Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge: “The Golden Nugget Boat” is Volume 26 in Fantagraphics’ The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library. This book collects comic-book stories starring Uncle Scrooge (that ran from March-April 1960 to January 1961), and starring his nephew Gyro Gearloose (that ran from January 1970 to January 1971). It concludes with a Cover Gallery; “Story Notes,” which are annotations by a team of writers; “It Was the Best of Dimes,” a look at Scrooge’s Number One Dime by J. Michael Catron; and “Carl Barks: Life Among the Ducks,” a biography by Donald Ault.
Buy Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge: “The Golden Nugget Boat”: The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library Vol. 26Gladstone Gander pays no attention to his Uncle Scrooge about working hard because of his luck. For example, he found the titular object while passing the dump. Scrooge buys it off him and is inspired to head to Alaska with Donald and nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie in search of more gold. While there, he enters a contest to find the biggest gold nugget. Through a bit of luck, Gladstone makes his way to Alaska and also enters the contest. But he’s not the only one with the bit of luck as readers discover the title’s double meaning.
In regards to the Fountain of Youth and distant cousin Poncey de Loon, Scrooge claims “That’s No Fable” as he tells Grandma Duck about a recent trip to Florida as Scrooge looked for land to build cities. He discovered the legendary spring and its guardians. The Ducks get temporarily trapped on an inlet, fearing they would revert back to an egg if they swan to shore, but they are saved by someone as business savvy as Scrooge.
Readers learns that “Clothes Make the Duck” when Donald’s girlfriend Daisy tries to invite Scrooge to a party. He runs away for fear it will lead to him having to buy a new suit; however, his comical getaway causes so much damage to his outfit, due in part to being chased dogs, attacked by lions, and thrown off his own coal train that he is mistaken for “a ragged hobo.” Yet, he comes out ahead through a bit of luck that is usually reserved for Gladstone
“Billions in the Hole” sees Uncle Scrooge’s engineers invent a Subtractor, which shrinks things. (Was surprised Gyro didn’t make an appearance.) Scrooge has recently hired a prison parolee to work as a janitor, whom faithful readers will surely recognize from his blue cap as being a Beagle Boy before the reveal. Naturally, he and other Boys steal the Subtractor. While shrinking Scrooge’s money bin, the Boys, Scrooge, and Donald not only get shrunk, they get dragged into an ant hill and served up as dinner. Also making an appearance in this story is Scrooge’s first dime. The Beagle Boys return in “Gift Lion” as one wears a costume in order to guard Scrooge’s vault. The twist on how to treat a gift horse is a good twist.
“Bongo on the Congo” sees Scrooge shanghai Donald to learn the tycoon business. They and the boys head to Kachoonga, Africa where Scrooge has a diamond mind but all his people have disappeared. The reveal of why everyone has run off is a bit silly, making it the weakest of the bunch.
To celebrate the Duckberg Centennial, the town holds the “Chugwagon Derby.” When Scrooge learns there’s a cash prize of $100 to the winner of the cross-country race, he wants in alongside Donald. In the middle of night and during race, each sabotages the other’s car, but neither picks up on announcer declaring “may the worst driver win!” There are very funny antics in the race.
When a “mysterious [object] has been blotting out the northern sky” appears to be a planet, the Ducks find themselves dealing with a “Mythic Mystery” as they encounter Thor, Odin, and people of Valhalla. Turns out the planets are brought together when Vulcan turns iron into gold, throwing off the magnetic balance, but can the nephews stop Scrooge’s gold lust?
Magica de Spell’s made her debut in “The Midas Touch” and is a such a wonderful I can she why she returned. Magica thinks she can become rich by buying coins from wealthy men and melting them into a super amulet that will bring her riches. Scrooge doesn’t buy her magic abilities, but when he accidentally sells her his first dime, he wants it back. She thinks there’s more power in that dime, and keeps it, leading to an international chase, and some great plot twists.
After a one-page story with Gyro, there’s one last Scrooge story, “Money Bag Goat,” and then Gyro stories feature in the rest of the book. Helping the transition, Scrooge appears in “Cave of the Winds” as Gyro does a job for him, but it’s Helper, Gyro’s little robot, that saves the day by stopping the Beagle Boys. More familiar faces appears as Gyro then helps Donald in a charity baseball game (“The Madball Pitcher”), Grandma Duck deal with a flood (“Mixed-Up Mixer), and Gladstone tame a bear (“The Bear Tamer). Gyro, with Helper’s help, then has solo adventures inventing things to help people in need.
Barks’ writing in The Golden Nugget Boat offers a good blend of Scrooge adventure comics and Gyro comic adventures. With that said, these Scrooge stories lean more often into comedy and Gyro has an added element of science fiction, which also appears in Scrooge stories on occasion.
Barks continued to do great artwork, drawing with such consistency that even though 10 years apart, the strips retain the same style and appearance. Moods are conveyed with facial expressions and body language. Setting are given great detail and the geography of where the characters are at and where they are going is always clear. He makes great use of shadows, and I particularly like his dots to show the Ducks covered in mosquitoes in “The Golden Nugget Boat.”
The Golden Nugget Boat is a very good addition to the Carl Barks Disney Library, especially for Gyro Gearloose fans.
