Thimble Theatre and the Pre-Popeye Comics of E. C. Segar #[nn]

This handsome Sunday Press volume collects E. C. Segar's early Thimble Theatre strips, showcasing his work before a certain spinach-loving sailor ever set foot on the page. The cover, drawn and inked by Segar himself, features two lively characters mid-stride against a bold red background — a tall, rubbery fellow in a checkered jacket hustling along beside a shorter companion in a dark dress, both rendered in Segar's wonderfully elastic, expressive style. Published in 2018 in a generous oversized format, this is a rare chance to appreciate the full range of Segar's cartooning craft at its most playful and inventive.