Review: Krazy & Ignatz 1939–1940: A Brick Stuffed with Moom-Bims

Krazy & Ignatz 1939–1940: A Brick Stuffed with Moom-Bims
George Herriman

Fantagraphic Books
Street: 03.28

E.E. Cummings was a big fan; Michael Stipe of R.E.M. has a tattoo of the crazy couple and famed cartonists Will Eisner and Bill Watterson both cite Krazy Kat as an influence on their work. It is rare that an object of artistic accomplishment can be both loved and admired by the general populace and intellects alike. But in the case of Krazy Kat it isn’t hard to see why: an accessible style, Southwestern décor, great coloring, verbal and visual wit and, overall, simple and direct storytelling. What makes Krazy Kat so great is that Herriman employs any means possible to get his tale across in the best possible way, even if that means unconventional use of space, color and plot. In this edition of Sunday comic strips, the reader gets all that and more, showcasing Herriman’s great use of color and character development in this collection of later strips. Even though the strip ended in 1944, after Herriman died, it is a great blessing to have a company like Fantagraphics treat these iconic comics as a beloved grandfather, humoring him by letting him tell his stories over and over again and preserving them with care for later generations. Incredible! –Erik Lopez