{"product_id":"barnaby-volume-5","title":"BARNABY Volume 5","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe final two-plus years of the strip, including the rarely-if-ever-seen conclusion. 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 \u003cstrong\u003eCrockett Johnson’s\u003c\/strong\u003e clean, spare art. \u003cem\u003eBarnaby\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\n\nThis volume also features essays by comics historian \u003cstrong\u003eSusan Kirtley\u003c\/strong\u003e and Johnson biographer \u003cstrong\u003ePhilip Nel\u003c\/strong\u003e, as well as an introduction by filmmaker \u003cstrong\u003eRon Howard\u003c\/strong\u003e, whose acting career was launched in 1959 at the age of five, \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ewhen he was cast as Barnaby in a 1959 adaptation for General Electric Theater\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, hosted by Ronald Reagan. The book includes rarely-seen stills from the 1959 production -- which also featured \u003cem\u003eWizard of Oz\u003c\/em\u003e alum Bert Lahr (The Cowardly Lion) as Mr. O’Malley!\n\nAnd an essay by Crockett Johnson himself, \"Fantastic Companions\" first published in 1955 in \u003cem\u003eHarper's Magazine. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fantagraphics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59643399045406,"sku":"BAR05H","price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/0684\/7006\/files\/bar05h-barnaby-5-book.jpg?v=1784515427","url":"https:\/\/shop.budsartbooks.com\/products\/barnaby-volume-5","provider":"Bud's Art Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}