{"product_id":"jack-kent-the-wit-whimsy-and-wisdom-of-a-comic-storyteller-9781496846297","title":"Jack Kent: The Wit, Whimsy, and Wisdom of a Comic Storyteller","description":"Jack Kent (1920-1985) had two distinct and successful careers: newspaper cartoonist and author of children's books. For each of these he drew upon different aspects of his personality and life experiences. From 1950 to 1965 he wrote and drew \u003ci\u003eKing Aroo\u003c\/i\u003e, a nationally syndicated comic strip beloved by fans for its combination of absurdity, fantasy, wordplay, and wit. The strip's DNA was comprised of things Kent loved--fairytales, nursery rhymes, vaudeville, \u003ci\u003eKrazy Kat\u003c\/i\u003e, foreign languages, and puns. In 1968, he published his first children's book, \u003ci\u003eJust Only John\u003c\/i\u003e, and began a career in kids' books that would result in over sixty published works, among them such classics as \u003ci\u003eThe Fat Cat\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThere's No Such Thing as a Dragon\u003c\/i\u003e. Kent's stories for children were funny but often arose from the dark parts of his life--an itinerant childhood, an unfinished education, two harrowing tours of duty in World War II, and a persistent lack of confidence--and tackled such themes as rejection, isolation, self-doubt, and the desire for transformation. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eJack Kent: The Wit, Whimsy, and Wisdom of a Comic Storyteller\u003c\/i\u003e illuminates how Kent's life experiences informed his art and his storytelling in both \u003ci\u003eKing Aroo\u003c\/i\u003e and his children's books. Paul V. Allen draws from archival research, brand-new interviews, and in-depth examinations of Kent's work. Also included are many \u003ci\u003eKing Aroo\u003c\/i\u003e comic strips that have never been reprinted in book form.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePaul V. Allen\u003c\/b\u003e is author of \u003ci\u003eEleanor Cameron: Dimensions of Amazement\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eI Can Read It All by Myself: The Beginner Books Story\u003c\/i\u003e, both published by University Press of Mississippi.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University Press of Mississippi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50391674224914,"sku":"9781496846297","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_07ba4f17-a08b-4eea-8aba-c32f86042d29.jpg?v=1728966911","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/jack-kent-the-wit-whimsy-and-wisdom-of-a-comic-storyteller-9781496846297","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}