• Crockett Johnson is famous for authoring the timeless children's classic Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955).
• Although iconic in America, the Harold books have a large and devoted fanbase in the UK too.
• Barnaby's deft balance of fantasy, political commentary and wit proved that comics need not condescend to readers.
• The strips are sophisticated enough to appeal to both adults and children, much like Calvin and Hobbes.
• Dorothy Parker and Charles Schulz were huge fans of Barnaby, as is Daniel Clowes who designed this volume.