A wonderful, humanistic story with lots of satire and a generous heap of touching lines, the Snagglepuss Chronicles are a prime example of the theory that DC Comics still has the potential to make good stuff, even if it's done as part of yet another multi-universe deal taking advantage of old cartoons. Great art, good writing, a bittersweet journey, what more could you ask for?

Heavens to Murgatroyd...the best comic that I've read in ages.


Whoever thought up the concept of the DC/Hanna-Barbera adaptations should get a raise, ASAP. I've only read three, so far, but they've all been outstanding. Oddly enough, all three (Two volumes of THE FLINTSTONES and now EXIT STAGE LEFT: THE SNAGGLEPUSS CHRONICLES) have all been written by Mark Russell, who DC needs to lock down to an exclusive contract immediately. This guy is good.


I have never seen a SNAGGLEPUSS cartoon. All I know about him is that he says "Heavens to Murgatroyd!", and "Exit, stage left!". That is the extent of my Snagglepuss knowledge, aside from one cartoon that I watched for five seconds on YouTube so I could get a feel for what his voice sounded like before I started reading this comic. Luckily, no prior knowledge is needed, since Snagglepuss was not a closeted gay southern playwright in the cartoons. Snagglepuss is the toast of Broadway, but his closeted lifestyle is taking a toll on hm, and the shadow of the McCarthy hearings looms large over his life, as he is called back to testify for a second time, where he must make a terrible choice between saving the life and reputation of his lifelong friend or being outed and ostracized himself.


How in the hell someone like Mark Russell can get a gig on a book like this and think "OK, Snagglepuss would make a great soapbox to tell a story about McCarthyism, communism, gay rights, racism, bigotry, the arms race, fathers and sons, and the Hollywood blacklist." A more outlandish vehicle for social commentary you could not find, but Russell makes all of the pieces come together perfectly, leading the characters through a minefield of social and career terrors while steering readers towards the inevitable showdown between Snagglepuss and the Government.



This book is not anything that anyone but Russell could possibly dream up, and that in and of itself is the highest praise I can think of. I could go on and on and tell you how many times I laughed out loud while reading this book, how many times I felt tears welling up in my eyes, how many times I had to stop and ponder some of the issues that the story brings up, but what I really need to convey to you is how important it is that you read this book. In the long run, a SNAGGLEPUSS story is never going to be thought of as being in the same league as MAUS and WATCHMEN, but...it should be. This is a beautiful, emotionally wrenching story about America's past and possible future, and stands as one of the best comics that I've read in years, an achievement that DC Comics should be proud to have published.


EXIT STAGE LEFT: THE SNAGGLEPUSS CHRONICLES earns a whopping nine out of ten Snaggleteeth (Read the story, you'll get it then.):🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁


DC Comics provided a review copy.

This is another example of making depth and humanity and social commentary from the flat object of nostalgia. Beautiful in its execution, an execution which becomes even more powerful as life is breathed into something I loved as a child.

As part of DC’s crossover with Hanna-Barbera, one character to get his own book was Snagglepuss. Exit Stage Left covers the six-issue run of the series.

If you’re expecting the silly, light-hearted mountain lion of the cartoons, guess again – Chronicles takes things seriously. Set in 1950s America, in a world where anthropomorphic animals are simply part of society, Snagglepuss is a gay playwright who, because of the times, is in the closet. He does, however, have a close circle of friends and colleagues who know, including his wife (also a mountain lion) and his good friend Huckleberry Hound, who re-enters Snagglepuss’ life after being outed and forced to leave his wife and child.

The story is treated with the gravity that the setting deserves and does not ignore historical elements. Because he is well-known and there are rumors about his lifestyle, Snagglepuss is called before the House Committee on Un-American Activities to testify and officials attempt to coerce him into creating patriotic plays for “good Americans”. Events of the time are shown, such as the execution of the Rosenbergs, and celebrity relationships are depicted, like that of Marilyn Monroe, Arthur Miller and Joe DiMaggio. (There is even a Historical Glossary at the end of the volume that explains some of the events and figures depicted.)

Chronicles is a well-written, well thought out and engrossing piece of writing that won’t get the attention it deserves because it’s “just a comic”. But it is worth reading for the parallels in the world today and seeing how things may not have come as far as we hoped. There’s also an interesting twist at the end that actually ties the story directly into the Hanna-Barbera cartoons. It’s a shame that it took a big pink lion to make a statement of this magnitude and that there are so few issues in the series to get the message out.

While the rest of DC is writing about people fighting crime in their underwear, Mark Russell is over in his own corner reinventing our childhood cartoons as sociopolitical diatribes. Snagglepuss is our way into some real life drama, now a gay playwright based in 1950's NYC and loosely based on Tennessee Williams. McCarthyism is in full swing and those in entertainment circles are afraid of being outed and blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee. This was a truly dark time for America and the book doesn't pull any punches. Huckleberry Hound, Quickdraw McGraw and a few others also appear in this gloomy story. There's also a message here that still applies today, to stand up for what's right no matter what the cost or fascism will take over. I did like how Russell tied the end of the book into the original Hanna-Barbera creations. I also liked the commentary at the end talking about how the book tied into real life. I can't say you'll feel uplifted after finishing this but if you like well-written dramas, this is certainly worth a read.

'Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles' by Mark Russell with art by Mike Feehan is another in the DC line of remakes of old cartoons. After reading The Flintstones by Mark Russell and not especially liking it, I was a bit hesitant to dive in to this title. I was pleasantly surprised.

Playwright Snagglepuss is a playwright in the 1950s in America. He is on trial for being possibly communist. He also has a secret life that is dangerous at this time. The story is told about the kind of bravery and tragedy that it sometimes takes to create your art and live your life.

Along with the real people of the time, like Dorothy Parker and Marilyn Monroe, classic characters like Quick Draw Mcgraw and Huckleberry Hound appear. A short appendix gives some of the real events of the time, and who some of the characters were based on.

While I don't personally wholly agree with the opinions being voiced, they are done in a fierce and beautiful style. The prose shines as does the art. This may not be for everyone, but it is worthy of 5 stars from me.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I requested this title because I am a childhood fan of the campy Snagglepuss. Then I read the description of the book and I had to see how the author could possibly invest an the top cartoon character with such a serious storyline. Well reader, I cried at the end of this book. Snagglepuss made me cry. This was an amazing, intelligent, and sensitive look American history, literature, art, and the history of LGBTQ movement. I know, I know. That sounds insane, but it's all true.

I sat on this review for awhile as I let the book marinate in my mind. This book was a surprise for me. I did not read Mark Russell's take on the Flinstones and I came into this book blind, only knowing what I remember as a child watching the cartoons with Snagglepuss, Huckleberry Hound and Quick Draw. So it was a shock when I started reading and realized this is not the same as the cartoons as grew up with but instead puts the characters in a real time in history and makes a complete character study. This book is intelligent and brave and shows real history through the eyes of these characters. This was a difficult time to be alive and Snagglepuss handles it with class as he teaches us through his conversation with other characters what it means to be American, what art is, and how some things are worth fighting for even if you do not think you can win. What I would say about this book is the writing and artwork are great, I loved the character designs for Snagglepuss and Huckleberry. There are some great quotes in here and lessons in life we could all learn. The book is serious and deals with adult issues so I would not recommend it for children. I loved the end where they took the time to show you scenes in the comic and how those scenes played out in actual history

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles
Mark Russell, Mike Feehan, et al., 2018

New Release! I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for the purpose of review.

Premise: In the 1950s, anthropomorphic animals and humans alike struggle with McCarthyism, censorship, and homophobia. One flamboyant pink-furred playwright is caught between all three. Collects Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles #1-6 and the backup story from Suicide Squad/Banana Splits Special #1.


I'm only passingly familiar with most of the Hanna-Barbera characters from this era, but I think this reimagining does some fascinating things by extrapolating out from basic character traits. The core is, of course, taking the extravagant and theatrical mannerisms of Snagglepuss and making him a closeted Southern playwright working in the style of Tennessee Williams. The whole piece has the heightened language and high melodrama that I associate with Williams' work, in fact.

The story is serious and dark, reflecting the paranoia and hatred of the time as well as reflecting into today's culture. Snagglepuss is persecuted by the House Committee on Un-American Activities, and although his success protects him a little, it protects others not at all. He struggles with the balance between cowardice and pragmatism. Between convictions about the purpose of art and the reality that crossing certain lines means you don't get to make art at all.

The art is lovely, and the realism and detail match the writing well. I couldn't quite get over the no-pants thing, though. It was just so weird! Animals live like humans, look very humanoid, have sex with humans, but don't wear pants.

I appreciated that the collection includes a few pages in the back that explain which elements are taken directly from history and which are adapted or adjusted to fit the story. For example, having the Stonewall Inn exist in the 50's the same way it did in the 60's is a blow to historical accuracy, although I understand why the choice was made for narrative impact.

I didn't love everything about this story - I think the emotional beats and climactic speeches land well, but some of the exposition meanders in the middle issues. Overall, though, it's a strong, fascinating piece.

4 Stars - A Very Good Book

A great ear for the fine, witty line spurs on this comic, that manages to cover hidden homosexuality, the Red Threat and the HUAC scandals – all in a world where big pink cats write plays like Tennessee Williams. It's a patently bizarre book, but a brilliant one (except the artist really cannot manage a Marilyn Monroe). If DC have published anything near this quality in the last ten years, then it's passed me by.

This was an amazing first volume. I haven't really been interested in the Hanna-Barbera comics line or a fan of Snagglepuss, but this was brilliant. I loved that it was set during the McCarthy Era and how dangerous it was for everyone during that time. I am really eager to get my hands on more Snagglepuss chronicles!

I can not praise this book enough. Simply put, I love it. It will absolutely be purchased for my library!

I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

This graphic novel is so very good. You would never expect Hanna Barbara cartoons to be the perfect vehicle for interesting and innovative political commentary but as the Flintstones comic proved last year it truly is. Snagglepuss uses the backdrop of the Red Scare to perfectly reflect problems the author sees with modern politics and politicians. It turns a adorable pink lion from the hey day of cartoons into a gay playwright in a time when being such was sometimes quite literally a death sentence. Overall this comic was a interesting and innovative work and will make you think.

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles is set in 1953 but feels as though it could be written for today. Snagglepuss is under investigation by the House Committee on Un-American Activities for involvement with Russian spies. Married to a woman but secretly in love with a man, Snagglepuss hides his true identity from the public and all but his closest of friends. Secrets, lies, and betrayals are revealed through court hearings, flashbacks, and an autobiographical play produced by Snagglepuss.
An engaging story paired with incredible artwork made for a memorable reading experience.

Peace and blessings to NetGalley for giving me a free read of this book. Hopefully I can convey my honest reaction accurately in this review. 

“Art is telling the world how it’s killing you. How its institutions have failed you. In the end, any culture with a damn is made by subversives because art is what tells the world it needs to change.”

This is honestly one of the most grounded, and honest looks into the drives and passions that lead anyone aching to put stories out into the world. How this flame never burns out, as well as the different forms it can take when there’s a struggle to remain true to oneself.

This series follows playwright Snagglepuss. A charming, Southern, closeted, Pink-colored lion, as he navigates McCarthy-era United States. He comes at an internal crossroads, given the political climate around him, as he chooses to give a voice to those around him, by emphasizing on the autobiographical elements that are woven within his plays. Taking it in his hands to give a voice to those that would otherwise be overlooked.

Going off the initial synopsis, the expectations were basically unknown. Other than the silly name of our protagonist, it took for some googling to realize I had seen this character before, along having watched Huckleberry Hound and Quick Draw McGraw, along with many of the other characters that show up here. “Exit Stage Left” excels, as it frames its plot within social conflict, and actual historical events, rather than placing these characters in an edgier story, just because that’s the cool thing to do with such a property. Taking what could have been a really weird concept, and actualizing it into something thats truly humanistic.

These characters feel so present and so alive, as their desires and motivations, while complex, are clearly represented. It truly hurts as a reader, seeing when any of these individuals begins to suffer. What surprised me the most was how depression was expressed and explored as it weaves through a few of the characters, and the impact it can have on those around someone. Rather than act as a plot device, it adds a familiarity and understanding that makes us really understand where these characters are coming from. Feeling the crushing weight that society had during this time, rather than just writing it off in a sentence.

Authenticity is what these characters are fighting for. To be felt, rather than be misrepresented as a flattened two-dimensional version of themselves. Glancing at this cover, it’s really impossible to expect any of this. My interest is definitely piqued at the other properties that DC has re-imagined, if they are on the same level as “Exit Stage Left”, leaving this as being one of the best graphic novels I’ve read in some time.

“I’ve never been one for good-byes, Huck. I’ve always preferred to merely exit stage left.

I wasn't grabbed right out of the gate by this title. I had read the Batman\Fudd crossover and thought it was excellent, but wasn't particularly interested in the rest of the DC\Hanna-Barbera books and I think that reticence carried over into the first issue or two.

However, I kept with it because Russell's work on Prez in 2015 was one of the best reboot\reworkings of a classic (well, maybe obscure classic) DC character I've read since Gaiman's Swamp Thing annual, and his Flinstones book was one of the biggest surprises I've ever had in reading comics.

And boy am I glad I did! There's familiar elements if you're a history buff (or even tangentially interested in writers and writing society in New York in the 50s), but there's enough small touches and little surprises to keep you on your toes as you read.

The writing is witty, and rather dry in its humor, which is perfect for me! Russell keeps things moving for the characters while inserting bits of historical context and some great moments of social commentary without any of the larger themes overwhelming the story (for me anyhow, YMMV).

The art is also really well done. I had seen some Stranger Things art that Mike Feehan had done previously (though didn't know whose it was at the time), but hadn't read any of his comic work up to this point. The HB characters are a bit... unsettling just in concept to me, which is probably why I didn't rate this book a full five stars but Feehan draws them with a great amount of detail that conveys a good deal of emotion despite their more animalistic features. He also generates a large amount of the story's pathos with his illustrations and for that, I tip my hat.

The book is unfortunately not available in a hardcover edition at this time, so I won't be purchasing it for my library that way, however I'm hoping for an eventual DC\HB hardcover deluxe edition at some point that will allow me to add it to our collection.

Thanks to DC and Netgalley for providing the book for me to read and review!

This was so not what I was expecting. I remembered Snagglepuss from my childhood as a rather vain and silly cartoon character. Now I will remember him in a completely different way. Mark Russell has used S.P., Huckleberry Hound, Quickdraw McGraw and others to create a world in which anthropomorphic animals and humans live together. It is set during the McCarthy hearings and the tale is definitely for grown-ups. There is such depth to the writing. So many lines that made me think. So many that made me so very sad. There are many scenes that the homophobic wouldn't care for, but the hypocrisy uncovered via that storyline and the exploration of what love is makes me feel bad for those who won't read it because of that. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.

If you had told me as recently as a year ago that I would be in love with a comic about Snagglepuss not due to its wacky retro yucks, but because of its heart and soul, I don’t know that I would have believed you. However, in 2018, that is exactly what happened, though I suppose it’s not without precedence if I think about it.

The revamped Hanna Barbera line from DC has had its hits and misses, as well as those titles that are just fine but don’t bowl you over with their brilliance. For instance, the Future Quest titles stories have worked well in updating the old adventure characters, while remaining true to their intent. The Jetsons was a likable reimagining of the cartoon sitcom as an earthbound Lost In Space. And such strange endeavors as the Jabberjaw/Aquaman team-up and the Speed Buggy/Flash team-up had a bizarre charm.

But the crown jewel was The Flintstones. Written by Mark Russell, the famous Stone Age family was only barely reinvented, but their trappings were utilized for a more fleshed-out vision that pulled off an amazing trick of wrapping broad social satire around genuinely affecting personal stories. It was hilarious and immensely sweet at the same time.

So I was excited upon hearing that Russell would tackle Snagglepuss. The year 2018 didn’t hold a lot of promise in so many areas of reality, but it did give us Russell’s Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, which hits comics store next week and is surely one of the finest aspects of this year.



Focusing on the Red Scare in the 1950s and, more specifically, the Hollywood Black List, we find Snagglepuss recast as a Tennessee Williams type — not so far-fetched, really — who leads his secret gay life hidden from the public. Other related characters play roles here, most notably Huckleberry Hound, who’s a little bit Truman Capote, a little bit William Faulkner, I suppose, and completely heartbreaking. Quick Draw McGraw pops up, as does Squiddly Diddly and a few more.

But the hunt for communists is only a partial aspect of Snagglepuss’ scope. Mixed in is the disdain for gay Americans, their treatment as degenerates, and the juxtaposition of people leading hidden lives because of their sexual orientation with people being forced to do the same because of their political convictions. Shame is the weapon used against all forms of dissidents, the shame of being who you really are, which aligns with the fear of what will become of you if you step into daylight as yourself.

America, as portrayed in Snagglepuss, is one where you are expected to snap to the grid, be the same as everything else, and any deviation leads to your devaluation as a human and often your destruction. America is not a nation of individuals, but a settlement of indistinguishable entities that will only tolerate your uniqueness up to a point.

And the book does the extra work with its Historical Glossary that provides extensive notes about the inspirations for many aspects of the story, providing context beyond the satire and bringing it into the real world. With the lines so directly drawn, the heartache and horror of Snagglepuss grow more real to the reader, especially the younger ones who might not be as familiar with this information as people my age.

Snagglepuss wraps the trappings of its characters around a wider philosophy that begins to define that real world, the one they — and we — live in. By acknowledging acting as the discipline of wearing masks intentionally, Russell compares the world to a stage and suggests that we are all players — well, actually, Shakespeare suggested that, but Russell takes it and runs. Masks are not just the tools of the acting trade, but central to the human condition itself, and the stage, in Russell’s evocation of Shakespeare’s idea, becomes a microcosm of the world, a related universe similar talents are used for different things. In the real world, masks often mean survival.

And so you’ll find Snagglepuss waxing philosophic on a talk show about the difference between celebrities and actors — “Celebrities show you …” — but also clarifying. Celebrities are like false gods intentionally put into place to act out morality plays, similar to the Greek and Roman versions of so long ago. But somewhere in that dynamic, the actors can get rounded up in the plight of the celebrities, and morality plays only serve to disarm actual lives and deflate real souls.



What so disheartening about Snagglepuss is how prescient it is. More prescient than it should be, and I don’t mean because a comic book about Snagglepuss shouldn’t have importance or feel current. It’s that we shouldn’t feel like our country is backtracking. But to a lot of Americans, that’s what’s been happening. Snagglepuss captures this moment of fervor and fear, of demands for loyalty without consideration and of hatred for difference, in a chilling way.

But its prescience is also a call for hope. It’s a tearjerker for sure, but not one that is mired in a final melancholia. Masks are replaced by stories as the focus, and stories are heralded not only as a way of controlling more important narratives but as a way of connecting, of creating a common experience. Russell eventually brings Snagglepuss full circle in a most touching way, one that draws in the nostalgia of people my age with the realization that as awful as the world seems, some of it has gotten better, and even the most innocuous tomfoolery of our past may have contributed something to the connections we feel now.

Having watched the cartoon as a kid from time to time, i was unsure how this modern take was going to turn out. Turns out, it was much better than I was anticipating. The humanistic and personal story told here was something i wasn't expecting, especially from none other than the goofy, stuttering Snagglepuss. I am unfamiliar with Mark Russell but this story was quite fresh for something presented in a comic book form and really shows what the comic book medium can truly do. The artwork complemented the story perfectly and all of the appearances from various other Hanna-Barbera were a complete joy to see.

Disclosure: Thanks goes out to DC and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

Based on Mark Russell's run on The Flintstones, I was extremely excited for the release of Snagglepuss, and it did not disappoint. I loved the concept of turning Snagglepuss into a Truman Capote-esque playwright, surrounded by literary figures such as Harper Lee. The story was a bit heavy-handed at points, but I enjoyed it overall. Great to see Russell's interpretations of other beloved Hannah Barbara characters, such as Huckleberry Hound and Quick Draw McGraw. I'm sad there won't(?) be another arc of this story, but it wrapped up in a satisfying manner.