Our Gang Vol. 1 (Walt Kelly's Our Gang) (v. 1) [Paperback]

Walt Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Series: Walt Kelly's Our Gang

The Little Rascals as written and drawn by Pogo's Walt Kelly!

Of the handful of comics' bona fide geniuses, few could match the versatility of Walt Kelly (1913-1973). Trained as an animator at Walt Disney Studios (he worked on cartoon shorts and Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Dumbo), Kelly left during a labor dispute in 1941. He immediately began a new career in the burgeoning field of comic books, contributing heavily to various Disney titles and single-handedly producing its classic fantasy books, Fairy Tale Parade, Mother Goose, and Santa Claus Funnies. Along with fellow Disney alumnus Carl Barks, Kelly is now considered one of the two classic "funny animal" artists from the Golden Age of comics.

Surprisingly, Kelly's longest-running continuing series was based on actual people—the "real-life" characters of MGM's durable short-film series, Our Gang (a.k.a. "The Little Rascals"). Spirited and engaging, Kelly's Our Gang harks back to the days before television, when kids spent most of their time playing outdoors, limited only by each other's imagination and ingenuity. Kelly created nearly 100 Our Gang stories by the end of its 59-issue run in 1949, the year he quit comic books to switch careers a final time—as syndicated artist/writer on the immortal newspaper strip, Pogo.

This is the first in a series of books reprinting Walt Kelly's Our Gang stories. Suitable for both adults and children, Fantagraphics Books has lovingly restored the work from their comic book appearance, which will be printed in their original four-color splendor. 96 pages of color comics

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Who knew there was a comic book based on Our Gang (aka The Little Rascals), the long-running series of short films featuring those lovable urban scamps, Mickey, Buckwheat and Spanky? And by Kelly, the man responsible for Pogo, no less. This is a sweet, idiosyncratic collection of comics dating from 1942–1943. Kelly, then a young animator and fledgling comic book artist, was given the job of bringing these icons to life on the comic book page; while it took him a few issues to find his groove, he eventually rendered the gang in his own eloquent visual style. As in all of his work, Kelly's characters are gently nuanced, his lively brush strokes giving them an unvarnished realism that jibes perfectly with their cartoonish surroundings. Kelly makes the characters his own—these comics never feel like adaptations. In these issues, the gang embark on their usual adventures, including making a circus, foiling a crime caper or two and even visiting a movie set. These comics are suitable for nostalgic adults and adventurous kids alike, though Buckwheat's unfortunate but contemporary racist rendering might require some explanation. But all in all, it's an exuberant and transportive collection. (June)
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From Booklist

Although the Our Gang film series was on its last legs in 1942, Dell Comics launched a comic-book version of it that is more than a footnote to the films because it was written and drawn by Walt Kelly, seven years before he brought Pogo to the newspapers. Ironically, while the films were by then slick and mannered, having lost their low-budget modesty after MGM took over producing them, in Kelly's comics they regained much of their earlier, unaffected charm, thanks to his winsome story lines, homey characterizations, and engaging cartooning. The simple, unassuming tales evince little of the wit that would distinguish Pogo, yet they exert nostalgic appeal as they depict the little-kid cast publishing a neighborhood newspaper, putting on a backyard circus, tussling with the rival Gashouse Gang, and, in these World War II-era creations, holding air-raid drills, planting a victory garden, and collecting scrap for the war effort. Movie maven Leonard Maltin and Kelly biographer Steve Thompson contribute informative introductions, and Bone creator Jeff Smith supplies the Kellyesque cover. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books; 1 edition (June 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560977531
• ISBN-13: 978-1560977537
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #719,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hello kids!!!, March 16, 2007

By 

Johnny Heering "trivia buff" (Bethel, CT United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Our Gang Vol. 1 (Walt Kelly's Our Gang) (v. 1) (Paperback)

In 1942, Our Gang got it's own comic book. Of course, Our Gang is better know nowadays as The Little Rascals. By 1942, the Our Gang comedies were on their last legs; the shorts stopped being produced in 1944, although the comic book continued until 1949. This book reprints the Our Gang stories from the first eight issues of the comic book. The comics are are by the great Walt Kelly, with the exception of issue #7. Kelly is best known as the creator of the legendary Pogo comic strip. The comics in this book aren't as great as Pogo, but they are still very good. Good book, but it would be nice if it was a little longer.