Value of Original Carl Barks Art

Carl Barks art price guide

For most fans, the name Carl Banks is synonymous with Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge. 

Working almost exclusively for Disney (Dell Comics), Carl illustrated and/or scripted over 700 Disney (Dell Comics) comics. He died August 25, 2000 at the age of 99. 

With such a huge body of work, Carl Banks original art is often available for sale with prices that vary in the low hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Facts About Original Carl Barks Comic Art

Record Sale for Artwork:

The Sport of Tycoons Original Oil Painting

Sold for: $262,900

Official Website:

www.thecarlbarksfanclub.com

Key Comic Book Issues):

• Four Color #178 (Dell Comics, 1947)
• Four Color #9 (Dell Comics, 1942)
• Four Color #386 (Gold Key, 1964)

How Much is Carl Barks Art Worth?

Carl Barks' expansive body of work makes for some unique and valuable pieces of original art, while other works are sold for quite a bargain.

Rarity, importance, and first appearances within the comic are largely what determine the original art prices.

Below are some examples of original Carl Barks art which has recently sold. Depending on the person, time of year, and several other factors, the price of original comic art fluctuates.

Cover Art for Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #279 by Carl Barks Sold for $3,107

Preliminary Cover Art for Uncle Scrooge #51 by Carl Barks Sold for $1,553

Preliminary Cover Art for Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #242 by Carl Barks Sold for $1,015

Original Art for Uncle Scrooge #59, Page 2 by Carl Barks Sold for: $14,340

Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #271, Page 2 by Carl Barks Sold for: $13,145

Uncle Scrooge #59, Page 5 by Carl Barks Sold for: $14,340

Donald's Cousin Gus Layout Drawing by Carl Barks Sold for: $310

If you've got original comic book art by Carl Barks that you want valued Absolutely FREE, use our free comic art appraisal service to get a quick and accurate valuation. Click the button below to begin.

Private Commissions by Barks

Private commissions by Carl Barks before his retirement in 1965 are quite rare.

After his retirement, in order to earn extra money, Carl began doing oil paintings and sketches of his famous ducks for private commission. Because of the overwhelming demand, Carl did commissions only for a few years, selling most on auction.

Below are some examples of Carl’s now famous commissions.

Vacation Panel Original Oil Painting by Carl Barks Sold for: $179,250

Flying Dutchman Original Oil Painting by Carl Barks Sold for: $80,500

Holiday in Duckburg Original Oil Painting by Carl Barks Sold for: $77,675

History of Carl Barks in Comic Book Art

Despite finding his love for illustrating at a young age, it took Carl over 30 years to finally find his dream job with Disney Studios.

In 1937, when Donald Duck was given his own series, Carl made a name for himself by developing stories and illustrating Donald Duck and his growing family.

In 1947, Carl created Scrooge McDuck, better known as Uncle Scrooge. Over the years, Carl would go on to create the “Duck Universe”, which would go on to influence the show “Duck Tales”.

Despite retiring in 1965, Carl continued to provide illustrations and stories to the Duck Universe for several more years.

Carl Barks Art in Comic Book Interiors

Few comic book artists have shown the dedication to one family of characters quite like Carl Barks did with Donald Duck and his family.

In addition to creating several iconic Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge covers and creating over 40 Disney short films, Carl’s interior art remains a hot ticket for Disney art collectors.

Here is an overview of Carl’s best work for Disney, Gold Key, and Dell.

Vacation Parade #1 (Dell, 1950)

Four Color #9 (For Color Comic, 1942)

Four Color #367 (Dell, 1952)

Uncle Scrooge #48 (Dell, 1964)

Modern Comic Art by Barks

Carl Barks continued to work well into his 60s and 70s, and then sporadically in the 1990s.

One of his last works was the art and story for 1995’s “Horsing Around with History”, found in Uncle Scrooge Adventures #33.

Carl Barks art is highly sought-after. If you have original paintings or art pages, please get in touch.

Go from Original Carl Barks Comic Art to the SMCA home page

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