The Pogo Stepmother Goose

by Walt Kelly

Softcover wraps book written and illustrated by Walt Kelly in 1954 and inspired by his Okefenokee Company of characters. 1st verse dedicated to Lewis Carroll. 2 page Afterword dedicated to Charles Dodgson. Published by Simon and Schuster New York. Dimensions are 9-1/2" x 6-1/2"

Genres: Comics, Humor, Comic Strips, Cartoon

96 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

American animator and cartoonist best known for the classic funny animal comic strip, Pogo. He won the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award in 1951 for Cartoonist of the Year, and their Silver T-Square Award in 1972, given to persons having "demonstrated outstanding dedication or service to the Society or the profession."

Reviews

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

My absolute favorite back then and right now. Read it as soon as it was published and still go back again and again.

[Jason Pym · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Walt Kelly’s drawing – chronologically he fits between Will Eisner and Jeff Smith (Bone), but he has more charm. I also love the surreal banter of his characters, a (seemingly) effortless stream of thought that meanders to nowhere. And sometimes just really lovely writing:

‘They hung about in the trees and in the eaves. Some were goblins, short ones and fat, tall ones with a hungry look. Some were fiends with smoking hair and scaly hands, greedy lips and gritty smiles. There were smirking spiders and flat, round dragons, like pancakes, filling the fields. Great greasy toads sat in the doorways, trading maggots and swapping flies. The market was a snarl of snakes and nameless nidderings.’

[StrictlySequential · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Printing = 1954 = $1.00

Walt's afterword -dated March 1954- explains (in my words) that his stolen Queen tarts story is an ovation to Lewis Carroll's "propaganda" against England's tyrannies in it's exposition of current rediculousnesses of "justice".

The red-recoinoiterer fingerpointer of the highest order in that year of our lord(er...) was played by Maklarky- as he was in Pogo's strip.

This would be ***** if he didn't add so many "nonsense" versed "stories" in standard type surrounded only by the marionettes of characters.

I prefer the di,tri,quialogues and settings that suit Walt-to-a-t because they can be in-to-it-ted-even if it's intentional nonsense.

[Bill Coffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is as fine a starting point for a read of Walt Kelly’s legendary news strip, Pogo. Here, his cast of bayou critters populate Kelly’s take on nursery rhymes as a way to comment on Bolshevism, Cold War paranoia and McCarthyism. Sly and funny, this is a mid-century takedown that loses none of its punch a lifetime later.

[Wetdryvac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never was a big fan of Pogo, but this isn't a bad collection.

[Ernest Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cold War made into nursery rhymes and an Alice in Wonderland takeoff starring the cast of Kelly's comic strip Pogo. And Joe McCarthy. Warning: There is some cross-dressing.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read off and on dozing off, reread/finished at work. I cant believe I’ve never read Walt Kelly before this. So good!

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walt Kelly is one of the great masters of the comic form. Even apart from the entertaining texts, filled with plenty of well placed social commentary, the beauty of his lines are enough to make him worth checking out.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What amazed me most was remembering how hard I used to laugh at these stories. No clue what was really going on, but the words and expressions and situations just cracked me up. I laughed this time too, and enjoyed understanding what they were making fun of.

[Cberke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the ultimate Baby Shower gift!

[grundoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Simply wonderful - heavy on the political commentary; his first truly great stand-alone.