themasterstrokeswordplay

It is remarkable to see that Barks mastered the English language as well as he did, because he always disliked English in school. It was only when he was in his twenties - and trying to write a novel - that he forced himself to sit down with some educational books in order to catch up and better himself. Anyone who has read Barks' comics in the original language will agree that he succeeded! On this page you will find plenty examples of Barks' flair for inventing catchy titles for his comic book stories.

BORROWED TITLES

Several of Barks' comic book titles may seem vaguely familiar to us, and this may be because Barks took some of his titles from current popular culture. Maybe he heard of a new book or saw a film and decided to use its title for his own purpose. If so, he did not use any of the plotlines, just the titles. Of course, this is only speculation, but if you take a look at the collected material, you will probably agree, that some of the comic book titles are not totally Barks' own brainchildren.

DD26 Trick or Treat 1952 (Cartoon: Trick or Treat 1952)
DD54 Forbidden Valley 1957 (Film: Forbidden Valley 1938)

FC0199 Sheriff of Bullet Valley 1948 (Film: Sheriff of Redwood Valley 1946)

U$11 Riches, Riches Everywhere 1955 (Film: Water, Water Everywhere 1920)
U$29 Island in the Sky 1960 (Film: Island in the Sky 1953)
U$31 All at Sea 1960 (Film: All at Sea 1957)
U$36 The Midas Touch 1962 (Film: The Midas Touch 1940)
U$43 For Old Dime's Sake (Saying: For Old Time's Sake)
U$46 Lost Beneath the Sea 1963 (Film: Secret Beneath the Sea 1963)
U$51 How Green was My Lettuce 1964 (Film: How Green was My Valley 1941)
U$57 The Swamp of no Return 1965 (Film: The River of no Return 1954
U$59 North of the Yukon 1965 (Film: North of the Yukon 1939)
U$61 So Far and No Safari (Pun: So Far - No Safar...)

WDCS256 Northeaster on Cape Quack (Painting: Edward Kautzky 'Northeaster on Cape Ann')
WDCS262 Rags to Riches 1962 (Saying: Rags to Riches)
WDCS269 A Matter of Factory (Saying: As a Matter of Fact)
WDCS274 Gall of the Wild 1963 (Film: Call of the Wild 1935)
WDCS278 Have Gun - Will Dance 1963 (Film: Have Gun - Will Travel 1957)
WDCS281 Feud and Far Between (Saying: Few and Far Between)
WDCS297 Monkey Business 1965 (Film: Monkey Business 1952)

RHYMES

A few of Barks' comic book titles played on certain words' similarities. They may rhyme where two different words sound alike but have different meanings. Here are some examples.

DD26 Hobblin' Goblins

FC0238 Voodoo Hoodoo
FC1184 The Nose Knows *)
FC1184 Brain Strain

U$27 His Handy Andy
U$31 The Balmy Swami *)
U$32 A Thrift Gift
U$33 Bongo of the Congo
U$35 Fastaway Castaway
U$38 Much Luck McDuck

WDCS251 Duck Luck
WDCS259 Jungle Bungle
WDCS260 Merry Ferry
WDCS272 Spare that Hair *)
WDCS275 Zero Hero
WDCS294 Duck out of Luck

ALLITERATIONS

There can be little doubt that Barks enjoyed inventing titles of two or more main words that started with the same letter or sound. He even did so many times when inventing new characters. Just think of Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, Beagle Boys, Cornelius Coot.
NB.: You will probably miss the story commonly known as 'The Seven Cities of Cibola', but it never received that title by Barks.

DD26 Trick or Treat

FC0159 Ghost of the Grotto
FC0308 Dangerous Disguise
FC1025 Mastering the Matterhorn
FC1025 Trail Tycoon
FC1047 Milktime Melodies
FC1047 Stubborn Stork
FC1055 Double Date
FC1073 Touché Toupeé
FC1095 Mixed-Up Mixer
FC1150 Ring Leader Roundup
FC1150 Ruling the Roost
FC1150 Daringly Different
FC1150 False Flattery
FC1161 Reversed Rescue
FC1184 Buffaloed by Buffaloes

MMA September Scrimmage

U$09 The Lemming with the Locket
U$09 The Tuckered Tiger
U$23 The Strange Ship-Wrecks
U$26 The Prize of Pizarro
U$27 Crawls for Cash
U$29 Oodles of Oomph
U$33 The Big Bopper
U$34 Mythic Mystery
U$37 Deep Down Doings
U$40 Oddball Odyssey
U$40 Posthasty Postman
U$41 The Status Seeker
U$44 Invisible Intruder
U$45 The Travel Tightwad
U$49 The Loony Lunar Gold Rush
U$50 Rug Riders in the Sky
U$58 The Giant Robot Robbers
U$63 House of Haunts
U$66 The Heedless Horseman
U$69 The Cattle King
U$70 The Doom Diamond

VP1 Camp Counselor

WDCD Dainty Daredevil

WDCS046 Camera Crazy
WDCS236 Froggy Farmer
WDCS240 The Fraidy Falcon
WDCS241 Rocks to Riches
WDCS243 Turkey Trouble
WDCS247 The Madcap Mariner
WDCS248 The Terrible Tourist
WDCS253 Hound Hounder
WDCS255 Boat Buster
WDCS257 Movie Mad
WDCS262 Rags to Riches
WDCS263 The Candy Kid
WDCS268 Christmas Cheers
WDCS276 Beach Boy
WDCS291 Delivery Dilemma
WDCS308 The Beauty Business