The countdown continues with 1952's "A Christmas for Shacktown" from Four Color Comics #367 by Carl Barks...

This acclaimed Barks classic holds a unique place in Barks history as it was JUUUUUST before Uncle Scrooge became a lead character. In the previous few years since his debut in 1947, Scrooge had been a supporting character in Donald Duck comics. His personality was slowly coming into focus. However, since he was a supporting character, Barks was free to have Scrooge have a little more of an edge than he did when he became a lead character (not that Scrooge didn't have an edge as a lead character, of course. In fact, I would imagine that that edge is the main reason he is such a popular character).

In any event, A Christmas for Shacktown is a striking example of Barks interjecting some harsh reality into the comic world of the ducks...





They then come up with an idea of where to get the money...









This then sets up a comic set of misadventures as they try to raise the $25. Barks' Gladstone Gander (the luckiest duck in the world) helps out. However, after they finally raise the money, Scrooge then loses his entire fortune to a sinkhole (the first of many Barks stories where Scrooge loses his entire fortune). They then go on a new adventure to find Scrooge's lost fortune and finally the boys come up with a solution...





This is really a prototype for future Uncle Scrooge stories, only except with Scrooge coming off as a BIT more of a jerk than he did in later stories. A total classic tale.