Walt Kelly (1913–1973)

When I was a pre-teen way back when, I loved the denizens of Okefenokee Swamp in the long running comic strip by Walt Kelly (1948 to '75). However, as I got older, I realized that there was more here than just cute animals - it was biting satire and I loved it even more. I was too young to have read the early strips so I was excited to read I Go Pogo, a collection of many of the early strips, although I was worried that it would seem outdated. Happily, I worried needlessly - it was just as show more much fun and just as insightful as I remembered it and I loved every funny, witty minute of it. In fact, it could have been written now because it seems just as applicable to recent political events. So for those like me who loved this strip when they were kids or those who just like satirical comics with adorable animals, read it for the nostalgia or just a break, to step back from all the political insanity right now, and appreciate the genius of Walt Kelly and the antics of his creations.

Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Dover Publications for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less

No other comic strip matches the intense situational comedy and characterizations in “Pogo.” The art is lush, fluid and organic. The writing is clever and sharp. The characters are true. Their language is melodic, but never forced, and often backed up with lovely calligraphy. I can’t ask for more in a comic strip. Several story arcs occur at the same time and some of the arcs last several months, giving a great sense of depth from each story. Because he frequently touched political show more nerves, some newspapers censored “Pogo” at times, causing Kelley to lash out in the introductions of his uncensored paperbacks. The satirical references to J. Edgar Hoover and Lyndon B. Johnson still make sense and are funny, even for readers unfamiliar with the times. “Pogo” is absolutely beautiful literature. show less

I was lucky enough to grow up on Pogo and I thank my stars for it on a regular basis. As soon as I had a debit card and a job I started buying up the old books.

The trouble is that they're not really reading copies (and of course they're not complete). Some of the reprints have good paper but a lot of the first editions are printed on that old paper that just crumbles after a while. I'll still buy the old books, because I want all the little pieces of extra art in them and the introductions show more by Kelly, but I am definitely collecting all of the Fantagraphics volumes.

This volume is beautiful and put together extremely well (more so than I expected). My income is very low and I'm frustratingly thrifty about most things, but this volume was worth every penny. Pogo is finally being done right. show less

1968 Pogo Brilliance That Stands Strong Today

What can be said about Walt Kelly's "Pogo" that cannot already be said? Any collection of "Pogo" is worth its weight in gold and "Equal Time for Pogo" is no exception. It is one of the more thin collections, but at 128 pages, there is plenty of material.

This is one of Kelly's decidedly political collections, written for newspapers during the 1968 presidential primaries. As such, Kelly caricatures a number of politicians, including incumbent show more non-candidate Lyndon Johnson, Republican candidates Richard Nixon and George Romney, and Democratic candidates Hubert Humphrey and Robert Kennedy. These politicians are so well represented. What amazes me as a reader in 2016 is just how similar these politicians are to today's politicians. The policy changes slightly, but there are still the same old mechanics behind the scenes, hence Kelly's use of a train to represent the "same old party line," wind-up dolls to stand in for predictable politicians, and even a gallant knight in shining armor. We can find all these same caricatures in politics today. This makes Kelly's work timeless.

The art is brilliant. The swamps and forests are lush and verdant, the houses rickety, and the characters vivid. Because of the quality of the art, it is easy to read emotions and fun to look for emotional cues or sight gags in the backgrounds. This edition, like other similar editions from Simon and Schuster, is a good size.

If the art is brilliant, the writing is genius. Young readers will love the dialogue which is filled with wonderful accents and believable nonsense words. Older readers will love wordplay too, along with the numerous double meanings.

"Equal Time for Pogo" is a great collection, as are any of these older collections, whether used or new. show less