THEPROFESSORSTORIES

In several of his comic book stories Carl Barks brought in many different types of professors. They always looked the part which was also underlined by their fantastic names that effectively told us what kind of professors we were facing. Take for instance the heavily bandaged, crutch-ridden professor from FC0318 No Such Varmint; his name is Tryle N. Error which leaves us in no doubt whatsoever as to how efficient he was in his work!
More came and went, some appeared in just one panel, and some were highly surprising (in U$63 House of Haunts several of the Beagle Boys obtained distinguished diplomas and could properly call themselves professors!!!). The list of Barks' professors is long and this page presents some of them.

THE TRIGGERS

FC0159 Adventure Down Under - 1947

Synopsis:
Donald is hypnotized into believing that he is a kangaroo and he is drawn to Australia where the kangaroo queen terrorizes the land.

Comments:
The famous professor Argus Gimleteye is merely used as a catalyst to set off the story. Barks used other hypnotists briefly in a few of his stories, and they received equally catchy names; Orville Orb in CP02 You Can't Guess, and Mesmer J. Spellcaster in U$16 Back to Long Ago!

FC0318 No Such Varmint - 1951

Synopsis:
As a detective Donald is hired to find a lost ship laden with gold but he thinks that he has more potential as a snake charmer!

Comments:
The esteemed professor McDome has invented a machine that can tell exactly which job a person is most suited for. When Donald tries it out it reveals (due to a slight but crucial malfunction, though) that he has the potential to be a great detective - a veritable Sherlock Holmes! The game is afoot...

WDCS159 - 1953

Synopsis:
Scrooge wants Donald's house but he won't sell. The old miser plots to force his nephew out...

Comments:
Doctor Superthink is the creator of life from swamp gas! In his laboratory he generates a Will-O-Wisp ordered by Scrooge to scare Donald. By sheer coincidence the Ducks have just got to know the professor (what are the odds?), and if this is not enough they are also assisting him with his experiment (what are the odds?)

THE SUPPORTERS

FC0238 Voodoo Hoodoo - 1949

Synopsis:
An old zombie confuses Donald with Scrooge as he delivers a curse from his witch doctor. Donald and the nephews travel to Africa to get free of the curse.

Comments:
In some stories the professors are merely used as 'fillers', because they are not really contributing to the main plot. In this one the shrunken professor Cornelius McCobb, Dean of Mystic Lore at the University of Ypsilanti, just verifies a medicine man's curse potential.

U$37 Cave of Ali Baba - 1962

Synopsis:
Scrooge travels with Donald and the nephews to inspect his oil wells. Before long they find themselves in the cave of some giant birds...

Comments:
Professor Dustdiver of The Royal Archaeological Society suddenly pops up from nowhere carrying some ancient tablets revealing the whereabouts of great riches. He does not even have to translate the writings; the ducks can read them by themselves!

U$58 The Giant Robot Robbers - 1965

Synopsis:
Duckburg has invested in giant robots that can do many chores. The Beagle Boys commandeer them to open the Money Bin...

Comments:
The gentle, cultured Domewise, a man of noble intentions and impeccable honor (all according to Barks) has invented a number of giant robots, of which he manoeuvres one. He is present in just two panels, before he succumbs to the Beagle Boys' criminal plans.

THE VILLAINOUS

CG Donald Duck's Atom Bomb - 1947

Synopsis:
Donald invents a bomb that goes 'fut' instead of 'boom'. This is because it has a very special quality...

Comments:
Donald seeks the help of two professors, the kind Mollicule (who insists on calling our inventor Professor Duck(!) and Sleezy, who is later unmasked as a spy eager to possess Donald's invention. According to his accent he has German roots...

MOC20 Darkest Africa - 1948

Synopsis:
Donald is a butterfly hunter and he is hired to go to Africa and collect the world's rarest butterfly. A villainous competitor follows...

Comments:
His name is Argus McFiendy which leaves us in no doubt as for his character! (In an attempt to hide his true character he also calls himself Professor Van Tulip). Still, he tries to destroy the Ducks throughout the story.

WDCS244 Missile Fizzle - 1961

Synopsis:
Donald is a broomsweeper at Duckburg's missile base where a saboteur is blowing up the rockets as they lift off. Donald is mixed up with the next attempt...

Comments:
Slyrat is the culprit much to Donald's surprise. Even at the end of the story he thinks: Good Grief! Kindly old Prof. Slyrat is acting as if he could be the saboteur! But that's silly!

THE PAIRS

WDCS093 'The Moon Rocket' - 1948

Synopsis:
Donald is hired to fly the first rocket ship to the Moon but a villainous guy is also competing!

Comments:
Cosmic and Gamma construct the manned Moon rocket.

WDCS177 'The Diving Sphere' - 1955

Synopsis:
Vacation at last! Donald longs for the beach. A trip inside a diving sphere makes him change his mind.

Comments:
Quahog and Squid construct the one-man diving sphere.

WDCS212 'Around the World' - 1958

Synopsis:
As Donald flies a rocket ship around the Earth he has to fill it up with specific things on the way.

Comments:
Missilebug and Sliderule construct the rocket ship.

THE NAMELESS

FC0275 Ancient Persia - 1950

Synopsis:
A professor discovers how the ancient Persians immortalized themselves and he 'persuades' Donald to go with him to Persia to try out the invention.

Comments:
Barks used one of the most famous villainous and scary looking actors of the time, Boris Karloff, as model for his nameless professor. The nephew seems to agree with the characteristics!

U$08 'The Stone Ray Machine' - 1955

Synopsis:
Scrooge finds an S.O.S. message - someone on an unknown island seeks help. He quickly takes off in the hope of earning on the rescue expedition...

Comments:
A hermit professor has made a ray machine that turns living matter into stone! According to the sheer resemblance Barks must have had Gyro Gearloose in mind when he created the inventor.

U$57 The Swamp of No Return - 1965

Synopsis:
A super teaching machine falls in the wrong hands. Meanwhile Scrooge and half of Duckburg run around aimlessly in the swamps. What is going on?

Comments:
A professor makes an educating device that later becomes a hypnotizing gun. Barks portrayed the physicist as he did in other stories; a good-hearted individual who thinks no evil of his fellow men...

THE USELESS

WDCS092 'The Nutty Professor' - 1948

Synopsis:
Donald is scolded by a professor in child psychology who states that children are to develop at their own pace, and to do anything they wish free of parental guidance!

Comments:
Pulpheart Clapperhead was Barks' biting sarcastic version of the hoity-toity professors of that time, who were widely admired for their pseudo achievements. Nothing much has changed since then...

WDCS149 'Flipism' - 1953

Synopsis:
Donald is letting all the decisions of his whole life depend on tosses of a coin. Flipism will lead the way...

Comments:
Fast-talking Batty is a charlatan who earns a living by departing gullible suckers from their money: Why worry? Let Flipism solve your problems! For one dollar - only one dollar - I will sell you this brilliant book explaining the methods and benefits of Flipism! Donald pays up...

WDCS195 'Collision Course' - 1956

Synopsis:
Two trains are unwittingly roaring against each other and the nephews hear about it on TV. They try frenetically to find a solution before the inevitable collision.

Comments:
Professor Brainwhiz in this story is useless in quite another sense of the word; due to poor weather conditions he is simply unable to leave his home and solve the tricky problem. Luckily, the nephews prove as clever as him...