Pogo The Complete Syndicated Comics Strips HC (2025)

"Our first (of 12) volume reprints approximately the first two years of Pogo ? dailies and (for the first time) full-color Sundays. This first volume also introduces such enduring supporting characters as Porkypine, Churchy LaFemme, Beauregard Bugleboy, Seminole Sam, Howland Owl, and many others. And for Christmas, 1949, Kelly started his tradition of regaling his readers with his infamously and gloriously mangled Christmas carols. Special features in this sumptuous premiere volume, which is produced with the full cooperation of Kelly's heirs, include a biographical introduction by Kelly biographer Steve Thompson, an extensive section by comics historian R. C. Harvey explaining some of the more obscure current references of the time, a foreword by legendary columnist Jimmy Breslin, and more. 32 pages of full-color and 320 pages of black-and-white comics"

"Pogo: Bona Fide Balderdash is the second volume in a series reprinting in its entirety the syndicated run of Walt Kelly's classic newspaper strip. It features all the strips from 1951 and 1952, which have been collected before, but in now long-out-of print books, and even there they were not as meticulously restored and reproduced as in this new series. Bona Fide Balderdash also reprints, literally for the first time ever in full color, the two full years of Sunday pages, also carefully restored and color-corrected, shot from the finest copies available. This second volume is once again edited and designed by the cartoonist's daughter, Carolyn Kelly, who is also handling much of the restoration work."

"t's in this volume (featuring another two years worth of Pogo strips) that we meet one of Walt Kelly's boldest political caricatures. Folks across America had little trouble equating the insidious wildcat Simple J. Malarkey with the ascendant anti-Communist senator, Joseph McCarthy. The subject was sensitive enough that by the following year a Providence, Rhode Island newspaper threatened to drop the strip if Malarkey's face were to appear in it again. Kelly's response? He had Malarkey appear again but put a bag over the character's head for his next appearance. Ergo, his face did not appear. (Typical of Kelly's layers of verbal wit, the character Malarkey was hiding from was a Rhode Island Red hen, referencing both the source of his need to conceal Malarkey and the underlying political controversy.) The entirety of these sequences can be found in this book. But the Malarkey storyline is only a tiny portion of those rich, eventful two years, which include such classic sequences as con-man Seminole Sam's attempts to corner the market on water (which Porkypine's Uncle Baldwin tries to one-up by cornering the market on dirt); a return engagement of Pup Dog and Houndog's blank-eyed Little Orphan Annie parody Li'l Arf and Nonny; Churchy La Femme going in drag to deliver a love poem he wrote, Cyrano style, on Deacon Mush-rat's behalf to Sis Boombah (the aforementioned hen); P.T. Bridgeport's return to the swamp in search of new talent; and of course two rousing choruses of Deck Us All With Boston Charlie. In addition to presenting all of 1953 and 1954's daily strips complete and in order for the first time anywhere (many of them once again scanned from original syndicate proofs, for their crispest and most detailed appearance ever), Pogo Volume 3: Evidence to the Contrary also contains all 104 Sunday strips from these two years, presented in lush full color for the first time since their original appearance in Sunday sections 60 years ago plus the usual in-depth Swamp Talk historical annotations by R.C. Harvey, spectacular samples of Kelly's work scanned from original art, and a whole lot more! "

"In addition to presenting all of 1955 and 1956's daily Pogo strips complete and in order for the first time anywhere (many of them once again scanned from original syndicate proofs, for their crispest and most detailed appearance ever), Pogo: The Syndicated Comic Strip Vol. 4 also contains all 104 Sunday strips from these two years, presented in lush full color for the first time since their original appearance in Sunday sections 60 years ago. Partial color illustrations throughout."

"This is the first time Pogo has been complete and in chronological order for the first time anywhere?with all 104 Sunday strips from these two years presented in lush full color for the first time since their original appearance in Sunday newspaper sections. In this volume, the Okefenokee gang decide to dig a canal to compete with the Suez (as soon as they can con one of their own into doing the digging) and consider going back to school. Among other hi-jinx, a flea comes a courtin' Beauregard the Dog."

"Volume 6 presents all 104 Sunday Pogo strips from 1959-1960 in full-color for the first time since their original appearance. Albert Alligator and Beauregard Bugleboy fend off a man-from-Mars, and Howland Owl investigates Communist espionage in the postal system. Then, its election time and Okefenokee Swamp gets a new presidential candidate, Fremount the Bugboy, sparking a political debate about just who can be president - maybe even a woman! With an introduction by Jim 'Garfield' Davis and supplementary features by comics historians R.C. Harvey, Maggie Thompson, and Mark Evanier."

"This series represents the first time Pogo has been collected complete and in chronological order anywhere, presented in lush full color for the first time since their original appearance in Sunday newspaper section, as well as gorgeous black-and-white reproductions of Kelly's elegant dailies. This volume includes a pig with an ominous resemblance to Nikita Khrushchev and a scruffy goat who looks exactly like Fidel Castro. Both assure Okefenokeeans that a one-party system is the way to go; all will be well economically, they explain, because 'the shortage will be divided amongst the peasants.' Other storylines spotlight Kelly's remarkable cast: Pogo Possum, Albert Alligator, Howland Owl, 'Churchy' LaFemme, Beauregard Bugleboy, Porky Pine, Miz Ma'm'selle Hepzibah, Deacon Mushrat, and so many others. All 104 Sunday strips from those two years are included, with supplementary features (including comprehensive annotations and index) by comics historians R.C. Harvey, Maggie Thompson, and Mark Evanier. "

Collects the years 1963 and 1964 of the classic newspaper strip whose political satire feels more timely than ever. Using the platform of Pogo, Walt Kelly tackled many of the sociopolitical issues of his day: the Red Scare, civil rights, the environment, consumerism. But the strip is also a joyous, poignant, beautifully drawn, and occasionally profound work of 20th-century popular culture. Each volume contains two full years of restored black-and-white daily strips plus all 104 Sundays from the same period. For the first time since their original appearance more than 50 years ago, the Sundays are in full, glorious color.

Walt Kelly's newspaper comic strip Pogo was a platform for Kelly to express political satire and commentary via a wildly entertaining, motley group of swamp critters. He tackled many of the sociopolitical issues of his day: the Red Scare, civil rights, the environment, consumerism. But the strip is also a joyous, poignant, beautifully drawn, and occasionally profound work of 20th-century popular culture. It is such an all-time classic it is hard to believe that this series marks the first time that Pogo dailies and Sundays have been published in complete and in chronological order anywhere. Not only does each volume contain two full calendar years of restored black-and-white daily strips, it also includes all 104 Sundays from the same period. For the first time since their original appearance more than 50 years ago, the Sundays are in full, glorious color! Edited by comics legend Mark Evanier and Fantagraphics Associate Publisher Eric Reynolds, each volume has a surprise foreword (Jake Tapper, Sergio Aragonés, and Neil Gaiman have contributed).