Selby Kelly biography

Selby Daley Kelly (13 August 1917 - 19 June 2005; Born Boulder, Colorado, USA)

Selby Kelly (birth name Margaret Helen Selby) was the third wife and widow of 'Pogo' artist Walt Kelly. Born in Boulder, Colorado, she eventually settled in Los Angeles, where she pursued a long career in animation. She worked for the Disney studios from 1930 until the strike of 1941.

In the following years, she worked for some of the major Hollywood studios, such as MGM, Walter Lantz and Warner Bros. In the 1960s, she worked for Hanna-Barbera. She cooperated on a television special about 'Pogo' in 1969, and this is when Walt and Selby fell in love.

She became his third wife and he became her second husband but, sadly, they only had a few years together. Kelly died in 1973 and Selby, who had been helping him with his work during his illness, continued the 'Pogo' strip for almost two years with the aid of Stephen Kelly, Don Morgan, letterer Henry Shikuma and several other hands. Afterwards, she supervised many other 'Pogo' projects, such as reprints, merchandise and other related products.

Selby died in Sebastopol, California on 19 June 2005.
Source: Lambiek Comiclopedia; Illustration Art Gallery

See SELBY KELLY ART.