Fred Basset by Alex Graham 1981-09-15

Fred Basset by Alex Graham appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle when I was growing up. “The hound that’s almost human.” Fred lives with a couple in a nice neighborhood. He has an uncanny knowledge of his owners’ personality traits and foibles. He goes on minor adventures outside with neighbors, wildlife, and other canines. I enjoyed the strip, but knew nothing of it beyond what I saw in the newspaper. At some point, I read that Graham had passed, but left over a year of new strips for publication. I saw a Fred Basset original turn up at Heritage Auctions, but failed to sign up properly. That one turned up on a dealer site for an exorbitant price. I found a sketched letter from a correspondent. I bought and binge read the collections. Heritage put up two originals in a Wednesday auction and I won both. This one shows Fred with his master, but showing his independence. Since posting on Facebook, an English friend described Fred as the English Snoopy. A Swedish friend edited a Fred Basset collection and reports Graham’s daughter writes the strip now.