For North American comic book fans, he was for years known only as “The Good Duck Artist” due to policies of the day which did not promote individual credits, but for generations of readers Carl Barks (1901-2000) was the man who defined Donald Duck and created Uncle Scrooge McDuck. His work has been celebrated around the world, with museum and gallery showings, feature articles, complete books, and fan clubs. His comic book work has rarely been out of print and his oil-on-masonite paintings can fetch six figures. Now the work of this legendary Disney artist is getting another moment in the figurative sun.

Geppi’s Entertainment Museum (GEM), which opened in September 2006, is built around a walk-through timeline which takes visitors era by era through the history of popular culture in the United States, supporting and illustrating its viewpoints with thousands of rare and one-of-a-kind vintage pop culture artifacts ranging from dolls to cast iron mechanical banks, from movie posters and action figures to comic books and hundreds of other toys. Its walls are filled with a spectacular collection of original comic book and comic strip art, paintings and promotional pieces.

In addition to its regular exhibits, GEM also features a rotating series of special events. These have included “Finally in Full Color,” a look at the changing role of African-American comic characters and creators in pop culture drawn from the collection of comic book historian Professor William H. Foster III, and “The Force is With Us: 30 Years of Star Wars,” which showcased collectibles from the entire Star Wars saga from the collection of Thomas G. Atkinson, Director of the Star Toys Museum.

“Over the years I have been fortunate enough to be in position to preserve, promote and present historical comic character collectibles in a variety of venues to the point at which this museum is the next logical step,” said Steve Geppi, the museum’s founder and owner. Given the impact of Barks on the comic book readers and collectors, and on Geppi personally, it’s no surprise that the newest special exhibit at the facility spotlights the grand master of the Disney ducks.

“Scrooged,” which is now running at GEM, celebrates the life and work of this creative giant through a unique exhibition of original oil paintings, artwork and other memorabilia, including the complete original artwork for the comic story, “North of the Yukon.”

In 1935, Barks went to work for the Disney Studios and storyboarded cartoons such as Donald’s Nephews and Donald’s Cousin Gus. He jumped at the chance in 1942 to produce comic book stories based on the characters.

Western Publishing asked him to work on the comic story “Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold,” and then to rewrite and draw a 10-page Donald story for Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #31. Soon, he became a regular contributor.

In 1947, Barks wrote and illustrated the story “Christmas on Bear Mountain,” which introduced, Scrooge McDuck, who would become his most famous creation. Stories about the character, punctuated with images of vast wealth, his miserly attitude, and an unerring penchant for adventure, met with wide approval. In 1952, his own comic title began. He also created the city of Duckburg and populated it with such denizens as the Beagle Boys, Gladstone Gander, Magica De Spell, and many others.

Late in his comic book career, Barks became aware of his strong fan following. In Europe, where his credits actually appeared on the comics, he had already attained a lofty status, and fans elsewhere were beginning to discover who he really was. When 1967 rolled around, though, he retired after a quarter century of Disney comics.

The retirement, though, didn’t really take. In 1971 he obtained permission from Disney to produce and sell oil paintings based on the Duck characters. He began working in oils and other media, and soon had a following in this new arena, including such notable collectors as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and the aforementioned Steve Geppi. Disney withdrew their permission in 1976, but by 1982 Another Rainbow Publishing had secured a license from the company to produce lithographs of Barks’ paintings, and they commissioned him to paint two new oils per year. The works were soon in high demand.

As well as being featured in books such as The Fine Art of Donald Duck, his work has been featured in retrospectives internationally and in the United States. This is, in fact, the second Barks exhibit Geppi has staged in Baltimore. The first came in 1995 in honor of the artist’s ninety-fifth birthday, and was hosted at Diamond International Galleries.

"I’ve dreamed about this, having Carl come here to see his work in a gallery like this," Geppi told the Baltimore Sun at the time. Shortly after that, Barks finally retired for real. He passed away on August 25, 2000, just shy of 100 years old, and was eulogized around the world.

Featured in the retrospective is the original comic book art for “North Of The Yukon.”

“The complete original art to this 1965 comic book story is the centerpiece of the exhibition,” said Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg, GEM’s Curator. Believed to be the only complete Barks tale in one collection, the story begins to the right of the exhibit’s entrance and continues in rows around the room.

Included in the exhibit are the “Lavender And Old Lace” statue (1996, Another Rainbow, Inc.), “Donald Duck Thumbs Up” (1994, oil), “Scrooge McDuck Midnight Egg” (1992, Theo Fabergé, prototype), “Camelot” (1977, watercolor), “Square Eggs” (1973, oil, re-creation of Barks cover for Four Color Comics #223, April 1949), “Surprise Party At Memory Pond” (1994, preliminary painting for Donald’s sixtieth birthday), “King Beowulf” (1978, oil, from Barks’ abandoned series "Kings and Queens of Myth and Legend"), and many other Disney and non-Disney pieces.

The facility itself has been widely praised from multiple sectors including the mainstream press, comics industry publications, and internet outlets, as well as being commended by comic book retailers, fans, and members of the general public who have toured its halls.

“The 17,000-square-foot space takes up the second and third floors of the former Camden train station here, whose main floor is home to the Sports Legends at Camden Yards museum. Geppi’s Entertainment Museum celebrates the colorful characters and collectibles that have emerged from comic strips and comic books since the late 1800s. Its packed displays – of movie posters, animation cels, action figures, board games, advertisements and more – chronicle the evolution of these characters, often reflecting the periods of American history from which they emerged,” the New York Times said.

“As you wander through the lobby wondering all along how much more impressive the rest of the exhibit could be, you receive your answer immediately on crossing the threshold into the museum’s main hallway. The walls are easily 20 feet tall and are covered from top to bottom (well, about 3-4 feet from the floor) with posters, original artwork, cartoon cels, cereal boxes and virtually anything else you could imagine that has some sort of pop culture icon emblazoned on it. Far from being overwhelmingly busy, with seemingly disparate images that you might assume would be at odds with each other fighting for your attention instead coming together to form a tapestry telling the story of American culture,” ComicBookResources.com said.

“To tour the new Geppi’s Entertainment Museum in Camden Station is to reunite with those legions of imaginary characters who have instructed generations of Americans from infancy to old age,” said the Baltimore Sun.

“Scrooged!” runs through May 2008. Geppi’s Entertainment Museum is open to the public at 301 W. Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, immediately next door to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, just across the street from the Baltimore Convention Center. GEM is situated on the second and third floors of Baltimore’s historic Camden Station, right above another museum, Sports Legends at Camden Yards. Hours of operation are 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily (From October to March, the museum is closed on Mondays). GEM offers different membership levels for individuals, families, groups and corporations. Additional information is available by phone at (410) 625-7060 or on GEM’s website, www.geppismuseum.com