Gasoline Alley, a classic comic strip...
73The Compass, a classic fantasy Sunday page by Frank King
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I grew up on Gasoline Alley. Turning to the newspaper comic page was a daily occurrence. Many of us still do. Gasoline Alley has been in continuous distribution since the 1920's. What is truly unusual is that the comic character's have aged in (sort of) real time with it's reader's.
We watched Skeezix grow from an infant, through childhood, marry Nina, go off to fight in WWII, and raise children. We saw Walt Wallet woo and eventually marry Phyllis. We followed them through all of life's adult stages, and were there the day Phyllis died. Walt is still alive, a feisty but forgetful character.
Frank King started Gasoline Alley in a single panel cartoon, dated variously between 1917-19. It was a full fledged strip in 1921, the year Skeezix was born. His birth-date was set on Valentine's day, February 14, the day he was found on Walt's doorstep. Walt eventually adopted Skeezix, but was always known as Uncle Walt. For the life of the strip, Skeezix's real mother has been kept a mystery, but I've long suspected that it was Phyllis, who became his stepmother. The strip has had a tradition of remembering certain days with strips that show the family, and often friends as they are at the time on Skeezix's birthday, Christmas, and New Year's days.
Vintage video of Frank King at the drawing board...
Frank King was one of the comic strip pioneers
He took us along with the Wallet family into the 1950's when Bill Perry took some of the load by taking over the Sunday strip. In 1969, Dick Moores took over the strip on Frank King's death. In 1992, Jim Scancarelli took over the strip on Moore's death.
I've included a sample daily strip below from each of the cartoonist era's. There is also a family tree that shows the depth of the story-lines over the years. The different artists brought different drawing styles and a little different slant to the Alley, but all remained true to Frank King's original vision that began in the early 1900's - a different family than ours, for sure, but very real to the fans, none the less.
February 14, 1941 - Skeezix doesn't remember being left on the doorstep 20 years ago, but Frank King and his audience do...
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Dick Moores celebrates Skeezix's 55th birthday - note the great silhouette panel 3...
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Walt and Skeezix think about Phyllis after the funeral, by Jim Scancarelli
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Comments
I used to read comic strips as a kid, but now I'll read a Dilbert cartoon or a Far Side from time to time.
As a teenager I enjoyed reading comics in the Bakersfield Californian -- especially "Our Boarding House with Major Hoople". I read Gasolina Alley, Dick Tracy, and others. I'd love to see some more of Major Hoople.
Once again, Jack has tunneled into his literary past (remember Laurence Shames) and brought his fans a remembrance of things old and dear. My Grandfather and Dad always read Gasoline Alley first thing Sunday morning and gradually introduced me to the Wallet family. Later on, when playing Scrabble with Dad, I was given a pass when I layed down Skeezix on a Triple Play.
Blondie & Dagwood came next, in the 30s, and chronicled American family life pretty well until lately. Chic Young was the strip's brilliant and durable creator.
As I matured socially & politically, Li'll Abner became my cup of tea. Satiric, sardonic, tongue-in-cheek, Al Capp created hillbilly Dogpatch said to be the most miserable, unnecessary place on earth--but not as low as Lower Slobbovia. Daisy Mae, Li'll Abner's well-endowed wife, was easy on the eyes. Other characters were memorable: Joe BTFSPLK, the world's worst jinx, brought bad luck to all those around him. You may remember the small black weepy cloud that always hovered over him. There was Fearless Fosdick, a clear send-up of Dick Tracy. Joanie Phoanie, a wealthy folk singer who wolfed down caviar in front of famished children. Joan Baez sued. The judge said free speech works both ways. The happy Schmoo (plural, Schmoon, e.g., a frolicking of Schmoon) who exuded love and looked like a plump bowling pin with legs, no arms, smooth skin and was so accomodating that if a guy looked hungry, the Schmoo would jump into a frying pan and cook himself to taste--like chicken, said diners. Remember Sadie Hawkins Day where the ladies chased the men all over Dogpatch and which spawned similar events all over the country? Capp & his creations graced the covers of TIME & LIFE & Newsweek. Capp's fortunes fell when he pleaded no contest to attempted rape and sexual harassment charges--college co-eds, Goldie Hawn, Grace Kelly, Edie Adams.
Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson stole the show for a good while until Bill withdrew to recharge. Please draw that great fantasy strip again, Bill.
But for ole times sake, I choose Pogo by Walt Kelly as the greatest. Unparalleled political parody from the mouths of the denizens of the Okefenokee swamp: Pogo, the possum, Albert, the alligator, Churchy LaFemme, the turtle (turkle in swampspeak), Howland Owl, Beauregard, the hound dog, Miz Beaver, Deacon Mushrat, P.T. Bridgeport, the bear who looks like P.T. Barnum & the flirty French skunk that Pogo is keen on--Miss Mam'selle Hepzibah. Kelly created over 300 characters during the 27 years of his strip. Enjoyed by kids and savvy adults alike, Pogo influenced many cartoonists including Bill Watterson & Gary Trudeau.
Thanks again, Jack. Some wonderful memories flowed from your Hub.
Very good one. I like to know these types of information very much. Well done.
Wonderful, and I thought I knew all about comic strips!
Mine are Peanuts, Inside Woody Allen, B.C., Hagar, Dilbert...
aww..thanks for htis..I love this comic strip..
I must admit to also loving both doonesbury and bloom county.
Let's see, I've seen a bunch of strips commented here as favorites. I've read and enjoyed all mentioned so far. I liked Bloom County better in it's earlier incarnation. Each strip has it's own charm which is a combination of the drawing style and the psyche of the author/artist. By day I'm a modern fellow, but in the twilight I'm drawn to the early stuff. I'm trapped somewhere in the 1940's and can't get out.
Thanks for this, I had forgotten all about the Alley which i once read regulallry.
This Hub certainly brought back memories that made me smile. I first saw Gasoline Alley in a Detroit Newspaper when I about about 6 years old. I think the strip Out Our Way was also in that paper. Pogo was my favorite comic strip when I was growing up, though.
Nicole Hollander has done a hilarious feminist-leaning strip called Slyvia with cats that can talk and a friend from Venus that goes to the bar with her. She was forever typing out classified ads for get-rich schemes and home businesses and composing booklets and pamphlets. in the strip. She would have made a grand Hubber!
Today I like Funky Winkerbean and Get Fuzzy. Bucky the Cat is nuts!!
This was good to read. We had a completely different set of cartoon heroes in the UK of course, the best of them coming out of the Dundee DC Thomson press. Oor Wullie and The Broons are still going strong, and in fact I was thinking of doing a hub on them sometime soon.
Thanks for the feedback Patty and Bob. Paraglider, I'd love to see some UK comic strips. I'm sure some of the humor would be lost to those of us outside the UK culture, but style and wit are international.
was never a fan of comic strip.....but after reading this hub and the comments am gonna start doing so now.
Gasoline Alley has a different feel to it than any other strip. It is totally unique from the style of art to the types of stories. It's probably the most underated comic of all time. The most human too. I don't have a favorite strip, there's just too many great ones.
Thanks for sharing a nice post
WHAT A WONDERFUL GIFT YOU HAVE GIVEN US OLE TIMERS...WE WERE SO TUNED INTO GASOLINE ALLEY THAT MY DAD NICKNAMED MY TWO OLDEST BROTHERS, SKEEZIX AND CORKY....ALL THE WAY UP TO COLLEGE MORE PEOPLE KNEW MY SECOND OLDEST BROTHER AS 'CORKY' THAN THEY DID HIS REAL NAME...I WISH THEY WOULD PRINT ANOTHER FAMILY TREE NOW THAT SKEEZIX AND NINA ARE GREAT GRAND PARENTS AND LITTLE CLOVIA IS CLOSE TO 60...THIS WAS THE AMERICA I GREW UP IN....THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH
I had never seen gasoline alley before, I will look for more. I love daryl cargils daily cartoons. A collection of many big cartoonist. I love strips, but hardly ever see them. Thank you!
This was cool....love the strips! :)
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jstankevicz says:
2 years ago
What's your favorite comic strip?