Comics, simple, straightforward, are often despised by many grown-ups after they put them back on a dusty childhood bookshelf. However, sometimes a comic conveys great strength in its simple way. In the enduring Disney comic series, The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, a duck named Scrooge takes readers on to experience his odyssey of seeking inner peace throughout the ups and downs in his life. 

As the wealthy, stingy uncle of Donald Duck, Scrooge was first created only as a minor character in the Disney Universe. However, in this comic, the author Don Rosa situates Scrooge as the protagonist and expands upon his past. Through the stories across sixty years, Rosa tells how Scrooge, the only heir of an effete Scottish noble family, starts as a poor, young shoe-shiner on the streets of Glasgow, and becomes the richest duck in the world, settling in the fictional American city of Duckburg. 

Apart from the age-old yarn about striving for material success, it’s Rosa’s humanistic focus on Scrooge’s gradual psychological changes that gives depth to this comic. When he leaves his Scottish hometown as a thirteen-year-old to make a better living for his family, Scrooge is innocent and obliging, committed to hard work and success. However, when all his belongings are stolen by his “travel companion,” in the African savannah, or when he is kidnapped by thugs and humiliated about a letter announcing his mother’s death, the cold world changes him. As his wealth grows with his age, his heart is warped by selfishness and greed. He begins to trust no one, alienates his two sisters who are his only remaining families, and loses direction in life. Fortunately, in his later years, with his nephew Donald’s help, he rights his course, finally reuniting with his sister and finding his inner peace with family’s companionship.

Besides the plot, Rosa’s detailed, self-taught drawing technique is another highlight of this comic. Graduated from an engineering university, Rosa paints in a unique style with great precision and intricacy. Thus, box after box, readers always expect bonuses and surprises, as they track through the detailed drawings, the realistic scenes, and numerous Easter eggs. Moreover, the amusing dialogue full of punchlines also creates a light-hearted atmosphere, making the book entertaining for readers, because... hey, it’s a comic book!

In our souls, there are always certain movies or books that support the dome of our inner world like pillars. The story of Scrooge would certainly fulfill this role. We can pick up this comic at any age in our lives to go through the adventures with Scrooge. May his funny adventures soothe the hurt souls. May his determination for success inspired dried spirits. May his seeking for inner peace calm anxious, restless hearts.