The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics (4 Points)

After going through The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics, I found what to me was one of the most well-made works was Gasoline Alley. It really stood out to me with it's vibrant colors and marvellous display of craftsmanship, often changing design and inspiration every page. The comic almost feels like a love letter to both comics and the different art movements, that each page features, somehow without any jarring contrast. It really feels like the characters belong in the world, no matter how artful or strange it gets, Frank King was always able to create a strong sense of unity in the works. It feels almost like the dialogue takes a back seat as you instead catch yourself in the artwork or the strange and intricate composition like for the one where the entire page is one continuous background. The second to last Gasoline Alley comic in the book seems to be a homage to Little Nemo by Winsor McCay, at least I assume so, as one of the main characters falls asleep and his dreams transform and change to many fantastical scenes until the character wakes up again, which is a very similar formula to Nemo.  Speaking of formulas, I would say that Gasoline Alley's formula is taking either a thoughtful or slightly funny interaction between the main characters, and then have some sort of dazzling or distinct environment. On occasion, they would mention what style they are in. To create a new page of Gasoline Alley must have been a challenging, yet very fun, task. 


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