Review of Pogo volume 10

Walt Kelly, November 1998, Pogo volume 10, Fantagraphics. This is the penultimate volume of Pogo reprints in this paperback large-format edition. This book contains the newspaper strips from March 16th through August 29th of 1953. Each book covers roughly 6 months of Pogo syndicated newspaper strips, not including the Sunday strips, and since the strips were published for 23 years before Walt Kelly died, you can see they didn't get very far. I can only assume that they didn't sell enough copies. <br><br>

As I have mentioned elsewhere, the same publisher is now doing the same thing in a large format hardback edition, in which 12 volumes will cover the entire run of Pogo, including this Sunday strips in color. The 9th volume is currently scheduled for publication next year. There have been delays with every volume, but so far they are still going strong. I won't say that this older series, now out of print, isn't worth reading. RC Harvey's long and insightful introductions can't be found anywhere else. I'm not sure that you will think they are worth the price of admission all by themselves. <br><br>

This volume includes what is probably Kelly's most famous satiric sequence, in which Simple J. Malarkey, much better known as Joseph R. McCarthy, comes to the swamp, but fares rather poorly. Things start out pretty well for him, as he takes over the boy birdwatchers and renames them the Bonfire Boys. Then he starts running the whole show, backed up with a shotgun named Betsey. Eventually, just like in real life, things started to go wrong. Tar and feathers anyone? Even though Fantagraphics didn't reach their completist goal, it is a wonder and a joy that they got this far.  <br><br>

In his introduction, Harvey reviews the entire sordid history of McCarthyism, which occupied basically the first half of the 1950s. This book was published long before the Orange Menace rose to power, but the parallels are obvious. While McCarthy was at his peak of popularity, Walt Kelly struck one of the most devastating blows McCarthy ever received.  <br><br>

The first part of the book contains the entirety of the Simple J. Malarkey story, except for a couple of reprises that come significantly later. The second part of the book consists of pure nonsense, and includes the all-October calendar and Albert swallowing the prognosticating amoeba. Not to mention the Louisiana perches. <br><br>

Sadly, two daily strips are accidentally duplicated and appear both where they belong and at a later point, instead of the strips that should be there. <br><br>

Review of Pogo Volume 9

Walt Kelly, June, 1998, Pogo, volume nine, Fantagraphics. The time period covered by this volume is October 6th 1952 to March 13th 1953. These are only the daily strips; the Sunday comics are not included. The book begins with a lengthy and detailed introduction by  R. C. Harvey, covering the politics of the day, Kelly's techniques for creating humor, both satirical and otherwise, and generally making the subsequent cartoons much more understandable.<br><br>

Mentioned in the introduction is a fan magazine, The Fort Mudge Most, which was being published at the time this book was published. See a review of that magazine elsewhere in my blog.<br><br>

This book also sports my only appearance in any Pogo publication, as far as I can recall. I had pointed out an error in a previous volume in the series, back in the '90s when I acquired them. They had spelled one of the bats' names wrong. I did not expect that observation to be immortalized in a later issue!<br><br>

The book takes up where the last one left off. Pogo has just run away, because he doesn't want to be drafted as a presidential candidate. He is pretending to be a runaway orphan girl, and Beauregard goes with him as his dog. Reminiscent of another popular comic strip. The folks who go in search of them, naturally, disguise themselves as a rich person (F. Olding Munny), of whom Pogo is the ward, and the rich guy's mysterious Asian servant. This is not the only time that Kelly poked gentle fun at Little Orphan Annie.<br><br>

The book also features Porky's Uncle Baldwin, the bald porcupine, who shows up in the swamp and causes various kinds of trouble. Many people mistake him for Porky. And vice versa. Eventually, he barricades himself in Porky's house and refuses to leave. Porky decides to leave the swamp, because there isn't room for two sourpusses in it, and a hard rain starts to fall. Several people set out to find Porky while others start on choir practice, it being close to Christmas. As usual, all's well that ends well, especially when it is accompanied by a visual pun.<br><br>

At the new year, Churchy and Owl go into the New Year's resolution business. They make resolutions for you and then go ahead and break them so you don't have to. All this time, Uncle Baldwin has been hiding away in Porky's house. Churchy and Owl decide to roust him out, but it doesn't turn out the way they expected.<br><br>

Get rich quick schemes, TV, and snooping occupy most of the rest of this volume. More or less in that order. The book ends on a positive note, with Porky courting Ma'm'selle Hepzibah.<br><br>

As mentioned in my reviews of orther books in this series, the book is out of print, although it can be purchased used. However, Fantagraphics' new series of Pogo syndicated strip reprints, which does include color Sunday strips, is in print. I recommend that, unless you are a completist, you go for that one.<br><br>

Sorry about the reflections on the cover.

072326

monorail <br>

to the dead city <br>

cold welcome 

072226

algae on the rocks <br>

what passes for a forest <br>

after the War

072126

landscaper <br>

Ordovician exile <br>

is torture enough 

072026

typed in his name <br>

an obituary <br>

the only hit

071926

the Crown Prince <br>

clutched his chest<br>

no one spoke