The nineties can be remembered in different ways. For some, this is a dashing era of "wild capitalism" and crimson jackets. And for some - the time of a cozy childhood, games on Dendy and Sega and Disney cartoons on weekends. And the first to break into the screens of our country were perky ducks. Their massive popularity in Russia, as well as in America, began in 1987 with the animated series Duck Tales, but the first comics about Donald and his nephews appeared in the early thirties. In this article, we invite you on an exciting journey through the "duck" universe. Zigzag, backwater!

It all started with Donald

The hot-tempered drake in a peakless cap was born in June 1934 in the cartoon "Wise Little Hen" and in the fall of the same year he made his debut on the pages of newspaper comics. Early Donald lived in the country, was much more emotional and carefree: he had neither a girlfriend, nor nephews, nor a rich uncle.

FIRST APPEARANCE OF DONALD, CARTOON "WISE LITTLE FEMALE". THE LAZY DRUG DROWNED FROM THE WORK, BUT RUNNED TO THE GIFT TREATMENT

At first, Donald remained a minor character in the Mickey comics, but eventually came to the fore in the Silly Symphonies strips. In 1937, Donald had nephews Huey, Dewey and Louis (known to us as Billy, Willie and Dilly). Uncle looked after triplets, whose father ended up in the hospital after their next prank. At first, the guys were inveterate hooligans and always made fun of their uncle, but over time, their character improved. The nephews were supposed to return home when dad got to his feet, but in the end, the three stayed with their uncle, and their parents were no longer remembered.

DONALD AND HIS NEPHIES IN NEWSPAPER STRIPES

By the way, the names of the heroes are localized not only here. In Finland, where Donald is so popular that he is sometimes voted for in elections in protest, the drake's name is Aku Ankka. And in Italy he is known as Paperino.

YES, IN THE EARLY NEWSPAPER COMICS, DONALD WAS YELLOW

And in 1942, Donald's finest hour came: Western Publishing received a license for comics about Disney characters. The plot of the first story "Donald Duck is looking for a pirate treasure" was invented by the studio's scriptwriters, and the drawing was entrusted to the artist Karl Barks. Karl was then working as an animator for Disney, but he was oppressed by a studio system that kills creativity. He was considering quitting and starting a duck farm. Fortunately, Barks also liked drawing ducks - he took a new order from Western and at the same time offered to finalize the script. The result impressed the editors so much that from the second issue Karl was also entrusted with the work of the screenwriter. The next thirty years for "Duck Tales" became the era of Karl Barks.

Donald at Barks remained a hot-tempered, boastful lazy person, but he learned to take responsibility and began to speak clearly. He took care of his nephews, even though this made him break away from his beloved idleness. The tenacity with which Donald sought a job can only be matched by the persistence with which he lost it.

"Donald is sometimes the villain in my stories, but he's mostly a good guy, even though he makes stupid mistakes like a typical person."

Karl Barks

BARKS WAS VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT THE DRAWING. FOR EXAMPLE, FOR ILLUSTRATIONS WITH SUNNED VESSELS, HE WAS STUDYING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISSUES

Scrooge takes the stage

In 1947, in the comic "Christmas on Bear Mountain," Donald had an eccentric millionaire uncle living in a secluded manor in the mountains. In this story, intended as an allusion to A Christmas Carol and Citizen Kane, Scrooge wanted to
go over Donald and his nephews to see if they deserve to inherit his fortune.

IN "CHRISTMAS" SCROOGE STAR, BEARDED, RELIES ON A CANE AND WEARS GLASSES

“Scrooge from Christmas on Bear Mountain was my first version of a rich old uncle. I made him too old and weak - and only then I realized that he should be more mobile. The decrepit old man could not have realized everything that I have planned for him. "

Karl Barks

Scrooge was invented at once, but the old curmudgeon liked the public, and Barks began to use him again in stories about Donald, sometimes even as a villain. Noticing the popularity of the character, the publishing house suggested building the plot of another story around him. So in 1952, the comic strip "Just a Poor Old Man" was published in Four Color. From that moment on, Scrooge began to pull the blanket over himself. Now he became the main adventurer, and Donald and the company were left with the role of not always volunteer assistants.

Good duck artist

Karl Barks got his start at Disney drawing short films about Donald. But he gained real recognition when he began to draw comics. Barks created about 500 "duck stories". It was he who invented Uncle Scrooge and most of the minor characters in the cycle. As a rule, he alone did all the work: writing the script, drawing sketches and coloring illustrations.

For many years, his name remained unknown - Disney rules forbade specifying artists and screenwriters. Generations of fans have known Barks only by nicknames like The Good Duck Artist. The secret of his identity was revealed only in the late 1960s, when Barks retired. He died in 2000, just before he was one hundred years old.

“Rereading my own stories, I realized that I had laid in them philosophical ideas, which I had no idea about at the time. I think the philosophy in my comics is conservative: in my opinion, civilization reached its peak in 1910. Since then we have been rolling downhill. The old culture has qualities that the remake cannot achieve. Take a look at these wonderful cathedrals and palaces! Now this is not being built. I think we should keep the old ideals and methods of work - honor and honesty. You need to allow others to believe in their own ideals, you do not need to cut everyone with the same brush. That's what I don't like about the modern political system: it tries to make everyone the same. "

Karl Barks

The life and times of Don Rosa

DON ROSA. IF BARKS CREATED "DUCK STORIES" AS WE KNOW THEM, ROSA ORDERED THEM

The Life and Times of Don Rosa In 1984 Western went bankrupt, but the ducks did not look for a new home for long: Gladstone was licensed. They mostly republished old comics, but they also looked for fresh blood. Gladstone hired a young artist, Don Rosa, who attracted the editor with his unshakable belief that he was destined to revive Duck Tales.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SCROOGE MCDUK INSPIRED NIGHTWISH LEADER TOUOMAS HOLOPEINEN TO WRITE TO THIS SOUNDTRACK COMIC. THE COVER OF THE ALBUM WAS DRAWED BY ROSA HIMSELF

Like Barks, Rosa was self-taught and learned to draw from idols. Rosa's first works for Gladstone are a clear imitation of Barks: he invented the plots himself, but redrew the background and poses of the characters from old comics. Rosa considered only Barks stories canon and was guided by them. He moved the action to the 1950s and 1960s, when the Good Duck Artist comics took place, and composed a number of sequels to its stories. Over the years, Rosa himself has acquired a cult status. He brought back an interest in ducks and did a great job organizing Barks comics. After analyzing Scrooge's chatter about family and past adventures, Rosa compiled his family tree and wrote a biography of a rich drake - the graphic novel The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.

IN HIS FIRST "DUCK" COMIC "SON OF THE SUN" ROSA INTENTIONALLY COPIED BARKS'S DRAWINGS

ALTHOUGH DONALD IS MORE FAMOUS FOR SPRING, SCROOGE WAS NOT A FOOL TO FIGHT IN YOUNG.

MCDUCK IN THE DARK "ERA OF THE INITIAL ACCUMULATION OF CAPITAL" IN THE WILD WEST

The Life of Scrooge (Chronology of Don Rosa)

1867. Scrooge was born in Glasgow to Fergus McDuck and Downey O'Drake. He was the eldest child, later he had sisters Matilda and Hortense.

1877. To make money, Scrooge becomes a shoe shiner. The first client deceives the boy by paying with a dime, useless in Scotland. Scrooge will keep the coin for life as a symbol of success and vow that no one else will be able to cheat him.

1880. 13-year-old Scrooge leaves for the USA and gets a job as a cabin boy on the river steamer of his uncle Angus McDuck. Angus soon retired and gave the steamer to his nephew, but the Gavs Brothers gang destroyed the ship. Scrooge decides to try his luck in the Wild West.

1896–1899. After unsuccessful attempts to find gold, Scrooge comes to the Klondike, and luck smiles at him. On the Klondike McDuck meets the owner of the saloon Goldie Gold. He will keep his love for her for life.

1902. Scrooge becomes a billionaire and moves to the hamlet of Duxburg, Calisota.

1930. McDuck becomes the richest drake in the world, but in pursuit of profit forgets about his family and finally quarrels with her.

1942. Falling into depression, Scrooge decides to retire and fences off from the whole world in his estate on Bear Mountain.

1947. Scrooge meets with his nephew Donald and great-nephews Billy, Willie and Dilly. An interest in life awakens in him, and together they set off towards adventure.

1967. Non-canon Date - Like Barks, Scrooge dies at the age of 100 after a life of adventure.

THE MACDAC FAMILY TREE FROM DON ROSA

DuckTales

THE UNFORGETTABLE MAIN THEME OF THE MULTISERIAL WRITTEN BY MARK MUELLER, AND WITHOUT IT, IT IS NOW IMPOSSIBLE TO PRESENT THE "DUCK STORIES". EVEN IN RESTARTING IT WAS SAVED

In the mid-1980s, Disney decided to invest heavily in television cartoons for syndication. What does this term mean? Typically, studios produce content for a specific channel, which has the final say. Low ratings, bad reviews, disliked management - and the show is closed. But if the show goes to syndication, the studio can directly sell the broadcast rights to dozens of channels around the world.

The show could be syndicated only after breaking a certain barrier - for animated series it was 65 episodes. Disney needed to film them before they could start negotiating with buyers. It was a big risk: if it failed, the studio could lose $ 20 million. It was necessary to understand what to bet on.

IN THE CARTOON, MONEY WERE SERVED TO SCROOGE AS A NOSTALGIC REMINDER OF PAST ADVENTURES. HE COULD REMEMBER HOW I EARNED EACH OF HIS COINS

"Duck Tales" was not an obvious choice: Disney was initially going to release it in the format of an hour-long series on one of the major channels. But syndication chief Bob Jakumin saw the show's potential and snapped Disney CEO Michael Eisner's permission to tackle DuckTales himself.

Animation production was outsourced to Asia - Taiwanese studio Wang Film and Japan's Tokyo Movie Shinsha. For this, the American press accused Disney of trying to shoot cartoons at a low price, although in reality it did not work out to save money - the falling dollar rate only increased costs. Each episode of "Duck Tales" cost 300 thousand. But time has confirmed Disney was right. Now "Ducks" are considered classics, and the level of their animation is the standard.

Experienced actors were involved in the dubbing of the series. The role of Scrooge was entrusted to legendary comedian Alan Young (1919–2016), whose career began in the 1940s. Young returned to this role more than once: the last time he voiced Scrooge four months before his death, in an episode of the animated series "Mickey Mouse".

The plot was based on Barks' comics, but the original source was not followed in everything. One of the key differences was the almost complete absence of Donald, who, according to the plot, was sent to serve in the Navy. With Barks, he played an important role, but Jakumin decided that in "Duck Tales" Duck would appear sporadically, and the focus would be on the relationship between Scrooge and his nephews. There are several reasons why Donald was pushed into the background. First, the studio did not want to "waste" one of the most popular characters, putting him in a secondary role. Secondly, Duck talks a lot at Barks - and in cartoons he speaks inarticulate. The vacant space was filled with new characters: the gallant pilot Zigzag McCruck, the prim butler Duckworth, the wise housekeeper Mrs.

The premiere took place on September 18, 1987. At first, the press was skeptical about "Duck Tales", accusing the series of poor quality, whitewashing Scrooge and non-observance of the spirit of the comics. But the audience was delighted. The ratings were so high that Disney ordered additional episodes, and Ducks ended up lasting four seasons.

What is the reason for the success? From the opening chords, the Duck Tales screensavers carried viewers into a world full of adventure. A world where the dreamer Scrooge invited every week to go in search of the crown of Genghis Khan, Atlantis or the Lost World. Young viewers were shown the richness and diversity of the world and encouraged to explore. You can't learn the history of the Great Geographical Discoveries, the American Civil War or the Klondike Gold Rush from Duck Tales, but the series showed that learning and learning new things is interesting. No wonder Scrooge said that he owed his outlook to books.

The series unobtrusively preached family values ​​and business ethics. Scrooge earned his fortune by honest labor, without deviating from the principles. If in comics McDuck loved money most of all, then in the animated series he was more interested in the treasure hunt itself. And most important to Scrooge was family. More than once McDuck was forced to choose between wealth and nephews - and each time he chose a family. At the same time, morality did not harm the fascination - all the series today look in one breath.

BARKS'S COMICS INSPIRED THE AUTHORS OF INDIANA JONES. AND THE CREATORS OF THE "TREATMENT LAMP" LEFT IN THE PICTURE A LOT OF REFERENCES TO "INDIANA"

The success of Ducks ushered in the era of the Disney renaissance. They were followed by other successful TV series: "Chip and Dale", "Miracles on the bends", "Black Cloak". In the wake of Disney's success, they tried to shoot a full-length cartoon "Duck Tales: The Coveted Lamp." If successful, he could become the first in the series: according to rumors, there were other full-length films in development about both ducks and about Chip and Dale. However, "The Coveted Lamp" did not "shoot" - it seemed to critics and spectators that it just looked like a protracted series of "Duck Tales". At the box office, the cartoon earned only $ 18 million - not a failure, but they put an end to the plans to transfer the animated series to the big screen.

THE BLACK CAPE ACTION TOWARDS THE WORLD OF DUCK STORIES, BUT WITH THE EXCEPT OF THE ZIGZAG AND THE TECHNODAK (ALSO SUPER CRACK) THERE IS ALMOST NO INTERSECTION BETWEEN THE SERIES

And soon the "Duck Tales" ended. In the fall of 1990, the last season of eight episodes was released, ending with an epic finale, where the heroes saved the world from a golden apocalypse.

Ducks in Russia

"Duck Tales" became the first TV series shown in the Soviet Union, and comics followed in the USSR. Since 1989, Egmont Publishing House has started to release comics "Mickey Mouse", and in the early nineties the publishing line was replenished with "Duck Tales", "Mikkidetective", "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin". For several years comics were sold in all newsstands, but since the second half of the 1990s, their popularity has faded. The return of Scrooge had to wait almost twenty years - since the fall of 2016, AST has been releasing collections of classic comics Barks and Dew.

Darkwing Duck

Duck Tales needed a replacement, and producer Ted Stones remembered Duck Two Zeros. That was the working title of the Duck Tales spin-off, based on two episodes: in one, Zigzag tried on a white tuxedo and the role of a secret agent, and in the other, Scrooge became a masked avenger. Stones planned to make Duck Two Zeros a parody of spy films, and saw ZigZag as the main character. But it turned out that the rights to the “Two Zeros” brand had already been registered by another company, and the Zigzag obviously did not want to play a central role. So the parody of spies was replaced by a parody of superheroics, Zigzag was demoted to an assistant, and a new hero, Black Cloak, was invented for the main role. The premiere took place on September 8, 1991, and a total of 91 episodes were released.

SPECIAL AGENT DUCK TWO ZERO WAS SUPPOSED TO WEAR A WHITE TUXEDO AND BLACK MASK

The black cloak lived in the city of Saint-Canar, a clear parody of Gotham. At night, he defended the city from crime, and during the day he led the life of an ordinary person named Quack Lapchaty. In the series, they did not reveal where Quack worked in ordinary life and where he got money from for his gadgets. Perhaps he was paid a salary in the secret organization SHUSHU.

"DUCK STORIES" BECAME THE FIRST AMERICAN MULTISERIAL SHOWN IN THE USSR, AND THE "BLACK COAT" IS THE FIRST IN NEW RUSSIA

Each episode parodied imagery from superhero comics, tabloid detectives, or spy movies. Black Cloak himself made fun of the superheroes of the Golden Age of comics - mostly, of course, Batman, but also the Shadow, the Green Hornet and even Zorro with the Lone Ranger. His signature lines like "I am the horror flying on the wings of the night!", "Sniff the gas, villain!" and "Well, from the screw!" let's go to the people. And his supervillain enemies seem to have come out of DC comics and Bond films: a plant duck, an evil clown, a rooster with a steel beak ... From Black Cloak, Russian children learned about the superhero genre and its cliches before they got acquainted with the parody subject itself.

But the Cloak also had unique features. Unlike his colleagues, he was terribly vain, stubborn and narcissistic and did everything to become famous. However, the huge ego of the state of emergency was controlled in the form of Gusena's daughter. She pressed on the best sides of Quack's character, forcing him to make the right decisions.

Quack Pack

In the mid-1990s, animators turned their attention to Ducks again. The series "Team Goofy" has just ended, where one of the "big three" Disney characters has been successfully modernized. They decided to repeat the experiment with Donald: producers Kevin Crosby Hopps and Toby Shelton undertook to modernize it. They decided to abandon Barks comics, threw out most of the heroes of the "duck" universe, and added age to the rest.

According to the plot of the animated series "Quack-Bryak" the nephews again live with Donald, forgetting about Scrooge. Donald retired from the Navy and became a cameraman - travels the world and shoots for the Around the Planet program. From energetic children, the brothers have turned into lazy arrogant teenagers who are ready to do anything to avoid school and housework. Nothing worthwhile comes out of their antics, and the trinity is forced to go out of their way to correct their mistakes.

IN "KRYAK-BRYAK" THE NEGOTIERS ARE FINALLY DIFFERENT. EVERYONE HAS HAVE HOBBY, THEY DRESS SEVERAL DIFFERENTLY, ALTHOUGH HAVE RETAINED FAVORITE COLORS

The experiment turned out to be a failure - the series was canceled after the first season. In the mid-1990s, management changed in the studio's animation department, and Ducks were out of favor. The new bosses switched to producing TV add-ons for hits like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King. Fans of "Duck Tales" could only hope for comics, but even with them in those years, everything was sad: the rights passed from hand to hand, and the publishing houses went bankrupt one after another.

Ducks in games

Duck Tales, 1989

In 1989, Capcom released the DuckTales platformer for the NES (known as Dendy in Russia). The game is still considered one of the best representatives of the genre thanks to its vivid graphics, non-linear gameplay and catchy design. Well, and Scrooge's ability to jump on a cane. In 2013, a remake of Duck Tales Remastered was released for modern platforms with a completely redrawn graphics and dialogues, voiced by the actors of the animated series.

Darkwing Duck, 1992

In a similar style, a game about the Black Cloak was made by the same Capcom. Only instead of exotic ruins, the action took place in the back streets of gloomy Saint-Canard, and instead of jumping on canes, the player could make the villains "sniff gas" from a pistol that shoots a variety of projectiles.

Return of the ducks

We had to wait almost 20 years. In September 2017, new Duck Tales launched on Disney XD. Producers Matt Youngberg and Francisco Angones grew up on the original and have long dreamed of making a new version. They tried to stick to the spirit of the original - not only the series, but also comics and short films about Donald. Already in the pilot episode, you can find many references to Barks (his paintings hang on the Scrooge estate), and to various Disney series (Cape Suzette, Spoonerville and Saint-Canard are mentioned - the scene of Miracles on the Curves, Team Goofy and "Black Cloak" respectively). This is no accident - there are persistent rumors that the new "Black Cloak" will be released in 2018.

Stylistically, the new Duck Tales are more like Gravity Falls than the old Ducks. You shouldn't be surprised at this similarity - in the credits of these two series, many names coincide. But the cult song of Mark Mueller from the opening cutscene has survived, except that now it is sung by Felicia Barton, and not Jeff Pessetto. The characters' characters changed slightly: Scrooge became even softer, Donald turned into a seasoned adventurer, nephews began to differ from each other, and Mrs. Kluvdia and Ponochka became much more active in the events. From the new reading, at first glance, the Zigzag lost: it was a fool before, and now it has completely turned into a walking misunderstanding. But in the pilot episode, he got several vivid lines, allowing him to come to terms with the new interpretation of the hero.

IN NEW "DUCK STORIES" FOR THE FIRST TIME SHOWED THE PICTURE OF THE MOTHER OF TWINS

The main intrigue of the animated series is why Donald and Scrooge have not communicated for so many years. Judging by the pilot, this is due to the mysterious "Spears of Selene" and the disappeared sister of Donald - the mother of triplets. So far, this mosaic lacks pieces, and it is all the more interesting to wait for new episodes, especially since the Russian Disney Channel will begin showing the series in November. We look forward to continuing!

Every Saturday, the Millionaires' Club held meetings at which the members of the club discussed many different issues. As a rule, the conversation revolved around a lot of money. On this day, the conversation turned into a lively exchange of views on what can be considered the largest of the lost treasures in the mists of time. When everyone was already hoarse with arguments, the floor was taken by the president of the club, Major Pincherton.
“Without a doubt, gentlemen,” he said, pointing to the map, “the largest of the lost treasures is the precious cargo of Genghis Khan's Tibetan campaign. It is said that when the legendary emperor was crossing the Himalayas, a huge Bigfoot - the Yeti - attacked the caravan and, taking the jewels, disappeared.
- Remember, gentlemen, - warned the major, who fulfilled the duties of the judge of the competition, - dishonest methods are prohibited! And the winner will be awarded the Gold Medal of Honor of our club.
- Simply amazing! Cried Scrooge, listening intently.
“The most curious thing,” the major continued, “is that among the innumerable riches stolen by the Yeti, there was also the famous emperor's crown - the most valuable thing in the world!
The conversation piqued the interest of all the other members of the club, who immediately began to consider the possibility of finding the crown. Sir Utkine offered to arrange a contest and see if any of the club members could get the treasure. And a week later, all the participants met in a small village at the foot of Mount Everest.
You can say whatever you want, Major, the treacherous Lord Psinson decided to himself, but I will not allow anyone to take the crown away from me.
He took advantage of the fact that everyone was busy discussing plans, and damaged Scrooge's plane.
One is ready, thought Lord Psinson. "Now let's deal with this idiot Sir Utkins."
Hiding behind a snow ridge, he began to wait for the arrival of the millionaire. He was riding on a sleigh in a dog sled.
“The dogs run too slow,” the lord chuckled. - We need to somehow correct the situation.
And then a hare jumped out onto the path right in front of the dogs! They rushed after him, the harness was unfastened from the sleigh, and ... Sir Utkine dropped out of the competition.
- Hehe! One less, ”Psinson laughed. -Let's move on to the last one. I'll wait for Mr. O'Qucken to come over.
O'Kryakven climbed the slope in the company of a guide. As they approached, Psinson hurled several rocks in their direction, which caused an avalanche that swept both climbers down to the very foot of the mountain.
- So, the way is clear! Scrooge's plane is about to crash due to lack of fuel, and the crown will be mine! -Psinson just squealed with delight.
And in the cockpit, Zigzag tried his best to subjugate the plane, but it continued to lose altitude.
- Oh, you, be it wrong! We only have one parachute! Cried Uncle Scrooge. “We'll all have to cling to him.
Before the parachute opened, the plane crashed into the mountain and flew into a thousand pieces. Lord Psinson watched the scene with a satisfied grin, now nothing stood in his way to victory.
Some time later, a parachute with Uncle Scrooge, McCruak, Ponochka and nephews landed in the middle of a snow-covered valley.
“The beginning of our venture leaves much to be desired,” said my uncle. - We are lost in a snowy desert, and we have nothing to get out of here.
“We'll have to prepare a shelter for the night,” Dilly said. - The sky is frowning.
They built a tent from a parachute and several aircraft wreckage, and soon a blizzard burst over the plain.
By morning the snowstorm had subsided and a calm dawn began
“Fortunately, the parachute withstood the onslaught of the blizzard,” said Uncle Scrooge.
“Nevertheless, a serious problem remains unresolved,” Zigzag replied. “Without suitable transport, it will be difficult for us to return home.
- Come back home? - the uncle exclaimed angrily. Who wants to go home? We came here for the crown and I am not going to return without it!
The millionaire did not think about the fragility of the soil under his feet, and after all, a huge amount of snow poured over the night. With his shouts, he caused an avalanche, which rapidly dragged the whole company down the slope among the rocks sticking out everywhere.
After half an hour, the elements calmed down again. The travelers were thrown back several kilometers and covered with snow.
"Are you… are you safe?" Billy asked, getting out.
- Mother dear! - exclaimed Zigzag. - Even my pockets are full of snow!
- Where is Ponochka? Has anyone seen her? Said Uncle Scrooge.
Until now, no one gave themselves an account that the baby was not with them. They immediately parted to comb the whole area, and after a while they heard Willie's alarmed exclamation. Ponochkin's footprints were visible in the snow, and next to them was a monstrous otp!
“W… h… whose tracks are these? Dilly stammered. - Foot size, at least sixty-fourth!
“Undoubtedly, this was not without the monster that Major Pincherton was talking about. It must have dragged Ponochka into that cave yonder, ”said Uncle Scrooge, gesturing with his hand.
Stepping carefully, the travelers entered the cave and began to make their way between the ice columns. Suddenly a gigantic shadow began to grow under their feet, and, turning, they saw that a huge female Yeti was following on their heels, completely painted with cosmetics and adorned with all kinds of jewelry.
Out of fear, starting to run at breakneck speed, Uncle Scrooge did not notice how he separated from his companions and turned into the wrong passage that the nephews and the pilot had run to.
“I think we got away from her,” said Zigzag, looking back.
- Brrr! Willie exclaimed, teeth chattering. - Well, it's cold in this cave!
- I have no doubt that the hot soup will be very useful for you!
At these words, the fugitives froze to the spot. They looked around and in the middle of a large hall, which was decorated with ice furniture, they saw Ponochka, holding out bowls of freshly made soup to them.
- Ponochka! Are you alive! Dilly cried, hugging the baby.
- Of course! After the collapse, Mistress Yeti picked me up and brought me to her home. She is very kind and good,
Meanwhile, Uncle Scrooge wandered through the galleries of the cave, trying to find his comrades.
- Hour after hour is not easier, - he thought. - First, Ponochka disappeared, and now I have lost my nephews. If something happens to them, I will never forgive myself for it. Finally, he saw a ray of light in the depths of one of the passages and headed there. What he saw made his heart jump. He found himself in a huge room littered with treasures. At the very top of this pile, the lost crown of Genghis Khan sparkled with all the colors of the rainbow.
- Crown! Scrooge exclaimed. - I found the crown!
However, Uncle Scrooge's joy did not last long. A female yeti appeared at the entrance to the hall and growled so fiercely that the uncle's feathers stood on end.
The giantess thrust the unfortunate man under her arm and carried him to where our friends were. At Ponochka's request, Lady Yeti lowered Uncle Scrooge to the ground.
- It is high time! He grumbled. “Now, mad old woman, give me back the crown. You don't need it at all - no matter how you adorn yourself, you will still remain a bogeyman.
Poor Lady Yeti walked away, sobbing bitterly.
- You offended her, uncle! - reproached the old man Ponochka. It is unfair. She was so kind to us.
Uncle felt ashamed, and he lowered his head.
“Don't be discouraged, Mr. Scrooge,” said Zigzag. - I will persuade her to return.
The pilot ran out of the hall and began to look for Lady Yeti in the labyrinth of underground passages. Suddenly he heard a plaintive cry. Hurrying to the sound, Zigzag saw that one of the ice bridges had broken under the weight of the giantess, and she, clinging to the edge of the cliff, hung over the abyss.
- Grab my hand! - shouted Zigzag. - I'll help you out.
With great effort, the pilot pulled the giantess up and thus saved her life.
Having recovered from the fright, Mrs. Yeti muttered something tenderly and hugged Zigzag with such force that he almost suffocated.
- Let go! The pilot protested. - Phew! It won't take long to die from such a manifestation of feelings!
A little later they were again with Uncle Scrooge and his companions.
“I beg your pardon,” said the millionaire.
The giantess smiled, accepting her uncle's apology and, to show that she was no longer offended, handed him the crown he so passionately desired.
But she refused to lower the Zigzag to the ground and carried it in her arms all the way back to the exit from the cave under the giggling of the whole company.
Hanging their heads, the frustrated treasure hunters set off on their way back.
- And how do you, Zigzag, manage to charm the girls? No one can resist you. Ha ha ha! Willie laughed.
- Thanks for the compliment! - muttered the pilot, who had no choice but to endure the jokes of his comrades.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the malevolent Lord Psinson appeared on a motor sled and with a dexterous movement snatched the crown from Uncle Scrooge's hands.
- Ha ha ha! Thank you very much, Scrooge! - shouted the robber. “You got me a crown. Very kind of you!
- Thief! Scammer! - the millionaire yelled, powerless to change anything.
Five days later, a solemn atmosphere reigned in the Millionaires' Club. Word spread like lightning that Lord Psinson had found Genghis Khan's crown, and none of the club members failed to attend the Lord's Medal of Honor ceremony.
“Our club is proud to have you, Lord Psinson, in its ranks,” said Major Pincherton. -In this regard, I have the honor to present you with our highest distinction.
At this moment, Uncle Scrooge burst into the hall, accompanied by Lady Yeti and the inseparable Zigzag McCruak.
“You are the meanest of deceivers! - shouted the uncle. - Kooyuna and the medal belong to me!
The giantess walked towards the lord with a menacing look. That bullet flew into the street. Yeti - follow him.
- Wonderful! McCruck said. - Everything ended well.
- Yes! Uncle Scrooge laughed. - I have the crown again, and you have the weight off your shoulders, don't you, Zigzag? Ha ha ha!

"Duck Tales" in Russia, as well as in America, most people know from the 1987 animated series. However, it all started much earlier - with comics that arose back in the early thirties. In this article and its sequel, we invite you on an exciting journey through the history of the "duck" universe. Zigzag, backwater!

It all started with Donald

The hot-tempered drake in a peakless cap was born in June 1934 in Walt Disney's cartoon "Wise Little Hen." In it, a lazy drake shied away from work, but rushed to a free treat. In the fall of the same year, Donald made his debut in the pages of newspaper comics.

The first appearance of Donald, the cartoon "Wise Little Hen"

Early Donald lived in the country, was much more emotional and carefree: he had neither a girlfriend, nor nephews, nor a rich uncle. At first, Donald remained a minor character in the Mickey Mouse comics, but eventually came to the fore in the Silly Symphonies strips.

Yes, in early newspaper comics, Donald was yellow

And in 1937, Donald had nephews Huey, Dewey and Louis (known to us as Billy, Willie and Dilly). Uncle looked after triplets, whose father ended up in the hospital after their next prank. At first, the guys were inveterate hooligans and always made fun of their uncle, but over time, their character improved. The nephews were supposed to return home when Dad got to his feet. However, in the end, the trio remained with their uncle, and their parents were no longer remembered. For the first time in almost a century, they were brought up only in the new 2017 animated series.

Donald and his nephews in newspaper strips

By the way, the names of the heroes are localized not only here. In Finland, where Donald is so popular that he is sometimes voted for in elections in protest, the drake's name is Aku Ankka. And in Italy he is known as Paperino.

And in 1942, Donald's finest hour came: Western Publishing received a license for comics about Disney characters. The plot of the first story "Donald Duck is looking for a pirate treasure" was invented by the studio's scriptwriters, and the drawing was entrusted to the artist Karl Barks.

Karl was then working as an animator for Disney, but he was oppressed by a studio system that kills creativity. He was considering quitting and starting a duck farm. Fortunately, Barks also liked drawing ducks - he took a new order from Western and at the same time offered to finalize the script. The result impressed the editors so much that from the second issue Karl was also entrusted with the work of the screenwriter. The next thirty years for "Duck Tales" became the era of Karl Barks.

Barks approached the drawing very carefully. For example, he studied National Geographic issues to illustrate sunken ships.

Donald at Barks has changed for the better. He remained a hot-tempered, boastful lazy person, but he learned to take responsibility, stopped being overly emotional and began to speak clearly. He took care of his nephews, even though this made him break away from his beloved idleness. The tenacity with which Donald sought a job can only be matched by the persistence with which he lost it. However, the drake did not lose heart. Unlike his famous uncle, who did not know how to stop in time, Donald needed something small to be completely happy, for example, a slice of pizza or a glass of soda.

Donald is sometimes the villain in my stories, but mostly he's a good guy, even though he makes stupid mistakes like a typical person.

Karl Barks

How Scrooge appeared

In 1947, Barks released the comic strip Christmas on Bear Mountain. Here Donald has an eccentric millionaire uncle who lives in a secluded estate in the mountains. In this story, intended as an allusion to both A Christmas Carol and Citizen Kane, Scrooge wanted to mock Donald and his nephews to see if they were worthy of inheriting his fortune.

In "Christmas", Scrooge is old, bearded, leans on a cane and wears glasses.

Scrooge from Christmas on Bear Mountain was my first version of a rich old uncle. I made him too old and weak - and only then I realized that he should be more mobile. The decrepit old man could not have accomplished everything I had planned for him.

Karl Barks

Scrooge was invented at once, but the old curmudgeon liked the public, and Barks began to use him again in stories about Donald, sometimes even as a villain. Noticing the popularity of the character, the publishing house suggested building the plot of another story around him. So in 1952, the comic strip "Just a Poor Old Man" was published in Four Color. From that moment on, Scrooge began to pull the blanket over himself. Now he became the main adventurer, and Donald and the company were left with the role of not always volunteer assistants.

Scrooge is stingy, grumpy and irritable, but he earned his fortune absolutely honestly.

Good duck artist

The writers cared little about creating a single chronology of stories about ducks, so there was often controversy among fans about whose plots were considered canon. Most agreed that the only real canon was the work of Karl Barks.

Karl Barks. The Man Who Made The Duck Tales As We Know Them (Photo: Alan Light | CC BY-SA 2.0)

Karl always wanted to become an artist, but poverty got in the way. To make ends meet, Barks took on any job: he was a farmer, lumberjack, mule driver, rivet maker and printer. But he devoted all his free time to self-education. Karl studied the paintings of his favorite artists, trying to copy their style and find his own.

In 1935, Barks was hired as an animator at Disney, where he shot 36 short films about Donald. But Karl was dissatisfied with this work, believing that studio restrictions kill creativity. In 1942, he left for Western, which was soon licensed for Duck Comics. Here he found his true calling.

Barks created about 500 "duck stories". It was he who invented Scrooge and most of the minor characters - Vinta Razboltylo, Gladstone Gander, Flinhart Glomgold, Magiku de Hypnosis and the Haws brothers... As a rule, Karl did all the work alone: ​​he wrote the script, drew sketches and colored illustrations.

For many years, his name remained unknown - Disney rules forbade specifying artists and screenwriters. Generations of fans only knew Barks as the "Good Duck Artist." The secret of his identity was revealed only in the late 1960s, when Barks retired. He died in 2000, just before he was one hundred years old.

Rereading my own stories, I realized that I had laid in them philosophical ideas, which I did not even know at that time. I think the philosophy in my comics is conservative. In my opinion, civilization reached its peak in 1910 - since then we have been rolling downhill. The old culture has qualities that the remake cannot achieve. Take a look at these wonderful cathedrals and palaces! Now this is not being built.

It seems to me that it is worth keeping the old ideals and methods of work - honor and honesty. You need to allow others to believe in their own ideals, you do not need to cut everyone with the same brush. This is what I dislike about the modern political system: it tries to make everyone the same.

They say the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers are villains because they made their fortunes by exploiting the poor. And I think everyone should be able to climb as high as they can, if he does not kill or torture anyone. And a little exploitation is inherent in us by nature. This can be seen in the behavior of animals - everyone exploits everyone to some extent.

Karl Barks

The life and times of Don Rosa

After Barks retired, Western Publishing continued to produce comics about Scrooge and Donald. But with the departure of the "old guard", the quality of the stories fell, and the editors often reprinted old stories. This could not go on forever, and in 1984 Western went bankrupt. But the "ducks" did not look for a new home for long. Shortly before that, Barks fans Bruce Hamilton and Ross Cochrane founded Another Rainbow, opened the Gladstone imprint, and bought a license to print ducks.

Mostly Gladstone republished old comics, but also looked for fresh blood. It was then that they hired a young and completely unknown then artist Don Rosa. He attracted the editor with his unshakable confidence that he was destined to revive "Duck Tales".

Don Rosa. If Barks created Duck Tales, Rosa turned it into an ordered universe. (Photo: Darrenmambo | CC BY-SA 3.0)

In his first comic, Son of the Sun, Rosa deliberately copied Barks' style.

Like Barks, Rosa was self-taught and learned to draw from idols. Rosa's first works for Gladstone are a clear imitation of Barks: he invented the plots himself, but redrew the background and poses of the characters from old comics. Rosa considered only Barks stories canon and was guided by them. He moved the action to the 1950s and 1960s, when the Good Duck Artist comics took place, and composed a number of sequels to its stories.

Over the years, Rosa himself became a cult comics artist, comparable to Barks. His contribution to Duck Tales is enormous. He brought back an interest in ducks and did a great job organizing Barks comics. After analyzing Scrooge's chatter about family and past adventures, Rosa compiled his family tree and wrote a biography of a rich drake - the graphic novel The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck inspired Nightwish leader Tuomas Holopainen to write the soundtrack for the comic. The album cover was painted by Rosa himself.

Scrooge's Life: A Chronology of Don Rosa

1867 Scrooge was born in Glasgow to Fergus McDuck and Downey O'Drake. He was the eldest child, later he had sisters Matilda and Hortense.

1877 To make money, Scrooge becomes a shoe shiner. The first client deceives the boy by paying with a dime, useless in Scotland. Scrooge will keep the coin for life as a symbol of success and vow that no one else will be able to cheat him.

1880 13-year-old Scrooge leaves for the USA and gets a job as a cabin boy on the river steamer of his uncle Angus McDuck.

1882 Angus retires and gives the ship to his nephew, but the Gavs Brothers gang destroys the ship. Scrooge decides to try his luck in the Wild West.

1896–1899 After unsuccessful attempts to find gold, Scrooge comes to the Klondike, and luck smiles at him. On the Klondike McDuck meets the owner of the saloon Goldie Gold. He will keep his love for her for life.

1902 Scrooge becomes a billionaire and moves to the hamlet of Duxburg, Calisota.

1930 McDuck becomes the richest drake in the world, but in pursuit of profit forgets about his family and finally quarrels with her.

1942 Falling into depression, Scrooge decides to retire and fences off from the whole world in his estate on Bear Mountain.

1947 Scrooge meets with his nephew Donald and great-nephews Billy, Willie and Dilly. An interest in life awakens in him, and together they set off towards adventure.

1967 Non-canon Date - Like Barks, Scrooge dies at the age of 100 after a life of adventure.

The McDuck family tree by Don Rosa

Ducks in Russia

"Duck Tales" was one of the first Disney TV series shown in the Soviet Union. And then comics entered the USSR. Since 1989, Egmont has been publishing comics about Mickey Mouse, and in the early nineties, the lineup was replenished with Duck Tales, Mickey Detective, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. For several years comics were sold in all kiosks, but since the second half of the 1990s, their popularity has faded. The return of Scrooge had to wait almost twenty years - since the fall of 2016, AST has been releasing collections of classic comics Barks and Dew.

And in 1987, "Duck Tales" experienced the main event in its history. Disney has begun producing an animated series based largely on the comics of Karl Barks ... But that's another story.