Review of Pogo Volume 7

Walt Kelly, June 1997, Pogo volume 7, Fantagraphics. The comics included in this volume were originally published between October 15th, 1951 and April 10th, 1952. This volume encompasses an important time in the history of the comic strip, because it includes much of the transition from Vaudeville to political satire. A good bit of the first part is the attempt by Wiley Catt, Seminole Sam, and Sarcophagus MacAbre to cook and eat Churchy Lafemme the turtle. This is a thinly veiled poke at the anti-communist witch hunts that were sweeping the country at that time. Of course the book features plenty of the silly kind of material that readers of the strip were used to. Bun Rabbit celebrating a year's worth of holidays as quickly as possible, several of the men vying for the attention of Ma'm'selle Hepzibah, and the legendary card games of the three bats. One of the most noteworthy things about these strips is the evidence of Kelly's successful struggle to wrench copyright out of the hands of the Post-Hall syndicate. For more than a month he refused to sign the strip, and instead used a series of nonsense names, a few of which are unfortunately illegible. Beginning in 1952 the strip includes a copyright statement with his name, and a separate statement indicating the strip is distributed by the syndicate. He was the first comic strip writer to ever succeed in regaining copyright.<br><br>

One of my favorite lines is here: "When you go to sleep an' wakes up, does you fergit ever'thing?" You might be surprised at how many occasions there are to quote this one.<br><br>