The Pogo Papers

by Walt Kelly

Book by Kelly, Walt

Genres: Comics, Humor, Comic Strips, Graphic Novels Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Collections

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1953

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

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean the bizarre dialect, the constantly changing backgrounds [in Krazy Kat]...I wish I thought that that kind of work were possible today ... In the first place, I don't know who would put enough energy into their work anymore to do something like that; secondly, and probably more importantly, comic strips are being printed at such a ridiculous size that elimination of dialogue and linework is almost a necessity and you just can't get that kind of depth. I think of Pogo, another strip that had tremendous dialogue and fantastic backgrounds. Those strips were just complete worlds that the reader would be sucked into. For a few moments a day we could live in Coconino County; the whole thing was entirely there. The dialogue was part of it, the backgrounds were part of it, the characters were off-beat, and you need a little space and time to develop that sort of thing. I know for a fact that nobody's doing it now and I don't know that anybody will do it. Garry Trudeau is the only cartoonist with the clout to get his strip published large enough to accomodate extended dialogue. It's a shame. -- Bill Watterson

Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, has long been my hero. In fact, I probably learned more about artistic integrity (and integrity in general) through a little essay he wrote in The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book, when I was just a teenager. In it, he talked about the devolution of the comic strip, an artform that many people consider "low art". But Watterson showed how he could elevate the form by not writing throw-away jokes, by not outsourcing his strips to ghostwriters, and by not licensing his characters to be used on coffee mugs. Instead, he created characters who developed over time and had full personalities. He never went for the easy joke, but instead, opted for moving moments. Oftentimes the funny part of his strips were not only at the end of the 4 panels, where the punch-line resides, but in the dialogue that lead up to it. His strips were creative, imaginative, playful and hilarious. I fell in love with Calvin and his imagination, with Calvinball and G.R.O.S.S. and his dinosaurs. And some of my favorite strips were the rare ones with no joke at all, where he risked letting the characters simmer in a wistful quiet moment. Watterson really did deliver on his promise of pushing the boundaries of the medium, of setting a "high art" standard for what is commonly known as "low art". Or rather, of dismissing these boundaries entirely.

I haven't read any other comic strip that has moved me as much as Calvin and Hobbes. And so, I followed Watterson's recommendation and was eventually introduced to Krazy Kat and now Pogo. I had kept that name "Pogo" in the back of my mind for years, but only recently stumbled across a copy of The Pogo Papers at a library book sale. And what a treat it was. True to Watterson's word, an entire world opened up to me, a swampy muggy world filled with animals of every kind. It's full of slap-stick, puns, sophisticated wordplay, political commentary, and cultural references. They speak a sort of patois in Pogo but it's just English with a certain kink to it. And some of these jokes have bite: the whole last 50 pages or so is one long critique of Joseph McCarthy (in the form of "Simple J. Malarkey"). Unfortunately, this also means that some of the more time-specific jokes went right over my head. But the beauty of this strip is that there are jokes working on 4 or 5 levels: language, artwork, action, plot, allusions, etc. and if you miss a joke, don't miss a beat because here comes another!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this slowly and in small portions over the past weeks, savoring every element of this lost art. Here's a little taste of the graphics and dialogue...

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The forward, written in 1953, ends thusly: “There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things that make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving, and tinny blasts on tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us.” Somehow the book is even better than that extraordinary paragraph, which may be all you need to know about it before seeking it out for yourself and your posterity. Pogo collections should be family heirlooms, handed down from one generation to the next.

This is the third collection of Pogo daily strips and like the first two it is funny, inventive, lyrical, and the next best thing to the Marx Brothers in their prime. It’s an anarchic, pun-filled swamp, Okefenokee, with characters of unimpeachable and impeachable character, the very best and worst of human nature in all its animalfestations. For example, it is in most ways with relief that Pogo loses the 1952 Presidential Election, though Churchy thinks that however good for the country it is, it would have been better for poor spellers otherwise. “It’s been better did Pogo win…could have spelt it out easier…this name got ‘N’ in it, an’ a ‘O’ an’ a few of them ‘E’s…got ‘S’ in her too.” But Pogo isn’t just easier to spell than Eisenhower, the strip, its convoluted plots, delightful characters and madcap dialogue is satire of the highest order. Pointed and funny.

Politics, Little Orphan Annie, television, business, Bird Watchers and other clubs, and all individuals and groups biased toward conspiracies and group think, come into for well-earned ridicule. Walt Kelly is skeptical without being cynical. He writes and draws with brilliance. He has fearless aim and supreme judgment, and like his great contemporary in the world of journalism, Murray Kempton, he attacks the worthy without malice and doesn’t kick even the meanest dog when it’s down—though, as we’ll see as we get deeper into the 50s and Senator Joe McCarthy, he’ll take the most vicious of mad dogs to the ground without hesitation. None of that would matter, though, if he wasn’t so damn original and so damn entertaining. Pogo is enduring art, plain and simple; the collected anthologies would stand on their own hindquarters as a classic of Twentieth Century American literature. And somebody needs to attend to that because the only reliable way to find Pogo is on websites like Alibris or Powell’s bookstore, which is why, culturally speaking, we remain our own enemy.

[Roman Di · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is better now than when Kelly put pen to paper … "we have met the enemy and he is us," twice used in Kelly's Pogo series. I first read this slice of the Pogo pie during the McCarthy fiasco and the Senators insult to the American intelligence. Like someone, more contemporary enjoys doing, acting as though he someone far more important than he is and then calling others improper users of the government. I will allow whomever it may be interested in reading this comment put a name to the individual to whom I am addressing my ire.

In Pogo's first use of this now common phrase, it, should I recall properly, Kelly expressed himself as something of prophet: "Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tinny blasts on tiny trumpets we shall meet the enemy, and not only may be ours, he may be us."

It was 19 years late that the author of the original message sent 1812 by Admiral Perry to an awaiting politician, "We have met the enemy and they are ours," thus giving us "we have met the enemy and they are us." Kelly's message was well received by many and denounced by others. Within a year of this well committed song from the Possum, Walt Kelly died, leaving us a wonderful body of work - he was far too young and deeply a part of the expanding American Conscience.

[Leonard Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another swell collection from Walt Kelly's Pogo. It's a testament, I think, to what a cesspool the daily comics have become that it's hard to imagine this strip being published today.

[Nate]

This is my first time reading Pogo. I’ve seen the strip here and there and always meant to give it a proper go. Recommendations from Bill Watterson and Alan Moore were enough to place it on my “to-read” list.

The Pogo Papers turned out to be a great introduction. I love the colorful cast of characters, inventive language, adorable art, immersive world, and the (often biting) social commentary. It’s all so charmingly irreverent, and still pretty unique to this day. The book contains five interconnected chapters, split into several parts each. Honestly, I liked the experience of reading Pogo more than the actual stories, if only because the language Kelly uses is so distinct and witty.

I’m sold on Pogo, and will definitely come back for more.

[Tim Pieraccini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. I enjoyed this a lot to start with, especially the lively approach to language, but it palled a bit; perhaps not meant to be read in large chunks. Still some chuckles right through to the end, though, and the invention rarely flags. Pogo himself seems to do very little, the antics mostly coming from a large cast of supporting characters.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's no one like Walt Kelly!

[Sarah Rigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

My father was a Pogo fan when he was younger and we had several collections around the house, including this one. I remember laughing and laughing and laughing at this one in particular.

[R. Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads as though it was written in the last five years. The political satire from the '50s still applies now. Refreshing read and enjoyable characters.

[Dan Mingori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walt Kelly created a swampland from which would evolve his characters - a cartoonist, most certainly, and an artist with the pen, brush, and rich imagination, I recall often reading Pogo ... something of a breather between the so-called classics, and catechisms of literature. Sunday papers were always a treat whether it was the L.A. Times or the New York Times - From Dennis the Menace to Beetle Baily - it was all great fun.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Pogo.

[Rick Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable romp through the 70s and the subversive satire that walt kelly spread in a daily fashion. The drawings are lucsious, and the dialogue funny. The Bloom County of its time.