Walt Disney's Comics and Stories 1940 #9 249 - reader copy - $4.00

An errant croquet swing leaves Donald with a ball in his beak.

Donald expresses his displeasure with his nephews reading science fiction, but then decides to show them up with the help of Gyro and his transport-beaming invention.

Credits based upon Alberto Becattini's "Disney Index - Dell Comic Books" Vols. 1 and 2 (Italy, 1992 and 1994). Issue number not printed on cover. On-sale date from 1961 Periodicals, Copyright Office, Library of Congress.

• Stranger than Fiction - Gyro's device which transmits people and objects "electronically along beams of cosmic rays" would seem to be a forerunner to the Transporter technology of Star Trek the Original Series (1966-1969), as well as its many sequels, and at the same time derivative of Al (David) Hedison's ill-fated transport device from "The Fly" (1956), and perhaps additional media and literary precursors. In this story, Gyro's invention was inspired by a science fiction magazine article titled "Ten Seconds to Mars" by Spicer Willits. The fictional author is a combined tribute to the earliest readers/fans to make contact with Carl Barks - John Spicer and Bill Spicer (the latter an eventual letterer for Western Publishing) and Malcolm Willits. Originally submitted by Barks as a ten-page story, the equivalent of one full page has been edited out of Barks' submission for the original printed version and all subsequent reprints. Every printing of this story has been nine pages.
• The Golden Touch - part 1 of 3