THEPHOTOGRAPHYSTORIES

Carl Barks was 'married' to his work to such a degree that he scarcely had any other interests or hobbies. Except for one thing - photography. From an early age he would carry his cameras with him on outings, and in his golden years he used them extensively in his home to take photos of his paintings in different stages of completion. Barks was quite a passionate amateur in the field of photography, and it was, of course, inevitable that he drew a few comic book stories about the subject.

This page concentrates only on the stories in which the plots depend on the ducks' use of still photo cameras, and not the stories in which they use small motion picture cameras (equals today's videotape cameras) such as in WDCS173 'New Year's Resolutions' in which the nephews film Donald, or WDCS257 Movie Mad in which the roles are turned around. Still, there are a handful to choose from and they are presented in chronological order.

WDCS046 - 1944

Synopsis:
CAMERA CRAZY
Donald tries to snap a photo worth a great sum of money but he has to find the right subject first!

Comments:
In this first, straightforward and predictable, camera story Donald is using a new camera in order to take prize-winning photos, but it is the nephews with their old camera who take the best pictures.

WDCS057 - 1945

Synopsis:
Donald can earn a thousand dollars by photographing the elusive Iron-Billed Woodpecker. How hard can that be? Well...

Comments:
This time the plot is basically the same; Donald tries to earn money by taking a certain photo, but the nephews win. No less than three cameras are involved. Strangely enough, Donald chooses to run around in the woods carrying a heavy, old-fashioned camera on a tripod.

VP1 - 1950

Synopsis:
VACATION TIME
Donald and the nephews are on vacation in the deep woods and Donald tries to take pictures of a deer. But it is not that cooperative...

Comments:
The camera is an essential part of the story in two ways; it serves as an ingredient for the running gag throughout the tale, and it provides evidence when the ducks are falsely accused of starting a forest fire.

WDCS185 - 1955

Synopsis:
Time for New Year's resolutions. Donald resolves to cook only the kind of food his nephews like. The nephews resolve to eat only the kind of food their uncle likes. Collision course...

Comments:
The camera in this story serves the same purpose as in the precious tale; it provides decisive evidence - Donald has been photographed breaking his other New Year's vow.

WDCS237 - 1960

Synopsis:
MYSTERY OF THE LOCH
The nephews win an underwater camera and Donald immediately sees its potential. He heads for Loch Less to photograph its sea monster!

Comments:
Again, Donald is out to bring home the big money, but this time he travels abroad. Furthermore, the camera is the state of the art in technology: an automatic-eye, super-fast, infra-red underwater camera. No less...

WDCS261 - 1962

Synopsis:
MEDALING AROUND
Donald wants to take a prize-winning photograph of a wild animal but the JW hound keeps getting in the way.

Comments:
The ingredients have been used before: old camera with a tripod, earn money, run around in the forest, get unlucky. Still, Barks has a twist; Donald actually wins a big prize - but not the one he was after...

WDCS273 - 1963

Synopsis:
A DUCK'S EYE VIEW OF EUROPE
Donald is on a tightly scheduled tour through Europe but he gets left behind. Now he has to catch up with his fellow-travellers!

Comments:
Yet again Donald travels to Europe, but this time as part of a special vacation tour where all the participating tourists are taking pictures of all the numerous sights.

EXTRA

As mentioned in the introduction, Barks took his camera along when he travelled. He often used his cameras to photograph locations that he could use in his stories. This example is from WDCS167 'The Salmon Contest' from 1954 where the ducks visit Puget Sound to fish for salmon. The location - as seen here in Barks' very first half-page splash panel - was drawn from a real site by the same name in Washington State when he visited his oldest daughter Peggy. (Her husband owned a salmon hatchery nearby, which was later used as location for WDCS192 'The Salmon Hatchery'.)