DIFFERENT TELLINGS ABOUT KITES

Michael Barrier writes about the story
"Donald Duck Tells About Kites": "Barks's vouchers show that Western accepted eight pages of pencil roughs on June 17, 1954, and accepted another eight panels of roughs and six inked pages on July 8, 1954. This would indicate that some of Barks's pencils were inked by another artist, but there is no noticeable variation in inking styles in the story; all looks like Barks's work. Since this was an unusual book, it seems likely that either his records, or Western's, or both, failed to reflect accurately the work that was done."

Three different editions of the 1954 giveaway comic "Donald Duck Tells About Kites" are known to exist:

Donald Duck Tells About Kites [Florida Power comic]
contains [Donald Duck] Tells About Kites [Florida Power story]
Donald Duck Tells About Kites [Pacific Gas comic]
contains Donald Duck Tells About Kites [Pacific Gas story]
Donald Duck Tells About Kites [Southern California comic]
contains Donald Duck Tells About Kites [Southern California story]

The versions produced for the Florida Power and Light Company and the Southern California Edison Company are virtually identical, with one minor variation in the text. (What? Where?)
For the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Barks provided three completely different panels incorporating a warning about broken power lines into the story.

Detailed comparison of differences

[Donald Duck] Tells About Kites [Florida Power story]

No details available.

Donald Duck Tells About Kites [Pacific Gas story]

Panel 1.1 contains a caption. ("Published as a public service by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company".)

(Description of page 7 and panel 8.3, as published in the D.O.N.A.L.D.-internal magazine "Mitteilungen für Mitglieder".)
The kite gets caught in the power line (panel 7.1), and a nephew penciles down "rule no 6", which warns for kites getting caught in power lines (panel 7.2). Reportedly, this is very same material in all three versions.
Then, in panel 7.3, Donald suddenly discovers a broken power line hanging down, and he warns that "we'll have to notify P. G. and E. immediately" (panel 7.3).
Then, in panel 7.4, Donald looks up and comments: "Even with the best of care, power lines sometimes break! If you find one, always report it!" Two nephews say: "We'll stay here to see that nobody touches the wire!" The third nephew walks towards a phone booth, saying: "And I'll phone P. G. and E. right away!"
Panel 7.5 shows a close-up of a nephew having penciled another note, saying "And that's rule number seven!" The note reads "Never touch fallen electric wires, report them to P. G. and E. or to your parents".
Panel 7.6 appears to be the same material in all three versions. It shows the ducks in an open park.
Panel 8.3 shows eight rules (instead of seven). It has no bottom panel-border. All papers, and almost all of their shadows, are fullly shown. The eighth rule and its paper are identical to the seventh rule in Tells About Kites [Southern California story], except for the numbering. (The rule reads: "Never let a kite go over radio or TV aerials".) The paper of current rule number seven is not shown in Tells About Kites [Southern California story]. (The rule reads: "Never touch electric wires".)

Donald Duck Tells About Kites [Southern California story]

Panel 1.1 contains no caption?

(Description of page 7 and panel 8.3, as published in The Carl Barks Library - Set VI.)
The kite gets caught in the power line (panel 7.1), and a nephew penciles down "rule no 6", which warns for kites getting caught in power lines (panel 7.2). Reportedly, this is very same material in all three versions.
Then, in panel 7.3, Donald shows a phone booth to two of the nephews, saying: "Here's what to do! Call the electric company and they'll send a lineman to get your kite down for you!" The third nephew penciles a note, but that could be a continuation of the previous panel.
Panel 7.4 has the width of the page, as wide as two normal panels. At the left, under panel 7.1, it has a small extension on top. A caption reads "Later...", and the art shows a lineman giving back the kite to the nephews, witnessed by a Donald.
Panel 7.6 appears to be the same material in all three versions. It shows the ducks in an open park.
Panel 8.3 shows seven rules (instead of eight). The paper of the seventh rule, and it's shadow, are partly shown. (It stops at the bottom panel-border.) The seventh rule and its paper are identical to the eighth rule in Tells About Kites [Pacific Gas story], except for the numbering. (The rule reads: "Never let a kite go over radio or TV aerials".) The paper of the eighth rule in Tells About Kites [Pacific Gas story], is not included.

  Sources


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