Donald Duck and the Mummy's Ring "Color Guide": the new cover of CB Library Vol I, 1983

Carl Barks created this new cover for his classic Four Color #29 story, "Donald Duck and the Mummy's Ring" in 1983 (having the code CBL:01). This artwork was used as the slipcase illustration for the first of a ten volume set of deluxe hardcover reprint series: Carl Barks Library (all together 30 books).

So, first Barks created a black and white inked artwork (like any normal cover), which was used for printing. But he also wanted coloring done right, as well known, during his active comic book career (1942-67) his publisher didn't care much about the color guides and requests Barks made, so this time he made very sophisticated "color guide". If you felt a bit puzzled now by "", so did I also when I saw this artwork: It is so finely done that I almost dare to name it as painting!

Maybe it was its time printing requirements (having separate B&W artwork and separate colored artwork, both printed in the CBL), or an idea selling a few signed B&W copies (I have seen one). I simply don't know, but what happened is that Barks had a copy of the B&W artwork and then he painted it over by black ink and opaque watercolors. For this cover, he did not paint opaque watercolors on top of the original inked artwork (would wet paint mix with ink?)

A small anecdote: the first printed appearance of this artwork was not in the CBL Vol I, but 1 month earlier (June 1984) in Nemo #7, and it is presented in the additional photos.

The artwork was sold by Heritage Auctions in 2011, then owned by Steve Geppi (just my guess, but in that auction there were so many fine Barks' originals from his collection) and later in Europe sold again when I acquired it.

In 1983 Barks made by similar technique (opaque watercolors on top of copied B&W artwork) another cover "Ducks at Disney World" (CBL:08), you can find it here:
https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/miscellaneous/carl-barks-carl-barks-library-volume-viii-cover-preliminary-original-art-another-rainbow-1983-/a/7030-92018.s?ic16=ViewItem-BrowseTabs-Auction-Archive-ThisAuction-120115

I dare to say it is pretty rough work compared to this Mummy's Ring. Having in the tomb all gradient colors, not only solid linework of Ducks and tons of details (however copied).

By having a tongue-in-cheek I can say that this kind of artwork (opaque watercolors on top of copied inked artwork) is much rarer than Barks' full watercolors... it looks like only those 2 exist ;-)

The image area is approximately 7.5" x 11".