Sunday, June 30, 2013

Centennial Birthday

There is a milestone birthday coming up this August. A birthday of one who is no longer among us, but one whose work will live for lifetimes to come.

Walt Kelly was born 100 years ago on this upcoming August 25. As unofficial celebrant of the work of Walt Kelly, the Whirled of Kelly site takes it upon itself to be the unofficial celebrant of the centennial day of the man who some of us consider to be the greatest cartoonist of all time.

My time has been fully occupied as of late, as I have just come off a prolonged effort of producing a prototype online journal that promotes the significance of the arts that will be free of charge to readers. But now I'd like to take the time and effort to produce a special edition of that journal to honor the significance of the art of Kelly.

I know this is short notice, being less than 2 months away, but I am asking all fans of Kelly to consider a way to help us mark the day of August 25 in a special way.

Over the last couple of years we have had a number of Friends-in-Kelly lovingly share some beautiful Kelly material (with more waiting in the wings). 

I am requesting now that professional cartoonists and artists come up with some art and/or narrative, in their own unique way that will pay tribute to Kelly and his work—all to be published in a special edition of The Pictorial Arts Journal to be made available online in a magazine format, free of charge to all.

 I am broadcasting an appeal world-wide, to professionals and talented enthusiasts to draw, paint, write or otherwise create material that can be sent via email for inclusion in this special birthday edition.

We will need to receive all digital work via email by no later than Sunday, August 4, 2013—to allow 3 weeks for production of the issue.

Can you do it? Will you do it? Some of you who 'toon in here are professionals, and you know other pros who know other pros, etc. Can all of us spread the word to ask for talent to pay tribute to this man whose work has enriched so many of us?

Our foremost Friend-in-Kelly is a man who signs his comments as 'Hun', short for TransAtlantic Hun, meaning he of the Germanic realm. I have corresponded with Hun for quite a while now, and no one loves Kelly's work more than he. Many have equal love, but none more, it seems. Hun approached me some time last year about starting a campaign to have the US Postal Service issue a commemorative stamp honoring Kelly's centennial birthday. I was tied up with trying to make a living, as I am now, so that  my time would not have been of value to spearhead the campaign. As well, I felt that the Postal Service probably needed more time than a year to make it happen. For all I know, some other entity has succeeded in navigating the process to have such a stamp issued. But to honor Hun for thinking of it and to honor Kelly, because we all adore him, I've mocked up a stamp that I wish could have existed for real. I'm going to use this stamp as an icon of the campaign that I'm spearheading now to request tribute art from all who recognize Kelly's importance to the arts.


I'm taking a risk here of getting in trouble with the Postal Service, with the Kelly family heirs and with who knows who else. But c'mon, you know the love I give this blogsite. This is important and worth the risk. Please spread the word.

We need placement-ready jpeg art or Word document essays by August 4. And please, sooner than that if you can, so the final layout won't be terribly crunched. Anyone can email me if you want to discuss ideas or have questions or have information on contacting hard-to-contact professionals. Bill Watterson, are you out there?

My email for any part of this project is bueyokyan@gmail.com

Oh, and Happy Sunday, Kelly Sunday!

Saturday, June 29, 2013

"The friends I have are the best in all the world!"

Hi guys! This is a Sweet Saturday post of some guy's work that has ripped off Walt Kelly's style, for a children's book no less! I tell you me, what some people won't do!

I . . . what? What's that? You mean? Oh. Oh. Well. That's completely different . . . never mind . . .

It seems that this lovely children's book work IS by Walt Kelly, using the pseudonym Tony Maclay.

Foolishness aside here, I've been searching used bookstores for years for this legendary side-step by Kelly. Never did find it. I saw a few black and white reproductions in fanzines and thought I'd never ever have the chance to see the book in color.  Well, that's where Whirled of Kelly was one of the best obsessions I've ever taken on, because thanks to it, I (and you) have friends-in-Kelly who are willing to share their rare Kelly items, such as "The Downy Duck" by Tony Maclay (psst, Walt Kelly).

Thank you and many handshakes to Richard Davidson, he of great Kelly knowledge, who has been sending over some lovely items, of which this is one. I did a few color edits, but these are really nice scans. Everyone, shake hands with Richard and convey your thanks!

Happy Sweet Saturday!

 Walt Kelly as Tony Maclay — The Downy Duck — 1946












Sunday, June 23, 2013

Copied Right

We all come here to this site to revel in the work of Mr. Walt Kelly, but for the nonce, let's sidestep to the work of the one guy who could've ghosted for Kelly, if he really had wanted to. I'm talking of course about Mr. Wally Wood, who parodied Pogo (and other comic strips) almost flawlessly a number of times. I think he purposely left a few flaws in the drawing just to help us see the parody at work.

If we're going to end up eventually posting on this site everything that Kelly ever drew, I think we should also include everything ever done in homage to Kelly and Pogo. So thanks to StripeCAT, one of our good friends-in-Kelly for sending over the scan.


This parody, published in '59, is from Mad magazine, of course, from a section they called "The End of Comics" and shows how a few well known comics would look if all comics were to be dropped from all newspapers.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Where's the Fire Brigade?

Wow, hey look kids! A Walt Kelly panorama with Brownies, which I like to imagine to be in the same whirled as Peter Wheat!

From Four Color Comics #192 — The Brownies — 1948

Our friend Barry has sent over a batch of comics of which this is the center spread of one. You can see why some old comics are missing center spreads, if they look like this, maybe they ended up taped to bedroom walls.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Young Yippee Yaps

I had a little time to scan up yet another Sunday strip to help fell in the blanks in all our collections, little by little.

November 2, 1969

Of course 1969 was a critical point in the conflict between young boomer rebels and the elder 'great society' establishment. It seems amazing that today, those very boomer rebels are now the stolid establishment and ready to be pushed aside by their now middle-aged children. 

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Frozen Goo-ed

No time, no time, no time! I am rushed and have no time to post anything but this low circulation Pogo cover that looks much like the Pogo comic book stuff that Kelly was producing at the time.

Love the Hepzibah character rendering on the left.

Long live Kelly!

Walt Kelly — Virginia Spectator  — February 1951