Barnaby was concerned with the title character's relationship with his fairy godfather, Mr. O'Malley, one of the great creations in strip comics. A rotund figure in a hat, whose wings extended from his oversized coat, carrying a cigar, and avoiding all overt displays of fairy godfather powers, Mr. O'Malley looked less an object from classic children's literature than a slightly-addled uncle (one possible reading of Barnaby is to see all the characters as a child's interpretation of various types of adult). Most of the narratives dealt with Mr. O'Malley making more difficult - and ultimately more satisfying - situations which Barnaby, despite being a very young child, was often well-equipped to handle on his own. Mr. O'Malley's friends and professional acquaintances made frequent appearances, and Johnson's arch take on many of those fantastic character-types helped make Barnaby a prototype for a young persons' entertainment with much to offer adult readers.
Barnaby also underlines how fragile a strip's success can be, particularly when one breaks it down element by element: Johnson's art is simplified by today's standards, but gave the strip a distinctive and elegant look; typeset lettering has almost never worked for any comics work, but allowed Johnson to save space within his dailies; and the World War II setting of the original strips would seem to date it, but a more modern, script-altered update showed how important and how well-observed those original strips were in regard place and time.
Barnaby is a perfectly-balanced work greater than the sum of many admirable parts. Never the most popular feature of its time, it has a sterling critical reputation and is remembered fondly by many who read it as children. Johnson's return for the final story, where Mr. O'Malley decides to forego the rules and stay with Barnaby past his next birthday only to find that the birthday boy can't see him anymore, is one of the great send-offs in strip history, and its sentimental power is a testament to some of the medium's most enduring characters.
REVIEW BY CHARLES M. SCHULZ:
Barnaby was one of the great comic strips of all time.
REVIEW BY DAN CLOWES:
(from an interview, Comic Art #1)
You know, you look at it panel by panel and it doesn't do much, but when you read the stories it really comes alive. Not only is it absolutely hilarious, but it has this really strong, unexpected emotional quality.
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