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<TITLE>George Herriman Biography</TITLE>
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<TD VALIGN="TOP" ALIGN="LEFT"> <FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE="2" FACE="HELVETICA,ARIAL">
<font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">If ever a comic strip was Art,
"Krazy Kat" was its best candidate for that honor. An undefinable amalgam
of drama, humor, poetry line, tone and color, the cartoon feature was
created by <B>GEORGE HERRIMAN (1880-1944)</B> published from 1916 to 1944.
Its plot line was a skewed triangle: the central "Krazy Kat" of ambiguous
gender, in love with "Ignatz" mouse, who did not return the compliment
but retaliated with a thrown brick, and "Offissa Pup", the constable who
ineffectually tried to protect "Krazy" from the brick by remanding Ignatz
in jail. "Krazy", however, wanted no protection, misinterpreting the thrown
brick as an expression of Ignatz's love. Variations of this theme were
played out endlessly with added mixtures of complementary characters,
such as "Don Kiyoti", "Sancho Pansy", "Kolin Kelly", who baked the bricks,
Joe Stork, and "Gooseberry Sprigg." <BR>
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The story settings were of the uncertain geography of Coconino County,
Ariz., which could vary from panel to panel as the backgrounds moved behind
stationary figures in the foreground! This element of fantasy in ignoring
constraints of literal facts also played a major role in dialogue. Herriman
created a patois of speech based on such diverse elements as American
Indian, African-American, Yiddish, Spanish, Shakespearean English and
Latin. To this he added his own unique spelling. Various characters also
quoted poetic dialogue from the classics - often bent to amplify the story
line. <BR>
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Much of this was over the heads of the casual comic reader and the feature
was never a popular or financial success. Fortunately, William Randolph
Hearst, who controlled the King Features Syndicate, liked it and kept
it in print until the artist's death. No attempt to pass it on to another
artist was ever made; the strip was uniquely his. During its existence,
it was intellectuals who appreciated the creative complexities that permeated
"Krazy Kat", and today's scholars of the subject find ever-renewing appreciation
and delight in Herriman's genius. <BR>
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- Walt Reed</font></FONT> <font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><BR>
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<B>[Presentation drawing: ca. 1936; pen & ink, watercolor, 8.5 x
9.75"]</B></font>
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