"Pecking Order"
It's man--er, bird--versus bird--er, non-anthropomorphized bird--in a classic story from 1945! Let's look in, shall we?
There's BIG PRIZE MONEY for anyone who can take a photograph of a rare woodpecker.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCsMaT1ZGd-Ilf1EQCjhI1x6N3_zjT096FlZvBypEvtSXBURvHdq1kiteKjYr811xhzXwe9S50y5tuvkttJqeeTxhILB98TjgNLDQDTCqs8PGbP-zQdnsgl7CykdBfAk-ey500Hc2NL0/s320/01woodpecker.jpg)
Topical--an obvious allusion to the ivory-billed woodpecker, the last known specimen of which died in 1944. Don't even get me started on how much humans suck.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNXVoAE0oBQoU844CYsXrDGNQHi2HkNS1BnkveoHTjNYFAySUJ0Q06TJnaUKG3V5x9nsX2SMW_7YPBZ4nT3tCE780SXsBjCZmMZOhrDmREnv6Aatv9UqKsEXt7S-PSmjP6xDAOEwBwSo/s320/02tenmen.jpg)
Ten men! Gone crazy! Seems hyperbolic, but this is kind of how these things work--it's ALWAYS a serious situation. I'm not going to go into more detail about how this represents a modernist cultural milieu. I think I've beaten that dead horse sufficiently. But keep it in mind. IT IS TRUE. Insofar as there IS "truth" hereabouts. I would say that there is, more or less. That may change later on in Barks' run, but for now, we're okay. I'm done now.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcUrV74c-th1npf3kdtc3a936qG7OGCBc7eZYKDSziPe-b29OnA7QiQ5mCogpR-nsdtoL3iH5qNiQPteUOa-oTWTNCnFnb_j9ioye46y6PT8V3dh7jozrs-DpSCEUhp20u1tMpIw0_uQ/s320/03stilteddialogue.jpg)
As you can see, the dialogue here is a little stilted--it actually reminds me a bit of Mark Trail, and I apologize for making such an unfair comparison. I read somewhere that Barks, who lacked much formal education, studied grammar books as an adult because he knew this would be necessary for a cartooning career. The difference between his writing at this point and that from his late-forties-mid-fifties prime is really incredible.
In spite of that, this is a fast, fun little story, filled with manic action. Instead of a detailed play-by-play, let's just give the people what they really want: a montage of pictures of Donald being injured.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFjcHt_QGGYw8bjoK_Kt0_0FVfBHGxlWOvhmfB1WskRv1XHS8WeEA2Y_KlUNdpXsO_4VpX8zuU70-GTDrMeI3YgugjxTZmGCHdlLw2FYr3JatQzTWXlQDnlBakX3sRQsAuLihg5i7e94/s320/04treebranch.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8ew91PwGRyfvrsEw4I-F3F7FctTWYN3orBJywA2MtRA7XjWPMQyYxECLfeezKydIJJ28V7SQde2k0XJ-jxAuvdlNoKU1aUzMHZ2bKPs6s89f1Q-5OEX0YKtEhoMXfB7mx-sGzCP2G0Q/s320/05squirrel.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Bf1q2yGMQCUumZt8EsqGXPVK6NNLQIn80RpVdpDE_iLoTpnhSjExsAGx0aUpzs62HiV6ZsQRt-ibwVzgJZa9Oq9AP9_z_SL7yVlOU8OH_ZkEhONJ8vjs5xzvG5RwLpA9XCNkgmwdQbk/s320/06branchtwo.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxpsvgXpY3aYWR5NMjZET5GmSMEGmpz6QiTWpAvQJFnR_9BZTrwcrDTY0r7Cfau9ZnsCiZBz4tcJZtsaHUS4DoRRmM3sNp2p1E0VIjOw2ggjiR1seUDWmqC9cnpQM3jVY3MXkE3v0PdQ/s320/07pecked.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Lx4SqRLTFjnEpRb3OTbCLRpkalSt5lMmdl8XpVc5LuSeodJ8ZjyJ7n4FrRwhxzezR-QYRWpd1edazfPJpCQaQcpaK1fPUN5ww2TSEquK2bmPq-umuNLlESCUmxuHP6EpiMoa6zznJGE/s320/08fallen.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNx_hJtm1H86yBIQQJAZqm3p4ohe5acO-veRnxagrNP3XghwuQtlXDgM8iVRUG_EclJwphO2UVn1q-4kWQYGNOBS0bFt-e31t37ZvFXyIOKcQ70tbkCc9iyPCIlOLONA84rRkVu7DAqhY/s320/09splat.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlH-SJUP_iGSFZnyV5pnee0O9_4ofocscjsj059ymb2WHpid5f-WhF2HENwMVAWyWnNp3V8TRgf33KVarY6vcBuQ2bIxSTLGGPIpwBx5BVk_ZFqPCAssPeA8WVsJfLpZ4gPt8S3gdjf7Y/s320/10shot.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f0N8o4BH3gA9vKycRR5xiEcsspmLH-J9Ah8m1BnvAFpW2YAjEoKgROgOa17QUW7xzQenD0CgvNNYZE3dFAIWlJo0KXHPy_Ww7guZzFCri3GW9U3iNpuFozL-KH7XMNqGjvAFmXUWhL0/s320/11finalpecking.jpg)
Not bad for ten pages!
There's BIG PRIZE MONEY for anyone who can take a photograph of a rare woodpecker.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCsMaT1ZGd-Ilf1EQCjhI1x6N3_zjT096FlZvBypEvtSXBURvHdq1kiteKjYr811xhzXwe9S50y5tuvkttJqeeTxhILB98TjgNLDQDTCqs8PGbP-zQdnsgl7CykdBfAk-ey500Hc2NL0/s320/01woodpecker.jpg)
Topical--an obvious allusion to the ivory-billed woodpecker, the last known specimen of which died in 1944. Don't even get me started on how much humans suck.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNXVoAE0oBQoU844CYsXrDGNQHi2HkNS1BnkveoHTjNYFAySUJ0Q06TJnaUKG3V5x9nsX2SMW_7YPBZ4nT3tCE780SXsBjCZmMZOhrDmREnv6Aatv9UqKsEXt7S-PSmjP6xDAOEwBwSo/s320/02tenmen.jpg)
Ten men! Gone crazy! Seems hyperbolic, but this is kind of how these things work--it's ALWAYS a serious situation. I'm not going to go into more detail about how this represents a modernist cultural milieu. I think I've beaten that dead horse sufficiently. But keep it in mind. IT IS TRUE. Insofar as there IS "truth" hereabouts. I would say that there is, more or less. That may change later on in Barks' run, but for now, we're okay. I'm done now.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcUrV74c-th1npf3kdtc3a936qG7OGCBc7eZYKDSziPe-b29OnA7QiQ5mCogpR-nsdtoL3iH5qNiQPteUOa-oTWTNCnFnb_j9ioye46y6PT8V3dh7jozrs-DpSCEUhp20u1tMpIw0_uQ/s320/03stilteddialogue.jpg)
As you can see, the dialogue here is a little stilted--it actually reminds me a bit of Mark Trail, and I apologize for making such an unfair comparison. I read somewhere that Barks, who lacked much formal education, studied grammar books as an adult because he knew this would be necessary for a cartooning career. The difference between his writing at this point and that from his late-forties-mid-fifties prime is really incredible.
In spite of that, this is a fast, fun little story, filled with manic action. Instead of a detailed play-by-play, let's just give the people what they really want: a montage of pictures of Donald being injured.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFjcHt_QGGYw8bjoK_Kt0_0FVfBHGxlWOvhmfB1WskRv1XHS8WeEA2Y_KlUNdpXsO_4VpX8zuU70-GTDrMeI3YgugjxTZmGCHdlLw2FYr3JatQzTWXlQDnlBakX3sRQsAuLihg5i7e94/s320/04treebranch.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8ew91PwGRyfvrsEw4I-F3F7FctTWYN3orBJywA2MtRA7XjWPMQyYxECLfeezKydIJJ28V7SQde2k0XJ-jxAuvdlNoKU1aUzMHZ2bKPs6s89f1Q-5OEX0YKtEhoMXfB7mx-sGzCP2G0Q/s320/05squirrel.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Bf1q2yGMQCUumZt8EsqGXPVK6NNLQIn80RpVdpDE_iLoTpnhSjExsAGx0aUpzs62HiV6ZsQRt-ibwVzgJZa9Oq9AP9_z_SL7yVlOU8OH_ZkEhONJ8vjs5xzvG5RwLpA9XCNkgmwdQbk/s320/06branchtwo.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxpsvgXpY3aYWR5NMjZET5GmSMEGmpz6QiTWpAvQJFnR_9BZTrwcrDTY0r7Cfau9ZnsCiZBz4tcJZtsaHUS4DoRRmM3sNp2p1E0VIjOw2ggjiR1seUDWmqC9cnpQM3jVY3MXkE3v0PdQ/s320/07pecked.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Lx4SqRLTFjnEpRb3OTbCLRpkalSt5lMmdl8XpVc5LuSeodJ8ZjyJ7n4FrRwhxzezR-QYRWpd1edazfPJpCQaQcpaK1fPUN5ww2TSEquK2bmPq-umuNLlESCUmxuHP6EpiMoa6zznJGE/s320/08fallen.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNx_hJtm1H86yBIQQJAZqm3p4ohe5acO-veRnxagrNP3XghwuQtlXDgM8iVRUG_EclJwphO2UVn1q-4kWQYGNOBS0bFt-e31t37ZvFXyIOKcQ70tbkCc9iyPCIlOLONA84rRkVu7DAqhY/s320/09splat.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlH-SJUP_iGSFZnyV5pnee0O9_4ofocscjsj059ymb2WHpid5f-WhF2HENwMVAWyWnNp3V8TRgf33KVarY6vcBuQ2bIxSTLGGPIpwBx5BVk_ZFqPCAssPeA8WVsJfLpZ4gPt8S3gdjf7Y/s320/10shot.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f0N8o4BH3gA9vKycRR5xiEcsspmLH-J9Ah8m1BnvAFpW2YAjEoKgROgOa17QUW7xzQenD0CgvNNYZE3dFAIWlJo0KXHPy_Ww7guZzFCri3GW9U3iNpuFozL-KH7XMNqGjvAFmXUWhL0/s320/11finalpecking.jpg)
Not bad for ten pages!
Labels: Carl Barks
1 Comments:
Ha! Pain and injuries! The stuff comedy gold is made of... :)
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