I think Mouse is my favorite Okefenokee character, after Albert. Over many years of the dailies, Mouse has been the most worldly of the characters, having traveled beyond Ft Mudge, and relying on his wits and charisma to survive in a harsh world. This drawing of him by Kelly is superb in its delicacy (what wonderful whiskers) and his impassioned expression.
Mouse
I agree! The Mouse is one of his most underrated characters.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite characters as well! I think Mouse and the bats (my all-time favorites!) represent the sort of hard-smoking hard-gambling world-traveling men that Kelly spent so much of his time around. His idealized man, if you will.
ReplyDeleteThe bats, while good-hearted, are very much tricksters. Mouse, on the other hand, is a complete softy, behind all his bluster and showboating. And he was consistently one of the most lovingly drawn characters in the strip. There was always such perfect depth and weight to him. Kelly was clearly very fond of the little guy, as well.
~Craig