Coffee for Two
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| "Coffee for Two" | |
|---|---|
| Story code | W OS 386-03 |
| Story | Carl Barks |
| Ink | Carl Barks |
| Date | March 1952 |
| Pages | 1 |
| Layout | 4 rows per page |
| Appearances | Uncle Scrooge Hobo Diner waiter |
| First publication | Four Color #386 |
"Coffee for Two" is a one-page funny animal comic book gag story written, drawn, and lettered by Carl Barks. The story was first published by Dell Publishing in Four Color #386 (March 1952) in black and white on the inside back cover.
The issue's contents also include the 32-page Uncle Scrooge story, Only a Poor Old Man and two other one-page gag stories: "Soupline Eight" and "Osogood Silver Polish". Only a Poor Old Man and the three gag stories have been reprinted many times.
Plot
A panhandler idling on a street corner twice asks Uncle Scrooge for a dime to buy a cup of coffee as the duck hurries back and forth about his business. The third time, Scrooge tells the panhandler that his heart is touched by his perseverance.
Scrooge takes the panhandler to a diner. The duck orders a cup of coffee. He notices a sign on the wall reading, "Second Cup of Coffee FREE!" He tells the waiter to give his free cup of coffee to the panhandler. The waiter's head reels.
Analysis
Visually, the panhandler is seen against a brick wall from the near-same "camera angle" in the first several panels, creating a visual tension for the reader that is resolved when the remainder of the story moves to the diner.
"Coffee for Two" is an atypical Uncle Scrooge story. While he usually appears as a tightwad trying to save a dime in both his full-length and short stories, in this gag story Barks has deepened his character by presenting him as a somewhat charitable hero.
See also
References
- Barks, Carl (2012). Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge: "Only a Poor Old Man". Seattle, WA: Fantagraphic Books, Inc. pp. 34, 231–235. ISBN 978-1-60699-535-8.
- Grand Comics Database
External links
- Coffee for Two in Carl Barks guidebook
- Coffee for Two at Inducks