Gladstone Gander

Gladstone Gander is Donald Duck's insufferably lucky cousin, born under a star of seemingly limitless good fortune. He first appeared in a Carl Barks story, effortlessly stumbling into riches and prizes while Donald struggles, his extraordinary luck requiring no effort or explanation.

Few characters in the Disney comics universe have endured quite like Gladstone Gander, the insufferably lucky waterfowl who first waddled onto the page in Four Color #256 in 1949, conjured into existence by the legendary Carl Barks. A true Golden Age creation, Gladstone has kept remarkably illustrious company across his 76-year run — sharing adventures with Daisy Duck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and even the incomparable Gyro Gearloose — while turning up most reliably in the pages of Walt Disney's Comics and Stories and Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge. With two collector-recognized key issues to his name and 86 catalog appearances spanning from the late 1940s all the way to 2025, he's a testament to the staying power of a truly well-crafted character. If you love the rich, warm tradition of Barks-era Disney comics, Gladstone is an absolute must-know.