Number 598


Wise Men of Gotham


No, not Batman's Gotham, the other Gotham.

"Wise Men of Gotham," drawn by Walt Kelly for Fairy Tale Parade #5, March 1943, is inspired by a series of tales about a town where stupidity rules. You can read more of these classics in prose form by author John Jacobs here.

Unlike a Pogo story by Kelly, "Wise Men" stays close to the script and doesn't wander around in a stream-of-consciousness style. Still, it has the feel of Pogo. The denizens of the Okefenokee often act like these IQ-challenged Gothamites, with Pogo playing the part of the Jester.