Just in case my idea for a fifth Walt Disney World park didn't tip you off, I would like to make something clear: I love Duck Tales! Since I saw it as a child, Duck Tales has struck a chord with me; nowhere else could a kid find that blend of humor, adventure, and good ol' Disney reliability.
As I got older, I became interested in comic books and was pleased to learn that Duck Tales is based upon the cartoon work of some guy named Carl Barks. It turns out this Carl Barks guy is pretty important. His techniques and styles are a major influence on today's cartoon styling, and his stories and gags have played a role in some major adventure stories we love today. Barks is generally recognized as one of the best cartoonists of all time.
Barks started with Disney as an animator on Donald Duck shorts before moving on to comic book cartoons during World War II. During his time as a cartoonist, he became known as "The Duck Man" and contributed a great deal to the Donald Duck mythos, most notably "Duckburg" and "Scrooge McDuck."
Armed with all of this knowledge, I sought out some of Carl Barks' work and was pleased to discover that Fantagraphics was in the process of publishing "The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library." I snatched up the first published volume--which was actually volume 11, I believe--"Lost in the Andes" and read it right away.
"Lost in the Andes," as I said, is actually volume 11 in the series. Fantagraphics decided to published the works starting at the peak of Barks' career and and working out toward the beginning and end of his work. This volume is part of the Donald Duck series and separate from the Scrooge McDuck series. Barks himself considered the story "Lost in the Andes" to be his best work, and I could see why.
That story in particular featured all of the things that Barks is famous for: great humor, lots of action, and fantastic art. It tells the story of Donald and his nephew's (Huey, Dewey, and Luey) trip to the Andes to find the birds that lay mysterious cube-shaped, rock-like eggs. What they find is a tribe of natives who speak with a southern accent and like in a cloud-covered tract of land unaware of the world around them.
While this particular tale would probably be considered politically incorrect today, when taken in the context in which it was created, it was obvious why "Lost in the Andes" was so popular.
There were also several more stories in this volume as the book featured all of Barks' work from one calendar year (I believe). While most of the stories are not as good as the featured tale, each one contains all of those elements Barks' is known for.
Overall, I would highly recommend "Lost in the Andes" to anyone who likes Donald Duck or Duck Tales. I also recommend it to anyone who likes comic books, cartoon strips, or their history. Lastly, I recommend them to any fan of Disney history, as this really is a slice of that rich pie.
No comments:
Post a Comment