Barks criticism (ulp!) / Barks quizes here and there

[Daniel van Eijmeren]

KAI SAARTO to SØREN OLESEN, 05-04-2004:

> Growing up might be good for many of us, but not too much. Some might 
> think that reading comics is childish!

After reading these two sentences, I've sat back for a while, gazing at 
my monitor in disbelief. I am deeply shocked by your fundamentalistic 
suggestion that "reading comics is childish!" How dare you! (Har! Har!) :-P

Come to think about these childish throw-away Duck-stories, like Barks's. 
(And yes, that's really what they were meant to be, and in many ways 
still are!) Did I ever tell anyone that I am deeply pleased that Barks 
didn't get his way when he apparently wanted his dream of drawing real 
humans come true within Disney comics? 

In stories like 'Dangerous Disguise' (OS 308-02), for example? As early 
teenager, I just didn't really like that story when I borrowed a Duck 
comic album from a friend. (Beste Verhalen 28)

And so, even in retrospective, at least this time, I agree with Western, 
who thought it took "the ducks out of their own world."

Otherwise, I would never have liked Barks's stories. Or Disney stories, 
if Barks's real humans would have become common use since that editorial 
objection in the early 1950s. 

I think it was a nice experiment for a while, but little more than that. 
(And maybe it fitted for a while, with 'The Three Caballeros' Disney movie 
in mind?)

Barks may have created many wonderful, delicious, real human Duck stories, 
looking just like real life. But not for me. I'd rather been a lumberjack. 
(Do I need to say 'Monty Python'?) :-)

And I would have collected 'Suske & Wiske' (Bob & Bobette?) stories. At 
least the ones created by Willy Vandersteen. Sigh... The untouchable Willy 
Vandersteen... His official(!) heirs didn't make much impression on me, 
after his death. I think they have strayed away from the timeproof and 
timeless concept of Mr. Vandersteen himself.

BTW. I just gave away all the albums I had, to my brother! It happened on 
an awful day, about 14 years ago, when I briefly thought that only Duck 
stories would be of my future interest... The pain! 

And my cute little brother doesn't want to give the darn things back to 
his older brother... Please tell me, would I get very freaky if I would 
just buy an axe and...? Well, nevermind... :-)

This is getting awfully off-topic, let's get back to Barks again... (Sigh!)

> This makes me think about something. Has anyone EVER done here anything 
> else but praised Barks? [...] Is he so big he's untouchable?

Barks is more or less untouchable, even when he was still alive. There are 
many Duck artists who follow his vision. (Apart from their drawing styles.) 
But Barks certainly made mistakes when chunking out those hundreds of Duck 
stories. I'm tempted to list some of them. But I hope others will jump in 
on this. 

For example, has anyone seen Barks's interesting mistake in 'Letter to 
Santa'? (CP 1) Anyone can see it! (Well I didn't!) :-)

I wonder who'll be the first radical to show off his/her knowledge.
My current Barks quiz seems to be very difficult, at least! :-)

> I am not about to say that he is not the best ever,  but it just hit 
> me that everyone on the planet seems to love him.

If that just could be true. Then I can finally store away my little 
black teacher box. There are still zillions of people left, with mental 
muscles that need to be buzzed... (Which story?) :-)

BTW. Barks made quite a lot of desert stories. QUITE a lot, to be exactly...
Or am I really getting too critical about Barks now? :-)

--- Daniël

"Now EVERYBODY'S mad at me! What'll I do? What'll I do?"
(Which Barks story?)

Hint #1: nephews go to summer camp