Showing posts with label John Kascht. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Kascht. Show all posts

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Book Review: The Mysteries by Watterson and Kascht

I know both of the authors, Watterson better, so this is not an uninterested review. That said, I was there when they met.

The Mysteries, the new book from Watterson and Kascht exists partly due to a meeting between cartoonists brought together by Nick Galifianakis to work on The Art of Richard Thompson book. Kascht was asked to write a chapter on Richard's caricature, and met Bill at Richard's house. See a lovely video on that project here.

Overall, I wasn't sure what to make of this book. I'm still not, but I've just watched the creation video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=des... which helps me understand the mindsets of the two creators.

I have been surprised by the lack of buzz on the ground. The middle Tennessee Books-a-Million store I bought this in had it shelved in graphic novels. I think that it will eventually migrate to being a children's book. It's got the format of short text blocks and facing pictures, and it's a fable. I read it as a climate change fable, assuming that the mysteries are the natural world eventually interpreted through a scientific and industrial bent, until we reach the modern world.

The book isn't cartooning - the book is post-cartooning, it's what you do after you've reached the pinnacle of cartooning / caricature and are looking for something creatively new. This is exactly the type of thing you see in other cartoonists through the years - they turn to sculpture or painting, because they've said what they wanted to in comics. Daumier, Oliphant, Rube Goldberg, Bob Staake, Paul Conrad, and others turned to sculpture like Kascht; others to painting such as Jimmy Swinnerton, and like Watterson has tried pursuing at least 3 times (including Team Cul de Sac's donated painting and now this book).

That said, it's a minor book from two great artists. They made a video showing how they made the book, and how contentious it was to collaborate between them. The book stands on its own, but if they have to make a video explaining the book, then it doesn't work on one level, right? I'm glad they made it and maybe it'll break some creative block for both of them, but it's not going to be the most-cited work for either of them. Don't buy it looking for Calvin and Hobbes - buy it for its own merits, and to see what two crack cartoonists get up to when cartooning isn't enough for them anymore.

Thursday, October 02, 2014

Caricaturist John Kascht

Caricaturist John Kascht interviewed his old friend Richard Thompson in the forthcoming book The Art of Richard Thompson.  A couple of pieces have recently appeared online about his Washington connections.

From the SPD Archives: John Kascht at The Washington Times, 1988-91
 by Linda Rubes
10.02.14

This second one talks about his work being collected by the National Portrait Gallery -

Friday, December 14, 2012

Santa Clinton?

Here's a special Christmas treat for ComicsDC readers.

Anybody have any idea what this cartoon is from, and who did it? (don't click through to see the original yet)

Capital Christmas - Richard Thompson

No? How about this one?

Capital Christmas - Kevin Rechin

This?

Capital Christmas - Nick Galifianakis

Or these?

Capital Christmas - Joe Azar

Capital Christmas - Ron Coddington

Capital Christmas - Peter Steiner

Capital Christmas - Sam Ward

Capital Christmas - Mike Lane

Capital Christmas - John Kascht

They were originally grouped like this:

Capital Christmas - bag 2

Scroll down for the answer:
























Give up? It's a shopping bag from Tyson's Corner mall from 1994. 

 Capital Christmas bag

According to Kirstin Downey Grimsley in the Washington Post (November 1, 1994), "This year Tysons Corner Center is unveiling something specially designed for the mall. Mall spokesmen are calling it 'A Capital Christmas,' and it will offer a whimsical greeting tied to the region's role as nation's capital."Apparently that included a shopping bag with "cartoon illustrations of President Bill Clinton portraying Santa Claus." The cartoons (in this order) are by local creators Richard Thompson, Kevin Rechin, Nick Galifianakis, Joe Azar, Ron Coddington, Peter Steiner, Sam Ward, Mike Lane and John Kascht - some of whom have since moved out of the area.

Thanks to Richard Thompson for the gift of the bag and to he and Nick for identifying some of the cartoonists. Easier-to-read greyscale illustrations can be seen here.
Capital Christmas - Joe Azar b&w

Monday, February 04, 2008

John Kascht caricature videos on Wash Post site?

Did anyone know about these? I certainly didn't until the Journalista blog from Seattle pointed them out. There's seven up now - Obama, Clinton, Edwards, McCain, Guliani, Huckabee and Romney - each is slightly over 3 minutes.