Kelly, Walt
b. Aug. 25, 1913, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.
d. Oct. 18, 1973, Los Angeles, Calif.

...WALTER CRAWFORD KELLY, American creator of the comic strip "Pogo," which was noted for its sophisticated humour, gentle whimsy, and occasional pointed political satire ....

The characters in "Pogo" are animals who live in Okefenokee Swamp, in Georgia. Pogo himself is a self-effacing possum. Other characters were Howland Owl, Albert the Alligator, and Churchy LaFemme, a turtle. The strip was exceptionally well-drawn, and the text material was witty and highly literate. Kelly frequently included animal characters that closely resembled prominent political figures of the day. Beginning with Pogo (1951) there have been many collections of Kelly's strips, compiled both from newspapers and from original creations.