The Age and Birth of Gyro Gearloose

Olaf Solstrand olaf at andebyonline.com
Tue Mar 9 18:02:08 CET 2004


One thing I've pondered over for a while, is:

How old would you say Gyro Gearloose is?

It's hard to find an exact answer to that question in a comic - I've found 
only ONE so far:

In I TL 1273-A ("Zio Paperone e la fuga nel tempo", GMa/GBC), Gyro states 
pretty clear that he was "just a baby" during the beginning of the Klondike 
gold rush. Meaning, according to this he would have to be born appr. 1896- 
1897.

So, if we say that Barks' "Gladstone's Terrible Secret" actually took place 
when it was written - in 1952 - Gyro was 55 years old in that story, 
according to "Zio Paperone e la fuga nel tempo".

A little far out? Perhaps. But could anyone show me other stories stating 
what age Gyro is?

Also, I guess this is a question about how the time perspective in 
Martina's stories is. After all, this story was first printed in 1980. 
Perhaps he set the story to take place in the fourties without telling us 
(just like Don Rosa do with the fifties, except Don Rosa is on DCML)? Or 
perhaps he has another explanation to how Gyro can be born in 1896 and 
still be around 30 in 1952 and in all other stories?

Or... This is the part where I start really twisting my head... What if 
Gyro really _IS_ 55?

Frankly, I actually like that theory. Gyro being around 50. I find it very 
hard telling his age, so... why not?

OK, we would then have to disregard all modern stories showing Gyro dating 
girls/women _my_ age (OK, a little older, I'm 21). And we then suddenly 
need to assume that the "general Fulton" appearing in Life of Scrooge is 
not Fulton Gearloose. But apart from that, I don't really see anything 
speaking against him being that... OK, I won't use the word "old" here in 
case anyone feels insulted by that word... I don't really see anything 
speaking against him being fifty-something.

But... Any other thoughts on that subject?



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