In this issue: "Albert Takes the Cake," the very first Pogo story by Walt Kelly, introducing everybody's favorite possum. as well as Albert the Alligator, Mrs. Jay, Beetle, and Bumbazine. Bumbazine a little black child who name derived from bombazine, a cloth that was usually dyed black for mourning. Luckily, Bumbazine as a character did not last long because Kelly felt that drawing people was not as adaptable as animals were. Bumbazine, alas, was pretty much a stereotype (this issue had him famously eating watermelon) that could be found in much of the media today. Pogo, himself, started out a 'spear carrier," but his innocent straight-man character soon moved him to the forefront/
Kelly went on to create the Pogo comic strip which was noted for its biting political and social satire as well as its gorgeous artwork. (Bumbazine never appeared in the syndicated comic strip.)
Enjoy the rather shaky origins of a classic bit of Americana:
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=16740
As a bonus, here's an animated Pogo short feature from 1970, We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us:
https://archive.org/details/Pogo_We_Have_Met_The_Enemy_And_He_Is_Us_1970
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