Characters' Ages in Your Headcanon

[Minotaur]

As what has been discussed in Ducktales 2017, it might be interesting to have a survey on characters' ages. One similar thread on Italian disney comics forum can be seen here.

So, how old do you think the characters are in the story? 

My answer:

92+: Grandma Duck, Blackheart Beagle

78-82: Scrooge McDuck, Flintheart Glomgold, Goldie O’Gilt, Ludwig von Drake

68-72: John D. Rockerduck

53-57: Seamus O’Hara

48-52: Brigitta MacBridge

38-42: Magica de Spell

33-37: Goofy, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow

28-32: Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, Gus Goose

23-27: Fethry Duck, Beagle Boys

18: Dickie Duck

8-12: Huey, Dewey & Louie


My choice of characters is really arbitrary, you're welcome to add more into the list. 

[RobbK1]

2,000+: Magica de Spell (apparent ambient age): 27

90+: Jake McDuck

78-85: Scrooge McDuck, Grandma Duck, Flintheart Glomgold, Goldie O’Gilt, Ludwig von Drake, Grandpa Beagle

68-72: John D. Rockerduck, Blackheart Beagle, Prunella Prunepuss

53-57: Seamus O’Hara, Ollie Eiderduck, Casey, Mayor Hogg, Dr. Pulpheart Clabberhead, Philo T. Elic

50-53: Maharajah of Howduyustan, Maharajah of Eyesore, Daisy's Aunt Druisilla

43-48: Brigitta MacBridge, Mayor Dog(g), Cuthbirt Coot, J.P. McSwine (McBrine), Uncle Mortimer Mouse

38-41: Cousin Slye McDuck, Neighbour (Jughead) Jones, Ratchet Gearloose, Hairy Harry

34-37: Miss Quackfaster

29-34: Beagle Boys

27-30: Goofy, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, Clara Cluck

24-28: Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, Gus Goose, Fethry Duck, Whitewater Duck, Moby Duck, Dick Duck (Private Eye), Fulldrip Pulpbugle

21-24: Miss Swansdown Swoonsudden, Rosita (dance instructor), "Wee" Angus McDuck,

18: Dickie Duck

12-14: Socrates Goose ("Cousin Soc")

10-12: Gilbert (Goofy's nephew)

5-11: Huey, Dewey & Louie (Barks showed them in Kindergarten ("Want To Buy an Island?")

6-9: Morty & Ferdie Mouse

4-5: Herbert Hogg, Gyro's Helper

1-2 Helper's Girlfriend

[Minotaur]

Jul 2, 2017 9:54:42 GMT RobbK1 said:

2,000+: Magica de Spell (apparent ambient age): 27

90+: Jake McDuck

34-37: Miss Quackfaster

I guess you consider Magica as a much more powerful sorceress than I do, which looks fine with me. Though I may say sometimes the author makes Magica way too powerful that her constant failure looks not that much convincing.

And I see you believe Jake McDuck is still alive. If his age gap with Scrooge is larger than 15 years old that may indeed be possible.

I do feel curious that you think Miss Quackfaster is less than 40. Do you mean Barks' Quackfaster? I reckon Miss Quackfaster in Italian comics looks really young.

[RobbK1]

Jul 2, 2017 14:01:07 GMT Minotaur said:

Jul 2, 2017 9:54:42 GMT RobbK1 said:

2,000+: Magica de Spell (apparent ambient age): 27

90+: Jake McDuck

34-37: Miss Quackfaster

I guess you consider Magica as a much more powerful sorceress than I do, which looks fine with me. Though I may say sometimes the author makes Magica way too powerful that her constant failure looks not that much convincing.

And I see you believe Jake McDuck is still alive. If his age gap with Scrooge is larger than 15 years old that may indeed be possible.

I do feel curious that you think Miss Quackfaster is less than 40. Do you mean Barks' Quackfaster? I reckon Miss Quackfaster in Italian comics looks really young.

Yes, I consider Magica as powerful in some ways, and ancient.  But, it's very nice for the fans that Scrooge can normally get the best of her, given that.
Yes, I base Miss Quackfaster's age on Barks' drawings.  She's a bit old fashioned (with her "bun" in her hair).  But, I don't think she has reached middle age, or her 40s.  I gave Uncle Jake his age based on his photo (or painted portrait).  I think he is about 12-15 years older than Scrooge.  So, he probably died before Donald became an adult.  But, he was probably alive during Donald's childhood.  Donald may well have met him several times.

[drakeborough]

I never tried doing a list of characters' ages, so for the time being I'll only comment other people's lists.

Jul 2, 2017 5:44:57 GMT Minotaur said:

As what has been discussed in Ducktales 2017, it might be interesting to have a survey on characters' ages. One similar thread on Italian disney comics forum can be seen here.

So, how old do you think the characters are in the story? 

My answer:

92+: Grandma Duck, Blackheart Beagle

78-82: Scrooge McDuck, Flintheart Glomgold, Goldie O’Gilt, Ludwig von Drake

68-72: John D. Rockerduck

53-57: Seamus O’Hara

48-52: Brigitta MacBridge

38-42: Magica de Spell

33-37: Goofy, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow

28-32: Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, Gus Goose

23-27: Fethry Duck, Beagle Boys

18: Dickie Duck

8-12: Huey, Dewey & Louie


My choice of characters is really arbitrary, you're welcome to add more into the list. 

O'Hara's apparent age depends on the whim of the colorist: in Italian comics he has white hair and so looks like he is in his 50's at least, but I have seen American comics where he has brown hair, and because of that he looked younger, in his 30's or 40's. Since his son is five-month old, I think the brown hair better reflect the age that his creators had in mind for him.

In your list, I'll exchange Magica with the Beagle Boys: to me, the former looks younger than Donald, and the latter look older.

Jul 2, 2017 9:54:42 GMT RobbK1 said:

2,000+: Magica de Spell (apparent ambient age): 27

That's strange: do you see her as a witch with supernatural powers? Barks' Magica is a sorceress who uses wands and potions but doesn't seem to have supernatural powers, so I'll say her apparent age coincides with her real age.

Jul 2, 2017 9:54:42 GMT RobbK1 said:

90+: Jake McDuck

I guess that this depends on how we interpret the scene of "Christmas for Shacktown": some people like to think that Jake is alive since Donald disguised as him, and other people (including me) think that Jake had died many decades before that, and that Scrooge actually saw through Donald's disguise. We had a discussion about this issue in another thread.

Jul 2, 2017 9:54:42 GMT RobbK1 said:

78-85: Scrooge McDuck, Grandma Duck, Flintheart Glomgold, Goldie O’Gilt, Ludwig von Drake, Grandpa Beagle

68-72: John D. Rockerduck, Blackheart Beagle, Prunella Prunepuss

This puzzles me: I can understand that some people dislike the idea of Grandpa Beagle and Blackheart Beagle being the same person, but they usually say that Blackheart is the oldest of the two, and I remember you said the same thing in a message on DCF which is now lost. In that message, you wrote that Blackheart is a generation older than Scrooge, adding that maybe he is slightly less than a full generation older.

Jul 2, 2017 9:54:42 GMT RobbK1 said:

38-41: Cousin Slye McDuck, Neighbour (Jughead) Jones, Ratchet Gearloose, Hairy Harry

[...]

24-28: Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, Gus Goose, Fethry Duck, Whitewater Duck, Moby Duck, Dick Duck (Private Eye), Fulldrip Pulpbugle

Are you saying that the age difference between Ratchet and Gyro is something between 10 and 17 years? This can't be true, since Ratchet is Gyro's grandfather. But maybe you meant that Ratchet looked about 38-41 in the Barks flashback story in which he debuted.

By the way, is it generally thought that Jughead Jones is the same character as the classic Neighbor Jones? For me they are the same, but I am not sure how much consensus there is on that point.

EDIT: As for my questions to Rob regarding Magica, Jake and Quackfaster, I see now that Minotaur already asked them, and Rob already answered.

[RobbK1]

Jul 2, 2017 14:54:26 GMT drakeborough said:

I never tried doing a list of characters' ages, so for the time being I'll only comment other people's lists.

Jul 2, 2017 5:44:57 GMT Minotaur said:

As what has been discussed in Ducktales 2017, it might be interesting to have a survey on characters' ages. One similar thread on Italian disney comics forum can be seen here.

So, how old do you think the characters are in the story? 

My answer:

92+: Grandma Duck, Blackheart Beagle

78-82: Scrooge McDuck, Flintheart Glomgold, Goldie O’Gilt, Ludwig von Drake

68-72: John D. Rockerduck

53-57: Seamus O’Hara

48-52: Brigitta MacBridge

38-42: Magica de Spell

33-37: Goofy, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow

28-32: Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, Gus Goose

23-27: Fethry Duck, Beagle Boys

18: Dickie Duck

8-12: Huey, Dewey & Louie


My choice of characters is really arbitrary, you're welcome to add more into the list. 

O'Hara's apparent age depends on the whim of the colorist: in Italian comics he has white hair and so looks like he is in his 50's at least, but I have seen American comics where he has brown hair, and because of that he looked younger, in his 30's or 40's. Since his son is five-month old, I think the brown hair better reflect the age that his creators had in mind for him.

In your list, I'll exchange Magica with the Beagle Boys: to me, the former looks younger than Donald, and the latter look older.

Jul 2, 2017 9:54:42 GMT RobbK1 said:

2,000+: Magica de Spell (apparent ambient age): 27

That's strange: do you see her as a witch with supernatural powers? Barks' Magica is a sorceress who uses wands and potions but doesn't seem to have supernatural powers, so I'll say her apparent age coincides with her real age.

Jul 2, 2017 9:54:42 GMT RobbK1 said:

90+: Jake McDuck

I guess that this depends on how we interpret the scene of "Christmas for Shacktown": some people like to think that Jake is alive since Donald disguised as him, and other people (including me) think that Jake had died many decades before that, and that Scrooge actually saw through Donald's disguise. We had a discussion about this issue in another thread.

Jul 2, 2017 9:54:42 GMT RobbK1 said:

78-85: Scrooge McDuck, Grandma Duck, Flintheart Glomgold, Goldie O’Gilt, Ludwig von Drake, Grandpa Beagle

68-72: John D. Rockerduck, Blackheart Beagle, Prunella Prunepuss

This puzzles me: I can understand that some people dislike the idea of Grandpa Beagle and Blackheart Beagle being the same person, but they usually say that Blackheart is the oldest of the two, and I remember you said the same thing in a message on DCF which is now lost. In that message, you wrote that Blackheart is a generation older than Scrooge, adding that maybe he is slightly less than a full generation older.

Jul 2, 2017 9:54:42 GMT RobbK1 said:

38-41: Cousin Slye McDuck, Neighbour (Jughead) Jones, Ratchet Gearloose, Hairy Harry

[...]

24-28: Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, Gus Goose, Fethry Duck, Whitewater Duck, Moby Duck, Dick Duck (Private Eye), Fulldrip Pulpbugle

Are you saying that the age difference between Ratchet and Gyro is something between 10 and 17 years? This can't be true, since Ratchet is Gyro's grandfather. But maybe you meant that Ratchet looked about 38-41 in the Barks flashback story in which he debuted.

By the way, is it generally thought that Jughead Jones is the same character as the classic Neighbor Jones? For me they are the same, but I am not sure how much consensus there is on that point.

EDIT: As for my questions to Rob regarding Magica, Jake and Quackfaster, I see now that Minotaur already asked them, and Rob already answered.

My ages of Blackheart and Ratchet were their ages when we saw them NOT their ages relative to Donald's or Scrooge's age at a given time.  WE didn't see Jake alive, so I put his age roughly about 12-15 years older than Scrooge.  Personally, I assume that Jughead Jones is "Neighbour Jones".  Carl Barks told me that he meant him to be Donald's neighbour, who we readers saw in the early 1940s.  He just said that he didn't look at his own model sheet own drawing that story, but he DID return to it for the two early '60s Jones stories.

[drakeborough]

Jul 2, 2017 15:07:27 GMT RobbK1 said:

My ages of Blackheart and Ratchet were their ages when we saw them NOT their ages relative to Donald's or Scrooge's age at a given time.

I guessed that you meant that for Ratchet, but I was unsure about Blackheart, since I have a hard time picturing him as being as old as 68-72 in that flashback story.

As for Ratchet, I'll add a piece of info to this discussion: Rosa never gave him a birth date, but in the extra material related to the Fanomius series Ratchet is said to be born in 1863, which would put his age as 17-19 in Lo$ part 2, 19 in the Barks story, and 20 in Lo$ part 3b.

Jul 2, 2017 15:07:27 GMT RobbK1 said:

WE didn't see Jake alive, so I put his age roughly about 12-15 years older than Scrooge.

Ok.

Jul 2, 2017 15:07:27 GMT RobbK1 said:

Personally, I assume that Jughead Jones is "Neighbour Jones".  Carl Barks told me that he meant him to be Donald's neighbour, who we readers saw in the early 1940s.  He just said that he didn't look at his own model sheet own drawing that story, but he DID return to it for the two early '60s Jones stories.

That's what I though (about Barks not having looked at his model sheet), and it makes sense given that the two designs are not very different. The other reason some people view them as separate characters is because he is shown with a more relaxed and less belligerant attitude, but I like to think of them as being the same character (Rosa's version of Jones also implies they are the same).

[Scrooge MacDuck]

(All these being the "theoretical", mental age of the characters, since my timeline stretches out very widely.)

• Scrooge McDuck: about 80 (although he behaves more like someone in their 60's).

• Donald Duck: about 35? His Barks self, that is. The 40's strips and cartoons had a younger Donald, befitting of the timeline.

• Huey, Dewey and Louie: no more than 13, no less than 7.

• Webby: About two years younger than HDL, however old they may be.

• Beagle Boys: Late 30's.

• Grandpa Beagle: centenarian.

• Flintheart Glomgold: as old as Scrooge (give or take a few days; there's evidence that they don't have the same birthday).

• John Davison Rockerduck: a couple of years younger than Scrooge. Not more than five or six though.

• Magica De Spell: late 20's in her first Barks appearance. Her great-uncle Nicodemus is apparently the same generation as Scrooge, so that shots down the "ancient" theory and even makes her a tad younger than Donald.

• Daisy Duck, Gladstone Gander, Fethry Duck, José Carioca, Panchito Pistoles: all are about as old as Donald, give or take a few months.

• Beaky Duck (Dugan Duck): possibly a tad younger than HDL. I dunno.

• Mickey Mouse: mid-30's too.

• Dickie Duck: 17 or 18.

• Albert Quackmore: 50-something.

• Jake McDuck: Well over a hundred.

• Brigitta McBridge: probably in her 70's: she was already courting Scrooge in 1896 according to The Last Balaboo.

• Doctor Zantaf: early 50's.

• Gyro Gearloose: a couple of years older than Donald.

• Emil Eagle: 40 or so.

• Gideon McDuck: one or two years younger than Scrooge.

• The Phantom Blot: mid-40's.

• Jubal Pomp: late 30's.

• Yen Sid: unknown, possibly millenia-old.

• Clara Cluck: 40's or 50's.

• Chief O'Hara: 60's.

• Jughead Jones: A year older than Donald. (I feel like he sould be older than Donald, but there's a couple of stories where they were classmates.)

• Launchpad McQuack: 36?

• Poe De Spell: Late 30's.

[iggy]

how come everyone makes mickey to be so old i consider him to be in early 20s like in gottfredson early stories, I do agree on everyone else though

[Scrooge MacDuck]

Jul 2, 2017 17:17:35 GMT iggy said:

how come everyone makes mickey to be so old i consider him to be in early 20s like in gottfredson early stories, I do agree on everyone else though

Well, I agree that in Gottfredson's 30's stories, Mickey was in his 20's, but the "standard" Mickey I'm thinking of (and this was a list of the 'standard', theoretical ages), the one in Casty's acclaimed stories for instance, is clearly older. In fact, Gottfredson's Mickey seems to have aged befitting of the real-life chronology of the serials, from an adventurous youth in the 30's to a comfortable urban man in the 50's. Also, almost all stories mixing the Duck and Mouse universes agree that Mickey and Donald were childhood friends, meaning they have to be about the same age.

[Scrooge MacDuck]

(BTW, could somebody please edit the title? It's 'headcanon'. A headcannon is something you use to blast someone in the head if you're really feeling like overkill.)

[drakeborough]

Jul 2, 2017 15:49:32 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

• John Davison Rockerduck: a couple of years younger than Scrooge. Not more than five or six though.

This one surprised me. There are two main ideas about Rockerduck's age: he is usually seen as being either about 11-12 years younger than Scrooge (Rosa's theory) or 20+ years younger than Scrooge (Italian theory*). I thought you would have chosen one of these two theories, or maybe found a compromise by having him being older than his Italian version but younger than his Rosa version. Is there a particular reason why you see him as just a couple of years younger than Scrooge?

*The exception is "Storia e Gloria", in which they have the same age, but that's one of the many weirdnesses of the last chapter of that series, such as Scrooge being born in Klondike in 1897, with Scrooge's father participating to the Klondike Gold Rush. Even though there was never a continuity in Italian Duck comics, two things were set in stone in the works of all the writers (including, in other stories, Martina himself): Scroge was born in Scotland AND he participated to the Klondike Gold Rush. "Storia e Gloria" is just the exception that proves the rule.

[Scrooge MacDuck]

Jul 2, 2017 18:00:30 GMT drakeborough said:

Jul 2, 2017 15:49:32 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

• John Davison Rockerduck: a couple of years younger than Scrooge. Not more than five or six though.

This one surprised me. There are two main ideas about Rockerduck's age: he is usually seen as being either about 11-12 years younger than Scrooge (Rosa's theory) or 20+ years younger than Scrooge (Italian theory*). I thought you would have chosen one of these two theories, or maybe found a compromise by having him being older than his Italian version but younger than his Rosa version. Is there a particular reason why you see him as just a couple of years younger than Scrooge?

*The exception is "Storia e Gloria", in which they have the same age, but that's one of the many weirdnesses of the last chapter of that series, such as Scrooge being born in Klondike in 1897, with Scrooge's father participating to the Klondike Gold Rush. Even though there was never a continuity in Italian Duck comics, two things were set in stone in the works of all the writers (including, in other stories, Martina himself): Scroge was born in Scotland AND he participated to the Klondike Gold Rush. "Storia e Gloria" is just the exception that proves the rule.

Well… he just looks so dang much like Scrooge, and never seems any fitter than him. Frankly, before I discovered Glomgold, I was really under the impression that Rockerduck was Scrooge's evil counterpart, identical in everything but morals and stinginess. It's really the impression you get from some Italian and Brazilian stories. And from there it only made sense they'd be the same age. In those days I always thought the whole "you old-fashioned top-hat" routine was digs at Scrooge's old-fashionedness, rather than actual physical age (e.g. Scrooge is behind his times, thus 'old'). Then I discovered Rockerduck's appearance in the L&T, and decided (provided Rockerduck was a rather immature teen, which his mother's apparent overprotectiveness does support) that he was probably five years or so younger than Scrooge.

Also, I'm not sure Scrooge being born in Scotland was absolutely set in stone (though it was widely accepted). I recall a story where he was apparently born in Duckburg, and this story shows one of his ancestors as being one of the first settlers in Duckburg. Granted, neither option fits with his being born in the Klondike.

[RobbK1]

Gideon looked a good 15-20 years younger than Scrooge in the 2 Scarpa stories I've seen him in. And I haven't seen him in any others. The only Italian stories I've ever read were those in Dutch Monthly Stripgoed, and those few printed in US publications. So, I don't know what he looks like in later Scarpa, and drawn by any other artists.

[drakeborough]

Jul 2, 2017 18:09:03 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

Well… he just looks so dang much like Scrooge, and never seems any fitter than him.

Does it look that way to you? The Italian Rckerduck has glasses and a few Fethry-like facial hair at both sides of his face, but I have a hard time believing he was meant to be almost 80:

Granted, Scrooge himself doesn't look really old (in fact, he is virtually identical in stories like "The Invader of Fort Duckburg", about his arrival in Duckburg, and "A Little Something Special", about his 50 years in Duckburg), but still I can't image the character from the picture above as being older than his 40's or 50's in the mind of Italian authors.

Jul 2, 2017 18:09:03 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

Frankly, before I discovered Glomgold, I was really under the impression that Rockerduck was Scrooge's evil counterpart, identical in everything but morals and stinginess. It's really the impression you get from some Italian and Brazilian stories. And from there it only made sense they'd be the same age. In those days I always thought the whole "you old-fashioned top-hat" routine was digs at Scrooge's old-fashionedness, rather than actual physical age (e.g. Scrooge is behind his times, thus 'old').

It's not just Rockerduck calling Scrooge "old top hat", there are many things in their dialogues that suggest the Italian version of Rockerduck is much younger: for example, Scrooge keeps calling him "pivello", a term that comes from the now unused word "pivo" ("boy"), and is used to indicate someone that is just starting an activity, a beginner who is not yet expert at what he is doing (or is inexpert in general). Of course we may take this as being just an insult, but from the survey on the Papersera Forum it seems that most readers took it as Rockerduck being much younger than Scrooge, at least in Italian stories.

Jul 2, 2017 18:09:03 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

Then I discovered Rockerduck's appearance in the L&T, and decided (provided Rockerduck was a rather immature teen, which his mother's apparent overprotectiveness does support) that he was probably five years or so younger than Scrooge.

Actually, Rosa's Rockerduck is more than five years younger than Scrooge, given that according to "Of Ducks and Dimes and Destinies" his father Howard was still a bachelor looking for a girlfriend on the day of Scrooge's 10th birthday. Indeed, in Lo$ part 4, which takes place between 1884 (when Scrooge is 17) and 1885 (when Scrooge is 18), John looks more a kid than a teen to me.

Jul 2, 2017 18:09:03 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

Also, I'm not sure Scrooge being born in Scotland was absolutely set in stone (though it was widely accepted). I recall a story where he was apparently born in Duckburg, and this story shows one of his ancestors as being one of the first settlers in Duckburg. Granted, neither option fits with his being born in the Klondike.

I don't know in which story he was born in Duckburg, but from your description the other story doesn't prove anything: Rosa himself, who (obviously) had Scrooge born in Scotland, toyed witht he idea of a Scrooge ancestor (Malcolm) being one of the first Europeans to visit the place that would later become Duckburg, apparently settling there.