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Walt Kelly covers

Started by bobpfef,

98 posts in this topic

ft88

ft88

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I'll ask again in case my question go lost in all these awesome covers. Does anyone know when Kelly's first WDCS cover was? Or first Donald Duck Cover? I would think it would have some significance. I do think his covers beat up on Carl Barks although I would argue all day that Barks can't be beat for integration of story and art (and isn't this what comic books are all about?)

 

Except for FC 62 and 386 Barks covers are usually just pretty good. FC 62 is up there as one of the best covers of all time IMO. On whole though, the Kelly covers are much more impressive.

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Psiknight

Psiknight

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I'll ask again in case my question go lost in all these awesome covers. Does anyone know when Kelly's first WDCS cover was? Or first Donald Duck Cover? I would think it would have some significance. I do think his covers beat up on Carl Barks although I would argue all day that Barks can't be beat for integration of story and art (and isn't this what comic books are all about?)

 

Except for FC 62 and 386 Barks covers are usually just pretty good. FC 62 is up there as one of the best covers of all time IMO. On whole though, the Kelly covers are much more impressive.

 

I believe Kelly's first was WDCS 24. I am pretty sure that Al Taliaferro did most of the covers before then.

 

I'm surprised that you think Kelly has nicer covers than Barks. I definitely enjoy Kelly's duck covers, but I think Barks' covers are more animated and "fun."

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bobpfef

bobpfef

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ft88, if you don't have that answer by tonight I'll look up that information in my copy of The Walt Kelly Collector's Guide by Steve Thompson, (which is highly recommended btw).

 

I like Barks covers as well. The Sheriff of Bullet Valley probably being my favorite. Though I agree that over all the Kelly covers are more impressive.

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Psiknight

Psiknight

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ft88, if you don't have that answer by tonight I'll look up that information in my copy of The Walt Kelly Collector's Guide by Steve Thompson, (which is highly recommended btw).

 

I like Barks covers as well. The Sheriff of Bullet Valley probably being my favorite. Though I agree that over all the Kelly covers are more impressive.

 

Could you double check my WDCS 24 answer? I'm pretty sure it's his first Donald cover and his first WDCS cover.

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ft88

ft88

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Here is what CGC has. Not sure but the cover art looks like his. If this is Kelly it isn't his best IMO.

 

Barks v Kelly cont.

 

Sherriff of Bullet Valley does have to rank as right up there I forgot about that classic.

 

Also, I wonder about the coloring for Kelly books. Sometimes, like with the Pogo's the coloring is phenominal while with the Barks covers its basically generic. I'm thinking of early Scrooge covers vs Pogo or Brownies covers when I say this.

 

wdcs24lab.jpg

wdcs24.jpg

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bobpfef

bobpfef

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The first Walt Kelly WDCS cover is 34 according to Steve Thompson. He did the all the WDCS covers from 34 - 94 and then most of the rest up to 123. The ones that aren't Kelly are 95, 96,104, 107,108,109,121.

 

Also on the #24 Thompson doesn't list any inside art by Kelly so I am not sure what the deal is. Not sure where CGC got that from. Overstreet has many errors in regards to what books have Kelly art and which don't so perhaps from there confused-smiley-013.gif I am not sure as I don't have access to an Overstreet right now.

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Psiknight

Psiknight

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The first Walt Kelly WDCS cover is 34 according to Steve Thompson. He did the all the WDCS covers from 34 - 94 and then most of the rest up to 123. The ones that aren't Kelly are 95, 96,104, 107,108,109,121.

 

Also on the #24 Thompson doesn't list any inside art by Kelly so I am not sure what the deal is. Not sure where CGC got that from. Overstreet has many errors in regards to what books have Kelly art and which don't so perhaps from there confused-smiley-013.gif I am not sure as I don't have access to an Overstreet right now.

 

Kelly didn't do the cover art to WDCS 31? I know Buettner did the art for 32 and 33, but I am almost certain the art to 31 is Kelly.

 

INDUCKS has Kelly listed as the cover artist as does comics.org (but who knows where they get their info...could be from the same source).

 

INDUCKS lists Taliaferro (with a ? mark) as the cover artist for WDCS 24, so Kelly probably didn't do that cover art. And looking at it, it does seem more like Taliaferro.

 

INDUCKS also lists Kelly as the artist on the story "The Flying Gauchito" in WDCS 24 confused-smiley-013.gif

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ft88

ft88

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WDCS 31 is almost certainly Kelly. Issue 29 looks like Kelly too. Donald almost looks like Albert the Alligator. Classic colored background and attention to detail. Plus the communist gloves worn by Huey and Dewey.

 

wdcs29.jpg

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bobpfef

bobpfef

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Where did Kelly receive his art training?

 

I don't think he had any formal art training. This is from the biography section on the Thompson book.

 

"During his early working career in Bridgeport, Kelly worked for the Bridgepost, starting out as a delivery boy and eventually becoming a reporter and artist for the paper. It was here that he first tried his hand at editorial cartooning."

 

And,

 

"From 1935 to 1941, Kelly worked as an animator for Disney Studios. It was here he began to perfect his techinque of giving his character their 3-dimenisional appearance."

 

It sounds like he was self-taught and had a lot of on-the-job training. He was often described by other cartoonists as a virtuoso artist. Just looking at some of the line work on some of his covers leaves me in awe.

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Scrooge

Scrooge

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"From 1935 to 1941, Kelly worked as an animator for Disney Studios.

 

Ding Ding. Thank you. I might have never known that fact until now. No surprise then to the awesome naturalistic animals running around everywhere. They are to me, as to you, a favorite aspect of the covers you've been posting.

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