This is in the physical paper this week - "Hellboy: Science Of Evil," Reviewed by Scott Jones, Onion July 21st, 2008.
Other items on comics are appearing on their website:
Jeff Smith
Interviewed by Tasha Robinson
Onion July 28th, 2008
Jules Feiffer
interviewed by Sam Adams
Onion July 29th, 2008
Mike Mignola
Interviewed by Jason Heller
July 24th, 2008
The Luna Brothers
Interviewed by Tasha Robinson
Onion July 25th, 2008
San Diego Comic Con, Day 0: July 23, 2008
By Keith Phipps
Onion July 24th, 2008
Your guide to the WALL-E controversy
posted by: Sean O'Neal
July 10, 2008
Showing posts with label Jules Feiffer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jules Feiffer. Show all posts
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Feiffer interview at Cosmos Club coming to IJOCA
I just finished transcribing Alan Fern's interview of Jules Feiffer at the Cosmos Club in Washington last year, on the occasion of the McGovern award. It will appear in the Fall 2008 issue of the International Journal of Comic Art. Subscribe now!
Here's a sample, with Feiffer talking about bringing his portfolio to show to Will Eisner and being told his art was no good:
...But I had long ago established a habit of responding to unpleasant truths by not hearing them, or changing the subject, and I sure as hell was not going to walk out of this meeting with Will Eisner, my hero, with my tail between my legs, being told I had no talent. This was not the way this was going to end, so I started improvising and the only thing I could think of talking about was him and his work. Now here was a guy who had revolutionized comic book art and he had three highly crafted professionals in the other room who didn’t give a damn about his work. Who thought he was kind of out of date, and didn’t know anything about his career, and then he met me and I had a whole dossier. I knew everything he ever had done. I could talk about it not just as a little boy, but as a knowledgeable fan. He had no choice but to hire me as a groupie.
[audience laughs]
Here's a sample, with Feiffer talking about bringing his portfolio to show to Will Eisner and being told his art was no good:
...But I had long ago established a habit of responding to unpleasant truths by not hearing them, or changing the subject, and I sure as hell was not going to walk out of this meeting with Will Eisner, my hero, with my tail between my legs, being told I had no talent. This was not the way this was going to end, so I started improvising and the only thing I could think of talking about was him and his work. Now here was a guy who had revolutionized comic book art and he had three highly crafted professionals in the other room who didn’t give a damn about his work. Who thought he was kind of out of date, and didn’t know anything about his career, and then he met me and I had a whole dossier. I knew everything he ever had done. I could talk about it not just as a little boy, but as a knowledgeable fan. He had no choice but to hire me as a groupie.
[audience laughs]
Monday, April 14, 2008
Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose
This Feiffer cartoon dropped out of a book I was buying. I was amazed at its timeliness - he's still got it!
Keep reading...
A little further...
Actually, below is the real unmodified cartoon - from the New Republic of October 15, 1972. Sad, isn't it? You can make almost a one-for-one switch of wartime scandals.
But at least we've still got Jules Feiffer to kick around! And my apologies to him for the liberties I took with his cartoon to make a point that should be obvious. And I apologize to everyone for misspelling Guantanamo, but I'm even sorrier that the whole world is familiar with how to spell an obscure American naval base's name.
Keep reading...
A little further...
Actually, below is the real unmodified cartoon - from the New Republic of October 15, 1972. Sad, isn't it? You can make almost a one-for-one switch of wartime scandals.
But at least we've still got Jules Feiffer to kick around! And my apologies to him for the liberties I took with his cartoon to make a point that should be obvious. And I apologize to everyone for misspelling Guantanamo, but I'm even sorrier that the whole world is familiar with how to spell an obscure American naval base's name.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Feiffer covers Blume
I noticed in Aladdin's Lamp bookstore, the children's bookstore in Arlington, that Jules Feiffer has done a cover for a Judy Blume book. So I got a shot of the standup and also one of the graphic novel shelf in the bookstore. There was some atypical stuff there including Boyd's Chester the Crab's Comix with Content and a couple of manga Shakespeare books which I bought.
I'm going to call this one a Secret History of Comics as I doubt that most Feiffer collectors know about it.
I'm going to call this one a Secret History of Comics as I doubt that most Feiffer collectors know about it.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
OT: Mauldin / Feiffer exhibit in Chicago
this press release was sent to me and I've got a great deal of respect and admiration for the two cartoonists, so here it is:
Jean Albano Gallery
215 West Superior Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
312.440.0770 fax 312.440.3103
www.jeanalbanogallery.com
October 11, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Jean Albano Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition, History Revealed, featuring work by famed cartoonists BILL MAULDIN and JULES FEIFFER. The show opens on Friday, October 26, 2007, and will run through Saturday, January 6, 2008. The gallery will host an opening reception on Friday, October 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at 215 West Superior Street, Chicago. This exhibition will explore subtleties between the work of these two men, whose editorial cartoons continue to be socially and politically relevant. Original watercolor drawings, editorial cartoons, and Feiffer’s illustrations from The Long Chalkboard (2006) will be shown. In addition, new limited edition prints by Bill Mauldin will be featured, including a special limited edition printing of Mauldin’s iconic “Weeping Lincoln” image.
The late cartoonist BILL MAULDIN is remembered for his depiction of life in the trenches during World War II. Stationed in Europe during the war, Mauldin drew cartoons for the Stars and Strips featuring two infantrymen named Willie and Joe. In 1945, Mauldin won his first Pulitzer Prize, “for distinguished service as a cartoonist, as exemplified by the series entitled ‘Up Front with Mauldin.” Mauldin became staff cartoonist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1959. In the same year, he won his second Pulitzer for a cartoon entitled I won the Nobel Prize for Literature. What was your crime? In 1962, Mauldin moved to the Chicago Sun-Times, where he worked until his retirement in 1991. One of Mauldin’s most famous cartoons, depicting the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial holding his head in his hands, appeared in the paper after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. Mauldin passed away at the age of 81 in 2003.
JULES FEIFFER is a legendary, multi-dimensional personality whose talent is reflected in his many endeavors, including his beautifully composed and engaging artwork. In 2003, Feiffer was honored with a solo exhibition, Julz Rulz: Inside the Mind of Jules Feiffer, at the New York Historical Society. In addition, Feiffer’s most recent play, A Bad Friend, was commissioned by and performed at Lincoln Center, New York in summer, 2003. Jules Feiffer is known for his internationally syndicated cartoon strip, which ran for 40 years in The Village Voice and as a monthly feature in The New York Times. He is the author of over 35 books, including the children’s books By the Side of the Road, (2002) and I Lost My Bear (1998). He has written film scripts, among them Popeye (1980) and Carnal Knowledge (1971), and won an Academy Award for Munro (1960), an animated cartoon based on his story. Feiffer won the Obie and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his first full-length play, Little Murders, in 1969. He lives and works in New York City.
Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm, and Saturday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, or by appointment. For further information, please contact Sarah Kaliski or Lindsey Walton at 312.440.0770.
Also, this bit about Mauldin's Lincoln cartoon was included separately:
The “WEEPING LINCOLN,” by the great Bill Mauldin, is one of the most acclaimed and distinguished cartoons of the twentieth century. Drawn on November 23, 1963, the day of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the cartoon ran in commemoration the following day as the back page of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The cartoon captured the immediate emotional response to the president’s death as felt by millions of people around the world. The image remains unequivocal; a powerful tribute to this historic occasion.
Mauldin gave the original drawing of the “Weeping Lincoln” to Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, who later donated it to the Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston.
Unknown to the world, the original metal plate used for printing was rescued from the refuse container by Mr. Ralph Otwell, Weekend News Editor for the Chicago Sun-Times, and has been on the wall of his study for over forty years. Mr. Otwell brought the plate to Jean Albano Gallery in 2006, during their first exhibition of Bill Mauldin’s cartoons. It was an amazing discovery.
The Estate of Bill Mauldin, in association with Jean Albano Gallery, is privileged to offer a limited edition print of the “WEEPING LINCOLN,” hand-pulled from the original plate. This special edition is limited to ONLY 650 prints.
The “Weeping Lincoln” will be featured as part of the exhibition History Revealed: Jules Feiffer and Bill Mauldin, on display at Jean Albano Gallery from October 26, 2007 through January 6, 2008.
Jean Albano Gallery
215 West Superior Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
312.440.0770 fax 312.440.3103
www.jeanalbanogallery.com
October 11, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Jean Albano Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition, History Revealed, featuring work by famed cartoonists BILL MAULDIN and JULES FEIFFER. The show opens on Friday, October 26, 2007, and will run through Saturday, January 6, 2008. The gallery will host an opening reception on Friday, October 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at 215 West Superior Street, Chicago. This exhibition will explore subtleties between the work of these two men, whose editorial cartoons continue to be socially and politically relevant. Original watercolor drawings, editorial cartoons, and Feiffer’s illustrations from The Long Chalkboard (2006) will be shown. In addition, new limited edition prints by Bill Mauldin will be featured, including a special limited edition printing of Mauldin’s iconic “Weeping Lincoln” image.
The late cartoonist BILL MAULDIN is remembered for his depiction of life in the trenches during World War II. Stationed in Europe during the war, Mauldin drew cartoons for the Stars and Strips featuring two infantrymen named Willie and Joe. In 1945, Mauldin won his first Pulitzer Prize, “for distinguished service as a cartoonist, as exemplified by the series entitled ‘Up Front with Mauldin.” Mauldin became staff cartoonist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1959. In the same year, he won his second Pulitzer for a cartoon entitled I won the Nobel Prize for Literature. What was your crime? In 1962, Mauldin moved to the Chicago Sun-Times, where he worked until his retirement in 1991. One of Mauldin’s most famous cartoons, depicting the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial holding his head in his hands, appeared in the paper after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. Mauldin passed away at the age of 81 in 2003.
JULES FEIFFER is a legendary, multi-dimensional personality whose talent is reflected in his many endeavors, including his beautifully composed and engaging artwork. In 2003, Feiffer was honored with a solo exhibition, Julz Rulz: Inside the Mind of Jules Feiffer, at the New York Historical Society. In addition, Feiffer’s most recent play, A Bad Friend, was commissioned by and performed at Lincoln Center, New York in summer, 2003. Jules Feiffer is known for his internationally syndicated cartoon strip, which ran for 40 years in The Village Voice and as a monthly feature in The New York Times. He is the author of over 35 books, including the children’s books By the Side of the Road, (2002) and I Lost My Bear (1998). He has written film scripts, among them Popeye (1980) and Carnal Knowledge (1971), and won an Academy Award for Munro (1960), an animated cartoon based on his story. Feiffer won the Obie and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his first full-length play, Little Murders, in 1969. He lives and works in New York City.
Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm, and Saturday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, or by appointment. For further information, please contact Sarah Kaliski or Lindsey Walton at 312.440.0770.
Also, this bit about Mauldin's Lincoln cartoon was included separately:
The “WEEPING LINCOLN,” by the great Bill Mauldin, is one of the most acclaimed and distinguished cartoons of the twentieth century. Drawn on November 23, 1963, the day of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the cartoon ran in commemoration the following day as the back page of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The cartoon captured the immediate emotional response to the president’s death as felt by millions of people around the world. The image remains unequivocal; a powerful tribute to this historic occasion.
Mauldin gave the original drawing of the “Weeping Lincoln” to Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, who later donated it to the Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston.
Unknown to the world, the original metal plate used for printing was rescued from the refuse container by Mr. Ralph Otwell, Weekend News Editor for the Chicago Sun-Times, and has been on the wall of his study for over forty years. Mr. Otwell brought the plate to Jean Albano Gallery in 2006, during their first exhibition of Bill Mauldin’s cartoons. It was an amazing discovery.
The Estate of Bill Mauldin, in association with Jean Albano Gallery, is privileged to offer a limited edition print of the “WEEPING LINCOLN,” hand-pulled from the original plate. This special edition is limited to ONLY 650 prints.
The “Weeping Lincoln” will be featured as part of the exhibition History Revealed: Jules Feiffer and Bill Mauldin, on display at Jean Albano Gallery from October 26, 2007 through January 6, 2008.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Oct 12 signings - new Feiffer one!
The Small Press Expo starts at 2 pm of course. See http://www.spxpo.com/
Politics and Prose, Friday, October 12, 10:30 a.m.
KATE FEIFFER and JULES FEIFFER **CHILDREN’S EVENT**
HENRY THE DOG WITH NO TAIL (Paula Wiseman, $16.99)
All of his dog friends have tails, and Henry wants one too. Inspired by Kate’s own tailless Australian Shepherd, Henry, and wonderfully illustrated by Kate’s father, Jules Feiffer, this is an understated, humorous dog tale. Ages 2-5
Writer's Center (Bethesda):
An evening with Washington Post cartoonist Richard Thompson (whose strip "Cul-de-Sac" appears in the Washington Post Magazine, and "Richard's Poor Almanac" in the Style section). Thompson, who is going into national syndication this month, will talk about how he finds and develops ideas and will share samples of work in process.
Date/Time 10/12/2007 [7:30 PM to 9:30 PM]
Event Type Special Event
Venue/Room Bethesda, Room: Reading Room
Capacity 80 spaces
Politics and Prose Friday, October 12, 9 p.m.
Coffee and Donuts with Zippy
BILL GRIFFITH
ZIPPY: Walk a Mile in My Muu-Muu (Fantagraphics, $18.95)
Zippy’s elusive creator Bill Griffith is in town for the Small Press Expo. Due to a delay at the printer, Bill Griffith’s new collection, Walk a Mile in My Muu-Muu, will not be available at the event, although he will be discussing it. His previous Zippy collections will be available for purchase. You will be able to sign-up for a signed copy of the new collection at the event, and we will contact you when they are printed. Coffee and donuts will be provided during the event.
Politics and Prose, Friday, October 12, 10:30 a.m.
KATE FEIFFER and JULES FEIFFER **CHILDREN’S EVENT**
HENRY THE DOG WITH NO TAIL (Paula Wiseman, $16.99)
All of his dog friends have tails, and Henry wants one too. Inspired by Kate’s own tailless Australian Shepherd, Henry, and wonderfully illustrated by Kate’s father, Jules Feiffer, this is an understated, humorous dog tale. Ages 2-5
Writer's Center (Bethesda):
An evening with Washington Post cartoonist Richard Thompson (whose strip "Cul-de-Sac" appears in the Washington Post Magazine, and "Richard's Poor Almanac" in the Style section). Thompson, who is going into national syndication this month, will talk about how he finds and develops ideas and will share samples of work in process.
Date/Time 10/12/2007 [7:30 PM to 9:30 PM]
Event Type Special Event
Venue/Room Bethesda, Room: Reading Room
Capacity 80 spaces
Politics and Prose Friday, October 12, 9 p.m.
Coffee and Donuts with Zippy
BILL GRIFFITH
ZIPPY: Walk a Mile in My Muu-Muu (Fantagraphics, $18.95)
Zippy’s elusive creator Bill Griffith is in town for the Small Press Expo. Due to a delay at the printer, Bill Griffith’s new collection, Walk a Mile in My Muu-Muu, will not be available at the event, although he will be discussing it. His previous Zippy collections will be available for purchase. You will be able to sign-up for a signed copy of the new collection at the event, and we will contact you when they are printed. Coffee and donuts will be provided during the event.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Feiffer accepts McGovern award from Cosmos Club
As you can see from the above scans of the program, Jules Feiffer was awarded the Cosmos Club's McGovern award last night. Mr. Feiffer gave a short overview of his career in comics strips, read a few pages from a memoir that he's working on which sounds very interesting to me, had a short interview with moderator Alan Fern and then took a few questions. I'll post in more detail when I have a chance to decipher my notes, but it was a great pleasure to see him get this award for the humanities. I had the opportunity to sit with him and discuss old comic strips too as he finished his scotch and he talked about his old friends like Bill Mauldin and Milton Caniff. I'll update this post soon!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Nov 2 - Cartoon America opens at Library of Congress
I was privileged to go to the preview opening today, and hear remarks by collector and cartoonist Art Wood, Librarian of Congress James Billington, curator/author Harry Katz and noted cartoonists Jules Feiffer, Ann Telnaes and Kal, as well as meeting the Post's Richard Thompson ... and all of this occured in the gilded 'members' room of the Library of Congress. A very attractive room that was. Anyway, I'll try to post more on this in the next day, or so, but here's the press release for this absolutely fantastic exhibit. The Nast original alone is worth making the trip downtown to see. Martha and Sara have done another fine job. And don't forget that they've got a Herblock exhibit on the floor above as well.
Library of Congress Exhibition "Cartoon America" Opens Nov. 2
Exhibition Features America's Best Cartoons from the Art Wood Collection
"Cartoon America: Highlights from the Art Wood Collection of Cartoon and Caricature" will open at the Library of Congress on Thursday, Nov. 2, in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. On view through Jan. 27, 2007, the exhibition is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
The exhibition will feature 100 masterworks of such celebrated artists as political cartoonists Thomas Nast, Rube Goldberg, Bill Mauldin and Patrick Oliphant; comic strip creators Winsor McCay, George Herriman, Chic Young, Milt Caniff, Charles Schulz and Lynn Johnston; humorous gag cartoonists Peter Arno and William Steig; caricaturists Al Hirschfeld and David Levine; animation drawings and cels from Walt Disney Productions and Hanna-Barbera; and illustrations by Edwin A. Abbey, John Held and Michael Hague.
Drawings selected for the exhibition reflect the primary collecting interests of J. Arthur Wood Jr., a connoisseur of popular graphic art. Wood's collection of more than 36,000 original cartoon drawings * the Art Wood Collection of Cartoon and Caricature * is now housed in the Library's Prints and Photographs Division. The collection came to the Library in 2003 through a gift-purchase agreement made possible in part by a generous contribution from H. Fred Krimendahl II, a member of the Library's Madison Council, and the generosity of Wood himself.
The collection, spanning three centuries, is distinctive and unparalleled because of the depth of holdings in political cartoons and comic strips and the specific landmark pieces in all major genres. It stands out as a jewel among the Library's special collections, illuminating the history of American cartoon art forms and greatly enhancing the Library's extensive holdings of cartoon art.
According to exhibition co-curators Sara W. Duke and Martha H. Kennedy, the exhibition presents stellar examples from Wood's collection that reflect the vitality of an innovative, indigenous art form. The exhibition features the major genres of cartoon art: political cartoons, illustration, comic strips, gag and single-panel cartoons, illustration, and animation drawings and cels. An overview of highlights includes:
* Political cartoons by leading practitioners of the "ungentlemanly art," who comment pointedly on corruption, war and public figures from the 19th century's Gilded Age to recent times. Their visual editorials reflect diverse viewpoints conveyed in a wide variety of artistic approaches, including the classic cross-hatching techniques of Harper's Weekly cartoonist Thomas Nast and Washington Star cartoonist Clifford Berryman, the broad crayon strokes of Rube Goldberg and Bill Mauldin, and the painterly styles of contemporary cartoonists Paul Conrad and Patrick Oliphant.
* Rare early comics in large, multi-panel formats include portrayals of the Yellow Kid and Buster Brown, two early famous comic strip characters created by Richard Outcault. Family strips such as "Bringing Up Father" by George McManus, "Gasoline Alley" by Frank King and "For Better or for Worse" by Lynn Johnston chronicle the humorous ups and downs of family life. Selections include adventure strips "Secret Agent X-9" by Alex Raymond and "Terry and the Pirates" by Milt Caniff; artfully innovative strips "Krazy Kat" by George Herriman and "Dream of the Rarebit Fiend" by Winsor McCay; and timeless classics "Popeye" by Elzie Segar and "Peanuts" by Charles Schulz. All transport viewers to other, self-contained, captivating worlds.
* Gag cartoons by Peter Arno, Barbara Shermund, George Price and others lampoon behavioral quirks and foibles that madden and amuse readers of The New Yorker and other popular magazines.
* Caricatures of Stokely Carmichael, by David Levine, and of performers Jimmy Durante and Paul Whiteman, in a 1935 staging of "Jumbo" by Al Hirschfeld, offer incisive insights and display witty and magical use of the pen.
* Treasures of animation art include a Walt Disney Productions cel of Mickey Mouse from "Fantasia"; a delightful drawing of Dumbo the elephant bathing himself; a storyboard drawing for "Bambi" by Tyrus Wong; a presentation drawing of all of the Seven Dwarfs; and a beautiful animation cel of Snow White for Disney's groundbreaking first full-length animated feature "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937).
* America's Golden Age of Illustration (1880s to 1920s) is represented by drawings created by Edwin Austin Abbey, James Montgomery Flagg, Dean Cornwell and their pioneering women counterparts, Nell Brinkley, Rose O'Neill and Katherine Pyle.
Wood, an award-winning cartoonist himself, began collecting original drawings at the age of 12. During a period of 60 years, he contacted and befriended numerous older masters of cartoon art forms, as well as leading contemporary creators in the field, and obtained selections of their work, primarily by gift and some by purchase. During his professional life, Wood worked diligently to establish a museum or gallery to preserve and showcase his collection. He achieved his goal in 1995 with the opening of the National Gallery of Caricature and Cartoon Art in downtown Washington, D.C., but the gallery closed in 1997, due to a lack of sustained funding. Undeterred, Wood turned to the Library of Congress, where he had worked early in his career, to preserve and present his collection.
A companion book titled "Cartoon America: Comic Art in the Library of Congress" will be published by Harry N. Abrams, in association with the Library of Congress. The book is edited by Harry Katz, former head curator of the Library's Prints and Photographs Division. Images of many cartoon drawings in the exhibition will be included among the 275 full-color illustrations in the book, which also surveys the Library's other holdings of related art.
The exhibition and an accompanying brochure are funded through the generous support of the Caroline and Erwin Swann Memorial Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon. The Swann Foundation showcases the collections of the Library of Congress in rotating exhibitions and promotes the continuing Swann Foundation program in the study of cartoon, caricature and illustration, while also offering a provocative and informative selection of works by masters from the past and present.
Library of Congress Exhibition "Cartoon America" Opens Nov. 2
Exhibition Features America's Best Cartoons from the Art Wood Collection
"Cartoon America: Highlights from the Art Wood Collection of Cartoon and Caricature" will open at the Library of Congress on Thursday, Nov. 2, in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. On view through Jan. 27, 2007, the exhibition is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
The exhibition will feature 100 masterworks of such celebrated artists as political cartoonists Thomas Nast, Rube Goldberg, Bill Mauldin and Patrick Oliphant; comic strip creators Winsor McCay, George Herriman, Chic Young, Milt Caniff, Charles Schulz and Lynn Johnston; humorous gag cartoonists Peter Arno and William Steig; caricaturists Al Hirschfeld and David Levine; animation drawings and cels from Walt Disney Productions and Hanna-Barbera; and illustrations by Edwin A. Abbey, John Held and Michael Hague.
Drawings selected for the exhibition reflect the primary collecting interests of J. Arthur Wood Jr., a connoisseur of popular graphic art. Wood's collection of more than 36,000 original cartoon drawings * the Art Wood Collection of Cartoon and Caricature * is now housed in the Library's Prints and Photographs Division. The collection came to the Library in 2003 through a gift-purchase agreement made possible in part by a generous contribution from H. Fred Krimendahl II, a member of the Library's Madison Council, and the generosity of Wood himself.
The collection, spanning three centuries, is distinctive and unparalleled because of the depth of holdings in political cartoons and comic strips and the specific landmark pieces in all major genres. It stands out as a jewel among the Library's special collections, illuminating the history of American cartoon art forms and greatly enhancing the Library's extensive holdings of cartoon art.
According to exhibition co-curators Sara W. Duke and Martha H. Kennedy, the exhibition presents stellar examples from Wood's collection that reflect the vitality of an innovative, indigenous art form. The exhibition features the major genres of cartoon art: political cartoons, illustration, comic strips, gag and single-panel cartoons, illustration, and animation drawings and cels. An overview of highlights includes:
* Political cartoons by leading practitioners of the "ungentlemanly art," who comment pointedly on corruption, war and public figures from the 19th century's Gilded Age to recent times. Their visual editorials reflect diverse viewpoints conveyed in a wide variety of artistic approaches, including the classic cross-hatching techniques of Harper's Weekly cartoonist Thomas Nast and Washington Star cartoonist Clifford Berryman, the broad crayon strokes of Rube Goldberg and Bill Mauldin, and the painterly styles of contemporary cartoonists Paul Conrad and Patrick Oliphant.
* Rare early comics in large, multi-panel formats include portrayals of the Yellow Kid and Buster Brown, two early famous comic strip characters created by Richard Outcault. Family strips such as "Bringing Up Father" by George McManus, "Gasoline Alley" by Frank King and "For Better or for Worse" by Lynn Johnston chronicle the humorous ups and downs of family life. Selections include adventure strips "Secret Agent X-9" by Alex Raymond and "Terry and the Pirates" by Milt Caniff; artfully innovative strips "Krazy Kat" by George Herriman and "Dream of the Rarebit Fiend" by Winsor McCay; and timeless classics "Popeye" by Elzie Segar and "Peanuts" by Charles Schulz. All transport viewers to other, self-contained, captivating worlds.
* Gag cartoons by Peter Arno, Barbara Shermund, George Price and others lampoon behavioral quirks and foibles that madden and amuse readers of The New Yorker and other popular magazines.
* Caricatures of Stokely Carmichael, by David Levine, and of performers Jimmy Durante and Paul Whiteman, in a 1935 staging of "Jumbo" by Al Hirschfeld, offer incisive insights and display witty and magical use of the pen.
* Treasures of animation art include a Walt Disney Productions cel of Mickey Mouse from "Fantasia"; a delightful drawing of Dumbo the elephant bathing himself; a storyboard drawing for "Bambi" by Tyrus Wong; a presentation drawing of all of the Seven Dwarfs; and a beautiful animation cel of Snow White for Disney's groundbreaking first full-length animated feature "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937).
* America's Golden Age of Illustration (1880s to 1920s) is represented by drawings created by Edwin Austin Abbey, James Montgomery Flagg, Dean Cornwell and their pioneering women counterparts, Nell Brinkley, Rose O'Neill and Katherine Pyle.
Wood, an award-winning cartoonist himself, began collecting original drawings at the age of 12. During a period of 60 years, he contacted and befriended numerous older masters of cartoon art forms, as well as leading contemporary creators in the field, and obtained selections of their work, primarily by gift and some by purchase. During his professional life, Wood worked diligently to establish a museum or gallery to preserve and showcase his collection. He achieved his goal in 1995 with the opening of the National Gallery of Caricature and Cartoon Art in downtown Washington, D.C., but the gallery closed in 1997, due to a lack of sustained funding. Undeterred, Wood turned to the Library of Congress, where he had worked early in his career, to preserve and present his collection.
A companion book titled "Cartoon America: Comic Art in the Library of Congress" will be published by Harry N. Abrams, in association with the Library of Congress. The book is edited by Harry Katz, former head curator of the Library's Prints and Photographs Division. Images of many cartoon drawings in the exhibition will be included among the 275 full-color illustrations in the book, which also surveys the Library's other holdings of related art.
The exhibition and an accompanying brochure are funded through the generous support of the Caroline and Erwin Swann Memorial Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon. The Swann Foundation showcases the collections of the Library of Congress in rotating exhibitions and promotes the continuing Swann Foundation program in the study of cartoon, caricature and illustration, while also offering a provocative and informative selection of works by masters from the past and present.
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