Gasoline Alley Autumn Walk - Album of Sundays, 1923-2006

  • Frank King
    1923-1950
  • Bill Perry
    1951-1974
  • Jim Scancarelli
    1987-2006
Appreciation of nature and the passing of the seasons was always well-noted in Gasoline Alley, and these themes achieved their most memorable expression in the annual autumn walk Sunday page. This series of pages is perhaps the longest standing tradition in the American comic strip, and the run includes some of the most beautiful Sunday pages ever done, occasioning the kind of musings King loved to engage in, in addition to the beautiful art and a bright autumn color palette.

I always hoped someone would put together a book of the autumn walk pages so that they would all be in one place. In the absence of a printed collection, an online version seemed next best, and here is an attempt at one. I believe this gallery represents the entire set of autumn walk Sundays from 1923 through 2006. In the 1992 page, Jim Scancarelli says Walt and Skeezix have been coming on the walk since 1921. I don't know if this is correct – my collection lacks a few pages from the fall of 1921 and 11/5/22. 1923 is the earliest autumn walk page I have.

In some years, the autumn walk Sunday was skipped. These were:

Dick Moores didn't follow the tradition of the autumn walk. He took over the Sunday on Aug 24, 1975, and the theme was abandoned until Jim Scancarelli revived it in 1987.

In most years the walk was explicitly referred to. In other years, the "walk" didn't literally take place, but there was a Sunday that seemed to fit the concept, and I included the Sunday from those years, even if it was not explicitly identified as the walk. In some cases I am undoubtedly stretching it, but I decided to err on the side of being too inclusive.

I also threw in a Harold Teen "autumn walk" from 1939 as it seems he may well have been paying homage to King in this Sunday.

Formats:

In some cases where I have more than one format in my collection, I scanned all of them to show differences.

The best format is a full page through 1934, which was the last full page autumn walk.

Beginning in 1935 the Gasoline Alley full page was split between a half page Gasoline Alley and a half page Corky. From 1935-44, the half page is probably the preferred format but tabs are often as nice. Starting in 1940 the half had one more panel than the tab. From the few originals I've seen from this period, King drew them as half pages, and I think the layout and flow of the page reflect this. I didn't scan the Corky companion strips on the 1935-44 full pages because they do not reflect the autumn walk theme.

On Jan 30, 1944, the half page became effectively a third page Gasoline Alley with a sixth page Wilmer's Little Brother as a topper. During this period the best format is the tab. These are larger, with one more panel than the "half" and this is the format in which originals were drawn.

The page for 1963 is the last autumn walk in tab format that I have, and I have no GA tabs after early 1964, so I don't know if any paper still published it in tab after this. Beginning in 1964, the third page is the largest format, with the half tab and fourth being the most complete.

Final Note:

Marco Barlotti kindly provided the autumn walk pages for 2001-2006 from his collection of scans. Steve Lawson provided the autumn walk page for 2000. Thanks, Marco and Steve! Your generosity is much appreciated.

I'm still looking for higher resolution scans for the years 2000 to the present, so if you have any to sell, trade, lend or scan for the autumn walk pages, I will greatly appreciate the help.

Any corrections or additions are very welcome.