Scrooge McDuck (1867-1967) is a
comic book and
cartoon fictional character, created by artist
Carl Barks for
Walt Disney Corporation. He first appeared in the story "Christmas on Bear Mountain" on
December,
1947. Scrooge is arguably the richest
duck in the world, rivalled by
Flintheart Glomgold and
John D. Rockerduck, having worked his way up the financial ladder from humble immigrant roots to fantasticillionaire status. He keeps his wealth in a massive money bin overlooking the city of Duckburg. A shrewd businessman and noted tightwad, his hobbies include diving into his money like a dolphin, burrowing through it like a gopher, and throwing coins into the air to feel them fall upon his skull. He is also the richest member of The Billionaires Club of Duckburg, a society which includes the most successful businessmen of the world and allows them to keep connections to each other. Glomgold and Rockerduck are also influential members of the Club.
Keeping all one's money out of circulation is not the best investment strategy. This was addressed in "Scrooge McDuck and Money", a short cartoon released in 1967 that promoted money sense, where McDuck stated to his nephews that the money in his bin is but a percentage of his total wealth. The rest is invested in his world-wide financial empire.
Scrooge's nephew is noted bumbler Donald Duck. His grand-nephews are the triplets Huey, Dewey and Louie.
The character of Scrooge McDuck takes his name from Charles Dickens's Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol.
Although more details are constantly added to this character's biography by many different creators some important "facts" include, but are not limited to, the following:
- 1867 Scrooge born in Glasgow, Scotland to Fergus McDuck and Downy O'Drake. He had an older half-brother, namely Rumpus McFowl. He would have two younger sisters, namely Matilda McDuck and Hortense McDuck, and a younger half-brother named Gideon 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 can't 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 riverboat is destroyed by the Beagle Boys in an act of revenge. Scrooge decides to try his luck in the 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 is called back to Scotland by his father to for an important family matter. Just a week before he leaves he meets and befriends the millionaire Howard Rockerduck who had became rich in the Californian Gold Rush of 1849. He also meets Howard's seven year-old spoiled son John Rockerduck. He will grow to become the Third Richest Duck in the world and 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. A little later they become bitter enemies. They remain enemies for the rest of their life. Flintheart 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 continues to have a love/hate relationship with her for the rest of their life. His search for gold is successful.
- 1899-1902 Scrooge becomes a milionaire and he 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 with him. His father dies. His mother and one of his two uncles had already died. Otherwise, the three youths are the last of the clan McDucks. Scrooge settles in the small village of Duckburg, Calisota, U.S.A which he chose as his homebase.
- 1902-1930 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 seventeen following years. Noted that during this year he met his ten-year-old nephew Donald Fauntleroy Duck and his nephew's twin sister Della Thelma Duck for the first time. He also met Brigitta McBridge a woman that fell in love with him. They continued to have a love/hate relationship for the rest of their lives.
- 1942 Scrooge feels depressed and tired and decides to retire.
- 1947 Scrooge meets his nephew Donald Duck again and his grandnephews, Della's children, Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck. 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.
- 1967 After a life of adventure Scrooge McDuck dies according to Don Rosa's unofficial timelines.
Scrooge's stories by both Barks and Rosa contain many references to historical and legendary events and persons. Of the later many appear in person during the story and some have gained prominent status in the stories. To see more on the subject:
http://goofy313g.free.fr/calisota_online/exist/index.html