I’m reading the big Charles Schulz bio now and it has me wondering…
Anyone on the boards into classic newspaper comic strips?
Sure, there’s been talk about the genius of Calvin & Hobbs and The Far Side, but I’m referring to older stuff.
Here’s a short list of some of the strips I love (and that I’m sorry most of the world knows nothing of):
Charle’s Schulz’s Peanuts:
Not that old, but perhaps the greatest sustained work of comic genius. Currently being collected in beautiful volumes by Fantagraphisc.
Herriman’s Krazy Kat:
My favorite of the old comics. Whimsical, beautiful, mysterious and surreal… Also being collected as Krazy & Ignatz by Fantagraphics.
McCay’s Little Nemo:
Dreamlike imagery by an exquisite draftsman, that ran in full page strips. Unbelievable. I picked up the Fantagraphics volumes in the late 80’s or early 90’s, which I think are are being repackaged and re-released by Checker.
Capp’s L’il Abner:
Funny and biting satire expertly drawn by Al Capp, and later ghost drawn by Frank Frazetta! Collected by Kitchen Sink, and later by Dark Horse.
If you don’t know any of this stuff, check some out some time.
Like Jazz, it’s one of the few truly American art forms, and for or a time (before TV), it was THE most prevalent pop artform, even bigger than radio and the movies.
Most public libraries have older “best of” volumes of collected Sunday comics, just sitting there waiting for you.