I've heard so much about Walt Kelly from this very close friend of mine that I feel like I knew him. But in a sense, I felt like I knew him before I met his lovely and spectacular daughter. Walt Kelly was and still is my favorite cartoonist…a declaration that no doubt causes many reading this to shrug and say, "So what? Walt Kelly was my favorite cartoonist, too."
Don't worry. If you favor Schulz or Segar or Herriman or anyone else who has had the same job description, I won't think an iota less of you…won't even waste a second in debate. But if Kelly's your fave, it's a sure bet we'll get along fine. To me, he was the guy who succeeded best at creating his own little world in a corner of the funnies page — a world peopled (animaled?) with colorful, irresistible characters who spoke their own colorful, irresistible language. When I was younger, I sometimes had a bit of trouble sandblasting my way through Kelly jargon to figger out what they were saying. But I usually made it and it was always worth the effort. Always. Because he always had something to say.
Had he lived a healthier life, Mr. Kelly might have made it to the age of 100 and that's how old he would have been today. It always struck me as odd to celebrate the day when a beloved one might have hit the century mark had he not died on us. In a sense, there's just as much cause to honor Kelly today as there was yesterday and as there'll be a week from next Thursday. But today's as good a day as any to pay him a little extra attention. Every time I do, I'm reminded just why he's my favorite…