Comic of the Month: "Bongo on the Congo"
The ten sets (for a total of 30 volumes) of the Carl Barks Library are the greatest homage the States ever did to a Disney comicbook artist.
Carl Barks was, IMHO, one of the greatest artists ever and the majority of his stories are masterpieces. The titanic project of the CBL pays tribute to his Disney legacy but, however, as all earthly things, is not perfect.
Many stories were in fact "retouched", "edited" or "censored" in various ways.
Here's an example.
"Bongo on the Congo" is a 1960 story, not available in his original form in the CBL release. Here you have an "hybrid": the color pages come from the original comicbook, the b/w ones from the CBL.
Enjoy.
Bye,
Duck Dodgers
posted by Duck Dodgers at 11:22 am
17 Comments:
'Many stories were in fact "retouched", "edited" or "censored" in various ways.
Here's an example.
"Bongo on the Congo" is a 1960 story, not available in his original form in the CBL release. Here you have an "hybrid": the color pages come from the original comicbook, the b/w ones from the CBL.'
And that is the ONLY reason why I didn't pick up that huge 30 volume set; Unless if the Walt Disney Comic book company will reprint Bark's original stories, in their original form, no retouches or any of that stupid stuff, then I'll fork over the cash for a re-release of that set.
Good thing that I can look forward to those WDT Trade paper backs.
6:40 pm
I understand your point, but the CBL is something "no one can live without".
It's a monumental work, with some imperfections.
7:17 pm
How about getting some goddamn colour in the CBL? I'd rather pay a dollar for a Barks comic book than some line art in a gigantic book.
4:28 am
The Barks set allows you to see how he evolved as an artist, without the frills of color. It's quite amazing. I own six of the volumes (and just bought two more tonight).
6:01 am
Really, Jorge?
I'd love anything to be printed that way, sans color.
7:19 am
Ehy folks,
let me know if you like the "Comic of the Month" idea!
If so, I'll make it a regular series of posts (and maybe I'll turn it into a weekly event...).
7:20 am
I certanly do. It would be great to mix it up every once in a while. BTW, What else does that CBL include?
9:32 am
Bruce,
The CBL include ALL stories made by Barks for Disney, including covers, miscellaneous arts and drawings et cetera.
Thad,
I guess you bought them on Ebay from that seller that was solding them all. I did not buy the ones I miss (volume 7 and 10) becuase I was not sure about the conditions.
By the way, set 10 seems to be really expensive. I wonder why, the stories are no way Barks' best ones.
11:08 am
Hey Andrea,
Keep doing what you're doing! Barks art is so lively that I love it all. "Bongo on the Congo" is not one of my favorites though.
Yeah I managed to get Set 9 and 10 last night from different sellers. I got to use my credit card for the first time. Fun.
Set 5 (which is the worst of Barks' material) is the rarest and goes for the most money on eBay. Still missing 4 and 5 now!
2:07 pm
Yep, set 5 includes the majority of stories drawn but not written by Barks. There are a lot of boring storis with Daisy and Grandma Duck and some occasional gems.
By the way, I have the original b/w pages of "Darkest Africa" (they were printed, in Italian as well as in original language, in an Italian edition several years ago)with all graphical stereotypes and unPc words( like "savages" or "cannibals") intact.
I'll have to find a way to scan it and post it some day.
3:20 pm
Actually, Andrea, Set 5 is the last of the 60s Scrooge stories! (My least favorite Barks stories)
Set 6 is the "Donald Duck Family" set. I have that one, I bought it from the Bruce Hamilton site earlier this summer. It is great because it is evidence that Barks was one of the few people at Western doing any competent work.
3:23 pm
Oh, my error.
Yep, set 5 is not a great set, but I consider the "Donald Duck Family set" a lesser set because it presents a "mutilated" Barks. Even if historically interesting (and from a collector's point of vies it's the best set: all the stories are ultra-rare) it presents in fact many stories not written by him and with inferior plots and ideas than the ones usually associated with Barks.
It's like with Scarpa. The stories just drawn by him are very good, but the ones written and drawn by him are pure masterworks.
Set 5 presents the worst work by Barks, but at least he is a sort of "swan song" because he wrote and drawn them stories. I appreciate less when he works with idiot plots written by other people that feature the ducks against Zeke Wolf or Brer Fox or teamed with Dumbo. This sh-t would have to be done by inferior "artists" like Tony Strobl, not the Duck man.
3:53 pm
I agree, but it's good evidence that most of the Disney comics Western was turning out without Barks writing were awful.
As for FAVORITE Barks set - Definitely a three-way tie between 1, 7, and 8. The first two particularly for the supplemental material.
5:52 pm
Even for me, my favorites are 3 sets, but two are different from the ones you mentioned: they are 2,3 and 8, with 4 really near these.
P.S.: Anyone that has set 7 and 10 and wants to sell them at "reasonable prices" please contact me.
7:52 pm
I'll probably buy this thing, but without colour it makes it look more sterile and less fun. I love old comic books because of the old faded colours and yellowing thick paper, the thick covers, and in general the total package (obviously, the art and stories are more important than any of the aforementioned cool old timey features.)
11:36 pm
Jorge,
I'm glad you want to buy this. The fact that there is no colour (some stories have it, like "Sheriff of Bullet Valley")is a great choice because it allows you to see how exactly each page looked like when Carl Barks made it.
7:34 am
Great to see "Bongo on the Congo". Your site is excellent. I remember hearing about an old Carl Barks story in which Scrooge actually became allergic to money! Any chance you might post that comic?
1:26 am
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