Synopses & Reviews
This volume is one of a long-term plan to chronologically reprint strips from the prime of Herriman's career, most of which have not seen print since originally running in newspapers 75 years ago. Each volume is edited by the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum's Bill Blackbeard, the world's foremost authority on early 20th Century American comic strips, and designed by Jimmy Corrigan author Chris Ware. In addition to the 104 full-page black-and-white Sunday strips from 1927 and 1928 (Herriman did not use color until 1935), the book includes introductions by Blackbeard, vaudeville historian Ben Schwartz and reproductions of rare Herriman ephemera from Ware's own extensive collection, as well as annotations and other notes by Ware and Blackbeard. Krazy Katis a love story, focusing on the relationships of its three main characters. Krazy Kat adored Ignatz Mouse. Ignatz Mouse just tolerated Krazy Kat, except for recurrent onsets of targeting tumescence, which found expression in the fast delivery of bricks to Krazy's cranium. Offisa Pup loved Krazy and sought to protect "her" (Herriman always maintained that Krazy was genderless) by throwing Ignatz in jail. Each of the characters was ignorant of the others' true motivations, and this simple structure allowed Herriman to build entire worlds of meaning into the actions, building thematic depth and sweeping his readers up by the looping verbal rhythms of Krazy & Co.'s unique dialogue.
Review
The new printing of this masterpiece couldn't be much better. (Andrew D. Arnold, Time.com)
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[S]omething way better than the greatest strip: it's a milestone of 20th century visionary art....Geez, this stuff is wonderful. (Tom DeHaven, author of Funny Papers)
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Reproductions of the strip are unbelievably clean and crisp...a work of absolute genius in the best possible light.
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Enough to immerse you in the hebdomadal rhythms of kat and mouse. Enough to make you read it twice and wonder how fur awa-a-y is the next volume. (LA Weekly, 24 May 2002, Bill Smith)
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A road map to Herriman's wistfully beautiful world. (Los Angeles, January 2003, Robert Ito)
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One of the most poetic and profound works of any popular art...one of the greatest portraits of love ever conceived. (Andrew Arnold, Time.com's #3 Best Comic of the Year 2002)
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With their usual innovation and flights of esoteric whimsy, the strips remain untouched by time, warranting discovery by each new generation. (Bookmunch, David Thompson)
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Chris Ware has done and incredible job of book design....A must-buy for those who delight in a variety of comic art. (Comics Buyer's Guide, 27 December 2002, Maggie Thompson)
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There's poetry in Krazy's absurd phrases and magic in the image of a hero(ine?) so unselfconscious... (The Village Voice, 11 December 2002)
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Widely regarded as one of the greatest examples of the comics as art. ...kollect this klassic komplete. (Library Journal, 1 November 2002)
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Something magical happens and you find yourself still chuckling about it days later. (The Guardian [London], 16 June 2002)
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Harriman's vision shines through: Krazy Kat continues to be a beacon of sanity in a world gone irreversibly ga-ga. (Bizarre)
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Geez, this stuff is wonderful. (Tom De Haven, author of Funny Papers<.i> and Derby Dugan's Depression Funnies)
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The crisp reproduction on attractive, cream-colored paper is the most beautiful and vivid presentation of this material I've yet seen. (Comic Book Galaxy, Alan David Doane)
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Krazy Kat is as fresh now as when it first appeared and repays repeated reading. (Jeet Heer, Saturday Post)
Synopsis
This volume is one of a long-term plan to chronologically reprint strips from the prime of Herriman's career, most of which have not seen print since originally running in newspapers 75 years ago. Each volume is edited by the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum's Bill Blackbeard, the world's foremost authority on early 20th Century American comic strips, and designed by author Chris Ware. In addition to the 104 full-page black-and-white Sunday strips from 1927 and 1928 (Herriman did not use color until 1935), the book includes introductions by Blackbeard, vaudeville historian Ben Schwartz and reproductions of rare Herriman ephemera from Ware's own extensive collection, as well as annotations and other notes by Ware and Blackbeard. is a love story, focusing on the relationships of its three main characters. Krazy Kat adored Ignatz Mouse. Ignatz Mouse just tolerated Krazy Kat, except for recurrent onsets of targeting tumescence, which found expression in the fast delivery of bricks to Krazy's cranium. Offisa Pup loved Krazy and sought to protect "her" (Herriman always maintained that Krazy was genderless) by throwing Ignatz in jail. Each of the characters was ignorant of the others' true motivations, and this simple structure allowed Herriman to build entire worlds of meaning into the actions, building thematic depth and sweeping his readers up by the looping verbal rhythms of Krazy & Co.'s unique dialogue.
Synopsis
In addition to 104 full-page black-and-white Sunday strips, this volume includes introductions, annotations, and rare Herriman ephemera from Bill Blackbeard and Chris Ware, and an essay by vaudeville historian Ben Schwartz.
About the Author
George Herriman (1880-1944), the creator of Krazy Kat, was born in New Orleans and lived most of his life in Los Angeles, California. He is considered by many to be the greatest strip cartoonist of all time.Bill Blackbeard, the founder-director of the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum, is the world's foremost authority on early 20th Century American comic strips. As a freelance writer, Blackbeard wrote, edited or contributed to more than 200 books on cartoons and comic strips, including The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics, 100 Years of Comic Strips, and the Krazy & Ignatz series.Ben Schwartz is an essayist and screenwriter who has written for The New York Times, Bookforum, LA Weekly, and TV shows too embarrassing to mention. He is working on The Lost Laugh, a history of American humor set between the world wars, for 2011 from Fantagraphics Books.