The Art of the Funnies: An Aesthetic History (Studies in Popular Culture)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The comic strip was created by rival newspapers of the Hearst and the Pulitzer organizations as a device for increasing circulation. In the United States it quickly became an institution that soon spread worldwide as a favorite form of popular culture. What made the comic strip so enduring? This fascinating study by one of the few comics critics to develop sound critical principles by which to evaluate the comics as works of art and literature unfolds the history of the funnies and reveals the subtle art of how the comic strip blends words and pictures to make its impact. Together, these create meaning that neither conveys by itself. The Art of The Funnies offers a critical vocabulary for the appreciation of the newspaper comic strip as an art form and shows that full awareness of the artistry comes from considering both the verbal and the visual elements of the medium. The techniques of creating a comic strip - breaking down the narrative, composition of the panel, planning the layout - have remained constant since comic strips were originated. Since 1900 with Winsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland key cartoonists have relied on the union of words and pictures to give the funnies their continuing appeal. This art has persisted in such milestone achievements as Bud Fisher's Mutt and Jeff, George McManus's Bringing Up Father, Sidney Smith's The Gumps, Roy Crane's Wash Tubbs and Captain Easy, Harold Gray's Little Orphan Annie, Chester Gould's Dick Tracy, Zack Mosley's Smilin' Jack, Harold Foster's Tarzan, Alex Raymond's Secret Agent X-9, Jungle Jim, and Flash Gordon, Milton Caniff's Terry and the Pirates, E. C. Segar's Popeye, George Herriman's Krazy Kat, and Walt Kelly's Pogo. In more recent times with Mort Walker's Beetle Bailey, Charles Schulz's Peanuts. Johnny Hart's B.C., T.K. Ryan's Tumbleweeds, Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury, and Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes, the artform has evolved with new developments, yet the aesthetics of the funnies remain basic

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

"A cartoonist," writes Harvey, "is a kind of one-man band...scriptwriter and story editor, casting director and camera operator, prop man and make-up artist...producer and director and actor and actress." Harvey examines the newspaper comic strip cartoonist in all these roles, tracing the history of strips in the United States from the early 1900s-when they were employed by Hearst and Pulitzer as weapons in the circulation wars-to the World War II action adventures of Terry and the Pirates, the satirical humor of Walt Kelly's Pogo, and popular contemporary strips such as Calvin and Hobbes. A cartoonist himself, as well as a lifelong student of the comics, Harvey has formulated precise standards for judging comic strips-standards that emphasize the importance of a skillful combination of both visual and verbal elements. Highly recommended for both academic and public libraries. (Color illustrations not seen.)-Janice Zlendich, California State Univ. Lib., Fullerton

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