Our Gang Vol. 3 (Walt Kelly's Our Gang) (v. 3) [Paperback]

Walt Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Series: Walt Kelly's Our Gang

In our third volume of all-ages adventures, Kelly begins to hit his stride by relying more on original ideas than following the MGM scripts. The mainstay offbeat personas are joined by other whimsical characters in these witty tales.

Walt Kelly created dozens of 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.

In Our Gang’s third volume, Kelly begins to hit his stride by relying more on original ideas than following trite MGM scripts which had lacked in charm since the departure of producer Hal Roach in 1938. Keeping alive the wit that had been absent from the film series, this volume contains eight adventures of the mainstay offbeat personas as well as other whimsical characters, from mad scientists to eccentric animals. Suitable for adults and children alike, the work has been lovingly restored from the original comic books, giving Kelly’s art a renewed four-color splendor. With an all-new cover by Jeff Smith (Bone).

96 pages of color comics

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ironically, while Our Gang films were [by the 1940s] slick and mannered, in Kelly's comics they regained much of their earlier, unaffected charm. (Booklist )

Our Gang is excellent. You need no knowledge of the films to follow the action, and each issue was self-contained, so you can read it in chunks.... An essay at the beginning of the book puts the stories into the context of their times, very important for any comic book from that era.... Definitely worth a read if you are a fan of old comics that don't involve superheroes. (Laura Gjovaag )

That this series was written and drawn by the great Walt Kelly is icing on the cake for comics fans. Walt Kelly was to the Our Gang comic books what Hal Roach had been to the movie series: creator and godfather. (Leonard Maltin )

Straight-ahead comedy: enjoyable and interesting. (Library Journal )

A sweet, idiosyncratic collection of comics, suitable for nostalgic adults and adventurous kids alike... An exuberant and transportive collection. (Publishers Weekly )

These strips still have the do-it-yourself, kid-culture appeal of the original film shorts. (The Onion A.V. Club )

About the Author

Walt Kelly is the creator of the legendary Pogo comic strip. He was born in 1913 and passed away in 1973.

Jeff Smith is the award-winning creator of the comic books Bone and RASL.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books (August 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560979208
• ISBN-13: 978-1560979203
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #662,530 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kelly's Gang, August 20, 2008

By 

Brent R. Swanson "coffee shop inspector" (Crooper, Illinois) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Our Gang Vol. 3 (Walt Kelly's Our Gang) (v. 3) (Paperback)

By 1944, the MGM assembly line had all but killed-off one of the most successful comedy franchises of all time. Our Gang (a.k.a. "the Little Rascals") had been created and nurtured by Hal Roach into an American institution. MGM acquired the series name and stars, but no understanding of how the series worked. But Walt Kelly, assigned to the comic book spinoff at Western Publishing, knew that the series, in its prime, had never talked down to kids nor exploited cloying cutenss. As he progressed with his series and the MGM version petered-out, Kelly "rotated" new members into the gang and rechristened others as he retooled the Gang for comic book adventures.

This third volume in Fantagraphics reprint series picks up in 1945, when Kelly's transformation of the Gang is nearly complete. Kelly continued to streamline character design till the figures were distinctly his. Stories became more fanciful and less dependent on wartime topics and concerns. By abandoning practically all pretense of fidelity to the movie series, Kelly created his own Our Gang. Ironically, this Gang was more in keeping with the original spirit of the Hal Roach series than the MGM continuation had ever been.

The eight stories in this volume range from clumsy to near classic. They're presented in their original order and colors, so you can see their progression as yesterday's readers saw it. The humor may not be in the same league as "Pogo," but the storytelling and characterizations have the earmarks of a master. This volume is an entertaining record of his growth as an artist.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Collectable Item, September 17, 2008

By 

Carol Kirkpatrick (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Our Gang Vol. 3 (Walt Kelly's Our Gang) (v. 3) (Paperback)

Anyone who purchased Volumes 1 & 2 will know what to expect, for this one is more of the same. Some of the Gang members from the first volume have now been replaced by new characters, and some of the racial stereotypes are being eliminated. The stories are aimed at children, and there is little there for the adult reader. However, fans of the Little Rascals may be interested in this series as a collectable item, as well as fans of Walt Kelly (whose artwork is primitive here, compared to what he would create later).