This is a fine biography and portfolio of the creator of one of my all-time favorite comic strips ("Skippy"), Percy Crosby. Crosby is a forgotten genius, an immensely talented and charismatic creator, and "Skippy" was his greatest (but not only) creation. "Skippy deserves to be placed with Kim, Huck Finn, and Penrod in the gallery of real boys", wrote Charles Dana Gibson. For all his wealth and fame, it did not prevent Crosby from a probably unjust institutionalization in a mental asylum at a relatively young age, and the despair that is evident in his art and letters from the institution is truly heartbreaking. Crosby was a flawed and vulnerable genius, but "Skippy" is here elevated to its rightful place as one of the greatest boy strips ever. ( )