Hold the Press!

Key of G

Seems like this bird might be based on someone Kelly knew. But who knows.

Sickfried

Okay, I think we've come to the topmost very height of cuteness, yes?

1000 Horsepower Brain

I could use a beer too.

Breakin' the Vowels Outen the Books

This one is too cute for words. Can you imagine if this was properly animated, with the mice buzzing out vowels? And the baby bear could melt amber.

The Reading Mouse of Pandemonia

Just as I was getting ready to post this strip, the timing was fortuitous that I received an email package from Michel Francois.  It contained original art scans, found on the internet,  for this particular strip. This is a sweet strip and to see the original blue pencils is very informative, such as making the little guy littler, not needing to ink another ear, etc. 

Lovely.

I adore seeing Kelly original art. Thank you Michel Francois.

See Them Peter O'Dactiles

Oh we see em alright. They gorgeous.

In Love of the Letter E

Another cute one. Can never go wrong with mice.

Over the Hill

Mentioning Vietnam and the draft and refusing to go— in a comic strip in 1966 —is pret-ty rare indeed.

The Stunning Formula

Not just l'il elephants, a tiger-striped l'il elephant! And a bird-bug-dinosaur! 

What's the Results? What's the Results?

Four less panels in Pandemonia proper.

A 1,000 and One Surprises

In the midst of  the splendor of Pandemonia, Kelly kept slipping back to Miggle's store. I'm trying to figure out just why he would do that. It certainly wasn't to take it easy on the art or writing chores. In my mind, this was just 4 fewer panels to explore Pandemonia.

One hypothesis might be that Kelly did these Okefenokee-bound strips much earlier and could slip them in to allow a little more deadline breathing room to produce the more complex Pandemonian strips. 

Or maybe  it just didn't make any difference to him. He could produce fun in any locale. Maybe he underestimated how much Pandemonia would mean to fans, then, and 40 years later.

Us Young Uns

Of course this was published in an era when the young were having their say in the world, and seemingly didn't think they would or could live to be over thirty. And HOW old is Paul McCartney now? OMG--67 as of a week and a half ago!

POMF

Another extra panel, below, with thanks to Ger Apeldoorn. 

It's interesting to note that the panel could have been perfectly fine without that little critter cavorting across, but Kelly took the time to give us more dimension, even though not everyone would see this panel.

Teach Me the Bunny-Hug

Wow, here we are into the October strips already.

Churchy's getting along quite well, a veritable playturtle.

Any Questions?

Looka That!

Mice Outvote Everybody

Amazing art for humble newsprint, positioned next to strips like Nancy, Tumbleweeds,  and Eek & Meek.

Mighty Glamorious Job

My spell check goes crazy when I quote Kelly in the titles.

Rise & Fall of the Hall Syndicate

Slightly damaged mysteries. HA!

World Series of 2,001,966 B.C.

Some is More Equal Than Others

A Kid on the Way Up

This Clock is Struck

A Mere Figment

Knuckle-High to a Crap-Shooter

In Abstentia

Yes, Miggle's signs are a hoot.

World Series

And the extra panel, it would have been placed third, again courtesy of Ger Apeldoorn:

A Complete Unknown

If Democracy Worked

This is another strip from the newspaper, not in the book, yet showing Pandemonia.

Uncivil Rites

This strip is pretty cool, and pretty rare, because it's in Pandemonia, but it's not in the book! It's got cute critters and the cute girl!

All is Fudge and Marshmallow

Just Like in the U.S. of A.

It's been a long long long time since I watched The Flintstones, but doesn't that one dude in the 2nd panel look like Dino, the family pet?

Unknowns Anonymous

The Beautiful Maiden

Another lovely menagerie of Kelly Kritters. Several of the beasts are reminiscent of, and are a tribute to T.S. Sullivant, the pioneering cartoonist of the late 19th and early 20th century. Throughout Pandemonia are other animals (and humans) that hearken back to Sullivant's influence on Kelly. Kelly had several influences in his artistic vision, and he actually talked to me a bit about that. I will have more to say about that in a couple of weeks on Sunday, Kelly Sunday over on The Pictorial Arts.

Tomato On My Noodle

A Delicious Time of Day

Slip On My New Kicks

 

Do Not Patronize

Just a Teeny Tiny Little Interruption

Sorry to interrupt the continuity, but if you liked the last Sunday strip and you would like to see an example of the 3 tier format with the extra panel in place, please click here, taking you over to The Pictorial Arts for a moment. Sorry, thanks, go about your business. Pretend I wasn't here. Shh. Sorry.

Must Be Time to Quit

I think Albert's startin' to like the little sprat.

Appointments Made by Appointment Only

Not Everybody!

And let's not forget a pterodactyl stork, in the extra (4th) panel from the 3 tier format! Courtesy again of Ger Apeldoorn!

Hardly a Soul in Town

This is one of my favorite Sunday strips of all time with a unicorn, flying horse, dinosaurs of all sorts, a mammoth & baby, swine, a hippo, a monkey & cavemen, a hyena, bear, chicken, and an embibing bird. And of course our boys and ol' Doc Noah. The colors are nice and the tone is sweet. Who knew you needed an anchor for a unicorn?

I've made the size on this one a little larger so you can get in there to see the wonderful details.

I'm convinced that this strip, at this time, is the finest achievement in the history of comix, right up there with the best of Nemo, Valiant and Krazy. What say you?

Nine O'Clock in the Afternoon