How To Be A Cartoonist by Albert the Alligator

Here's our weekly POGO installment. This is from March 8, 1964.

This week Albert the Alligator is explaining how to be a cartoonist.

Read it (click on it to enlarge it) and then...re-read it!

I'm betting you'll notice something new on the second reading.

First, of couse, is the gorgeous art. It's hard to miss, as Pogo himself is pointing it out to us.

(Imagine it in Sunday Funnies color!)

Then notice the words....satire and a dash of vaudeville.

Now consider how they are a perfect match...! Yep, Walt Kelly was a genius.

Panels 7-9 are a good example of how he could be social and/or political...what sounds like a dig at the Baby Boomers is actually a gentle teasing of them....notice Albert's leer in panel 8, juxtaposed with his prudishness in panel 9, leading to our kicker of an ending.

This breaks "the fourth wall" in so many ways, but is just plain fun and entertaining.

Yep, pure genius.