This unique, non-political perspective upon Walt Kelly's Pogo comics focuses upon the Dell comic books which were the medium of Pogo's earliest appearances. He sees the behavior of Kelly's animals as the way people would behave if guided more by nature and instinct instead of man-made customs.
LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW:
Most people remember Walt Kelly's classic Pogo as a beloved comic strip that has heavily influenced current strips like Calvin and Hobbes (in terms of visuals) and Doonesbury (in terms of political content). However, Pogo started out life as a comic book from Dell, and the possum was not originally a central character. Hale here focuses on those comic books, taking pains to avoid discussing Pogo 's politics--which may raise some eyebrows, as everyone talks about Pogo 's politics. There is still much to be explored, however. Hale examines the Okefenokee attitude toward the food chain--it's all right for animals to eat other animals as long as the other animal gives consent--as well as Kelly's take on nudity taboos, alcohol, and hierarchy. He argues that Kelly was not giving us a sample of humanity in Okefenokee's animals, but a paradigm of how humans should behave: combining intelligence and instinct, not suborning one for the other. An excellent, if short, study of an important piece of American culture. Highly recommended for academic libraries and popular culture collections.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
