Sunday Press Books presents a masterpiece in comic art by Frank King. Collected for the first time, here are the best Gasoline Alley Sunday comics, starting from the very first Sunday in 1921. King's innovations in art, layout and storytelling brought a new warmth and style to the medium at the dawn of the Golden Age of newspaper comic strips. This book is designed by Chris Ware with an introduction by Jeet Heer. As with the Sunday Press editions of Little Nemo in Slumberland, these incredible Sunday pages are shown digitally restored to their original colorful brilliance and reproduced at full size (16 by 21 inches). The book is filled with images of comics memorabilia and photographs of King's life. It also includes texts on King's life and work by journalist Tim Samuels and comics historian/critic Donald Phelps. Included in the book is a full-sheet cardboard insert replica of a 1920's Skeezix cut-out toy.

"Forty-plus years earlier, Walt Wallet found baby Skeezix in a basket on his doorstep and in the 1964-1966 strips reproduced in this volume. Skeezix is now middle-aged and has a family of his own. For the first time since they appeared in newspapers fifty years ago, readers can enjoy these classic strips featuring Walt and his wife Phyllis, Skeezix and his wife Nina, Corky, Clovia, Slim, Avery, Mr. Pert, Joel, Rufus, and a whole cast of familiar characters. Reproduced from syndicate proofbooks and featuring an enlightening introduction by Rick Norwood."--

Gasoline Alley was one of the most influential and critically-acclaimed comic strips of all time. Dark Horse is reprinting all of the colour Sundays from the 1920s, with this volume collecting the Sundays from 1923 through 1925. Readers will discover the abundant wonder and dazzling beauty in the world - as seen through the eyes of creator Frank King and his beloved characters, Walt and Skeezix - in some of Gasoline Alley's most artistically imaginative art!

Frank King (1883-1969) is best known for his long-running comic strip Gasoline Alley. Characters from the strip, Nina Clock and Skeezix Wallet, are featured in this illustrated novel.

The comic strip has been a staple of American newspapers for nearly a century. It is a creation unique to cultural life and, in addition to entertainment, has commented on the way we see and view ourselves. From its high culture influence on Pop Art to its low culture appeal to children of all ages, the comic strip has had a lasting hold on the imaginations of generations. Noted writer Donald Phelps provides essays on popular classics, such as Chester Gould's Dick Tracy, E.C. Segar's Thimble Theatre (which produced Popeye), and Frank King's Gasoline Alley. His keen eye discerns the sublime qualities of this most American art form with wit and refreshing candor. Reading the Funnies offers an elegant and eloquent look into this fascinating slice of American popular culture.

THE LONG-AWAITED NEW VOLUME FROM THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ARCHIVAL COLLECTION OF FRANK KING'S CLASSIC STRIP In this fourth volume of Walt and Skeezix, the newly married Walt Wallet settles into domestic life with his wife, Phyllis, and their adopted son, Skeezix, but their family bliss is soon disrupted by a man who claims to be Skeezix's natural father. A long custody battle erupts, raising questions as to the importance of blood ties compared with a loving environment. Later, Walt and Phyllis have to deal with all the dilemmas of a young couple's life as their family starts to unexpectedly expand. This is the very stuff of life—paying the bills, nursing a sick child, finding the right job while spending quality time with family—expertly explored with cartoonist Frank King's unerring fidelity to reality. In unfolding the drama of the Wallet family's life, King displays his full mastery of long and complex narratives, which made his work a forerunner to the modern graphic novel. In his introduction to the series, Jeet Heer explores King's storytelling prowess and links the concerns of the strip with changes in American culture in the 1920s. Lavishly illustrated with King's family photos, the book is designed by Chris Ware, whose elegant and detail-rich books have revolutionized the graphic novel field.

Dive into this collection of rarely seen material that takes a new look at one of the great masters of American comics, giving insight into a developing artist and greater understanding of his inspiration to the generations that followed.