THE BOY AND BARKS 3

Reference to the autobiographical novel 'The Boy who Loved Carl Barks' chapter 14

Barks was aware that his primary task was to entertain, but at the same time he managed to place some comments upon important mechanisms of society.

A well-known example is the ten-page story where Scrooge has placed his money in an open silo in a field, and a whirlwind sucks up the money and spreads it throughout the district. Since people now have all the money they dreamed of they don't want to work any longer, and therefore shortages occur.

On Scrooge's farm, however, they have continued to work, so before long Scrooge can demand exorbitantly high prices for his products. He thus ends up getting his money back.

Whether or not, this morale from 1951 can describe the way the economic system works today one might well wonder. Today there is not the same close link between the abundance of money and commodity economy, and many economists might mourn about that. There was also a time when you could exchange your money into gold if you wanted to, but that mechanism is also removed.

The following year Barks presented story where Scrooge doesn't have room for more money. Instead of building a new money bin Scrooge is persuaded to go on a spending tour to get rid of the surplus money, and Donald has many good ideas how to accomplish that.

At some point, there comes a bird dropping on the windshield, and it provides the excuse to replace the car with an even more expensive model. At last, the trailer is emptied for cash, and the ducks head home only to discover that the bookkeeper with difficulty hauls more money bags into Scrooge's office.

Scrooge asks how it can be and the answer is that a silly spendthrift has been driving around the country and spent a lot of money on things that are made in Scrooge's factories. The revenue from this increased sales now come back to Scrooge.

At the very end, Scrooge asks if he owns a walking stick factory and is told that he does not. Then Scrooge doesn't hesitate to run after Donald to give him a whipping with the stick. Should it mean that he must buy a new stick, such new acquisition will at least not burden his earnings.

The story I mention here as the last of the Barks quotes which I give a little attention is dealing with the mechanisms of our consumer society. It's a kind of a horror story. It is made in 1954 and was inspired by James Hilton's novel Lost Horizons, which is also made into a film.

The story opens by showing us Uncle Scrooge, who is stressed from the huge task of keeping track of his money. He flees to the park and buttons for another bottle of nerve mixture while he envies a squirrel lying snoozing on a branch…