THEPLUTOPAINTING

When Carl Barks obtained the unprecedented permission from the Walt Disney Corporation to paint the Duck universe characters in oil, he was also given a free hand to paint scenes and actions as he pleased. This resulted in several main groups of painting subjects such as new and inventive scenarios, well known old story scenes, and renderings of front covers. As for the latter, in 1972, Barks was commissioned by his former employer, Western Publishing, to reproduce his front cover for WDCS148 from 1953, showing a domestic Christmas scene at the Ducks' home. In it, a character from the Mouse universe was atypically appearing and playing a central role to boot. Pluto. This is the story.

PROLOGUE

LFC7 Pluto Saves the Ship

Barks did not like Pluto! In an interview he said: Pluto was in a lot of their comic-strips, but he was a very artificial dog, so different from any idea one might have of a dog. I never liked him very much. He was a dumb dog, you might say.

On that note it is extremely surprising that Barks in fact happened to start and end his comic book career with Pluto! In his very first story LFC7 Pluto Saves the Ship (made together with two of his colleagues, Jack Hannah and Nick George, during the Second World War) Pluto was the starring character, and after his official retirement Barks wrote and sketched no less than three Junior Woodchucks stories with Pluto as the organisation's official hound (HDL08 Let Sleeping Bones Lie, HDL12 Hound of the Moaning Hills, HDL13 The Day the Mountain Shook)...

But previously when Barks worked in the story department at Disney's, he had to work with Pluto. He was dealt diverse tasks from in-betweener to story director. This resulted in 4 animated shorts (Alpine Climbers, Bone Trouble, Put-put Trouble, The Army Mascot).

THE PAINTING

WDCS148 - 1953 In 1953 Barks made the front cover for WDCS148, in which Pluto took centerstage. The gag called for a disturbing factor to 'accompany' the nephews' Christmas caroling outside their house, and a howling dog was a logical choice. Strange though that Barks would choose Pluto to participate in his front cover, when Bolivar would have been the more natural character given the fact that it was a sporadic member of the Duck home.				5/72 Christmas Carolers In 1972 Barks made a painting of the gag cover known as 5/72 Christmas Carolers. The painting was ordered by Barks' old employer, Western Publishing, with the intention of using it in a new comic book, but for some reason it never happened. This also explains why Barks' layout leaves the upper part of the painting bare; he simply left room for the Disney logo! Anyway, Western bought the painting and Barks booked it on March 31.
Titbits: Western paid the very handsome sum of 200 dollars plus tax for the painting, which was more than usual for a 'simple' and just reproduced gag cover. Normally the size of such a painting would have been 16x20" (410x510mms) but in this instance the measurements were 12x17" (310x430mms). Observe how methodically and accurately Barks transferred the cover to oil on most accounts. Easily seen exceptions can be found in the sketchy bricks, the shape of the window, the missing headboard, the title of the songbook, and the strange leaning(?!) brick wall...

EVEN MORE PLUTOS!
Barks continued to surprise by actually producing 3 additional paintings with the - in his eyes - dumb dog. Here they are in chronological order:

14/72 Reading the Scandal Sheet

Barks depicts what seems to be the nephews' playroom filled with different types of toys. You can see Mickey Mouse in the lower foreground, and a Pluto toy in the upper right corner. The dog is also present on the front cover of a paintbook in the lower left corner.

3/76 July Fourth in Duckburg

The painting commemorating USA's bicentennial jubilee is practically crawling with different groups of characters; some of Barks' personal friends and many of his famous characters and objects. In the lower left corner he also made room for Pluto.

128/83 In Uncle Walt's Collectery*

Many different Disney characters are present. Pluto is represented twice; on a book cover on the upper left shelf, and in the chest of drawers in the lower right corner.