Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Krazy Kat & The Art Of George Herriman: A Celebration

Long before Tom and Jerry, Mickey Mouse, Garfield, Itchy and Scratchy and dozens of other cat, mouse and cat and mouse teams seen in comic strips, cartoons and the like, there was Krazy Kat and his rodent sidekick and nemesis, Ignatz Mouse.

George Herriman's Krazy Kat comic strip from the early 20th Century might never have come into being if its creator hadn't started a small horizontal strip below his, The Dingbat Family comic strip.

To say that Krazy Kat was a resounding success would be a huge understatement.  Featuring some of the most imaginative narratives ever devised for a comic strip, Herriman placed his characters in a strange, ever-shifting world where the laws of nature took second place to the slapstick brick-to-the-head storyline.  Krazy Kat changed the face of comic strips and the strip's influence can still be felt in comic strips and cartoons to this day.

George Herriman's talent extended not to his beloved strip but to other strips, essays and art.  Krazy Kat & The Art Of George Herriman: A Celebration, is written by Craig Yoe with a foreword (an appreciation) by cartoonist Bill Watterson and published by Abrams Comic Arts.

The book chronicles the life and work of Herriman and contains some never-seen-before art, rare reprints and essays by the cartoonist.  Cartoon lovers are sure to appreciate the genius of Herriman and his astounding and groundbreaking contribution to the comic strip and cartoon genres.    

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