The Beach Boys and surfin' (Double Masquerade, WDC 280)

[Daniel van Eijmeren]

OLIVIER, 29-04-2001:

> [Duckburg's location] And in WDC&S 49, commenting on WDC&S 280 (Jan '64):
> "In "Double Masquerade" I used the seashore of  Duckburg-- not too out of
> place for Burbank, which is a half-hour drive from the ocean."

I looked up this quote and saw that Barks continued about the 
U.S.A. surfing fashion of the 1960s:

"There was quite a fad for surfing at that time. The Beach Boys songs were
very popular on the radio. Please don't be disturbed by the antics of a 
fictional surfing club. They 'kidnapped' their reluctant members in order 
to put up a united front for a good surfing show. I used their strong-arm 
methods as a menace to Donald's safety, a mere story gimmick."


As far as I know, The Beach Boys came from Soutern California and started
in 1961. Up to Barks' submission on July 15, 1963, most or all of their 
hits were about surfing: "Surfin'" (1962), "Surfin' Safari" (1962); and
"Surfin' USA" (1963). 

In Barks' story, the surfing club is called the "Sailin' Surfers" and
he seems to use a surf 'dialect' of that time:

- "Cowabunga! Dig those curlers, surfers!" /
  "Real gassers for hot-dogging and shooting the tube!" (1.2)
- "Where's your surfboard, Ducko, old surfer?" (1.4)
- "We've got a spare one and some baggies in the woody!" (6.8)
- "Donald Duck is shooting the tube with a one-foot stand!" (8.7)
- "Now he's WALKIN' THE NOSE!" (8.8)
- "And HANGING THREE with a one foot stand!" / 
  "That Duck is the MOST!" (9.1)

In panel 5.7, Donald-as-Scrooge answers the Sailin' Surfers that he was
just "foolin'" (note the apostrophe). I guess that the real Scrooge would
have pronounced "fooling". Maybe Barks makes a gag here by showing Donald
unconsiciously using the surf dialect when seeing the Sailin' Surfers?


Best wishes,

--- Daniel