Inspirational Quotes by Walt Kelly (American Cartoonist)

Walt Kelly (1913–73,) byname of Walter Crawford Kelly, was an American cartoonist. He was the creator of the popular and acclaimed comic strip “Pogo,” which was noted for its sophisticated humor, gentle whimsy, and occasional pointed political satire.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kelly went to Hollywood in 1935 and did animation drawings for Walt Disney Productions. During the 1940s, when he was active as a commercial artist in New York City, one of his projects was a comic book in which the character Pogo first appeared in 1943. His great opportunity came in 1948 with the publication of the short-lived New York Star, for which he did the daily comic strip “Pogo,” based on the character he had created previously. After the New York Star ceased publication in January 1949, “Pogo” was carried by the New York Post and, before long, by many other papers.

Kelly’s cartoons featured animal characters that closely resembled famous political figures of the day. Pogo is a self-effacing possum. Other characters were Howland Owl, Albert the Alligator, and Churchy LaFemme, a turtle. The strip was remarkably well-drawn, and the text material was sharp and highly literate.

Kelly’s work influenced the creators of “Bone,” “Calvin and Hobbes,” “Liberty Meadows,” “Mutts,” and hundreds of other comic strips and books.

Beginning with Pogo (1951,) there have been many collections of Kelly’s strips, assembled both from newspapers and from original creations.

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Walt Kelly