Walt Kelly covers

[Bonds25]

[bobpfef]

[bobpfef]

A nice combination of realistic and cartoony types of illustration.

 

[ft88]

Here's a Santa Funnies that combines the two. The Santa Covers are really something special.

 

[ft88]

Fairy Tales Parade 4

 

[bobpfef]

Time to post some more Walt Kelly goodness.

 

[bobpfef]

I love these Fairy Tale Parade covers. Some nice detailed work. I love the side borders as well.

[bobpfef]

The back covers are also quite wonderful.

[bobpfef]

One last Fairy Tale Parade

 

[bobpfef]

And the back

[bobpfef]

And the first Fairy Tale Parade after it was cancelled and it moved over to the Four Color Series. This is the cover Eclipse used in the Walt Kelly Springtime reprint comic several years back.

 

[bobpfef]

And if you're looking at something to vote for in the Non-Superhero category

 

[ft88]

Hey, I resemble those books. They still look great.

[bobpfef]

Hey, I resemble those books. They still look great.

 

Yeah, I love 'em! Thanks. Now find me a Fairy Tale Parade #1

[adamstrange]

Those are all superb covers!

 

I've read that Kelly tried to hide his early association with comics once he became a big star due to the syndication of Pogo. If so, that would be disappointing as these covers show it was a wonderful body of work.

[bobpfef]

Those are all superb covers!

 

I've read that Kelly tried to hide his early association with comics once he became a big star due to the syndication of Pogo. If so, that would be disappointing as these covers show it was a wonderful body of work.

 

That isn't really the case. He didn't hide the fact that he had worked in comics, in fact when an interviewer would start discussing the early days of Pogo, and assume the character first appeared in the comic strips, Kelly would usually stop them and point out that Pogo had started comic books and had appeared for many years in that format before moving over to the comic strip page. Walt Kelly just wasn't overly proud of much of the work that he did in comics. He considered many of them rushed and not as good as they should have been. He explained that he was a young man just trying to finish as many pages as quickly as he could. He got paid on the number of pages he turned out, not necessarily on how fine the work on those pages were. He said that that was a mistake in thinking, that he realized later that one should always try to put his all into his work and do the best he can as the the good work will be recognized and eventually rise above the rest of the chaft.

 

Personally, I don't agree with Kelly that he didn't do much work to be proud of in the comic field. Much of it is quite good. The writing is often very clever and funny, and you can see the germs of later Pogo in much of his work. The artwork is often a bit more rushed then you see in some of the really fine later Pogo work, but it is STILL beautiful and lush and better them almost any other cartoonist doing work in comics.

 

I find in interesting that Walt Kelly was already a NAME before the Pogo strip was syndicated. Many of these comics have "By Walt Kelly" on the cover, and I can't think of very many other cartoonists of the time that would have that same sort of cover promotion.

[adamstrange]

Thanks for the additional information.

 

I may have been reading comments about him during the pre-code controversy, if I can remember where (doubtful) I will try to cite a source.

[selegue]

Incredible work, especially considering it's only a back cover.

Jeff Smith always cites Kelly as one of his major influences on Bone. I'd say this back cover is the most obvious influences of all. With a few minor modifications to the characters, it could have shown up in Bone. (Maybe Smith did swipe or homage this drawing.)

Keep it coming!

 

Jack

 

And the back

[bobpfef]

Getting close to finishing my Fairy Tale Parade run. Here is #6

 

I like the big frog helping the little frog into the water.

 

The back cover is nice too.

 

[143ksk]

I like the big frog helping the little frog into the water.