false 5128 1 1 7718 1400052998 9781400052998 43 <![CDATA[The Metamorphosis]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165639346m/7718.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165639346s/7718.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7718.The_Metamorphosis 3.88 453
“A brilliant illustrated adaptation of Franz Kafka’s famous story. It’s a real pleasure to read and one in which everyone will recognize the existential drama and uncanny wit of the original text."—Susan Bernstein, associate professor of comparative literature and German studies, Brown University]]> 5128 3.80 722 89 5223 3.86 57746 2922 2003 1347507 0307339505 9780307339508 15 <![CDATA[Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182901433m/1347507.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182901433s/1347507.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1347507.Stop_Forgetting_to_Remember_The_Autobiography_of_Walter_Kurtz 3.43 76 WHO SHOT WALTER KURTZ?
Nobody. Walter Kurtz doesn’t exist. He’s the alter ego of me, Peter Kuper. But, if he were real, perhaps his obituary would read something like this:

Walter Kurtz, illustrator and self-exposing cartoonist, dies of embarrassment at 48.

Walter Alan Kurtz, born September 22,1958, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Harvey and Olive Kurtz (an Ellis Island rewrite from Kurtzberg), was pronounced dead at Mt. Sinai Hospital on Monday. He was rushed there following his collapse at the publication party for his coming-of-middle-age novel, Stop Forgetting to Remember. Kurtz was among the wave of cartoonists who helped to redefine the medium of comics and ushered in an explosion of interest in the graphic novel. He was noted for drawing the world-famous “Ebony vs. Ivory” for Nuts magazine every month and for cofounding the political zine Bomb Shelter with his lifelong friend Saul Blockman.

As an educator and lecturer, Kurtz has encouraged legions of aspiring cartoonists to avoid entering the field. He was a successful illustrator whose work appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines, but his heart belonged to cartooning until the end.

Survived by his wife, Sandra B. Russ, and their only child.

Of course, a laundry list of Walter Kurtz’s accomplishments barely scratches the surface of the cartoon character. Are professional details what define an alter ego?

“Brilliantly insightful,” “Painfully hilarious,” and “Pow! Blam! Bang! Comics aren’t just for kids anymore!” are words I’ve heard to describe Walter Kurtz’s work.Yet I can’t keep from wondering whether this excessive praise comes from people who are ignorant of the medium’s capacity to address serious subject matter like parenting and masturbation. But jealousy aside, the truth is, I could never bring myself to delve as deep and reveal as many embarrassing details as he has bravely (?) done in this book. The idea of exposing one’s shameful history for all to see is beyond me, and frankly I’m still baffled by what motivates him. One can only imagine the discomfort this must have created for friends and family, most especially for his long-suffering wife, Sandra. My spouse would have killed me!

But let me not end these flaps on a down note. I personally believe his self-immolation illuminates our understanding of the human condition and helps comics take another step closer to receiving the recognition they deserve as a serious art form. The best obituary that will ever be written about Walter Kurtz is the graphic novel you hold in your hands.

He’s dug his own grave.]]> 5128 3.80 722 89 2007 620994 1400052572 9781400052578 11 <![CDATA[Sticks and Stones]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176400357m/620994.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176400357s/620994.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/620994.Sticks_and_Stones 3.92 38 Sticks and Stones illuminates this earth-shaking tale without a single word. It is as elemental as hieroglyphics, a timeless story for all ages.

In Sticks and Stones, Peter Kuper has created a picture story of epic proportions. It is an intricate tale of birth and death, war and peace, artfully told without a single word. Sticks and Stones chronicles the rise of an empire and the consequences of hubris. This is a timeless allegory and a coutionary tale for our present-day world.

"Given that Peter Kuper's work is usually wordless and silent, it is all the more extraordinary that he should be one of the strongest and truest radical voices to emerge from contemporary America. In Sticks and Stones, Kuper crafts a Bush-era parable so beautiful, simple, and lucid that it could be understood and enjoyed by anyone, regardless of nationality. This is a powerful, angry, and compassionate document, and in its perfectly measured silence there resides a profound human eloquence. Highly recommended." —Alan Moore, author of Watchmen and From Hell]]> 5128 3.80 722 89 2004 124627 1563893223 9781563893223 4 <![CDATA[The System]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223645052m/124627.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223645052s/124627.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124627.The_System 3.76 21 5128 3.80 722 89 1997 999120 1891830147 9781891830143 0 <![CDATA[Speechless]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180108474m/999120.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180108474s/999120.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/999120.Speechless 3.70 10 5128 3.80 722 89 2000 124625 1561632597 9781561632596 0 <![CDATA[Mind's Eye: An Eye of the Beholder Collection]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171878035m/124625.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171878035s/124625.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124625.Mind_s_Eye_An_Eye_of_the_Beholder_Collection 3.57 7 Mind's Eye: An Eye of the Beholder Collection assembles his newspaper strip work and provides a more appropriate format for the puzzle-like pieces. Each consists of four small frames "seen" by a particular viewer and a fifth, larger frame pulling back to see whose eyes we were looking through before. Kuper's blocky style, reminiscent of primitive eastern European propaganda posters, perfectly captures the hidden anxieties and rare pleasures of ordinary life, especially the heightening of senses brought about by crisis. His progressive-left political slant suffuses the book, which touches on larger themes as well as the more personal. --Rob Lightner]]> 5128 3.80 722 89 2000 441884 1560970022 9781560970026 0 <![CDATA[World War 3 Illustrated 1980-1988]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174803243m/441884.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174803243s/441884.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/441884.World_War_3_Illustrated_1980_1988 4.20 5 5128 3.80 722 89 1989 339848 0670061379 9780670061372 1 <![CDATA[Theo and the Blue Note]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173885119m/339848.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173885119s/339848.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/339848.Theo_and_the_Blue_Note 3.33 6 Porker, Nat King Cobra, Duck Ellington, and more. He gets to jam with the greats, who show Theo that there's more to being a jiving cool cat than just one blue note.

Peter Kuper's one-of-a-kind illustrations—created using intricately cut stencils, spray paint, and collage—shake and shimmy across the page, just like jazz itself.

]]> 5128 3.80 722 89 2006 443971 1560971770 9781560971771 0 <![CDATA[Stripped]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174834488m/443971.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174834488s/443971.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/443971.Stripped 3.80 5 5128 3.80 722 89 1995 124626 1561632627 9781561632626 0 <![CDATA[Eye of the Beholder]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171878035m/124626.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171878035s/124626.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124626.Eye_of_the_Beholder 4.00 4 5128 3.80 722 89 2000