The Art of the Funnies: An Aesthetic History
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Exploration of the comic strip for elements that make the funnies one of the most appealing of the popular artsLibrary 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
AcknowledgmentsCh. 1The Aesthetics of the Comics: A Preamble through History and Form3Ch. 2Somnambulist of a Vanished Dream: Winsor McCay's Exploration of the Medium's Potential21Ch. 3Establishing the Daily Comic Strip: The Thematic Choruses of Bud Fisher and George McManus35Ch. 4Continuity and Syndication: The Popularity and Proliferation of Comic Strips60Ch. 5A Flourish of Trumpets: Roy Crane and the Adventure Strip70Ch. 6The Captain and the Comics: How a Noncartoonist Shaped the Medium92Ch. 7Exoticism Made Real: The Advent of Illustrators116Ch. 8Redefining the Art: Milton Caniff and Terry and the Dragon Lady138Ch. 9What This Country Needed Was a Good Segar: Popeye and the Great Depression159Ch. 10Peddlers and Poets: The Lyric Clowns Who Captivated the Intelligentsia171Ch. 11Of Infinite Jest: The Dawn of the Modern Comic Strip202Meanwhile...: An Ending to Begin With239Notes241Index249
