Liquid Assets

The Beagle Boys have set their minds on getting Scrooge McDuck's precious money bin as a birthday present for their mother, so they change the blueprint of a highway, so it will go right through where the money bin is. Scrooge has to move his bin but he figures he needs an accountant to help him keeping track of the money. At the same time, Fenton Crackshell is tired of being a bean counter at a bean factory, not being appreciated and not thinking he is good enough for Gandra Dee, a woman he is love with. He sees an add saying "Scrooge McDuck seeks accountant. Count money, but don't count on getting any" and applies to the job, and actually gets it, though Scrooge didn't want him at first, behaving wacky and not having education or experience or such, when Scrooge finds out about Fenton's frightenly autistic counting ability: He can count things faster than what he can say how much it is. But Fenton goofs up worse and worse. First, he tips all Scrooge's money into a dam, so they would be "liquid", and then, with not so little help from the Beagle Boys, he destroys the dam and all the water with all the money in it runs out.

Beagle Boys, Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Dewie, Louie, Fenton Crackshell, Gandra Dee, Mrs. Featherby, M'ma Crackshell, Launchpad McQuack, Duckworth, Ma Beagle

With that catchy theme song, Disney made its first entry into daily syndicated animation. DuckTales chronicled the adventures of Scrooge McDuck, the richest duck in the world, in his constant attempts to get even richer.

Many of the characters, including Scrooge McDuck, the Beagle Boys and Gyro Gearloose, didn't come from Disney's theatrical cartoons, but from comic books written and illustrated by Carl Barks and others. And that cast of characters was deep:

• Grand-nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, left in the old Scot's care by their "Unca Donald"
• Bumblingly heroic Launchpad McQuack ("Any crash you can walk away from is a good one"), hired by Scrooge to pilot in and out of danger
• Doofus, the nerdy Junior Woodchucks member who idolized Launchpad
• Scrooge's maid Mrs. Beakly and her precocious granddaughter Webbigail ("Webby")
• Unflappable butler Drake
• Inventor Gyro Gearloose, whose imperfect creations often caused more trouble than they were worth
• Flintheart Glomgold, the second richest duck in the world and Scrooge's arch-rival
• Sorceress Magica De Spell, who used her powers in futile attempts to steal Scrooge's "lucky dime,"
• And the dastardly Beagle Brothers (Burger, Baggy, Babyface, Bigtime, and Bouncer), a criminal family headed by Ma Beagle.

The second season added new characters Bubba, a cave duck brought back to the present after one of Scrooge's time-travelling adventures, and Fenton P. Crackshell, a mildmannered Scrooge employee who accidentally becomes robotic superhero Gizmo.

The adventures were along the lines of Indiana Jones, globe-trotting quests and challenges with lots of danger. The series often poked fun at classic literature, history, and legend with such episodes as "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. McDuck" and "The Golden Fleecing." The show was an instant hit, demolishing its ratings competitors with luscious animation and clever mixes of action/adventure and comedy. After three years of commercial and critical success on its own, Duck Tales became the centerpiece of the new "Disney Afternoon," a two-hour block of half-hour animated programs.

Animation, some computer-generated, was done by Japanese studios, although the Disney people retained creative control. And for those of you who came here just to settle a bet, Huey wore the red sweater, Dewey wore blue and Louie green.