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

~ Walt Kelly (Author) "Since Kelly is one of the early inductees into the National Cartoon Museum's Hall of Fame, it's been frustrating for fans that such a major..." (more)
Key Phrases: movie series, Our Gang

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: 9.4 x 7.3 x 0.5 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.com Sales Rank: #976,750 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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

By	Johnny Heering "trivia buff" (Bethel, CT United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.