Another Barks Reminiscence

[Rob McCallum]

I loved the reminiscence about Barks by Lynne Burrett.  Here is my contribution.



As Carl lay dying in 2000, I e-mailed him the following homage taken from a biography I had just written as part of an adoption process.



Despite my love of sports (which I shared with my brother but not my parents) I also loved to read — anything — science books, adventure stories, science fiction, historical novels, biographies and comic books.  My mother was horrified at my love of comic books, but really couldn’t object because I was such a voracious reader of everything.  My father actually liked to read comic books as well.  My favorites were not Superman and Batman like most other kids.  I found these comics infantile.  I loved Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge and I collect these comics to this day.  Perhaps my single fondest memory from childhood is when Grandma would visit and dispense to my brother and I a neat little pile of change (always exactly the same amount for each of us) carefully wrapped in tissue paper.  If I remember correctly the amount was about $ 1.

I would take 15 ¢ down to the corner store buy a bottle of ‘pop’ (soda) for a nickel, pay an additional 2 ¢ deposit. And while drinking my pop, I would peruse the comic shelves always looking for a new Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories, Donald Duck or Uncle Scrooge.  If I found one I would be in heaven.  I would drink my soda, reclaim my 2¢ deposit and take the dime I now had and buy that comic.  The only thing that was better when there was two new Donald Duck or Uncle Scrooge comics, I would buy one immediately, rush home, beg my mother to allow me to spend another dime of Grandma’s money (she almost always said OK after 5 minutes of unrelenting begging), and I would rush back to the store to get the second comic.  This was double heaven.  Remember that in those days $ 2 would buy me 10 sodas and 15 comics!



Later I realized that best stories by far were all by the same artist/writer.  Much later I learned that person was Carl Barks.



Thank you Mr. Barks for providing me the very best moments of a very happy childhood.


Rob McCallum



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