Gasoline Alley and the Old Comic Strip Challenge 30-31

In a sequence that began on April 9, 2013, Gasoline Alley centenarian Walt Wallet receives an invitation to the Old Comics Home dinner. Walt has reminisced before about his fellow characters from discontinued comic strips. And since Gasoline Alley began in 1918, there are quite a few of his contemporaries who have been retired. (Read the whole series here)

Days 30-31 finish up this sequence, and answer a very important question. For several years now, Walt Wallet has been having dreams about vintage comic strip characters. There was some speculation that this visit to the Old Comics Retirement Home would be a loving send-off for Walt (now over 100 years old) and he would retire from the strip. As you can see in the final installment, that didn't happen, and both Walt and his grandson-in-law Slim Skinner drive off, back in to the real world (or as real as the world of Gasoline Alley gets). (click on images to enlarge)

Jim Scancarelli clearly had fun with this story arc, and I think a lot of vintage newspaper comic strip fans had fun as well. I certainly enjoyed the challenge of identifying all the characters. And even though I wasn't 100% successful, I'm hoping in time some reader of these posts will help me fill in the blanks.

Since the penultimate strip only had a single vintage character in it, I decided to pair it with the finale, rather than draw out the series yet another week! Note in the final panel there are not only characters, but a few other visual references to vintage strips.

1. Jiggs - Bringing Up Father (1913-2000) by George McManus

1. Mutt - Mutt and Jeff (1907 - 1982) by Bud Fischer
2. Pops - Polly and her Pals (1912-1958) by Cliff Sterrit
3. Happy Hooligan - Happy Hooligan ( (1900-1932) by Frederick Burt Opper
4. Jeff - Mutt and Jeff (1907 - 1982) by Bud Fischer
5. Winnie Winkle- Winnie Winkle the Breadwinner (1920-1996) by Martin Branner
6. Mac MacDougall - Tillie the Toiler (1921-1959) by Russ Westover
7. Harold Teen - Harold Teen (1919-1959) Carl Ed
8 Ostrich - Krazy Kat, (1913-1944) by George Herriman
9. Sparkplug - Barney Google (1919 - ?) by Billy DeBeck
10.Yellow Kid  - Yellow Kid (1895-1897) by Richard F. Outcault
11 Albert Alligator - Pogo (1948-1975) by Walt Kelly
12 Kilroy
13 Toonerville Trolley tracks - Toonerville Folks (1908-1955) by Fontaine Fox
14 Signpost reference to Smokey Stover (1935-1973) by Bill Holman


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