![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/our-gang-vol-1.jpg\")
\nBy Walt Kelly<\/strong> (Fantagraphics Books)
\nISBN 978-1560977537<\/p>\n
The movie shorts series Our Gang<\/strong> (latterly the Li’l Rascals<\/strong>) were one of the most popular in American Film history. Beginning in 1922 they featured the fun and folksy humour of a bunch of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153typical kids\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Atypically though, there was always full racial equality and mingling – but the little girls were still always smarter than the boys. Romping together, they all enjoyed idealised adventures in a time both safer and more simple.<\/p>\n The rotating cast of characters and slapstick shenanigans were the brainchild of film genius Hal Roach who directed and worked with Harold Lloyd, Charley Chase and Laurel and Hardy amongst many others. These brief cinematic paeans to a mythic childhood entered the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153household name\u00e2\u20ac\u009d category of popular Americana in amazingly swift order.<\/p>\n As times and tastes changed Roach was forced to sell up to the celluloid butcher’s shop of MGM in 1938, and the features suffered the same interference and loss of control that marred the later careers of Stan and Ollie, the Marx Brothers and Buster Keaton.<\/p>\n In 1942 Dell released an Our Gang<\/strong> comicbook written and drawn by Walt Kelly who, consummate craftsman that he was, deftly restored the wit, verve and charm of the glory days via a progression of short comic stories which elevated lower-class American childhood to the mythic peaks of Dorothy<\/em> in Oz<\/strong>, Huckleberry Finn<\/strong> or Laura Ingalls<\/em> of Little House\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/strong> fame.<\/p>\n Over the course of the first eight issues so lovingly reproduced in this glorious collection, Kelly moved beyond the films – good or otherwise – to scuplt an idyllic story-scape of games and dares, excursions, adventures, get-rich-quick schemes, battles with rival gangs and especially plucky victories over adults: mean, condescending, criminal or psychotic.<\/p>\n Granted great leeway, Kelly eventually settled on his own cast, but aficionados and purists can still thrill here to the classic cast of Mickey<\/em>, Buckwheat<\/em>, Happy\/Spanky<\/em>, Janet<\/em> and Froggy<\/em>.<\/p>\n Thankfully, after far too long a delay, today’s comics are once again offering material of this genre to contemporary audiences. Even so, many modern readers may be unable to appreciate the skill, narrative charm and lost innocence of this style of children’s tale. If so I genuinely pity them, because this is work with heart and soul, drawn by one of the greatest exponents of graphic narrative America has ever produced. I hope their loss is not yours.<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00a9 2006 Fantagraphics Books. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Walt Kelly (Fantagraphics Books) ISBN 978-1560977537 The movie shorts series Our Gang (latterly the Li’l Rascals) were one of the most popular in American Film history. Beginning in 1922 they featured the fun and folksy humour of a bunch of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153typical kids\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Atypically though, there was always full racial equality and mingling – but … <\/p>\n