Despite his advanced age and even after a diagnosis of leukemia last year, Barks remained vigorous and alert until a short time before his death. As reported in The Comics Journal #225, he chose to discontinue the medication used to treat his leukemia in May and fell into a rapid decline in recent weeks.

Though his work in Dell and Gold Key comics between 1943 and 1966 was uncredited, his style both as an artist and a storyteller was readily identifiable and a growing number of readers referred to him as The Good Duck Artist, until determined fans uncovered his identity in the 1970s. Barks, who, like Donald, tried his hand at a wide range of occupations from animation to cow-punching, did not begin working in comics until the age of 41. His work over the next three decades made such an impression on the Baby Boomers who devoured his rye observations of human nature in animal form that, regardless of superhero or videogame trends, his stories have never ceased to be lauded and reprinted.

A full obituary appeared in The Comics Journal #227, a special issue devoted to Barks.