Gasoline Alley Daily 8/23/20 by Frank King

Artist: Frank King (All)

7 Comments - 186 Views - 3 Likes

Gasoline Alley Daily 8/23/20 by Frank King Comic Art

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Artwork Details

Title:	Gasoline Alley Daily 8/23/20 by Frank King
Artist:	Frank King (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Comic Strip
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	186
Likes on CAF:	3 4
Comments:	7
Added to Site:	1/19/2023
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Here is something I've been pining over for sometime, a pre-Skeezix Gasoline Alley. This one dates from 1920 so getting on 103 years old now. The strip started out in late November of 1918 with gags about a local group of car enthusiasts. Over time certain ones became more of the focus of the strip until Walt found Skeezix on his doorstep on Valentine's Day of 1921. Then the ride began and what a ride it was. It is the story of America. It is the great American novel.

This example is fun as we already see Walt's fastidious nature tempered with true compassion. He would show the same conscientiousness and loving forgiveness with Skeezix. Here he is giving Ivan a ride and the whole time he talks about the things Ivan might notice is wrong with the car but in a tone that is understanding and forgiving.

Walt is my hero.

This appears to have been given as a Christmas gift in 1959 with a nice signature by Frank. The year 1921 is written in by King. I assume that King knew this was a pre-Skeezix example but couldn't remember the date of it some 40 years later and took a guess at the 1921. I have the reference material and was able to find it having been published in August of 1920. The strip had been cropped tightly. The few other ones I have seen of this era have been similarly cropped but others have not. Also, in my quick search I found 2 others that were gifted by King for Christmas in 1959, a good year I suppose to be on the King Family Christmas card mailing list!

I must have been tempting fate with this piece. I had been complaining how irrelevant I find eBay in this hobby these days and it had been a few years since I bought original art there. Not a day later and I get an offer on this piece that I had been watching for some time. It was terribly overpriced. Even the offer was overpriced but the seller was reasonable and we found a happy medium for it. It came in a frame from the 60's and was mounted on a dark cardboard mounting board. Luckily I was able to get it off the board which was quite acidic.

Is my Gasoline Alley collections complete now? Maybe...maybe I'm just tempting fate again!

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About the Owner

	Jeff Singh ( 7 ) Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	November 2004
Last Login:	September 2025
Website:	http://www.art4comics.com
Country:	CANADA
On CAF:	Premium Member Q&A Jeff's Classifieds Jeff's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF Read More About JeffSingh

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Comments on this Artwork

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Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 1/19/2023

Very nice. After WWI, it was the beginning of car culture of America with Ford manufacturing Tin Lizzies and public expansion of roadways which created suburb life. This is a veritable guide of what to look for when buying a car.

Amir E
Member Since 2020

1 - Posted on 1/19/2023

Lovely strip and terrific description write-up Jeff!

Ron S
Member Since 2007

1 - Posted on 1/19/2023

That's really great.

artless artmore
Member Since 2013

1 - Posted on 1/19/2023

Wonderful!

Alex Johnson
Member Since 2006
Forum Moderator

1 - Posted on 1/20/2023

Delightful. King was among the very best ever.

F M
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 1/20/2023

You live in a museum ;)

Fabio C.
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 1/23/2023

amazing strip... it's almost like you can time travel by looking at pieces like this one

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