Barnaby Volume Five
The final volume collecting “the last great comic strip,” by the creator of Harold and the Purple Crayon.

The long-lost comic strip masterpiece by legendary children’s book author Crockett Johnson, is finally collected and designed by acclaimed graphic novelist and Barnaby superfan Daniel Clowes (Ghost World).

Volume Five collects the final two-plus years of the strip, including the rarely-if-ever-seen conclusion of the strip, as five-year-old Barnaby Baxter says goodbye to his Fairy Godfather, Mr. O’Malley. Unlike most comic strips, Barnaby ended its ten-year run with an emotionally satisfying ending that broke the hearts of fans when first published in newspapers. The magic of Barnaby resides in its canny mix of fantasy and satire, amplified by the understated elegance of Crockett Johnson’s clean, spare art.

Barnaby expanded our sense of what comics can do through its combination of Johnson’s sly wit and O’Malley’s amiable windbaggery, illustrating a child’s feeling of wonder and an adult’s wariness, highly literate jokes and a keen eye for the ridiculous. This volume also features essays by comics historian Susan Kirtley and Johnson biographer Philip Nel, as well as an introduction by filmmaker Ron Howard, whose acting career was launched in 1959 at the age of five, when he was cast as Barnaby in a 1959 adaptation for General Electric Theater, hosted by Ronald Reagan. The book includes rarely-seen stills from the 1959 production — which also featured Wizard of Oz alum Bert Lahr as Mr. O’Malley!

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Barnaby Volume Five
The final volume collecting “the last great comic strip,” by the creator of Harold and the Purple Crayon.

The long-lost comic strip masterpiece by legendary children’s book author Crockett Johnson, is finally collected and designed by acclaimed graphic novelist and Barnaby superfan Daniel Clowes (Ghost World).

Volume Five collects the final two-plus years of the strip, including the rarely-if-ever-seen conclusion of the strip, as five-year-old Barnaby Baxter says goodbye to his Fairy Godfather, Mr. O’Malley. Unlike most comic strips, Barnaby ended its ten-year run with an emotionally satisfying ending that broke the hearts of fans when first published in newspapers. The magic of Barnaby resides in its canny mix of fantasy and satire, amplified by the understated elegance of Crockett Johnson’s clean, spare art.

Barnaby expanded our sense of what comics can do through its combination of Johnson’s sly wit and O’Malley’s amiable windbaggery, illustrating a child’s feeling of wonder and an adult’s wariness, highly literate jokes and a keen eye for the ridiculous. This volume also features essays by comics historian Susan Kirtley and Johnson biographer Philip Nel, as well as an introduction by filmmaker Ron Howard, whose acting career was launched in 1959 at the age of five, when he was cast as Barnaby in a 1959 adaptation for General Electric Theater, hosted by Ronald Reagan. The book includes rarely-seen stills from the 1959 production — which also featured Wizard of Oz alum Bert Lahr as Mr. O’Malley!

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Barnaby Volume Five

Barnaby Volume Five

Overview

The final volume collecting “the last great comic strip,” by the creator of Harold and the Purple Crayon.

The long-lost comic strip masterpiece by legendary children’s book author Crockett Johnson, is finally collected and designed by acclaimed graphic novelist and Barnaby superfan Daniel Clowes (Ghost World).

Volume Five collects the final two-plus years of the strip, including the rarely-if-ever-seen conclusion of the strip, as five-year-old Barnaby Baxter says goodbye to his Fairy Godfather, Mr. O’Malley. Unlike most comic strips, Barnaby ended its ten-year run with an emotionally satisfying ending that broke the hearts of fans when first published in newspapers. The magic of Barnaby resides in its canny mix of fantasy and satire, amplified by the understated elegance of Crockett Johnson’s clean, spare art.

Barnaby expanded our sense of what comics can do through its combination of Johnson’s sly wit and O’Malley’s amiable windbaggery, illustrating a child’s feeling of wonder and an adult’s wariness, highly literate jokes and a keen eye for the ridiculous. This volume also features essays by comics historian Susan Kirtley and Johnson biographer Philip Nel, as well as an introduction by filmmaker Ron Howard, whose acting career was launched in 1959 at the age of five, when he was cast as Barnaby in a 1959 adaptation for General Electric Theater, hosted by Ronald Reagan. The book includes rarely-seen stills from the 1959 production — which also featured Wizard of Oz alum Bert Lahr as Mr. O’Malley!

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9798875000461
Publisher: Fantagraphics
Publication date: 02/11/2025
Series: Barnaby
Pages: 388
Product dimensions: 10.80(w) x 6.70(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Crockett Johnson was the pen name of cartoonist and children’s book illustrator David Johnson Leisk (October 20,1906–July 11, 1975). He is best known for the Harold series of books, which began with Harold and the Purple Crayon, and for the comic strip Barnaby. He was married to the children’s book author Ruth Krauss, with whom he collaborated on several books, including The Carrot Seed.

Philip W. Nel is a scholar of children’s literature and comics. He is best-known for work on radical and anti-racist children’s literature, Crockett Johnson, and Dr. Seuss – especially Was the Cat in the Hat Black?

Ron Howard is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Howard started his career as a child actor before transitioning to directing films. Over his six decade career, Howard has received two Academy Awards, four Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award.

Daniel Clowes is a Harvey, Eisner, Ignatz, and PEN America Literary Award Winner whose comics and graphic novels have been translated into over 20 languages worldwide. He is also an Academy Award nominated screenwriter (for Ghost World), and retrospectives of his work have appeared at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Oakland Museum, and the Wexner Center in Columbus, OH. He lives in Oakland, California, with his wife and son.
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