Although Carl Barks did a magnificent job establishing a complete duck universe for his comic book stories, a number of basic and interesting pieces of information were never shown to us. Interesting, because they would have been valuable pieces to the complete picture of understanding the duck world. Still, Barks scattered a few clues around in his comics and paintings. On this page you will find only a few groups of appetizers in no particular order. Then it is up to you - if you feel a little sleuthish - to find more clues on the same or on different subjects hidden in Barks' vast material.
| WHERE IS DUCKBURG? | ||
 WDCS049 |
 WDCS082 |
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| According to Barks it is situated approximately 2,096 miles from Niagara Falls in the northeastern part of the USA (WDCS049) and 9,873 miles from Timbuctoo in Northern Africa (WDCS082). Apart from that we know very little about the town's whereabouts. Perhaps a look at the sleuthish page DUCKBURG will provide the answer? | ||
| HOW TALL ARE THE DUCKS? | ||
 WDCS188 |
 U$43 |
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| Donald once found himself surrounded by - presumably human sized - athletes at a sporting event. He seems to reach up to their hips in height (WDCS188). Magica de Spell has measured Uncle Scrooge to be 3 feet tall (U$43). In the painting July 4th in Duckburg the ducks also seem to be about 3 feet (almost 1 meter) tall compared to real humans. | ||
| WHAT ARE DONALD'S SKILLS? | ||
 WDCS247 |
 WDCS150 |
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| Through time we have seen Donald in
a multitude of different jobs. One has to admire his
persistence, because in every single story dealing with a
job situation Donald has a new job. And many of them
require both skill and education. When did he find the
time to attend the necessary schools and courses? You will learn much more about Donald's hidden abilities by browsing this website's pages, some of which are: THE JOBS, THE REGISTER, THE MUSIC, and THE EXPERT STORIES. |
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| WHERE DO THE DUCKS LIVE? | ||
 WDCS064 |
 U$53 |
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| Donald's house changes appearance
in every story which also suggests that he moves around
quite a lot. Known addresses are: 1313 Webfoot Walk (U$05)
and 13 Quack Street (WDCS201).
Furthermore, a local beat police man announces: 'All
quiet on Oak Street, except in Donald Duck's house' (WDCS064). As for Scrooge he is known to live in his Money Bin on top of Killmotor Hill, but - especially before that - he seems to have had headquarters in several office buildings (see under McDuck HERE). We also learn that he has lived in 1313 Quack Street (U$53). |
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| WHAT ARE THE DUCKS' HIDDEN FEATURES? | ||
 WDCS278 |
 WDCS095 |
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| Of course the ducks have ears. We
just don't see them. But there is a lot of evidence (apart
from the obvious fact that they have perfect hearing!);
several times they have forced water and smoke out, and
one time even breakfast cereals! (WDCS278). Furthermore, the ducks have the ability to sweat. This was clearly proved in the front cover for WDCS095. |
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| HOW TOUGH ARE THE DUCKBURGIANS? | ||
 WDCS092 |
 WDCS171 |
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| They are extremely tough. How many times has Donald fallen from high places without being seriously hurt? Surprising as it may seem, it is safest to land on the head. And even more surprisingly, some of the Duckburgians voluntarily bang their heads from time to time. In Donald's case it always calms him down (small wonder!), and in Gyro's case the self-inflicted banging with a hammer provokes ideas for new inventions! Just look at the examples at THE INVENTOR, THE INVENTIONS, and THE REGISTER. | ||
| WHAT MAKE IS DONALD'S CAR? | ||
 FC0147 |
 4/1984 A 1934 Belchfire Runabout |
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| Well, it is certainly not the kind
of car that you will find roaming the streets in your
hometown! According to a mechanic it is a 1920
Mixwell engine! 22 Dudge body! 23 Paclac axles! Wheels
off a lawn mower! Barks is playing on words here:
'Dudge' refers to Dodge and 'Paclac' is a combination of
Packard and Cadillac (FC0147). In 1984 Barks painted a picture showing Donald's car. It was described as a 1934 Belchfire Runabout (4/1984). You will find much more information on the distinctive little, red car in THE CARS. |
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| WHAT'S WITH THE GRAVITY? | ||
 WDCS086 |
 WDCS137 |
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| The duck universe seems to have a
gravity of its own. In all the stories there are frequent
examples showing the characters running high above the
surface. This is also the case with fast running cars.
Learning that particular trick would certainly be nice,
because it must be a great tyre saver! Furthermore, when a character is thoroughly surprised his hat mysteriously pops far up in the air only to automatically re-position itself in the next panel. And when a character gets very angry he can literally hit the ceiling as Scrooge once did (U$23)! Question: Could it be that Gyro has invented all these anti-gravity abilities for his fellow citizens??? Learn more about the ducks' different states of mind in THE EXPRESSIONS. |
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| THE WELL-HIDDEN SECRETS | ||
 CP8 |
 WDCS102 |
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| Donald: He has a middle name - Fauntleroy! It was revealed in the cartoon Donald Gets Drafted from 1942 in which Barks was the Story Director. See more HERE. In lots of stories Donald is seen as being left-handed (example: WDCS102). But also being frequently seen as right-handed he must be ambidextrous. Donald's feathers have the ability to change colour in different situations: Bathing in cold water (WDCS280), and when being sick from smoking (WDCS225). Barks never disclosed Donald's (or any other of the characters') weight. Presumably, he weighs in at around 90 pounds (circa 41 kilograms): At least, in Maharajah Donald he was just 2 pounds short of reaching 100 pounds after his feathers had been filled with gold dust (MOC04). The nephews: Scrooge: Grandma: Gyro: In general: |
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| http://www.cbarks.dk/THECLUES.htm | Date 2004-09-05 |
