Only a Poor Old Man
| "Only a Poor Old Man" | |
|---|---|
| Story code | W OS 386-02 |
| Story | Carl Barks |
| Ink | Carl Barks |
| Date | September 27, 1951 |
| Hero | Scrooge McDuck |
| Pages | 32 |
| Layout | 4 rows per page |
| Appearances | Scrooge McDuck Donald Duck Huey, Dewey and Louie Beagle Boys |
| First publication | March 1952 |
"Only a Poor Old Man" is a 32-page Disney comics story written, drawn, and lettered by Carl Barks. It was published in Four Color #386 (March 1952) as the first issue of Uncle Scrooge. Scrooge McDuck had already made his debut as a supporting character in the 1947 Donald Duck story "Christmas on Bear Mountain", and made several other appearances in Donald Duck stories in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, but "Poor Old Man" was the first comic book story with Scrooge as the main character.
In this first story with Scrooge as the focus, Barks softened the character, making him appear emotionally and financially vulnerable, rather than the ruthless miser that he had been in previous guest appearances.
The story has been reprinted many times. It was originally published with the one-page gag stories "Osogood Silver Polish", "Coffee for Two", and "Soupline Eight".
Barks expert Michael Barrier has dubbed the story a masterpiece.