We Go Pogo: Walt Kelly, Politics, and American Satire

Description

A cartoon possum took on McCarthy — and won. Behind one of America’s most beloved comic strips lay a daring political voice. In We Go Pogo, Kerry D. Soper offers a fresh, penetrating look at Walt Kelly — the cartoonist who turned the funny pages into a platform for courage and conscience.

For nearly three decades, readers opened their morning papers to the Okefenokee Swamp, where Pogo Possum and his friends navigated a world mirroring Washington’s follies. Kelly took on McCarthyism when few dared, lampooned power with wit and warmth, and coined phrases that entered the American lexicon — including the famous “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Soper explores how a former Disney animator became one of the most decorated and influential cartoonists of his era, admired by presidents and peers alike. Published in the University Press of Mississippi’s Great Comics Artists Series — a must for comics enthusiasts, students of American culture, and anyone who loves the idea that satire can stand up to a senator.

Behind one of America’s most beloved comic strips lay a daring political voice. In We Go Pogo, Kerry D. Soper offers a fresh and penetrating look at Walt Kelly — the cartoonist who turned the funny pages into a platform for courage and conscience.

For nearly three decades, readers opened their morning papers to the Okefenokee Swamp, where Pogo Possum and his friends navigated a world that mirrored Washington’s follies. Kelly took on McCarthyism when few dared, lampooned power with wit and warmth, and coined phrases that entered the American lexicon, including the famous “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Soper explores how a former Disney animator became one of the most decorated and influential cartoonists of his era, admired by presidents and peers alike. Through close readings of the strips and rich historical context, the book reveals the artistry, the humor, and the moral clarity that made Pogo a national institution.

Published in the University Press of Mississippi’s Great Comics Artists Series, this volume is a must for comics enthusiasts, students of American culture, and anyone who loves the idea that a cartoon possum could stand up to a senator.