Happy Easter! EASTER WITH MOTHER GOOSE "Easter Egg Party!"

For All Those Who Couldn't Afford to Have One Themselves...

...a classic tale written and illustrated by Walt (Pogo) Kelly with a gentle moral message!

What's the moral?

You decide!
It's there!

A never-reprinted tale from Dell's Four Color Comics: Easter with Mother Goose #140 (1947)

Happy

Easter

Good Friday Fun / Easter Reading Room EASTER WITH MOTHER GOOSE Featurettes #2

Since We're Almost to Easter, here's a few more short pieces from Walt (Pogo) Kelly...

...including an obligatory one based on a classic nursery rhyme adapted for the holiday...

...and a couple of gentle, sweet ones!

Be Here Easter Sunday, When Mother Goose Hosts an Easter Party with Guests Galore!

Easter Reading Room EASTER WITH MOTHER GOOSE Featurettes

Here's several shorts showcasing Walt (Pogo) Kelly's Versatility...

...and they didn't always feature fairy tale or nursery rhyme characters!

But, could we run a post like this without at least one nursery rhyme adapted to the season?

Hell, no!

From Dell's Four Color Comics' #185 (1948) & #229 (1949)

Monday Madness / Easter Reading Room SANTA CLAUS FUNNIES "Great Three-Flavored Blizzard"

Wait!
"Santa Claus Funnies"?
Isn't it Almost Easter???

Yes it is..for us!

But, it seems the Easter Bunny has lost track of time!

And that's why this is our final Monday Madness entry for the Easter season...

Published in Dell's Four Color Comics/Santa Claus Funnies #175 (1947), Walt Kelly wrote and illustrated this tale of holiday confusion with what I believe is the first Santa Claus-Easter Bunny crossover comic story!

If I'm wrong, let me know, and I'll credit you on this blog when I run the story you cite!

Easter Egg-citement with Walt Kelly!

Easter is Next Sunday...

...but we don't believe in waiting , especially since getting real eggs has proven so difficult!

This centerfold from Dell's Four Color Comics: Easter with Mother Goose #103 (1946) is, perhsps the closest some families will have to an actual hunt this year.

Can you find the bunnies, chicks, and eggs hidden in the art?

Friday Holiday Fun EASTER WITH MOTHER GOOSE

Here's a short story featuring a plethora of fairy tale characters...

...as presented by a (then) future superstar of the comic strip or, (if you want to be pretentious) graphic novel form!

The title story from Dell's Four Color Comics #103: Easter with Mother Goose (1946) was written and illustrated by Walt Kelly, whose signature series Pogo wouldn't debut for another three years.
Trivia:
While Pogo as a stand-alone series began in 1949, various characters including Pogo himself and Albert the Alligator had appeared as supporting characters in other Walt Kelly-written and drawn strips since 1941.
Besides doing an annual comic of Easter stories featuring fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters celebrating the holiday, Walt also did an even-more popular series of annual Christmas comics utilizing the same concept!

Easter Reading Room EASTER WITH MOTHER GOOSE "Little Bunny"

Walt (Pogo) Kelly went into full-on "cute" mode with his holiday stories...

...including this never-reprinted one from Dell's Four Color Comics: Easter with Mother Goose #185 (1948)!

Besides doing an annual comic of Easter stories featuring fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters celebrating the holiday, Walt also did an even-more popular series of annual Christmas comics utilizing the same concept!

Easter Reading Room EASTER WITH MOTHER GOOSE "Mother Hubbard's Cupboard"

It's March!

Spring is, well, springing, and Easter is only a couple of weeks away!

So, here's a holiday goodie by Walt (Pogo) Kelly!

This never-reprinted feature from Dell's Four Color Comics #220: Easter with Mother Goose (1949) was typical of Kelly's holiday offerings.

He would either retell a fairy tale or nursery rhyme with added holiday elements, or craft a new tale based on the characters!

Monday Madness / Easter Reading Room EASTER WITH MOTHER GOOSE "Easter Bunny and the Dwarf"

To be clear, "dwarf" is not politically incorrect...

...so just sit back and enjoy the never-reprinted tale from Dell's Four Color Comics: Easter with Mother Goose #140 (1947) without any guilt!

This story, written and illustrated by Walt (Pogo) Kelly features a number of nursery rhyme characters including Jack and Jill (who went up a hill), Little Jack Horner, and Mother Goose herself.

But, it is not, as was often the case with Kelly's holiday pieces, an adaptation of existing nursery rhymes, but a totally-new tale!
It's also a prequel to the book's main tale featuring an Easter party...which you'll see on Easter Sunday!

Holiday Reading Room EASTER WITH MOTHER GOOSE "Candy Egg"

Here's a (literally) sweet, never-reprinted Walt (Pogo) Kelly short...

...from Dell's Four Color Comics: Easter with Mother Goose #220 (1948)!

Imagine getting one of these 52-page annuals in your Easter basket along with jellybeans, chocolate bunnies and marshmallow Peeps!

Several 7-10 page stories, a number of 1-3 page features, games, and, usually, a wraparound cover!

Would've kept a 5-8 year-old me occupied in those dark days before TV (much less the Internet)!
Good thing I was born after that era...