Krazy: George Herriman, a Life in Black and White

(Paperback)

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In the tradition of Schulz and Peanuts, an epic and revelatory biography of Krazy Kat creator George Herriman that explores the turbulent time and place from which he emergedand the deep secret he explored through his art.

The creator of the greatest comic strip in history finally gets his duein an eye-opening biography that lays bare the truth about his art, his heritage, and his life on Americas color line. A native of nineteenth-century New Orleans, George Herriman came of age as an illustrator, journalist, and cartoonist in the boomtown of Los Angeles and the wild metropolis of New York. Appearing in the biggest newspapers of the early twentieth centuryincluding those owned by William Randolph HearstHerrimans Krazy Kat cartoons quickly propelled him to fame. Although fitfully popular with readers of the period, his work has been widely credited with elevating cartoons from daily amusements to anarchic art.

Herriman used his work to explore the human condition, creating a modernist fantasia that was inspired by the landscapes he discovered in his travelsfrom chaotic urban life to the Beckett-like desert vistas of the Southwest. Yet underlying his own lifeand often emerging from the contours of his very public artwas a very private secret: known as "the Greek" for his swarthy complexion and curly hair, Herriman was actually African American, born to a prominent Creole family that hid its racial identity in the dangerous days of Reconstruction.

Drawing on exhaustive original research into Herrimans family history, interviews with surviving friends and family, and deep analysis of the artists work and surviving written records, Michael Tisserand brings this little-understood figure to vivid life, paying homage to a visionary artist who helped shape modern culture.

Reviews

One of themany virtues of Michael Tisserands richly illustrated biography of George Herriman, the creator of Krazy Kat, is its evocation of the early 20th-century newspaper world from which it sprang. Wall Street Journal Essential reading for comics fans and history buffs, Krazy is a roaring success, providing an indispensable new perspective on turn-of-the-century America. Kirkus (starred) Who was the man behind Krazy Kat This fascinating biography and guide to the work of the cartoonist, who passed for white, tells the full story. New York Times Tisserand has written the rarest kind of book: scholarship that is accessible and captivating, genuinely fun to read. His prose sparkles, smooth and flowing, rich with metaphor and invention. Chicago Tribune ... one of the years best biographies. Boston Globe Krazy, so rich in anecdote and so warm in affection, succeeds in adding a good deal to the wonder of George Herrimans legacy mainly by putting the artist in last place on Earth he liked to be: in the spotlight, center stage. Christian Science Monitor Its one of the best true stories told in 2016. Philadelphia Inquirer ... engaging, revealing. Herrimans adventures in newspapering in the early years of the 20th century are alone worth the price of the book.... Whether youre a longtime Krazy Kat fan, as I am, or a new acquaintance, this biography will enrich your knowledge of the Kat and its creator. Tampa Bay Times Perhaps no one in his field is as deserving of a top-notch, in-depth biography as Herriman. And with Michael Tisserands Krazy we now have a most valuable, studiously researched, and, indeed, definitive profile of the man that does him full justice. Print Herrimans delight in anarchic transformation and gentle subversion had personal roots, as Michael Tisserand reveals in this scrupulously researched, luminously written and eye-opening biography. The Times Literary Supplement A visionary strip. Who drew it, and wherefrom Tisserands robust research illuminates, without diminishing, the mystery. Roy Blount Jr. An athletic feat of scholarship and an effort of lovelike one of Ignatzs bricks to the head. Tisserands immaculately researched and super-readable biography captures the madcap modernist Herriman and the weird America of surreal racial realities and publishing superpowers that shaped his revolutionary art. Hillary Chute George Herriman was a poet in a new visual language. As a man, he was an enigma to match his greatest creation, the sublime Krazy Kat. Michael Tisserand has done a masterful job of illuminating this life lived in the shadowy borderlands of racial identity; along the way he also gives a brilliant overview of the golden years of American cartooning. Krazy is a monumental work of biography about a true American genius. Tom Piazza This is a gripping read at the intersection of pop culture and American history. Publishers Weekly An absorbing study of a genius with a secret. New Orleans Times-Picayune Rich in original research, New Orleans writer Tisserands encyclopedia biography of Krazy Kat artist George Herriman is also an enlightening history of modern comic strips. Shelf Awareness Tisserand presents a well-researched, engaging biography of George Herriman (1880-1944), creator of the comic strip Krazy Kat.... At every step, this work brilliantly re-creates the milieu of its subjects life by shading in the historical context. A significant book for comics scholars and those interested in tracing Herrimans development from novice to master of the medium. Paul Steins, Library Journal

Author Bio

Michael Tisserand is the author of The Kingdom of Zydeco, which won the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for music writing, and the Hurricane Katrina memoir Sugarcane Academy. He served as editor of Gambit Weekly, New Orleans alternative newsweekly. He lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. www.michaeltisserandauthor.com