Geo. Herriman's Krazy and Ignatz: The Other-Side to the Shore of Here

Krazy and Ignatz

by George Herriman

Genres: Comics

Paperback

First published August 1, 1989

About the author

George Herriman was an American cartoonist celebrated for creating the groundbreaking comic strip Krazy Kat, a work widely regarded as one of the most inventive, poetic, and influential achievements in the history of comics. Raised in a culturally diverse environment and navigating complex racial identities throughout his life, Herriman developed a singular artistic voice that combined humor, surrealism, philosophical reflection, and emotional nuance. He began his career as a newspaper illustrator and political cartoonist before transitioning fully into comic strips, producing several short-lived features and experiments that helped him refine his sense of rhythm, timing, and visual storytelling. Krazy Kat, which emerged from an earlier strip called The Dingbat Family, became his defining work and ran for decades in newspapers across the United States. The strip centered on a triangular relationship among three main characters: Krazy, a blissfully optimistic and androgynous cat; Ignatz Mouse, who continually expressed his contempt or affection by throwing bricks; and Offisa Pupp, a dutiful dog who sought to protect Krazy and maintain order. What might have been a simple gag became, in Herriman’s hands, a lyrical exploration of love, longing, misunderstanding, and the complexities of emotional connection, articulated through shifting perspectives, inventive language, and a dreamlike visual landscape inspired by the American Southwest. Herriman developed a distinctive style that blended loose, expressive brushwork with carefully considered composition, often altering backgrounds from panel to panel to evoke mood rather than physical continuity. His dialogue employed dialects, puns, poetic phrasing, and playful linguistic invention, creating a voice for Krazy Kat that felt both musical and deeply human. The strip attracted a passionate following among intellectuals, writers, and artists, including figures such as Gilbert Seldes, E.E. Cummings, Willem de Kooning, and many others who recognized its sophistication and emotional resonance. However, Krazy Kat never achieved the widespread commercial popularity of contemporaries like Popeye or Li’l Abner and often relied on the support of influential newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who admired Herriman’s work and insisted it remain in publication despite fluctuating readership. Herriman also produced the comic strip Baron Bean, as well as numerous illustrations, editorial drawings, and commercial work throughout his career, but it was Krazy Kat that defined his legacy and shaped the development of visual narrative art. The strip influenced generations of cartoonists and graphic storytellers, contributing to a lineage that includes artists working in newspaper strips, comic books, underground comix, graphic novels, animation, and contemporary experimental media. Herriman maintained a private, quiet personal life, working diligently and steadily, drawing inspiration from the landscapes of California, Arizona, and New Mexico, which he visited frequently and often featured in his art as stylized mesas, desert plateaus, and open skies. His deep engagement with the American Southwest brought texture, symbolism, and environmental presence to Krazy Kat, making setting an integral emotional and thematic component rather than a mere backdrop. Although widely honored posthumously, his work was recognized during his lifetime by peers and critics who understood the originality of his vision. Today, he is acknowledged as one of the key figures who expanded the expressive potential of the comic strip form, demonstrating that sequential art could convey subtle emotional states, philosophical ideas, and complex storytelling with elegance and humor. Herriman’s legacy endures in the ongoing study, republication, and celebration of Krazy Kat, which continues to be admired for its innovation, sensitivity, and unique artistic spirit.

Reviews

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, reviewing collections of non-continuity strips that aren't volume one is tough. Most of what I wanted to say about the strip in general got said in my review of the first book. And I can't talk about the storyline, because there isn't one.

As always, the eternal triangle exists. Ignatz wants nothing more than to hurl bricks at Krazy’s head. Krazy loves Ignatz, and interprets these missiles as signs of affection. Officer Pupp loves Krazy, and arrests Ignatz every time he catches him in the act. George Herriman deliberately kept Krazy’s sex ambiguous, seeing the character as more of a magical sprite than male or female. He was able to produce endless variations on the seemingly simple premise of the strip.

With this volume, we also get a brief section of notes at the back explaining some of the more dated cultural references--mainly to Prohibition and the first World War. In his introductory essay, Bill Blackbeard talks about the difficulties inherent in assembling a complete run of Herriman’s strip. Among the obstacles was the fact that Herriman’s own collection of his work had been badly water damaged.

Krazy Kat is one of the all-time greats, and every student of comics history should be familiar with it. Highly recommended!

[StrictlySequential · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is where my favorite Brit (Hunt Emerson) got his whack-a-doo backgroundscapes!