Little Orphan Annie, Volume 1: Will Tomorrow Ever Come? 1924-1927

Little Orphan Annie: The Complete Daily Comics #1

by Harold Gray

Volume One of The Complete Little Orphan Annie contains more than 1,000 daily comics in nine complete stories, from the very first strip in August 1924 through October 1927. In the pages of "Will Tomorrow Ever Come?" readers will discover how Annie escapes the orphanage and is ultimately adopted by "Daddy;" how she finds that loveable mutt Sandy and rescues him from being tortured; how she meets the Silos, who become recurring characters throughout the series; how she joins the circus and first encounters Pee Wee the elephant; and how, broke and alone, she hits the road on a succession of dangerous yet spiritually uplifting adventures. This volume also includes an index, and a biographical essay by Jeet Heer.

Genres: Comics, Comic Strips, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Adventure

383 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

Harold Lincoln Gray was an American newspaper artist and cartoonist.

Gray grew up on a farm near the small town of Chebanse, Illinois. He graduated from Purdue University with a degree in engineering, but as an artist, he was largely self-taught. A former letterer for Sidney Smith on The Gumps, he came up with a strip idea in 1924 for Little Orphan Otto. The title was quickly altered by Chicago Tribune editor Joseph Medill Patterson to Little Orphan Annie.
By the 1930s this strip had evolved from a crudely-drawn melodrama to a crisply rendered atmospheric story with novelistic plot threads. The dialogue consisted mainly of meditations on Gray's own deeply conservative political philosophy.
Gray sometimes ghosted Little Joe (1933-72), the strip by his assistant (and cousin) Ed Leffingwell which was continued by Ed's brother Robert. Maw Green, a spin-off of Annie was published as a topper to Little Orphan Annie. It mixed vaudeville timing with the same deeply conservative attitudes as Annie.
Harold Gray was a charter member of Lombard Masonic Lodge #1098, A.F. & A.M. in 1923.

Reviews

[John Porcellino · Rating 5 out of 5]

After years of hearing how great this comic was, I was happy to find that it completely lives up to its reputation, and then some. Masterful from its earliest pages, in this classic strip Harold Gray really knew how to keep you coming back for more. I'd tell myself "Just one more page... then I'll go to sleep!" Not likely! Can't wait to read the next one, and the next one, and the next one...

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people probably aren't aware that writing/drawing for newspaper comic strips is in many ways very different from creating content for comic books. You've got three or four panels in which to hook the reader, add something to the previous story, and keep them awaiting the next installment. The trick is that you never know at what point someone may be *starting* the story. It takes a great storyteller/artist to understand how to do these things and sadly, it seems as if it's a lost art. This is the first volume of Little Orphan Annie, and both Annie and her creator Harold Gray are going through some growing pains here. The book's biggest problem is in its wordiness and some of the plot lines, but overall, this is a tremendous collection. I'd recommend reading the introductory material once you've read the first two or three stories in the book. That'll put it in context and help you appreciate how well Gray was cognizant of the times and what was happening in America. Highly recommended!

[Mike Horne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book to read to get a sense of the 1920s and early comics. But by the end of the book, I could not stand to listen to Little Orphan Annie. She talks so much!! Most of the strip is her talking to Sandy (her dog) or just talking to herself about the unfolding plot. I don't think I will buy volume 2.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story and art are fantastic. It pulled me in immediately and never let up. The influence this strip had on comics and comics history is undeniable, and this is a must read for anyone interested in such things. This strip began over one hundred years ago (August 5 1924) and the historical perspective it provides is fascinating.

This publication from The Library Of American Comics is wonderfully made and gives us some great essays and background information.

[Eric Orchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had only read Little Orphan Annie in bits and pieces before this and reading a couple of years of continuous story is a real revelation. I had read it previously as a sort of light, episodic comedy but in this form it reads more like a mid century literary adventure story with highly political themes and an engrossing story focused on well written, sympathetic characters.

The art is wonderful and holds up well, more than half a century later. It looks fresh and dynamic.

The one drawback of the comic is the wordiness. Every panel is packed with dialogue some of it really annoying. The characters talk in long monologues and Annie's accent is overly cute and a bit cloying.

But over all it's brilliant and compelling.

[Freder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A magnificent volume from The Library of American Comics that allows us to experience the first three years of Annie's adventures. I take away one star only because Gray lost me with the adventure that's presented in chapter 8 of this volume (the circumstances are too contrived, and Annie suddenly gets a case of the stupids); but otherwise, Annie's story is fun and compelling and so evocative of the times in which it appeared. In most cases, the strips are reproduced from original syndicate proofs -- ANNIE has never looked so good, nor have her adventures ever been reprinted in such complete form. A delight.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty solid and mostly entertaining. The strips get a little too saccharine at times, with Annie or "Daddy" or some stranger who's just met Annie gushing about how wonderful, and true, and loveable the other is, and things seem to bog down when Annie's living in Warbucks' lap of luxury, but there's some good, fun adventure and it moves quite nicely. Gray's a good strip artist. I would recommend taking some breaks while reading, but it's definitely worth reading for the right price.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this strip in the mid fifties. At that time the strip was 30 years old. I read it mainly because I read all of the comics, but I didn’t follow it very closely. Looking at it now in a historical perspective, I realize how good the early strips were. It was truly reflective of that time period.

[Anne's Bookish Travels · Rating 3 out of 5]

✅ Chapter One: From Rags to Riches [for university module]

I liked it, so I will definitely read some more of this in the future :))

[Valerie]

My uncle was a comic-book collector and also collected books about early twentieth century comic strips. I'm not sure if this is the collection I read in his library, but it was like this, I'm pretty sure.

It wasn't until I began to read these books that I really realized how much I particularly disliked the author and his theories about life. One element that especially infuriated me was a story in which a group of townspeople think a man has buried some incriminating information at the bottom of an abandoned well. They go to dig up the well, and find it filled with concrete, bits of metal, etc. Instead of going over about 10 feet, digging a parallel shaft (they KNOW how deep the well is), and digging across at the requisite depth, they try to dig THROUGH the plug. The comment (presumably the author concurs) is that they shouldn't be so inquisitive, but it will do them good to do some hard work for a change.

I agree that they shouldn't be so suspicious--but I've never believed that 'hard work' ever did anybody a nickel's worth of good--and as I say, the lack of ingenuity or even 'lateral thinking' was what bothered me the most.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie meets Daddy Warbucks and Mrs. Warbucks, gets Sandy, lives on a farm, raises a pig for the circus, tries to prevent Daddy Warbucks from losing his fortune, joins the circus, is paralyzed, becomes a prep school drop out, and fights robbers all in less than 3 years. Although it came before Dick Tracy and long before Peanuts, Annie doesn't seem as compelling as the "Complete" series of those strips. Part of the fun of Annie is her lingo manner of speaking, but I wonder if it really would have been up to date at the time or if it would seem like an older writer was trying to write like kids speak. Unlike with the Complete Dick Tracy and Peanuts, I went into the Complete Little Orphan Annie with little knowledge of the character, and it was interesting to see what has been adopted (Annie, Daddy Warbucks, Sandy) and what hasn't been adopted (Mrs. Warbucks, the Silos, Grunts) into the popular culture of the character.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Harold Gray's Little Orphan Annie would develop into one of the all-time classic comics, these earliest stories still show him finding his feet. The art isn't as developed as it would later become, and the stories aren't as twisty or political as when the strip was in its prime. But even in these early stories, you can see the beginnings of greatness.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because it was on sale and for historical interest. I didn't think I'd really enjoy it, and it sat on the shelf for quite a long time. Then I finally started it. These comic strips are a lot more entertaining than I expected. I now see why this is considered a classic strip. Great adventure stories.

[StageNotes · Rating 5 out of 5]

We LOVE the musical Annie and we were delighted to read this compilation of the comics that inspired the loving character!

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Art isn't very good and Annie is kind of annoying. The stories were ok, but I didn't read anything that made me think this should be as lasting as it has been.