Pogo - Fantagraphics

EDITORS’ NOTE
t’s about time. Matter of fact, it’s well past “about time.”
This is a period when every major newspaper strip – and even
some no one has ever heard of – is getting the full, “complete”
archive treatment, usually under hard covers. That Walt Kelly’s
Pogo was not chief among them was just not right.
So now that’s taken care of. This is the first volume of
Fantagraphics’ reprinting of that classic strip, finally in the format
it deserves. To those who have followed the drawn-out process
of getting it done, watching one release date after another tick
by, our apologies and one simple excuse: We had to get it right.
There are, alas, no readily available collections of perfect copies.
Much of what is in this and subsequent volumes has never been
reprinted and the material had to be tracked down, reconstructed
and retouched. One of those responsible for this book had a
special reason for such diligence: She is Carolyn Kelly, daughter
of the man who created the work before you. With her, it wasn’t
just a matter of doing justice to a classic newspaper strip. She
wanted the best possible presentation of the work of a man she
loved and admired. And still does.
Worth the wait? That’s up to you to decide. We can just tell
you that it wouldn’t have been as good if it had come out when
the project was first announced.
Hard and painful as it may be to believe today, there was a
time when the common assumption was that once a strip like
Pogo had appeared in the newspaper, no one would ever be
interested in reading it again. There were foreign sales and Kelly
reconfigured the material into all those great Simon and Schuster
paperbacks. But the working mindset in strips then was that
beyond that, no one would be interested in reading them again.
Ergo, the comic strip syndicates did not always maintain a set
of good, clean files for future generations’ reprinting or reading
pleasure. Into the trash so much of it went...making the jobs of
today’s archivists and assemblers all the more difficult.
This series of books, like so many other collections of classic
strips, is therefore only possible thanks to the indefatigable fans.
We’re talking about the ones who, painstakingly over the decades,
assembled collections of their favorite comic strips from old
newspaper tearsheets. Steve Thompson, president of the POGO
Fan Club, and Rick Norwood supplied the vast majority of strips
for this volume, and when we had to fill in a few missing strips
and panels, we turned to the vital Billy Ireland Cartoon Library
and Museum at Ohio State University, and to its currentlyretiring curator, Lucy Caswell. It is also vital to salute the late
and sorely missed Bill Blackbeard, whose utterly invaluable San
Francisco Academy of Comic Art collection formed the bedrock of
OSU’s collection.
And so for this first release, we are able to bring you the first
two years of Pogo...and since those were not full years, there’s
ample room for the precursor of the nationally-syndicated
strip. As explained in the introduction, Kelly first put Pogo into
newspapers in the short-lived New York Star. When it went away,
the possum didn’t. Those Star strips are presented in the rear
of this book, after the Sunday pages and before an informative
annotation by R.C. Harvey which identifies this and that for
those who might today miss some references. And of course,
we are proud to have an introduction by Walt’s good friend and
colleague in the newspaper game, Jimmy Breslin.
Subsequent volumes will each house two full years, give or
take a week or so when a storyline stretched past New Year’s Day
and so belongs in either volume. Kelly wrote and drew Pogo for
twenty-four years, and each of these books is designed to contain
two years so we’re looking at a nice, even twelve volumes. You
may want to go clear about eighteen inches on your bookshelf
right now. Within a few years, it will display Pogo in full.
No newspaper strip has ever been more deserving of a
complete, quality reissuance...as you know because you didn’t
start reading with this page. You went directly to the gold and
began enjoying the early, formative days of Walt Kelly’s classic
creation. If it never got any better than what’s in this volume, it
would still warrant the deluxe treatment. But as you’ll see, it just
gets better and better...and one of us can say that without being
accused of familial bias. It’s the one who wasn’t literally sitting on
his lap when he drew some of what follows...
– Kim Thompson and Carolyn Kelly, Editors
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EDITOR’S NOTES • Page ix
FOREWORD by Jimmy Breslin • Page 1
INTRODUCTION by Steve Thompson • Page 3
DAILY STRIPS: 1949-1950 • Page 15
Week of May 16, 1949 – Pogo and Churchy go fishing, Churchy takes
the larger of two fish, then Howland divides the remaining fish, which
Albert eats.
Week of May 23, 1949 – Porky tries to teach a crane how to act like a
crane, Chug Chug Curtis delivers a letter to Pogo from a reader asking
why Pogo doesn’t hang by his tail like a real possum and Pogo tries it.
Week of May 30, 1949 – Pogo’s falls out of the tree. Pogo is tricked into
babysitting a pollywog. Albert inadvertently drinks the water containing
the pollywog and Pogo starts to go down Albert’s throat via ladder.
Week of June 6, 1949 – Pogo rescues the pollywog. Porky is babysitting
a turtle. Howland helps take care of the pollywog, but Albert spills him
into the Swamp.
Week of June 13, 1949 – Miz Frog takes a turtle child home. Pogo and
Albert search for the lost pollywog. Porky attempts to tell a joke.
Week of June 20, 1949 – Pogo fails to convince a worm to go fishing with
him. He rescues Beauregard from a trap and the hound becomes Pogo’s
devoted dog. Beauregard hides in the oven thinking it’s a doghouse, then
pushes Pogo out of bed.
Week of June 27, 1949 – Beauregard claims to be a specialist in finding
lost people., then reveals he is lost. Porky announces a dangerous creature
is loose in the swamp. Albert dons a police helmet, and Chug Chug Curtis
delivers a wanted poster, which Howland attempts to decipher.
Week of July 4, 1949 – A posse is formed and journeys through the
Swamp tracking the wanted fugitive, eventually tracking down a frog and
then a caterpillar.
Week of July 11, 1949 – The posse continues its search and flushes a
ladybug, who is tired of being told to fly away home. She hides in Albert’s
hat, becoming the voice in Albert’s head. Albert and Beauregard switch
roles to confuse the fugitive.
Week of July 18, 1949 – Albert and Beauregard fight over who is actually
the fugitive. Chug Chug returns to deliver a package to Beauregard. The
hounddog opens a box of bones, which Albert eats. Pogo and Porky chase
after a boll weevil minstrel.
Week of July 25, 1949 – Boll weevil dumps a can of bait on Churchy’s
head. Porky tells another joke. Weevil borrows a cup of sugar from Pogo
and traps an ant underneath it. The ant tunnels out and claims to be
from China.
Week of Aug.1, 1949 – Boll Weevil runs off with the lunch. Beauregard
meets a flea who is unable to tell a dialect joke. Pogo and Albert go fishing
for catfish, and Albert throws away a cigar. It hits Howland and Churchy
who decide Albert should give cigars up.
Week of Aug. 8, 1949 – Champeen Hoss Head Catfish, forces Pogo to
throw back the catfish child he catches. Howland and Churchy make Pogo
help them force Albert to give up cigars. Howland and Churchy disguise
him as a beautiful gal.
Week of Aug. 15, 1949 – Albert gets dressed up in preparation for a visit
from Strawberry Shortcut, the Baton Rouge Bomb Shell. Howland and
Churchy steal Albert’s cigars, and Albert pulls a gun on Pogo, accusing
him of being Larceny Lil. He shoots his gun, and a tree branch knock out
both of them.
Week of Aug. 22, 1949 – Howland and Churchy mourn Pogo and Albert,
thinking them dead. They fight over the cigars. Seminole Sam comes into
the Swamp to sell pins with stories engraved on the point.
Week of Aug. 29, 1949 – Albert sneezes on Sam’s microscopic engraver,
and he returns to Scranton. Sam sells Pogo and Albert adding machines
that add up to 317 billion. The machines blow a gasket trying to add to
three, and Howland is unable to fix them. Porky buys a machine using
Confederate bills.
Week of Sept. 5, 1949 – A radio falls out of Sam’s bag. Albert climbs
onto a power line so he can play the radio and gets a shock from the high
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tension wires. An electric eel takes over powering the radio. The truant
officer bug tries to force Albert to go to Howland’s Okefenokee U.
Week of Nov. 21, 1949 – A mysterious stranger appears, claiming to be
a turkey expert. Porky tells Pogo he prefers to fill his footballs with sand.
Week of Sept. 12, 1949 – Albert refuses to attend school as a student.
Howland offers him a professorship. While teaching brotherly love, Albert
is pelted by the Rackety Coon Chile’s slingshot.
Week of Nov. 28, 1949 – Gopher Yerguns and his wooly chaps, Myron
and Moe, show off their cowpunching skills. Albert agrees to be a cow,
until they try to brand him.
Week of Sept. 19, 1949 – Pogo and Albert cast off to look for nature’s
screechers. Pogo reads a Mother Goose book while Albert acts out the
rhymes.
Week of Dec. 5, 1949 – Albert drafts a moose as a cow and winds up
challenging him to a duel.
Week of Sept. 26, 1949 – Pogo, Albert and Churchy continue to re-enact
Mother Goose rhymes. Howland digs for square roots. Albert practices
pitching for the World Series.
Week of Oct. 3, 1949 – It’s World Series time. In the middle of a baseball
game, the gang switches to cricket. Seminole Sam and Wiley Cat invite
Pogo over for potluck dinner, but he escapes.
Week of Oct. 10, 1949 – Pogo climbs a tree to hide, but is recaptured
by Seminole Sam and Wiley Cat, A caterpillar warns Churchy that
Pogo is in danger. Sam and Wiley search a good recipe for possum.
Week of Oct. 17, 1949 – Pogo escapes his stew pot while Sam and Wiley
perform blindfold taste tests. They fight and end up in the pot themselves.
Pogo hides behind a magazine and cooks Sam and Wiley a pot of trash.
Week of Oct. 24, 1949 – Albert as game warden, goes out with
Beauregard, looking for Pogo. Pogo runs away, using the pot for protection
from Wiley’s shotgun. Albert and Beauregard find Pogo and return him
to Sam. With Pogo still in a stew pot, they continue to look through the
cookbook.
Week of Oct. 31, 1949 – Albert gets Pogo out of the pot, then chases off
Wiley and Sam. Churchy provides a summary of the story so far, while
eating a sandwich. Rackety Coon Chile flees his bath and goes fishing
with Porky. Porky discusses critters eatin’ each other.
Week of Nov. 7, 1949 – Albert and Pogo play checkers at Pogo’s house
after Albert gets sick eating wax fruit. Mis’ Mushrat sends over lunch. The
Nov. 11 moment of silence interrupts Howland’s speech. Fleas pass by on
their migration route.
Week of Nov. 14, 1949 – Migrating ducks insult Pogo and Albert.
Jacques Frost starts to paint the trees, with the help of Albert and Pogo.
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Week of Dec. 12, 1949 – Howland provides a horn for Pogo, and Albert
directs while Pogo practices playing it. Moose believes Pogo’s toots are a
rival moose and attacks. Christmas approaches and Porky delivers his
annual flower to Pogo.
Week of Dec. 19, 1949 – The critters organize a Christmas party for
Swamp orphans, namely Porky. Churchy sings “Good King Sourkraut”
and “Deck Us All With Boston Charlie” and the entire Swamp wishes
Porky a Merry Christmas.
Week of Dec. 26, 1949 – Porky smiles as a Christmas special treat,
after which Albert and Pogo write their New Year’s resolutions. A ladybug
complains to Chug Chug Curtis about always hearing the “Ladybug,
ladybug” rhyme, and Pogo sends out New Year’s wishes in a bottle.
Week of Jan. 2, 1950 – Chug Chug Curtis promotes savings bonds.
Seminole Sam sells bottled water to Beauregard. Pogo refuses to buy, and
Sam tries to sell Toronto to Albert, then offers him the Atlantic dry water
concession.
Week of Jan. 9, 1950 – Sam and Albert are marooned. Sam eats Albert’s
fish then rents Albert’s interior out to a family of church mice. The mice set
up housekeeping and discover all kinds of trash inside Albert, including
a cigar.
Week of Jan. 16, 1950 – Pogo and Howland try to get the mice out
of Albert. Pogo sends Howland down Albert’s throat with a trap, which
snaps closed on Howland. After rejecting Howland’s offer to shoot the
mice, Pogo tries to rout them using a fishing line.
Week of Jan. 23, 1950 – The mice finally move out of Albert. Howland
sets up a weather bureau, with Churchy helping with the predictions.
Churchy’s efforts on the slide rule convince them that snow is on the way,
and a molting egret convinces Albert and Pogo the forecast is right.
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Week of Jan. 30, 1950 – Albert, Pogo and Beauregard set off to find
a groundhog. Instead, they find a woodchunk who helps them find
a groundhog cave. Some poetry is recited and George Woodchunk is
revealed to be more afraid of his wife than of his shadow. Pogo and Porky
realize they’ll never run out of ants.
Week of Feb. 6, 1950 – Churchy sets up a barber shop. When he falls
asleep with his head inside his shell, Miz Heron believes the Rackety
Coon Chile has cut off Churchy’s head. In spite of being warned, Albert
drinks the shaving lather, then shoots a mirror behind him.
a diving board for Rackety Coon Chile. Albert and Pogo set themselves up
in the Easter Bunny business, with Albert in a bunny suit.
Week of Apr. 10, 1950 – Albert becomes the father of three baby
grackles. He takes them home to feed them and tries to teach them to fly
because Howland isn’t good at this.
Week of Apr. 17, 1950 – Beauregard leads a group of birdwatchers.
The birds object to being watched and become dog watchers. Albert is
watched taking the baby grackles for a walk. Mama Grackle shows up
and has her tads clean Albert’s teeth.
Week of Feb. 13, 1950 – Albert enjoys reading about the murders
and fights in comic books, but Pogo prefers an old newspaper. Howland
decides the Swamp needs a real paper. Porky provides an illustrated story
of his life which Pogo thinks is a comic strip.
Week of Apr. 24, 1950 – Albert sneezes out the baby grackles. The
Swamp hosts a convention of mice, who set up in Albert’s house
Week of Feb. 20, 1950 – A humbug applies for a job as copyreader,
and Beauregard brings in a cub reporter. Miz Potato Bug discovers the
weather report isn’t accurate. A job applicant attaches himself to Pogo’s
tail
Week of May 8, 1950 – Sam continues to give mouse lessons, takes over
Pogo’s house and fixes himself lunch.
Week of Feb. 27, 1950 – Porky submits a comic strip, but Pogo thinks
it’s the tragic story of his life. Howland takes Porky on a tour of the strip.
Porky again tries to submit a comic strip, as does the team of Howland
and Churchy.
Week of Mar. 6, 1950 – Porky rows off to visit a lady with a see-saw. A
bookworm arrives to be a book reviewer. Albert gets his fingers caught in
the typwriter and destroys the press, putting the paper out of business.
Week of Mar. 13, 1950 – Beauregard takes the bookworm to meet
Howland. The entry of the Adam bugs gives Howland a chance to make
an Adam bomb. Pogo is confused as to whether he’s using the Adam bugs
for fishin’ or fission.
Week of Mar. 20, 1950 – Albert believes Howland is making a lunch,
and disguises himself so he can steal it. Porky explains to the Rackety
Coon Chile how fishing is a contest. Howland and Churchy continue their
Adam bomb research.
Week of Mar. 27, 1950 – Albert and the bear are upset that Howland
and Churchy aren’t sharing their lunch. Howland tries to develop a yewranium bush. Albert’s disguise is revealed. Howland decides to build a
more powerful bee bomb.
Week of Apr. 3, 1950 – Albert and Bear steal the bee bomb. Pogo builds
Week of May 1, 1950 – Churchy sings for the mouse convention.
Seminole Sam arrives and begins teaching Albert how to be a mouse.
Week of May 15, 1950 – Albert tries to join the mouse school, and Pogo
digs his way into his house. Howland and Churchy roll out the heavy
artillery to blast the mice out of Pogo’s house.
Week of May 22, 1950 – The convention ends. Pup Dog enters the strip,
floating in a bag. Albert and Pogo take him to Pogo’s home for supper.
Week of May 29, 1950 – Pup Dog chews on Deacon’s tie. Pup Dog is
scared by a grasshopper, steals the May Day picnic steak, and attacks
Deacon’s tail.
Week of June 5, 1950 – When Pup Dog is sent to Albert’s house to
borrow a cup of sugar, he doesn’t return. Albert gets questioned.
Week of June 12, 1950 – We discover where Pup Dog has vanished to
but there are preparations for Albert’s trial.
Week of June 19, 1950 – Albert discovers he’s the only suspect in
Pup Dog’s disappearance and learns from Churchy that the strangers
investigating the crime plan to beat a confession out of him.
Week of June 26, 1950 – Porky acts as defense lawyer, Howland is
judge, Seminole Sam is prosecutor. Porky insists that a few questions
be asked before the jury delivers the guilty verdict. Sam produces a fish
skeleton and claims it’s the Pup Dog. Albert and Pogo decide to leave the
trial and look for Beauregard.
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Week of July 3, 1950 – The trial continues. Pogo and Beauregard head
out to search for the missing Pup Dog. Albert’s cabinet is brought into
court as evidence, and Pup Dog and Ol’ Mouse are discovered inside.
Week of July 10, 1950 – The fact that Pup Dog has been found alive does
not mean Albert shouldn’t be convicted, at least as far as Sam and the
investigators are concerned. Pogo and Beauregard chase the investigators
out of town. Wiley Catt shows up annoyed that there’s no one’s guilty. Ol’
Mouse heads for Brisbane.
Week of July 17, 1950 – Porky shoots a mirror, a turtle parade
interrupts a chase. Rackety Coon proposes an interesting method for
dividing donuts equally. Churchy, Albert and Moldy Mort start up a cake
stirring business. Pogo and Rackety Coon go fishing.
Week of July 24, 1950 – Louie the tadpole gets mixed up with the
raisins in the cake batter and even his mother has trouble telling which
is which. Gopher Yerguns returns with a seeing-eye butterfly.
Week of July 31, 1950 – The butterfly flies into Albert’s mouth. The
butterfly develops hiccups, and Pogo, Howland and Porky try to scare
them out of Albert.
Week of Aug. 7, 1950 – Albert, speaking Latin, tries blowing Porky’s
bagpipes. The butterfly ends up inside them. The butterfly is saved, and
decides to ride on Pogo’s head for a while. Pogo hides him under a hat.
Week of Aug. 14, 1950 – The butterfly offers to act a Pogo’s guardian
angel. When he tries to switch to Porky, he’s told that the butterflies are
migrating to New South Wales.
Week of Aug. 21, 1950 – Churchy and Beauregard go hunting. They
think Pup Dog is only pointing at insects, but he’s helping game birds
escape. Howland gives Pup Dog an IQ test but is unable to complete it
himself.
Week of Aug. 28, 1950 – Howland informs Beauregard that Pup Dog is
a backward child. While Howland attempts to psychoanalyze him, Pup
Dog announces “Poltergeists make up the principal type of spontaneous
material manifestation.” This causes a stir.
Week of Sept. 4, 1950 – Ants have a Labor Day parade. Beauregard
decides to take Pup Dog on the vaudeville circuit and attempts to build
an act. Porkypine contributes a joke.
Week of Sept. 11, 1950 – Churchy and Beauregard build a showboat.
xiv
Truant officer and principal Deacon drags students back to school.
Week of Sept. 18, 1950 – Albert isn’t a very good student so they make
him the new truant officer. He brings in Rackety Coon Chile, who is
uncertain what he wants to be when he grows up.
Week of Sept. 25, 1950 – There is further discussion of Rackety Coon
Chile’s future. He announces to his parents what he’s decided to do.
Week of Oct. 2, 1950 – It’s World Series time again!
Week of Oct. 9, 1950 – Chug Chug Curtis delivers a special delivery
Christmas card. Ants take off with Albert and Pogo’s picnic. Rackety Coon
Chile tells the history of Columbus Day.
Week of Oct. 16, 1950 – Porky goes courting and describes his previous
difficulties serenading with the bagpipes.
Week of Oct. 23, 1950 – Churchy and Albert demonstrate their
serenading service. Churchy offers to write a song rhyming Porky’s lady’s
name until he learns it’s Hepzibah.
Week of Oct. 30, 1950 – We meet Mam’selle Hepzibah. Albert appears
with flowers and candy. Deacon announces the upcoming elections.
Week of Nov. 6, 1950 – Following the election results, Albert eats
Mam’selle’s quick-risin’ biscuits and floats into the air. Chug-Chug
Curtis describes his full mailman duck family services and Howland is
speechless on Veteran’s Day.
Week of Nov. 13, 1950 – Beauregard and Pogo claim to have trouble
understanding why Porky is attracted to Hepzibah, though Howland,
Churchy and Pogo all court her, and a sea serpent shows up.
Week of Nov. 20, 1950 – The sea serpent gallops away with Churchy’s
boat which gets caught in a tree and the serpent’s secret is revealed.
Week of Nov. 27, 1950 – Albert, Pogo and Horrors Greeley head west to
Milwaukee to become cowboys.
Week of Dec. 4, 1950 – Albert, Pogo and Greeley meet Seminole Sam,
who in turn introduces them to Milwaukee Moe, who engraves speeches
on pin ends.
Week of Dec. 11, 1950 – Sam points out that the cow can’t moo, so
encourages him to return to Fort Mudge and become a cat.
Week of Dec. 18, 1950 – Porky gives Pogo his annual Christmas gift.
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Solid MacHogany arrives to help sing Christmas carols while Churchy and
Howland ar planning dinner. Rackety Coon Chile questions the use of
Christmas trees. “Boston Charlie” is sung and Porky practices his blessing.
Apr. 16, 1950 – The Firehouse Five Band gets in some hot practicing.
Week of Dec. 25, 1950 – Gifts are exchanged and resolutions planned.
Porky steps on the punchline of Churchy’s joke. Howland looks for a
resolution he can give Pogo. Solid MacHogany heads for New Orleans.
Apr. 30, 1950 – Albert leads the expedition party off to find the Fountain
of Youth.
Week of Dec. 31, 1950 – For New Year’s, Albert makes a resolution to
stop picking fights.
Apr. 23, 1950 – Pogo is reading about Ponce de Leon, so Albert decides
to lead an expedition to find the Fountain of Youth.
May 7, 1950 – A mama duck and her tads watch the Fountain of Youth
expedition pass by. The expedition runs somewhat amuck.
ABOUT THE SUNDAYS by Mark Evanier • Page 187
May 14, 1950 – The expedition finds a treasure chest, and Pogo ends up
locked inside. Albert vows to save him.
SUNDAY PAGES 1950 • Page 191
May 21, 1950 – Albert goes off to find the Fountain of Youth to shrink
Pogo so he can escape through the treasure chest’s keyhole.
Jan. 29, 1950 – Pogo finds an old stethoscope and sets himself up as a
doctor, starting out as a tree surgeon.
Feb. 5, 1950 – A plum cake made from Cousin Concertina’s secret recipe
is almost spoiled with turtle flavor.
Feb. 12, 1950 – The fire department is busy playing checkers with
cookies, but offers Albert a discount for putting out his fire.
Feb. 19, 1950 – Albert and Howland set up a sandwich tasting
business.
May 28, 1950 – Howland and Churchy can’t open the trunk. They decide
to haul it home, then suspect it’s Pogo’s ghost they hear inside. Pogo
escapes the trunk while Howland and Churchy evade facing the ghost.
June 4, 1950 – Howland and Churchy decide they should bury the
haunted treasure chest and do so. They meet Albert
June 11, 1950 – Albert, Howland and Churchy use a dowsing rod to
find the treasure chest where they believe Pogo is still trapped .
Feb. 26, 1950 – Churchy sings, causing music lovers to cry.
June 18, 1950 – An egg, found near the Fountain of Youth is thought
to be Howland.
Mar. 5, 1950 – Ol’ Moss-beard the Pirate tries to steal the fish for the fry.
Highjinx on the high seas ensue.
June 25, 1950 – Widder Gertrude offers to babysit the egg, which begins
to hatch.
Mar. 12, 1950 – The Seminole Sam medicine show sells swamp water as
a cure-all, with Pogo in disguise.
July 2, 1950 – The egg hatches, but looks nothing like Howland.
Mar. 19, 1950 – Miz Rackety Coon insists that Albert and Pogo babysit
Rackety Coon Chile.
July 16, 1950 – Howland returns home where more confusion ensues.
Mar. 26, 1950 – Rackety Coon and Alabaster trick Albert into dressing
up as the Easter Bunny.
Apr. 2, 1950 – Albert, in his bunny suit, becomes the mother of newly
hatched grackles.
Apr. 9, 1950 – Happy Easter!
July 9, 1950 – Howland is discovered by Churchy, stuck inside a tree.
July 23, 1950 – Seminole Sam offers a hair-growing lotion to replace
Howland’s feathers.
July 30, 1950 – Sam delays dealing with Howland’s hair while he
operates on Albert’s watermelon.
Aug. 6, 1950 – Pogo offers to shave Howland’s hair, but accidently works
on Barn­stable instead.
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Aug. 13, 1950 – Porky’s nephew verifies the bear’s identity using Uncle
Ira’s Nature Lore book.
Pogo visits Miz Rackety Coon and Rackety Coon Chile. Pogo rescues a
butterfly from Albert’s stomach.
Aug. 20, 1950 – The doctor works on Barnstable, who informs them
that he came down with a case of weasels.
Aug. 27, 1950 – Everyone runs to avoid the plague of weasels.
Week of Oct. 17, 1948 – The butterfly follows Pogo, whotries to shoo
him. Porkypine insists the Swamp needs a police force. Albert takes the
job, but is challenged by “Secret Weapon” Jones the skunk.
Sept. 3, 1950 – Barnstable collides with a stump, causing Albert to
swallow Porky’s nephew.
Week of Oct. 24, 1948 – Everyone runs for sheriff. A bird takes up home
in Albert’s mouth. Howland appoints Churchy his campaign manager.
Sept. 10, 1950 – Uncle Antler thinks Barnstable, with a stump on his
head, is another moose attacking Albert.
Week of Oct. 31, 1948 – Election day arrives, and everyone claims
victory.
Sept. 17, 1950 – Deacon sets up a school and appoints Albert as truant
officer.
Week of Nov. 7, 1948 – Chug Chug Curtis shows Albert and Pogo a copy
of the New York Star showing Harry is going to be the new sheriff. Porky
tries to tell a joke. Pogo gets tricked into babysitting a pollywog. Albert
drinks the tadpole.
Sept. 24, 1950 – Rackety Coon Chile comes to school to learn to be an
elephant.
Oct. 1, 1950 – Okefenokee U practices for the World Series.
Oct. 8, 1950 – Truant officer Albert goes out in pursuit of students.
Oct. 15, 1950 – The tads become explorers while Albert carries the
cake.
Oct. 22, 1950 – The tads continue their expedition with Albert tagging
along.
Oct. 29, 1950 – A butterfly posing as an itinerant sprite joins the
group.
Nov. 5, 1950 – Albert quits the expedition and becomes the Queen of the
Woodland Sprites.
Nov. 12, 1950 – Albert learns that fauns enjoy alligator steaks.
Nov. 19, 1950 – When Albert’s feet grow tired from dancing, Uncle Antler
shows up as King of the Woodland.
Nov. 26, 1950 – The Queen refuses to marry the King. Since there won’t
be a wedding to celebrate, they decide to celebrate Columbus Day.
Dec. 3, 1950 – The fauns prepare to crown their new King and Queen.
Dec. 10, 1950 – The fauns discuss how to trim the Queen’s head.
Dec. 17, 1950 – Uncle Antler recruits Pogo to help rescue Albert, since
the fauns plan to eat alligator steaks.
Week of Nov. 14, 1948 – Pogo tries to get the pollywog out of Albert.
They discover Porky is also babysitting – a turtle.
Week of Nov. 21, 1948 – Albert and Pogo lose the pollywog in the Swamp
and have to face his mother.
Week of Nov. 28, 1948 – A turkey gives thanks, happy he survived
Thanksgiving. Howland reads news from the New York Star, including a
contest to win a trip to Miami Beach, but the Swamp critters can’t enter
because they’re employees of the Star.
Week of Dec. 5, 1948 – Beauregard is rescued from a trap and becomes
Pogo’s faithful dog.. He has to admit to being lost
Week of Dec. 12, 1948 – Sheriff Albert finds a wanted poster for
Beauregard Bugleboy and forms a posse to hunt him down.
Week of Dec. 19, 1948 – Beauregard shares his package of rubber
bones with Albert. The critters sing “Deck Us All With Boston Charlie” and
“Good King Sauerkraut.” A party is planned for the Swamp orphans.
Week of Dec. 26, 1948 – Porky smiles for Christmas. Deacon McNulty
and Boll Weevil sell tickets for the New Year’s Day Atomic Bowl.
Week of Jan. 2, 1949 – Pogo celebrates the New Year, Howland
complains he can’t see any atoms in the Atomic Bowl, and decides the
Swamp needs a school.
Dec. 24, 1950 – Albert escapes from the fauns. Merry Christmas!
Week of Jan. 9, 1949 – Howland becomes a teacher. Albert and Pogo go
looking for more of nature’s screechers for the school.
Dec. 31, 1950 – For New Year’s, Albert makes a resolution to stop
picking fights.
Week of Jan. 16, 1949 – Albert and Pogo find Orville the screech owl
who, it turns out, is a book reviewer.
NEW YORK STAR STRIPS: 1948-1949 • Page 243
Week of Jan. 23, 1949 – Orville gives a book review. Pogo plays hooky.
The mailman tracks him down to deliver a letter.
Week of Oct. 4, 1948 – Pogo prepares to go fishing, meets Churchy
LaFemme, some worms and an unnamed porcupine.
SWAMP TALK by R.C. Harvey • Page 279
Week of Oct. 10, 1948 – Howland fries the one fish Churchy left Pogo.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS • Page 289
xvi
Table of Contents
xvii
Daily Strips
56
October 3-8, 1949
57
Daily Strips
58
October 10-15, 1949
59
Daily Strips
60
October 17-22, 1949
61
Daily Strips
62
October 24-29, 1949
63
Daily Strips
64
October 31-November 5, 1949
65
Daily Strips
66
November 7-12, 1949
67
Daily Strips
68
November 14-19, 1949
69
Daily Strips
70
November 21-26, 1949
71
Sunday, April 16, 1950
203
Sunday, April 23, 1950
204
Sunday, April 30, 1950
205
Sunday, May 7, 1950
206