Firebug Artist

[Rob Klein]

Thanks David, for providing us with the information about Buettner and Noonan.  
I had forgotten about Buettner's work on "The Three Caballeros", and never even 
considered the word balloons and lettering.  It's clear that whoever drew the 
replacement panels amended their drawing style to try to blend in smoothly with 
Barks' work in the remainder of the story, but also clear that the lettering is 
a different style.  It is, however, not different enough to be noticed by 
almost all kid readers. Squared letters look like other squard letters (albeit, 
a bit smaller). The first replacement panel is acopy of a Barks pose, so it 
doesn't tell much.  In the last panel, Donald's beak does look more like 
Noonan's style than Buettner's, especially as evidenced on The Cover of Walt 
Disney's Comics & Stories 39. But, Noonan's beaks in the 1943 Mickey Mouse 
story are also fairly close to that style.  The Nephew could be either Buettner 
or Noonan.  So that doesn't tell us much.  The compact, tighter Donald in the 
last panel DOES look more like Noonan's style.  With the added evidence of the 
ballons and lettering, you make a reasonable case for Noonan.  Thanks for 
pointing out that Buettner wasn't the Chief Editor in 1946. So Barks would not 
have talked directly to him.  His editor at that time was a woman (I forget her 
name). he would have dealt with HER.  She would not likely have offered up the 
information on who had drawn the replacement panels.  So, my original 
impression of the tone of voice in Barks' statement to me may have been correct 
after all.  He may well have only been guessing that Buettner had drawn those 
panels.

Rob Klein
Rob
Klein

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