I’ve had this book since I was maybe 8 or 9 years old; I’m sure the surreal misadventures of the slightly undereducated Krazy Kat and the brick tossing rodent Ignatz Mouse are one of the key reasons my my love for slapstick never waned.Herriman’s love of the Coconino Painted Desert comes out with his penned backdrops of the setting for these tales.
⭐⭐⭐⭐½
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I’ve had this book since I was a kid and still get a kick out of Ignatz’s brick throwing antics and Krazy Kat’s hilarious innocence and ignorance about any given situation.
I’m also very sure Ren & Stimpy was a modern take on this odd pair, right?
starrwulfe.xyz/x/Qgd
@starrwulfe – the story behind the artist and what was being expressed in a lot of his work is actually really sad. The technical aspects of his style however were superb.
@Sknashville you hit the nail on the head and I’m very glad you brought that part up— rambling flashback time!
Shortly after getting this book on my 9th birthday (I remember it well!) we moved to NYC area. The first place I experienced real organic diversity. I remember walking through Alphabet City seeing an interracial gay couple and saying something to the effect of “those guys look like Ignatz and Krazy Kat without the bricks” and my pop laughed way harder than he normally would; I was still too young to get my own inadvertent double entendre I created there.
Herriman having to “pass” both racially and probably sexually at the time is a story in itself that sideways came out in the comic strip; there’s a book about that I’m sure I’ll be reading in the near future. For now though, here’s an article that kind of sums it up:
http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-gender-fluidity-of-krazy-kat
The Gender Fluidity of Krazy Kat
I was into newspaper comic strips as a kid and remember checking out a gigantic book that featured a lot of Krazy Kat, Popeye, and Pogo, among others. You can really see the influence in Calvin and Hobbes.
Years later, I moved to the real Coconino County to attend college. Michael Tisserand’s biography of George Herriman “Krazy” is a worthwhile read. I’ve been slowly collecting the reissued newspaper strips in book form (I think they’re published by Fantagraphics). Always been fascinated by the creator’s story and his graphic style.
Did you go to NAU? Flagstaff and Sedona along with Oak Creek Canyon are one of my favorite places in world.
Thanks for letting my know about the biography; I’m putting it on my “want to read” list.
Yep. 4.5 wonderful years there. I’m in New Mexico now so going back to visit again is always a possibility.