This was surprisingly more enjoyable than I thought a 1920's daily comic would be. The stories, I would guess, deal more with the basic human emotions, but also touch on the sentiment of the time.

I would recommend this as something to have on hand at work for lunch breaks.

If you ever wanted to read a cartoon full of archaic automobile jokes, a running gag where the lead is glad he’s single, child raising, a skinflint doctor, and what passed for dating in 1920, then this is for you! That said, apart from the unfortunate way King draws black people, this is a quaint and charming old comic strip.

The second and third years of the comic strip GASOLINE ALLEY do not live up to the hype. The strips reprinted in this book are certainly pleasant, but King's reputation for design is not on display in these daily strips and the storylines meander. There is a lot of heart on display, but with little emotional impact. I shall read the next volume, for it seems likely that the strip will grow into its vaunted reputation with age.

3.5

Such a moving story, wonderfully drawn and written. If Chris Ware hadn't saved this old comic strip from oblivion, my reading life would have been so much the poorer.

Misschien wel de mooiste, leukste en ontroerendste comic die ik ooit las. Eerste deel - 1920 en 1921 gebundeld - van een groot en groots project van topuitgeverij Drawn and Quarterly. Gekocht in de ramsj van de winkel STRIP in Gent - de eenvoud. Volgende delen zien liggen wachten in de schatkamer van Senor Hernandez. Was ik alvast maar jarig...

I had never read any actual Gasoline Alley before, just the Mad parody by Kurtzman and Elder, so this was something of a revelation. Even gestationally, it is a fascinating strip. It begins more or less as a gag strip with recurring characters, but even in its earliest form, the gags are often subdued, more wry slice of life observations than typical comics humour, and sometimes, there isn't really even a gag at all. It bgins to acquire narrative coherence and development with the introduction of the foundling baby Skeezix (the origin of the name being a puzzle to me, even from the character's inroduction; I mean, really, Skeezix?) on Walt's doorstep. This leads initially to a lot of humour about a man assuming a primary caregiver role--definitely an oddity in the 1920s--and becoming as proud a papa as any mother could be, as well as to a lot of humour about Walt treating Skeezix more or less like a car. Some longer narrative arcs and potential melodrama begin to develop late in the second year, as it becomes evident that the mystery of Skeezix's origins will eventually be explored, but we don't get there this volume. That I find myself rather keen to dig up volume two and continue the story is a testament to its quiet and subtle charms. King has a remarkable facility with character and with insight. Probably a must-read for any serious comics fan.

Had to read this for a US History class. I enjoyed it until I had to use it to write an essay.

It's not too surprising, but this rewards patience. For the first year or so of strips, I thought the collection was agreeable but nothing special. But as details add up, and storylines ebb and flow, and characters grow sharper, the strip gets stronger and stronger. I'm looking forward to the next collection.

Added bonus: Discovering that King comes from a small town in Wisconsin. No wonder so many details feel familiar, even 90+ years after the strips were written.

The genius of this strip is its everyday, rambling, discursive quality, which begins to emerge in 1922: it's moving to see King evolving, as he realizes he doesn't always need a gag to make comic strip life fascinating. The editing on this series is first rate, and the introduction and accompanying illustrations are an invaluable, intimate record of a singular talent: sheer pleasure!

Amazing comic strip truely unique.

The beginning of a collection of books is too good to want to read the other parts