Which Comics Should I Buy???
A short guide for the collector, fan, parent or relative.

During it’s years as a Disney Licensee, Gladstone Publishing put out a prodigious amount of Disney comic book stories in a variety of formats. As it can be a bit confusing as to what the difference (or similarity) is between those formats, hopefully this list of publications - in chronological order and with a few brief notes on each grouping - will help clarify things for the fans. Links are included to point you to the appropriate web page (use your back arrow to get you back to this page). There's also some possible buying/collecting strategies listed at the bottom of this page.

  1. The Carl Barks Library - 30 volumes in 10 deluxe hardbound sets – over 500 Carl Barks stories – black & white pages with inserted colored comic covers. This is THE Carl Barks “encyclopedia” - published by Another Rainbow over a 7-year period, beginning in 1983. [Highly collectible, most of these are sold out].
  2. Gladstone Comics – Series I – published from 1986-1990 – standard comic-size (10"x 6 1/2"), More affordable with the‘newsprint’ style of paper and, in a few cases, some slight bending due to storage [almost all issues are available]:
    1. Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories #511-547
    2. Uncle Scrooge #210-242
    3. Uncle Scrooge Adventures #1-21
    4. Donald Duck #246-279
    5. Donald Duck Adventures #1-20 (**see note about duplication)
    6. Mickey & Donald #1-18
    7. DuckTales #1-13 (**see note about duplication)
    8. Mickey Mouse #219-256
    9. Walt Disney Digests (WDCS, Uncle Scrooge, Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse -[Pocket-size, small print, stiff covers] )
  3. Series I Gladstone Comic Albums - 8 ½” x 11” on very high quality paper. [ Almost all categories are available].
    1. Walt Disney Comic Albums #1-28
    2. Walt Disney Giant Comic Albums #1-7 (square-bound 8 ½” x 11” on very high quality)
    3. 8-Volume Limited Edition Hardcover Album Edition (Smythe-sewn leatherette) containing all 28 Walt Disney Comic Albums and all 7 Giant albums) [virtually sold out]
    4. 7-Volume Walt Disney comics in Color “Rebound” Albums – same contents as the 8-Volume Limited Hardcover Edition except in economical square-bound comic album format – with brand new covers by Don Rosa. (184-200 pages in each)
  4. Gladstone Rebound Albums – only released to the wholesale market – these are made up stories from of the 35 comic albums listed in 3-1 and 3-2.
    1. Walt Disney’s Comics in Color – 4 volumes – Average of 80 pages each [limited]
    2. Uncle Scrooge & Donald Duck in Color – 4 volumes - Average of 80 pages each [limited]
    3. Biggest Big Mickey Mouse – 200 page or 310 page versions [available]
    4. Biggest Big Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories – 200+ pages [virtually sold out]
  5. Disney Comics – Published by the Walt Disney Company itself from 1990-1993 - standard comic-size using newer higher quality ‘white’ paper – Gladstone handled all subscriptions and back issues. [Most issues are available].
    1. Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories #548-585
    2. Uncle Scrooge #243-280
    3. Donald Duck Adventures #1-38 (**see note about duplication)
    4. DuckTales #1-18 (**see note about duplication)
    5. Mickey Mouse Adventures #1-18
    6. Roger Rabbit #1-18
    7. Chip ‘N Dale Rescue Rangers #1-19
    8. Goofy Adventures #1-17
    9. TaleSpin #1-7
    10. Roger Rabbit’s Toontown #1-5
    11. Darkwing Duck #1-4
  6. Carl Barks Library in Color – high quality, square-bound comic albums published from 1992-1998 – all the material from the original black and white Carl Barks Library (except for some minor stories from set VI) are included [highy collectible]:
    1. Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories in Color – 51 volumes [a few complete sets available]
    2. Uncle Scrooge Adventures in Color – 56 volumes [most issues are available]
    3. Donald Duck Adventures in Color – 25 volumes [almost all issues are available]
    4. Gyro Gearloose (6 volumes), Uncle Scrooge One-pagers (2 volumes), Donald Duck Giveaways (1 volume) [Most of these are available.]
  7. Series II Gladstone Comics – published from 1993-1998 – standard comic-size using the newer higher quality ‘white’ paper – later issues of Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories and Uncle Scrooge were printed in 64-page prestige format (square-bound but comic size – VERY high quality) [All issues but US #310 are available]:
    1. Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories #586-633
    2. Uncle Scrooge #281-318
    3. Uncle Scrooge Adventures #22-54
    4. Donald Duck #280-307
    5. Donald Duck Adventures #21-48 (continued with Series I numbering)
    6. Mickey & Donald/Donald & Mickey #19-30
    7. Walt Disney Giant #1-7
    8. Donald Duck & Mickey Mouse #1-7
    9. Walt Disney Penny Pinchers #1-4
    10. Adventurous Scrooge McDuck
    11. Uncle Scrooge & Donald Duck #1-2
  8. Uncle Scrooge Adventures in Color by Don Rosa
    1. Life & Times of Scrooge McDuck – Albums #1-4 [sold out of #1]
    2. Don Rosa – The Early Years – Albums #1-4 [all available]
  9. Uncle Scrooge Adventures in Color by William Van Horn – Albums #1-4 [all available]

**Numbering Duplication: Please note that Gladstone Series I included Donald Duck Adventures #1-20 and Series II included Donald Duck Adventures #21-48. In between these two series, Disney Comics continued the Donald Duck Adventures title but decided to use their own numbering system and published issues #1-38. The exact same thing happened with DuckTales. Gladstone published Ducktales #1-13. This was followed by Disney publishing Ducktales #1-18. [so, you have to make a clear distinction as to which Donald Duck Adventures and which DuckTales comics you are ordering. ]

Some Possible Buying/Collecting Strategies

  • Carl Barks only – highest quality and most collectible – see #1 and #6
  • Highest quality, very collectible, with many Disney authors (including Barks) – see #5,7,8,9
  • More Affordable Comic Albums – high quality but less collectible – see #3
  • More Affordable Comics – newsprint quality – less collectible – see #2
  • Most affordable Comic Albums, higher quality, least collectible – see #4