King Aroo
Encyclopedia
King Aroo was a comic strip
written and drawn by Jack Kent from 1950 until 1965. The strip was distributed through the McClure Syndicate
.
Often compared to Walt Kelly
's Pogo
, Kent's strip abounded in sophisticated puns and wordplay. The strip was described in The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics:
The early strips were collected in a 192-page book, King Aroo, published by Doubleday in 1953. The collection had an introduction by Gilbert Seldes
. In 2010, IDW Publishing
began a complete reprint of King Aroo, with the first volume covering dailies and Sundays from 1950 through 1952. The series is edited and designed by Dean Mullaney with biographical text by Bruce Canwell and an introduction by Sergio Aragones
.
Kent and his wife June Kent named their home on the banks of the San Antonio River "King Aroo's Castle."
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
written and drawn by Jack Kent from 1950 until 1965. The strip was distributed through the McClure Syndicate
McClure Syndicate
McClure Syndicate , the first American newspaper syndicate, introduced many American and British writers to the masses. Launched in 1884 by publisher Samuel S. McClure, it was the first successful company of its kind...
.
Characters and story
The strip's central character, King Aroo, is the monarch of the mythical Myopia. Supporting characters included Yupyop, Lord High Almost Everything; scientific expert Professor Yorgle; Mr. Pennipost, the kangaroo mailman with an astounding pocket capacity; Mr. Elephant, so forgetful he doesn't recall himself; nosy court poet Dipody Distich and Wanda Witch, a bird who pushes a cart marked with "Spells and Curses, 5¢" signage.Often compared to Walt Kelly
Walt Kelly
Walter Crawford Kelly, Jr. , or Walt Kelly, was an American animator and cartoonist, best known for the comic strip, Pogo. He began his animation career in 1936 at Walt Disney Studios, contributing to Pinocchio and Fantasia. Kelly resigned in 1941 at the age of 28 to work at Post-Hall Syndicate,...
's Pogo
Pogo
Pogo is the title and central character of a long-running daily American comic strip, created by cartoonist Walt Kelly and distributed by the Post-Hall Syndicate...
, Kent's strip abounded in sophisticated puns and wordplay. The strip was described in The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics:
- King Aroo is one of the most celebrated strips of the recent past in the comics, but celebrated largely among devotees of comics, and appealing largely to the members of the readership that loved Krazy KatKrazy KatKrazy Kat is an American comic strip created by cartoonist George Herriman, published daily in newspapers between 1913 and 1944. It first appeared in the New York Evening Journal, whose owner, William Randolph Hearst, was a major booster for the strip throughout its run...
, BarnabyBarnabyBarnaby was a comic strip which began April 20, 1942 in the newspaper PM and was later syndicated in 64 American newspapers ....
, Pogo and Little NemoLittle NemoLittle Nemo is the main fictional character in a series of weekly comic strips by Winsor McCay that appeared in the New York Herald and William Randolph Hearst's New York American newspapers from October 15, 1905 – April 23, 1911 and April 30, 1911 – July 26, 1914; respectively.The...
. The King was the creation of Jack Kent, born in Burlington, IowaBurlington, IowaBurlington is a city in, and the county seat of Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,663 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in the 2000 census. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area including West Burlington, Iowa and Middletown, Iowa and...
, in 1920. It was probably Kent's lack of formal art training that led to a loose-lined art style, with panels full of characters and activity. It was surely his innate artistic ability that kept those panels from looking cluttered. The strip began in 1950 in national syndication but was discontinued after a few years. It was kept on in limited syndication until 1965 by Stanleigh Arnold's small Golden Gate Features.
The early strips were collected in a 192-page book, King Aroo, published by Doubleday in 1953. The collection had an introduction by Gilbert Seldes
Gilbert Seldes
Gilbert Vivian Seldes was an American writer and cultural critic. He was editor and drama critic of The Dial. He also hosted the NBC television program The Subject is Jazz....
. In 2010, IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
began a complete reprint of King Aroo, with the first volume covering dailies and Sundays from 1950 through 1952. The series is edited and designed by Dean Mullaney with biographical text by Bruce Canwell and an introduction by Sergio Aragones
Sergio Aragonés
Sergio Aragonés Domenech is a cartoonist and writer best known for his contributions to Mad Magazine and creator of the comic book Groo the Wanderer....
.
Kent and his wife June Kent named their home on the banks of the San Antonio River "King Aroo's Castle."
External links
- Internet Book List: King Aroo
- http://prime2.oit.umn.edu:1701/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?ct=display&doc=umn_aleph002585871&indx=7&vl(188822406UI0)=any&dum=true&vl(1UI1)=contains&vl(184825232UI3)=all_items&vl(freeText2)=&scp.scps=scope%3A(tcsearch)&frbg=&fctV=Kent%2C%20Jack%2C%201920-&vl(1UI2)=contains&fctN=facet_creator&vl(188822433UI1)=any&srt=rank&vl(freeText0)=jack%20kent%20papers&mode=Advanced&vid=TWINCITIES&ct=facet&vl(181253066UI5)=all_items&vl(1UI0)=contains&vl(185101953UI4)=all_items&indx=1&fn=search&tab=default_tab&vl(freeText1)=&vl(188822462UI2)=anyJack Kent Papers, University of Minnesota]