Carl Barks had no experience with funny-animal cartoons when he joined Disney's in 1935. He came directly from a job where he was both drawing and writing for an adult humour magazine. After a short period in various departments he was assigned to work on the animated films. He stayed there until he finally left Disney's in 1942. In these few years Barks was an important asset to the cartoon work. He contributed a great number of brilliant ideas - some were used, some were not - but it is plain to see from his many sketches that he was exceptionally gifted. One reason he contributed so much is because he, more than others, had the ability to capture an idea at the numerous storyboard and brainstorming meetings and get it down on paper very quickly.

This page will only show a tiny fraction of Barks' sketches for some of the animated films that actually reached the cinemas (in chronological order after year of release). In The Cartoons you will be able to find a review of those in which Barks was directly involved, plus a separate section of the shorts for which he drew countless sketches but which never got past the storyboard stage.

SNOW WHITE (1937)
When Barks joined Disney's in 1935 the animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was in the planning stage. He took it upon himself to submit quite a few ideas, but none were used in the finished product. Here are two examples: In the first panel Barks made a sketch in which the dwarfs suspiciously inspect Snow White's cooking. In the other panel Sneezy's sneeze causes multiple events to happen which Barks showed in a string of sketches.

GOOD SCOUTS (1938)
One of the classic cartoons that managed to be nominated for an Academy Award (an Oscar). But another Disney short, Ferdinand the Bull, took home the prize.

DONALD'S LUCKY DAY (1939)
This short might as easily have been named Donald's UNlucky Day, because of the disastrous events that take place. Observe how Barks underlines the unlucky theme by using two road signs with the number 13 plus a black cat.

THE HOCKEY CHAMP (1939)
Often, Barks would use multiple poses in one panel in order to illustrate the movement of the character.

MR. DUCK STEPS OUT (1940)
This is the first short in which Barks used Daisy. Observe the 'animated' second panel.

THE FIRE CHIEF (1940)
The famous short in which Barks introduced what could be poor Donald's motto by letting him sigh in the end scene: You can't win. You just can't win...

TIMBER (1941)
This cartoon has a lot in common with The Riveter from the year before. In both of them Donald, the underdog, is battling Black Pete, his fierce boss.

OLD MACDONALD DUCK (1941)
This short contained several clever perspective drawings. Observe the minor spelling error in Donald's singing text!

TROMBONE TROUBLE (1944)
Donald has another encounter with Pete in this rather slow-moving short. Observe Barks' wonderful rendering of Pete's way of talking.