Carl Barks Correspondence Collection, 1963-1984

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Summary

Creators:
Barks, Carl, 1901-2000
Abstract:
Carl Barks started drawing for Walt Disney in 1935. In 1943, he began drawing Disney stories for Western Printing and Lithography which produced the Dell and Gold Key comic books. Barks retired from the Disney Studio in 1966, but continued to script stories for Western throughout the 1980s.
Extent:
0.42 linear feet
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Background

Scope and content:

The Carl Barks Correspondence Collection consists of over 70 letters written to Chase Craig and his colleagues at Western between 1964 and 1987. They contain Carl Barks' story ideas, synopsis for Uncle Scrooge, Donald Duck, and Junior Woodchuck stories, and insights into his personal and financial life. The letters are arranged in chronological order. The dates of the undated letters have been determined by the publishing dates of the comic books discussed or other internal evidence that corresponds to biographical information. These dates are enclosed in brackets.

Biographical / historical:

Carl Barks (1901-2000) began working as an artist for the Walt Disney Studio in November, 1935. By 1937, Bark was transferred to the story board department where he worked on animated cartoons. He left Disney in 1942 and moved to Hemet, California to start a chicken farm. Barks's unsuccessful chicken farming venture led him to return full time to comic book work. In 1943, he began drawing Disney stories for Western Printing and Lithography which produced the Dell and Gold Key comic books.

He created Scrooge McDuck, the miserly uncle of Donald Duck, in 1947, Gladstone Gander in 1948, the Beagle Boys in 1951, and Gyro Gearloose, a self-portrait, in 1952. Barks retired in 1966 at age of 65. He began painting his characters in 1968 which were in great demand after 1976. This new income allowed him to purchase a home in Santa Barbara. Bark maintained an active career until his late nineties and spent his last years in Grants Pass, Oregon.

Acquisition information:
Bruce Craig, 2003.

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Documents

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Location of this collection:
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330, US
Contact:
(818) 677-4594
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