Before achieving international fame as the creator of Pogo Possum, legendary cartoonist Walt Kelly produced an outstanding body of work adapting and illustrating fairy tales, fables and nursery rhymes for Dell Comics in the 1940s. Already an indisputable master of his craft, these wonderful and whimsical stories come to unparalleled life through Kelly's signature, spirited humor and fluid, exuberant hand. Comprised of carefully selected and rarely seen work that originally appeared in issues of Dell Comics' Fairy Tale Parade, Four Color, Raggedy Ann and Andy, and Santa Claus Funnies, this volume is a vital part of the history and legacy of one of comics' most eminent and influential masters.

Before achieving international fame as the creator of Pogo Possum, legendary cartoonist Walt Kelly produced an outstanding body of work adapting and illustrating fairy tales, fables and nursery rhymes for Dell Comics in the 1940s. Already an indisputable master of his craft, these wonderful and whimsical stories come to unparalleled life through Kelly's signature, spirited humor and fluid, exuberant hand. Comprised of carefully selected and rarely seen work that originally appeared in issues of Dell Comics' Fairy Tale Parade, Four Color, Raggedy Ann and Andy, and Santa Claus Funnies, this volume is a vital part of the history and legacy of one of comics' most eminent and influential masters.

Presents a collection of fairy tales adapted by the cartoonist into comic book format, including Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" and Hans Christian Andersen's "Big Claus and Little Claus."

"A true natural genius of comic art." — Mort Walker, creator of Beetle Bailey Starting in 1948, Walt Kelly's newspaper-based comic strip Pogo lampooned sociopolitical issues from the Red Scare to the environmental movement. A gifted cartoonist who began his career at Walt Disney Studios, Kelly explored the virtues and follies of human nature with a lively cast of Okefenokee Swamp critters. Kind-hearted Pogo Possum headed the crew, which included intellectual Howland Owl; exuberant Albert Alligator; poetic mud turtle Churchy LaFemme; romantic hound dog Beauregard Bugleboy; and other impish personalities. Even readers too young to appreciate the strip's satirical elements were charmed by the eccentric creatures and their offbeat wordplay. This compilation features comics from the election year of 1952, during which Pogo's neighbors encouraged the reluctant possum to run for president. Their rallying cry, "I Go Pogo," parodied Dwight D. Eisenhower's "I Like Ike" slogan and provided real-life fans with a write-in candidate. Kelly's sly humor and flair for creative language—replete with malapropisms and nonsense verse — retain their imaginative verve for comics enthusiasts of the twenty-first century.

Comic Book Collections and Programming will help librarians build a collection that’s right for their library, including specialty collections for kids, teens, and adults. It covers the practical realities of this non-traditional format, like binding, weeding, and budgeting. It also address advanced topics like comics and pedagogy, bringing comics artists and authors into the library, and using comics as a community outreach tool – even hosting comic conventions in libraries. The guide covers: Comics for kids, teens, and adults. Comics genres from superheroes to fantasy to Manga; from memoirs and biographies to science texts to Pulitzer Prize winning literature. Comics publishers and distributors. Comics history and influential contemporary creators. Online resources and communities. After reading the guide, librarians will be able to: Organize creator visits and events. Plan and produce community anthologies. Host drawing parties and comic discussion groups. Preserve comics in a library environment Develop, run, and grow a library-based comic convention. This is an essential reference for collections librarians, children’s librarians, and teen librarians, whether they are comics-lovers or have never read an issue. The guide is aimed at public, academic, and school libraries.

Walt Kelly blended nonsense language, poetry, and political and social satire to make Pogo an essential contribution to American “intellectual” comics. As the strip progressed, it became a hilarious platform for Kelly’s scathing political views in which he skewered national bogeymen like J. Edgar Hoover, Joseph McCarthy, George Wallace, and Richard Nixon. Walt Kelly started when newspaper strips shied away from politics ― Pogo was ahead of its time and ahead of later strips (such as Doonesbury and The Boondocks) that tackled political issues. Our first (of 12) volume reprints approximately the first two years of Pogo ― dailies and (for the first time) full-color Sundays. This first volume also introduces such enduring supporting characters as Porkypine, Churchy LaFemme, Beauregard Bugleboy, Seminole Sam, Howland Owl, and many others. And for Christmas, 1949, Kelly started his tradition of regaling his readers with his infamously and gloriously mangled Christmas carols.