The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck No. of issues 12 (+7 companion issues) Source

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck is a revisionist comic book story by Don Rosa about Scrooge McDuck. Originally, the story had twelve chapters totalling 212 pages. Since then, there have been additional chapters, and the original stories have also been slightly expanded and tweaked in later releases. The story follows the main events of Scrooge's life between 1877 and 1947, including almost all references found in Carl Barks stories about Scrooge's life until 1947 but leaving some room for Rosa and other creators to add more details later. The comic also provides information on the backgrounds and origins of many characters related to Scrooge.

Most of the chapters were released in the United States in issues of Uncle Scrooge, and in many Disney publications in Europe. Don Rosa received the Will Eisner Award for this work in 1995. The trade paperback collection was also a top votegetter for the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Reprint Graphic Novel/Album for 1997.

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Chapter list

Note: Chapters Zero, and all "in-between" chapters with halves in the numbers were not included in the softcover collection in North America. These chapters were later reprinted in a separate book published by Gemstone, titled The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion.

Scrooge McDuck (unofficial) timeline according to the series

1867: Scrooge was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to Fergus McDuck and Downy O'Drake. He would have two younger sisters, namely Matilda McDuck and Hortense McDuck.

1877: Scrooge becomes a shoe polisher, but his first customer fools him and pays him with an American dime. He keeps the dime he cannot spend as his symbol of success.

1880: Scrooge emigrates to the United States. He first meets his uncle, Mississippi riverboater Angus "Pothole" McDuck, and the Beagle Boys, a family of outlaws that remain his enemies for the rest of his life.

1882: His uncle retires and leaves his riverboat, named Dilly Dollar , to Scrooge. The Beagle Boys destroy the riverboat in an act of revenge. Scrooge decides to try his luck in the American West and later in the year gets hired as a cowboy by cattle baron Murdo MacKenzie (an actual historical figure, one of the many that Scrooge met).

, to Scrooge. The Beagle Boys destroy the riverboat in an act of revenge. Scrooge decides to try his luck in the American West and later in the year gets hired as a cowboy by cattle baron Murdo MacKenzie (an actual historical figure, one of the many that Scrooge met). 1883: Scrooge becomes a miner searching for silver and copper.

1885: Scrooge's father calls his son back to Scotland on an important family matter. Just a week before he leaves he meets and befriends the millionaire Howard Rockerduck, who had become rich in the California gold rush of 1849. He also meets Howard's seven-year-old spoiled son John Rockerduck, who will grow up to become one of Scrooge's main rivals.

1886–1889: Scrooge searches for gold in South Africa. During his first year there he saves the life of a duck about his age named Flintheart Glomgold, though Scrooge learns his name more than half a century later. A little later they become bitter enemies, and remain as such for the rest of their lives. Glomgold later became the second richest duck in the world.

1889–1893: Scrooge returns to the United States to search for gold. He meets many famous historical figures but his search fails.

1893–1896: Scrooge goes to Australia to search for gold but his search again fails.

1896–1899: Scrooge searches for gold in the Klondike. During his years there he meets the saloon owner, singer and occasional thief "Glittering" Goldie O'Gilt. He carries a love/hate relationship with her for the rest of his life. His search for gold succeeds.

1897: Scrooge's mother Downy O'Drake dies in Dismal Downs.

1899–1902: Scrooge becomes a millionaire and buys a bank. He starts building a small financial empire; by 1902 he has become a billionaire.

1902: Scrooge returns to Scotland to get his sisters Matilda McDuck and Hortense McDuck to come to America with him. Also in 1902, Scrooge's father Fergus McDuck dies, aged 67, in Dismal Downs. Scrooge, Matilda and Hortense are the last of the McDuck clan. Scrooge settles in the small village of Duckburg, Calisota, USA, which he chose as his home base.

1909–1930: While his sisters remain in Duckburg and run his empire, Scrooge travels the world expanding his empire in every continent.

1930: Scrooge becomes the richest duck in the world, but a fight with his family leaves him with no contact with them for the next seventeen years. Note that during this year he met his ten-year-old nephew Donald Fauntleroy Duck and his nephew's twin sister Della for the first time.

1942: Scrooge feels depressed and tired and decides to retire.

1947-today: Scrooge meets his nephew Donald Duck again and his grandnephews, Della's children, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. He decides to become active again and soon a circle of activities whirl around him as he attracts the attention of relatives, old and new enemies and friends.

Legacy

In 2014, Finnish composer Tuomas Holopainen released a concept album based on the comic, titled Music Inspired by The Life and Times of Scrooge. Don Rosa illustrated the cover artwork for the album.





The showrunners of the 2017 reboot of DuckTales were greatly inspired by The Life and Times of Scrooge in terms of tone and Scrooge's characterization and made it required reading for all writers on the show.

Gallery

Collections

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck , Gemstone Publishing, ISBN 0-911903-96-8 (only includes parts #1-12).

, Gemstone Publishing, ISBN 0-911903-96-8 (only includes parts #1-12). The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Companion, Gemstone Publishing, ISBN 1-888472-40-5 (has parts #0, 3B, 6B, 8B, 8C, 10B, "Dreams of a Lifetime" and part of "Last Sled to Dawson").

References

Rosa, D. (2007). Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. Gladstone Pub.



