Posted in: Comics | Tagged: carl barks, disney, scrooge

Swimming In Money: Carl Barks Scrooge McDuck Painting Goes For Record $262,900

Published Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:55:49 -0600

"Sport of Tycoons", indeed. The classic 1974 Carl Barks painting of that name closed yesterday at Heritage Auctions for $262,900.00, a new record for a Barks painting. The sale eclipsed the previous record for a Barks painting set in 2007 for the sale of "Hands Off My Playthings".

A Disney Studio artist who made his way into comics in the early 1940s, Barks (whose identity was unknown, because like other artists who worked for Disney at the time, his work was unsigned) was called "The Good Duck Artist" before his name became known to fans, for the excellence of his stories and art. Barks created much of the regular Duck cast of characters including Scrooge McDuck, Gladstone Gander, Gyro Gearloose, and others.

Carl Barks The Sport of Tycoons Painting Original Art (1974). With his piles of gold coins breaking the 90 ft. level, Scrooge's money bin in ripe for the swimming, in this treasure trove of a painting by the incomparable Carl Barks. This painted prize is based upon the tale "Only a Poor Old Man," published in Four Color #386, and it saw print on page 215 of The Fine Art of Walt Disney's Donald Duck by Carl Barks, published in 1981. This extraordinary piece (CB#9-74) is painted in oil on a 14" x 18" sheet of Masonite, and it has been exquisitely matted and framed to an overall size of 27" x 24". In Excellent condition. From the Kerby Confer Collection.