Guide to the Carl Barks Correspondence Collection

Special Collections & Archives
University Library
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8326
URL: https://library.csun.edu/SCA  

Contact: https://library.csun.edu/SCA/Contact  

© Copyright 2020 Special Collections & Archives. All rights reserved.


Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives
Title: Carl Barks Correspondence Collection
Creator: Barks, Carl, 1901-2000
Identifier/Call Number: SC.CBC
Extent: 0.42 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1963-1984
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.
Language of Material: English

Biographical Information:

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.

Scope and Contents

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.

Related Material

Conditions Governing Access:

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use:

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.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Bruce Craig, 2003.

Preferred Citation:

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

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Documents

Box 1, Folder 1

Del, Larry and Craig Chase, ca. 1963 February 28

Box 1, Folder 2

Del, Larry and Craig Chase, 1963 November 11

Box 1, Folder 3

Jack, Chase and Larry Del, 1964 February 8

Box 1, Folder 4

Chase Craig, 1964 May 5

Box 1, Folder 5

Guys, May 1964

Box 1, Folder 6

Larry, Chase, 1964

Box 1, Folder 7

Jack, Chase, 1964

Box 1, Folder 8

Men of Western, 1964

Box 1, Folder 9

Synopsis, Uncle Scrooge #61, ca. July 1964

Box 1, Folder 10

Craig, Chase, ca. May 1965

Box 1, Folder 11

Men of the Ruling Junta, 1965 May 12

Box 1, Folder 12

Smogmen, 1965 October 29

Box 1, Folder 13

Craig, Chase, 1965 November 8

Box 1, Folder 14

Synopsis, Uncle Scrooge #63, ca. 1965-May 1966

Box 1, Folder 15

Craig, Chase, 1965

Box 1, Folder 16

Craig, Chase, ca. 1966

Box 1, Folder 17

Fellows of the Royal Duckerie, ca. 1966

Box 1, Folder 18

Craig, Chase, 1966 March 16

Box 1, Folder 19

Craig, Chase, 1966 April 13

Box 1, Folder 20

Chase and the Lads of Western Ho, ca. Summer 1966

Box 1, Folder 21

Craig, Chase, 1966 June 22

Box 1, Folder 22

Craig, Chase, 1966 July 4

Box 1, Folder 23

Larry, Uncle Scrooge #68, 1966 March 8-ca. July 1966

Box 1, Folder 24

Merry Men of Western, 1966 September 2

Box 1, Folder 25

Craig, Chase, 1966 October 7

Box 1, Folder 26

Craig, Chase, ca. 1966

Box 1, Folder 27

Men of Western, 1967

Box 1, Folder 28

Craig, Chase, 1967 July 8

Box 1, Folder 29

Craig, Chase, 1968 October 26

Box 1, Folder 30

Craig, Chase, 1968 November 7

Box 1, Folder 31

Craig, Chase, ca. 1968

Box 1, Folder 32

Craig, Chase, ca. January 1966-ca. March 1968

Box 1, Folder 33

Craig, Chase, 1969 April 22

Box 1, Folder 34

Craig, Chase, 1969 October 5

Box 1, Folder 35

Craig, Chase, ca. 1969 December 5

Box 1, Folder 36

Merry Men of Western, ca. 1969

Box 1, Folder 37

Craig, Chase, ca. 1969 October 17

Box 1, Folder 38

Craig, Chase, ca. 1979

Box 1, Folder 39

Craig, Chase, 1970 February 14

Box 1, Folder 40

Craig, Chase, 1970 February 21

Box 1, Folder 41

Craig, Chase, ca. March 1970

Box 1, Folder 42

Craig, Chase, 1970 March 13

Box 1, Folder 43

Craig, Chase, 1970 August 13

Box 1, Folder 44

Chase, Craig, 1970 November 5

Box 1, Folder 45

Craig, Chase, 1970 December 2

Box 1, Folder 46

Craig, Chase, 1970 December 14

Box 1, Folder 47

Craig, Chase, 1971 January 12

Box 1, Folder 48

Craig, Chase, 1971 February 1

Box 1, Folder 49

Craig, Chase, 1971 May 2

Box 1, Folder 50

Craig, Chase, 1971 May 26

Box 1, Folder 51

Craig, Chase, ca. July 1971

Box 1, Folder 52

Craig, Chase, 1971 September 26

Box 1, Folder 53

Craig, Chase, 1971 October 4

Box 1, Folder 54

Craig, Chase, ca. October 1971-ca. November 1971

Box 1, Folder 55

Craig, Chase, 1971 November 4

Box 1, Folder 56

Craig, Chase, 1971 November 14

Box 1, Folder 57

Craig, Chase, 1971 November 23

Box 1, Folder 58

Craig, Chase, 1972 January 7

Box 1, Folder 59

Craig, Chase, 1972 January 12

Box 1, Folder 60

Craig, Chase, 1972 January 18

Box 1, Folder 61

Craig, Chase, 1972 January 25

Box 1, Folder 62

Craig, Chase, 1972 March 28

Box 1, Folder 63

Craig, Chase, 1972 May 16

Box 1, Folder 64

Craig, Chase, 1972 September 3

Box 1, Folder 65

Craig, Chase, 1972

Box 1, Folder 66

Craig, Chase, ca. 1972

Box 1, Folder 67

Jokes, ca. 1972

Box 1, Folder 68

Craig, Chase, 1963 January 16

Box 1, Folder 69

Craig, Chase, 1973 March 29

Box 1, Folder 70

Craig, Chase, 1973 September 4

Box 1, Folder 71

Craig, Chase, 1973 November 14

Box 1, Folder 72

Craig, Chase, 1973 December 3

Box 1, Folder 73

Craig, Chase, 1975 July 27

Box 1, Folder 74

Craig, Chase, 1984 April 1

Box 1, Folder 75

Craig, Chase, 1987 November 4

Box 1, Folder 76

Reprint requests