorated with all kinds of jewelry, was following on their heels.
Out of fear, he began to run headlong, but Uncle Scrooge did not notice how he separated from his companions and turned into the wrong passage along which the nephews and the pilot ran.
“I think we got away from her,” said Zigzag, looking back.
- Brrr! - Willie exclaimed, chattering his teeth. - It’s so cold in this cave!
“I have no doubt that hot soup will be very useful for you!”
At these words, the fugitives froze in their tracks. They looked around and in the middle of the large hall, in which there was ice furniture, they saw Ponochka holding out bowls of freshly prepared soup to them.
- Ponochka! Are you alive! - Dilly shouted, hugging the baby.
- Of course! After the collapse, Mrs. Yeti picked me up and brought me to her home. She is very kind and good,
Meanwhile, Uncle Scrooge wandered through the galleries of the cave, trying to find his comrades.
“It’s not getting any easier hour by hour,” he thought. “First Ponochka disappeared, and now I’ve lost my nephews.” If anything happens to them, I will never forgive myself. Finally, he saw a ray of light in the depths of one of the passages and headed there. What he saw made his heart jump. He found himself in a huge hall littered with treasures. At the very top of this pile, the lost crown of Genghis Khan sparkled with all the colors of the rainbow.
- Crown! - exclaimed Scrooge. - I found the crown!
However, Uncle Scrooge's joy did not last long. A female Yeti appeared at the entrance to the hall and growled so fiercely that Uncle’s feathers stood on end.
The giantess put the unfortunate man under her arm and carried her to where our friends were. At Ponochka's request, Mrs. Yeti lowered Uncle Scrooge to the ground.
- It is high time! - he grumbled. “Now, crazy old woman, give me back the crown.” You don't need it at all - no matter how much you decorate yourself, you will still remain a monster.
Poor Mrs. Yeti walked away, sobbing bitterly.
- You offended her, uncle! - Ponochka reproached the old man. This is unfair. She was so kind to us.
Uncle felt ashamed and lowered his head.
“Don’t be upset, Mister Scrooge,” said Zigzag. “I’ll persuade her to come back.”
The pilot ran out of the hall and began to look for Mrs. Yeti in the labyrinth of underground passages. Suddenly he heard a plaintive cry. Hastening towards the sound, Zigzag saw that one of the ice bridges had broken under the weight of the giantess, and she, clinging to the edge of the cliff, hung over the abyss.
-Grab my hand! - Zigzag shouted. - I'll help you out.
With great effort, the pilot pulled the giantess up and thus saved her life.
Having recovered from her fright, Mrs. Yeti babbled something affectionately and hugged Zigzag with such force that he almost suffocated.
- Let go! - the pilot protested. - Ugh! It won’t take long to die from such a manifestation of feelings!
A little later they were again together with Uncle Scrooge and his companions.
“Please forgive me,” said the millionaire.
The giantess smiled, accepting her uncle's apology and, to show that she was no longer offended, handed him the crown that he so passionately desired.
But she refused to put Zigzag down on the ground and carried him in her arms all the way back to the exit from the cave under the giggling of the whole company.
Hanging their heads, the frustrated treasure hunters set off on their way back.
- And how do you, Zigzag, manage to charm girls? No one can resist you. Ha ha ha! - Willie laughed.
- Thanks for the compliment! - muttered the pilot, who had no choice but to endure the jokes of his comrades.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the evil Lord Psinson appeared on a motor sleigh and with a deft movement snatched the crown from Uncle Scrooge’s hands.
- Ha-ha-ha! Thank you very much, Scrooge! - shouted the robber. “You got me the crown.” Very kind of you!
- Thief! Scammer! - the millionaire screamed, powerless to change anything.
Five days later, a solemn atmosphere reigned in the Millionaires Club. The news that Lord Psinson had found Genghis Khan's crown spread like lightning, and not a single member of the club failed to attend the ceremony to present the Lord with the Medal of Honor.
“Our club is proud that you, Lord Psinson, are among its ranks,” said Major Pincherton. -In this regard, I have the honor to present you with our highest insignia.
At that moment, Uncle Scrooge burst into the hall, accompanied by Mrs. Yeti and Zigzag McCrack, inseparable from her.
- You are the most vile of deceivers! - shouted the uncle. - The kooyuna and the medal belong to me!
The giantess walked towards the lord with a menacing look. He flew out into the street like a bullet. Yeti is behind him.
- Wonderful! - McCrack said. - Everything ended well.
- Yes! - Uncle Scrooge laughed. “I have the crown again, and the weight is off your shoulders, too, isn’t it, Zigzag?” Ha ha ha!