Louie Duck

Lore & Background

Louie Duck, along with his brothers Huey and Dewey, was created by storyboard artist and screenwriter Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company, from an idea proposed by cartoonist Al Taliaferro. The nephews' names were devised by Disney gag man Dana Coty, who took them from Louis Schmitt, a Disney Studio animator. In the early Barks comics, the ducklings were wild and unruly, but their character improved considerably due to their membership in the Junior Woodchucks and the good influence of Grandma Duck. As the boys matured, they preferred to assist Donald and Scrooge in the adventure at hand. In the Don Rosa story *An Eye for Detail* (1998), Donald gains a photographic memory from studying comic strips or newspapers. In the comics, Louie and his brothers often play a major role in stories involving their 'Unca Donald' or great-uncle Scrooge McDuck, accompanying them on most of their adventures. Originating in the comics is the boys' membership in the Junior Woodchucks, including their use of the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook, a fantastically exhaustive field guide. This youth organization was instrumental in transforming the three brothers from 'little hellions' to upstanding young ducks.

In Their Own Story

In the Carl Barks story *Some Heir Over the Rainbow*, Scrooge McDuck tests Huey, Dewey, and Louie, along with Donald Duck and Gladstone Gander, to pick an heir to his fortune. Scrooge secretly gives each $1,000 to invest. Huey, Dewey, and Louie lend their money to a man who claims to need it to search for a treasure. Initially thinking they were tricked, Scrooge actually considers leaving his fortune to Gladstone, but the man finds the treasure and pays the kids back. Scrooge then makes Huey, Dewey, and Louie his heirs. In a 1994 interview, Carl Barks was asked who would inherit Scrooge's money. Barks responded, 'Probably Donald's nephews.' When asked why, Barks said, 'Oh, well, because they are so much more practical than Donald. In the later stories, as I developed those duck people and the whole community.'

Reader's Guide

Louie Duck is one of the three triplet nephews of Donald Duck. He is distinguished from his brothers by the color of his shirt and baseball cap: Louie wears green. In early comic books and shorts, the caps were colored randomly; it was not until the 1980s that it became established that Louie is dressed in green. Disney's archivist Dave Smith, in 'Disney A to Z', said, 'Note that the brightest hue of the three is red (Huey), the color of water, dew, is blue (Dewey), and that leaves Louie, and leaves are green (Louie).' In-story, inconsistencies in clothing colors are explained away as a result of the ducklings borrowing each other's clothes. The trio have often been depicted wearing indistinguishable black shirts. Louie and his brothers are members of the Junior Woodchucks, a fictional scouting organization. In the comics, they often accompany Donald or Scrooge on adventures, using the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook. In the theatrical shorts, the nephews often behave in a rambunctious and mischievous manner, but in later comic book stories by Carl Barks, they are shown growing to be heroes in their own right.

Did You Know?

• Louie's name was devised by Disney gag man Dana Coty, who took it from Louis Schmitt, a Disney Studio animator.
• In the early Barks comics, the ducklings were wild and unruly, but their character improved considerably due to their membership in the Junior Woodchucks and the good influence of Grandma Duck.
• In a 1994 interview, Carl Barks said that Scrooge's money would probably go to Donald's nephews because 'they are so much more practical than Donald.'
• The Don Rosa story *An Eye for Detail* (1998) was based around Donald gaining a photographic memory from studying comic strips or newspapers.