Created by Cliff Sterrett, Polly was a unique creation. She was one of the first comic-strip heroines and served as a model for later characters. To be sure, Polly served more as a straight-character foil for the comedic adventures of her family: the bumbling Paw, the ever-vindictive Maw, her brother, and their cat. Sterrett’s uniquely cubist-art deco-surrealist-psychadellic-cinematic style truly set this strip apart. In all, Sterrett’s “Polly and her Pals” is one of the most important and influential works of comic art of all time. Feast your eyes on the extra-long-29-strip slide show that follows. I espcially love the delightful daily strip sequence where Polly is looking particularly hot, not to mention the babe of a Gypsy girl! The drawing inscribed to “Chet” is an unpublished piece of original art from my collection. (The images are on the large side. You’re welcome.)

(click for a slide show)