Bruce Hamilton, of Another Rainbow Publishing Co., has done as much as anybody to elevate Carl Barks to his rightful status as a recognized master of the comic-strip artform. Following is an interview with Hamilton on the Barks phenomenon, and the trials and joys of the Disney Preservation Movement past, present, and future.
NEMO: One by one our comic strip favorites are turning fifty years old, and some of them are showing their age. In 1977 Mickey Mouse hit that historic half-century mark, and since then with varying degrees of media attention and public awareness it was the turn for Blondie, Dick Tracy, Popeye, and even Alley Oop. This year, on June 9, it is Donald Duck's turn. Walt Disney Productions' promotion and Another Rainbow's focus will inevitably settle, in part, on the old Duck Man, Carl Barks. Comments?
Hamilton: So much has been written about the universal appeal of the Disney characters in general and the Mouse and the Duck in particular, it's difficult to fully assess the rising tidal wave of global interest in Barks. Many believe he is the most widely-read living comics artisan in the world: indeed, who else can claim to have had his work on sale in mass market stores and on newsstands every day of every week of every year in every free country in the world for 40 years? If that statement is unprovable and exaggeration, it isn't by much!
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