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Jules Feiffer

Born

in New York City, The United States

January 26, 1929

Died

January 17, 2025

Genre

Children's Books

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Jules Feiffer was an American cartoonist, playwright, screenwriter, and author whose work left a significant imprint on American satire and cultural commentary. Emerging from the postwar era of newspaper comics, he first gained recognition through his long-running comic strip published in The Village Voice, where his loose, expressive line drawings and psychologically sharp dialogue captured the anxieties, contradictions, and social performances of contemporary life. Feiffer used humor to critique politics, relationships, and everyday neuroses, developing a voice that felt conversational, self-aware, and deeply engaged with the shifting cultural moods of the United States. His graphic style, which often emphasized gesture and tone over deta Jules Feiffer was an American cartoonist, playwright, screenwriter, and author whose work left a significant imprint on American satire and cultural commentary. Emerging from the postwar era of newspaper comics, he first gained recognition through his long-running comic strip published in The Village Voice, where his loose, expressive line drawings and psychologically sharp dialogue captured the anxieties, contradictions, and social performances of contemporary life. Feiffer used humor to critique politics, relationships, and everyday neuroses, developing a voice that felt conversational, self-aware, and deeply engaged with the shifting cultural moods of the United States. His graphic style, which often emphasized gesture and tone over detailed renderings, was equally distinctive, and helped expand the visual vocabulary of editorial and literary cartooning. Beyond his cartoons, Feiffer became an accomplished writer for stage and screen; his play Little Murders offered a darkly comic exploration of violence and alienation in urban America, while his screenplay for Mike Nichols’s film Carnal Knowledge drew widespread attention for its unflinching examination of intimacy and desire. Feiffer also wrote children’s books, including the popular The Phantom Tollbooth, for which he provided the illustrations that helped establish the book’s imaginative visual identity. He demonstrated an enduring commitment to making art accessible, engaging with students and general audiences alike through teaching and public appearances, and continued producing work across multiple genres throughout his life. His comics and writings were often autobiographical in spirit, even when fictionalized, providing commentary on his experiences growing up in New York and moving through decades of cultural change. Feiffer received numerous honors for his contributions to American arts, including major awards recognizing his innovation in cartooning, his influence on graphic storytelling, and his impact on theater and film. His later work included longer-form graphic novels and personal memoirs, reflecting on childhood, family, and the evolution of his artistic voice. Feiffer remained an active and inquisitive creator well into his later years, consistently exploring new creative forms and responding to contemporary political and social issues. His legacy is seen in the work of generations of cartoonists and writers who drew inspiration from his willingness to bring emotional depth, social critique, and literary ambition to comics and satire. Feiffer’s work stands as a testament to the power of humor to illuminate the complexities of human behavior and the cultural forces that shape everyday life. ...more

Combine Editions
Jules Feiffer’s books

Average rating: 4.17 · 339,201 ratings · 18,473 reviews · 143 distinct works • Similar authors

	Bark, George 4.21 avg rating — 14,451 ratings — published 1999 — 32 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Kill My Mother 3.13 avg rating — 1,883 ratings — published 2014 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears 4.32 avg rating — 1,029 ratings — published 1995 — 22 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Man in the Ceiling 4.07 avg rating — 680 ratings — published 1993 — 29 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman by Jules Feiffer (Contributor), Laura Siegel Larson (Foreword), Paul Levitz (Editor) 4.12 avg rating — 424 ratings — published 2018 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rupert Can Dance 3.58 avg rating — 477 ratings — published 2014 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	I Lost My Bear 3.76 avg rating — 311 ratings — published 1998 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Great Comic Book Heroes 4.13 avg rating — 277 ratings — published 1965 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cousin Joseph 3.34 avg rating — 334 ratings — published 2016 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Meanwhile... 3.80 avg rating — 273 ratings — published 1997 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Jules Feiffer…

Series by Jules Feiffer

Kill My Mother (3 books)
by

Jules Feiffer

3.19 avg rating — 2,363 ratings

The Collected Works (3 books)
by

Jules Feiffer

3.96 avg rating — 250 ratings

Quotes by Jules Feiffer (?)

“Christ died for our sins. Dare we make his martyrdom meaningless by not committing them?”
― Jules Feiffer

tags: religion

29 likes

“I used to think I was poor. Then they told me I wasn't poor, I was needy. Then they told me it was self-defeating to think of myself as needy, I was deprived. Then they told me underpriviledged was overused, I was disadvantaged. I still don't have a dime, but I have a great vocabulary.”
― Jules Feiffer

20 likes

“design is so important because chaos is so hard”
― jules feiffer

tags: chaos, design

11 likes

See all Jules Feiffer's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

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Crazy Challenge C...: Scrabble, anyone?	1791	419	Dec 23, 2016 10:53AM
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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA: Boy draws comics, can't draw hands well. Spoiler ahead. [s]	3	35	Apr 07, 2018 03:06PM
The Reading For P...: * THE WORDSMITHS' JOURNAL - RFP's DIARY of Bookish Events 2019	1933	211	Jan 01, 2020 09:27AM

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Jules Feiffer’s Followers (194)

Jules Feiffer

Combine EditionsJules Feiffer’s books

Series by Jules Feiffer

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
Jules Feiffer’s books