Review of Pogo volume 6

Walt Kelly, March 1997, Pogo volume 6, Fantagraphics. This book contains the daily comics originally published from April 30th to October 13th of 1951.<br><br>

RC Harvey begins his introduction with a review of the early history and prehistory of Pogo, by which I mean some of the things Kelly did before he started drawing the syndicated Pogo comics. He worked in the Mouse Factory for a few years and then got involved in drawing stories for quite a number of comic books. It was in one of these that the swamp characters first appeared.<br><br>

This book includes the famous poetry writing contest between a literary worm and Albert the alligator. May the best poem win, even though the judge, a turtle, somehow got his head stuck inside his shell and can't remember how to get it out. PT Bridgeport comes to the swamp looking for talent for his circus. The amazing turtle, no head but not dead, is just the ticket. PT Bridgeport is a large and self-important bear, clearly based on PT Barnum, who, like Kelly, was from Bridgeport Connecticut.<br><br>

The only act remaining in the circus, besides the rabbit who plays the drums (I believe this is Bun Rabbit, tho I could be wrong), is Tammanany tiger. He plays a lion. One of the most interesting things about the rabbit is that every single time PT speaks to him, he calls him by a different name. The rabbit never says anything about this. Later, the tiger and a small group of friends run away from home. Long about evening time, they realize they forgot to bring any food, and someone makes the observation that when you starve with a tiger, the tiger starves last.<br><br>