Wanted: A Fairy Godfather

by Crockett Johnson

Cushlamochree! When Barnaby Baxter was five years old, he prayed and prayed for a fairy godmother, but none was available. So the powers that be sent him J.J. O'Malley, an unemployed Fairy Godfather with his inevitable fine Havana magic wand, of course.

And that's when it all began...

Genres: Humor

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 12, 1985

About the author

Crockett Johnson was the pen name of the American cartoonist and children's book illustrator David Johnson Leisk. He is best known for the comic strip Barnaby (1942–1952) and the Harold series of books beginning with Harold and the Purple Crayon. [From Wikipedia.]

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crockett Johnson is probably most famous for his children’s classic, Harold and the Purple Crayon. Before that, he wrote and drew a daily comic strip from 1942 to 1952, called Barnaby. I first encountered the strip in a hardcover collection found at the greatest bookstore in Madison, Wi: Paul’s Bookstore, purchased from Paul himself. I don’t know if Paul is still around, but the store is. I haven’t been by in decades, but follow them on Instagram, so the tradition lives on.

The book was published in 1943 by Blue Ribbon and reprints the first year of the comic. It was an instant classic and well worth tracking down one of its collections. I remember a Dover trade paperback late in the past century, and Fantagraphics began a series in 2013. Del Rey (Ballantine) produced a series of six paperbacks, beginning in 1985, of which this is the first.

The paperback begins at the strip’s start, progressing without interruption for 207 pages, presenting one four-panel comic strip per page. Readers meet Barnaby, his parents, and most importantly, Mr. O’Malley, Barnaby’s Fairy Godfather, plus a few others. The volume includes a short introduction and a five-page “Little Bit of History” about Crockett and his comic strip by Ron Goulart.

Like the Segar and Sagendorf’s Popeye comic strips, Barnaby provides a daily gag along with a continuing storyline. In my mind, the perfect formula for a daily comic strip. They just don’t get any better than this.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, classic comic that I had never seen before.

[Valerie]

It's been a while since I've read this, and I don't remember why Barnaby felt he needed a fairy godfather.

I do remember that Mr O'Malley wasn't quite what Barnaby had in mind. Not that he was complaining, really. There's no doubt Mr O'Malley added richness and texture to Barnaby's life, if he was a little difficult to explain to obdurately mundane elders. Just that Barnaby wasn't quite anticipating a cigar-wielding fairy godfather who hangs around with other dubious supernatural characters--and who doesn't scruple to raid the pantry whenever the chance arises.

I wish I could get copies of these books for my private library. Not that I have anything against Garfield. But I think cartoon collections shouldn't all be by one cartoonist.

[Cfabrication · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this as a child. It convinced me that the tooth fairy was clearly a man, like O'Malley.

I had not realized that it was written by the author of Harold & the Purple Crayon until today.