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Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz
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.
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.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published July 10, 2007
4 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Peter Kuper
118 books142 followersPeter Kuper is an American alternative comics artist and illustrator, renowned for his politically charged, socially conscious, and often autobiographical work. He co-founded the influential anthology World War 3 Illustrated, and is best known for his long-running reinvention of Spy vs. Spy for Mad magazine from 1997 to 2022. Kuper has produced numerous graphic novels, including award-winning adaptations of Franz Kafka’s Give It Up! and The Metamorphosis, as well as autobiographical works like Stop Forgetting To Remember and Diario de Oaxaca, documenting life, travel, and social struggles. His illustration work has appeared on covers and in publications such as Time, Newsweek, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times. Kuper’s style often merges comics and illustration techniques, with both wordless narratives and text-driven storytelling, reflecting his belief that the two disciplines are inseparable. He has traveled extensively across Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia, often documenting these experiences in sketchbook journals. Kuper has taught courses on comics and illustration at the Parsons School of Design, the School of Visual Arts, and Harvard University’s first class on graphic novels. He has received numerous awards, including recognition from the Society of Newspaper Designers, the Society of Illustrators, and Eisner and NCS awards for his work. His comics combine sharp political commentary, personal observation, and inventive visual storytelling, establishing him as a prominent figure in contemporary alternative comics and illustration.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
March 26, 2013
I would have called it two stars, but Peter Kuper is a really talented artist, with all the brilliant woodcut work in his version of The Metamorphisis, his version with David Mazzucchelli of Paul Auster's City of Glass, rich, sophisticated, nuanced, insightful, helping us rethink the nature of narrative... brilliant artwork.. and the art in this story, which is essentially the autobiography of Kuper, depicting Kurtz as a kind of alter-ego (?) , and for what reason, and it is really not that funny or insightful or compelling. Not anything like the depth of Kafka, trust me. Included for humor's sake is what seems to be the obligatory memoir story of the shy, awkward comic would-be comic book artist nerd's long, painful process of getting laid for the first time... but not worth going out of the way to read, trust me. Nor are his not so insightful stories of getting stoned with his perpetually juvenile friend for decades, nor his stereotypically reluctant move to grow up and parent... meh. Stick to adaptation, Kuper, so you fan focus on your considerable artistic skills. Since this is a book written some time ago, looks like he actually took this advice.
August 22, 2015
Ick.
I didn't finish it so perhaps I shouldn't rate it, but I didn't finish it because I found it to be pretty dreadful. Guy talking about being a comic artist, something of a fictionalized memoir all about being a nerd as a kid, doing a lot of drugs, trying to get laid. There are parts that take place in the present, with his wife, with his old friend, kind of connecting the flashbacks. The third of the book I read I find to be smug, self-absorbed, cliched, creepily objectifying of women. I've read a lot of books that have some similar subject matter. "The Alcoholic", "Brooklyn Dreams" are two I can name right off. Those books are interesting and captivating, they dig a lot deeper. And I recently read "The Worst Idea Ever." It's a much more kid-friendly book, but still, in a way, similar, and a lot more charming and soulful. "Perfect Example" by John Porcellino could be thought of as similar in subject matter, too. It's a lot more complex, subtle, emotionally present. Gabrielle Belle's writing about writing, the life of a comic artist, and maybe Ariel Schragg's too, and her writing about high school. Jeffrey Brown. There are a lot of comics who write about writing comics, and who write about their frustrating or painful teenage years and I've liked them all. I guess this one's just not for me.
I didn't finish it so perhaps I shouldn't rate it, but I didn't finish it because I found it to be pretty dreadful. Guy talking about being a comic artist, something of a fictionalized memoir all about being a nerd as a kid, doing a lot of drugs, trying to get laid. There are parts that take place in the present, with his wife, with his old friend, kind of connecting the flashbacks. The third of the book I read I find to be smug, self-absorbed, cliched, creepily objectifying of women. I've read a lot of books that have some similar subject matter. "The Alcoholic", "Brooklyn Dreams" are two I can name right off. Those books are interesting and captivating, they dig a lot deeper. And I recently read "The Worst Idea Ever." It's a much more kid-friendly book, but still, in a way, similar, and a lot more charming and soulful. "Perfect Example" by John Porcellino could be thought of as similar in subject matter, too. It's a lot more complex, subtle, emotionally present. Gabrielle Belle's writing about writing, the life of a comic artist, and maybe Ariel Schragg's too, and her writing about high school. Jeffrey Brown. There are a lot of comics who write about writing comics, and who write about their frustrating or painful teenage years and I've liked them all. I guess this one's just not for me.
August 12, 2021
Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Peter Kuper. This quasi-autobiographical meditation on fantasy and reality succeeds in being as hilarious as it is heartbreaking.
Peter Kuper is an American alternative comics artist and illustrator, best known for his autobiographical, political, and social observations.
Like Kuper, his alter ego Kurtz is a cartoonist who divides his time between mainstream and independent work while also struggling to be a good husband, father, and friend in an unsupportive world. Kuper as Kurtz talks directly to the reader as he describes his goals when he was younger, how he botched his chances or suffered when he did get what he wanted, and how he accepted those successes and failures and then moved on.
Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz is written and constructed rather well. The story is typical, but Kuper's art shifts from realistic to surreal as the mood changes, and this is where the book really takes off. Kuper plays with the reader's head, as when Kurtz's new-daddy desperation convinces him that he's not just a cartoonist but a cartoon so that he slips into a Crumb parody panel.
All in all, Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz is a very smart, mature work by an artist at the top of his form.
Peter Kuper is an American alternative comics artist and illustrator, best known for his autobiographical, political, and social observations.
Like Kuper, his alter ego Kurtz is a cartoonist who divides his time between mainstream and independent work while also struggling to be a good husband, father, and friend in an unsupportive world. Kuper as Kurtz talks directly to the reader as he describes his goals when he was younger, how he botched his chances or suffered when he did get what he wanted, and how he accepted those successes and failures and then moved on.
Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz is written and constructed rather well. The story is typical, but Kuper's art shifts from realistic to surreal as the mood changes, and this is where the book really takes off. Kuper plays with the reader's head, as when Kurtz's new-daddy desperation convinces him that he's not just a cartoonist but a cartoon so that he slips into a Crumb parody panel.
All in all, Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz is a very smart, mature work by an artist at the top of his form.
April 28, 2018
Tras una larga espera me hice de este ejemplar, lo primero que leo extensamente de Peter Kuper (no considero extensas las tiras de Spy vs Spy). He de decir que me gustó mucho pero no por las razones que esperaba. Sí se trata, como esperaba, de aspectos autobiográficos y cotidianos de la vida del autor, aunque por algún motivo (proyección propia tal vez, autoengaño a partir del juego de palabras del título en inglés) esperaba un tratamiento muy solemne de su historia. En realidad me encontré con un tratamiento muy reflexivo, metatextual ¿o metagráfico? pero con un genial humor ácido y nada de la solemnidad que me había imaginado. Fue grato leer las preocupaciones infantiles del protagonista, sus avances tontones por la adolescencia y su accidentada -como la de todos- adultez. Al final me dejó un muy buen sabor de boca, reconozco que no se parece en nada a lo que creí, pero me gustó.
May 4, 2010
The autobiography of Walter Kurtz, but really an only slightly fictionalized version of the life of Peter Kuper. Really one of the better graphic novels I've read in a while. Covers all the normal territory of autobio-gns, but the art is so sophisticated and the content is well thought out, meta-treated, and downright deep. Quality stuff. Read it in one sitting. I especially appreciated Kuper's integration of experimental techniques (elements of fantasy/magic realism, creative use of color...) into the more traditional autobio context.
June 25, 2016
10th book read in 2016.
Number 218 out of 503 on my all time book list.
Review Pending:
Number 218 out of 503 on my all time book list.
Review Pending:
February 21, 2024
I like Peter Kuper, so I was looking forward to finally getting around to reading this. Unfortunately, as much as I related to some bits and pieces of it, I think I missed the moment in time when it would have felt relevant and funny.
The overall conceit—fictional autobiography—struck me as just too easy of an escape hatch from what would have been a better full-on, reliable-narrator autobiography. Kurtz (an uncanny J. Bob Dobbs version of Kuper) is a white, upper-middle-class, not-struggling-too-hard artist, presently starting a family in Manhattan; and while the overall book is narrated from the perspective of his present time, he adopts a sometimes cranky-middle-aged-dad-joke-parent persona as he wistfully reminisces about his childhood years (mostly set in 1960s to 1970s lord-of-the-flies suburbia)—with plenty of side commentary from his adult self. His childhood is full of missed opportunities for sex, smoking lots of marijuana, and tilling questionable friendships. Nothing too complex.
I guess the reason I found parts of it relatable was because the stories, past and present, are so pedestrian—we all have similar basic stories of "childhood/teenagerdom/adulting/parenting-is-hard", so it's not like he's uncovering universal truths; these truths are just out there in the open for everyone to begin with. But Kurtz/Kuper is playing "The Wonder Years" in his head—and as a reader from the perspective of 2024, lots of Kurtz's stories, well, let's say they land differently nowadays than they would have 17 years earlier, unfortunately making Kurtz much less of a relatable character.
I feel like Kuper himself would have been much more relatable in person—say, in conversation about all this stuff over a pint.
The overall conceit—fictional autobiography—struck me as just too easy of an escape hatch from what would have been a better full-on, reliable-narrator autobiography. Kurtz (an uncanny J. Bob Dobbs version of Kuper) is a white, upper-middle-class, not-struggling-too-hard artist, presently starting a family in Manhattan; and while the overall book is narrated from the perspective of his present time, he adopts a sometimes cranky-middle-aged-dad-joke-parent persona as he wistfully reminisces about his childhood years (mostly set in 1960s to 1970s lord-of-the-flies suburbia)—with plenty of side commentary from his adult self. His childhood is full of missed opportunities for sex, smoking lots of marijuana, and tilling questionable friendships. Nothing too complex.
I guess the reason I found parts of it relatable was because the stories, past and present, are so pedestrian—we all have similar basic stories of "childhood/teenagerdom/adulting/parenting-is-hard", so it's not like he's uncovering universal truths; these truths are just out there in the open for everyone to begin with. But Kurtz/Kuper is playing "The Wonder Years" in his head—and as a reader from the perspective of 2024, lots of Kurtz's stories, well, let's say they land differently nowadays than they would have 17 years earlier, unfortunately making Kurtz much less of a relatable character.
I feel like Kuper himself would have been much more relatable in person—say, in conversation about all this stuff over a pint.
June 5, 2025
There has been a trend by underground cartoonists to need to navel gaze their personal life in their works. Obviously the best examples are Art Spiegelman - Maus , Joe Matt- Peepshow, and Harvey Pekar -American Splendor, with a nod also to Ivan Brunetti's oddball entries. But somehow it almost became a must for cartoonists to do this, even if the author's hadn't lived very dramatic lives or really had much to say.
For some reason - I assume legal ones- Kuper creates an alter-ego for his autobiography. Several of his other works also appear under pseudonyms. World War III becomes Bomb Shelter. Spy Vs. Spy becomes Ebony Vs Ivory. It doesn't really matter, we all know what we're talking about here. Only Wormboy, which appeared in Heavy Metal magazine, is the same.
As I said, not much happens here. We see his life and loves, his friendships, his mild drug use, and the birth of his daughter. The material really starts to go down when he become political. Kuper has always had a left leaning bias, but problem here is that his rantings against George W. Bush Jr. are very dated, and were even on the verge of being so when the book was first published. It is the same problem I had with Spiegelman's In the Shadow of No Towers. Topical political attacks cheapen the material, making it seem less relevant, especially since the people are long out of office.
The three stars are for the art alone.
For some reason - I assume legal ones- Kuper creates an alter-ego for his autobiography. Several of his other works also appear under pseudonyms. World War III becomes Bomb Shelter. Spy Vs. Spy becomes Ebony Vs Ivory. It doesn't really matter, we all know what we're talking about here. Only Wormboy, which appeared in Heavy Metal magazine, is the same.
As I said, not much happens here. We see his life and loves, his friendships, his mild drug use, and the birth of his daughter. The material really starts to go down when he become political. Kuper has always had a left leaning bias, but problem here is that his rantings against George W. Bush Jr. are very dated, and were even on the verge of being so when the book was first published. It is the same problem I had with Spiegelman's In the Shadow of No Towers. Topical political attacks cheapen the material, making it seem less relevant, especially since the people are long out of office.
The three stars are for the art alone.
March 23, 2018
And it's a pretty great book. If you've ever read Kuper's 1995 book Stripped: an unauthorized autobiography, you'll actually recognize a lot of the content - many old pages are re-touched and put into new contexts.
But where the first book was basically his reminiscence of his teenage years - too many drugs, too little sex, and lots of rock and roll - replete with his enjoyment of masturbation and the battle between his adolescent lust and his adolescent fear -- Stop Forgetting focuses on Kuper's alter ego Walter Kurtz at the birth of his first child. So the carefree days of youth are juxtaposed against the maturity of fatherhood.
As with Kuper's other work, his political leanings do come into play, though not too much. If you disagree with his leftist leanings, you'll only be bothered by his polemics once or twice - it's mostly background matter in the story of his learning to be a father.
I think Kuper's one of the best creators working in the business today.
But where the first book was basically his reminiscence of his teenage years - too many drugs, too little sex, and lots of rock and roll - replete with his enjoyment of masturbation and the battle between his adolescent lust and his adolescent fear -- Stop Forgetting focuses on Kuper's alter ego Walter Kurtz at the birth of his first child. So the carefree days of youth are juxtaposed against the maturity of fatherhood.
As with Kuper's other work, his political leanings do come into play, though not too much. If you disagree with his leftist leanings, you'll only be bothered by his polemics once or twice - it's mostly background matter in the story of his learning to be a father.
I think Kuper's one of the best creators working in the business today.
June 19, 2023
Peter es un ilustrador que se debate entre sus trabajos Freelance y su novela gráfica personal a la cual intenta encontrarle una casa editorial. Mientras se debate entre su libro, su faceta como Padre primerizo, y los eventos históricos socio/políticos que se debaten en los Estados Unidos.
Mientras escribe e ilustra su novela gráfica, sus recuerdos van desde sus primeros años en la secundaria, hasta conciertos llenos de rock & rollo y drogas.
Sus amistades eternas, fieles a los cambios y porvenires de la vida adulta, la difícil carrera de ilustrador, y sobre todo los terrores de convertirse en padre.
Una Novela Gráfica muy personal y con mucho corazón, recordándonos el amor por el arte, la familia y los amigos.
Échenle un ojo y disfruten, es una joya.
Mientras escribe e ilustra su novela gráfica, sus recuerdos van desde sus primeros años en la secundaria, hasta conciertos llenos de rock & rollo y drogas.
Sus amistades eternas, fieles a los cambios y porvenires de la vida adulta, la difícil carrera de ilustrador, y sobre todo los terrores de convertirse en padre.
Una Novela Gráfica muy personal y con mucho corazón, recordándonos el amor por el arte, la familia y los amigos.
Échenle un ojo y disfruten, es una joya.
March 12, 2021
Me suelen gustar este tipo de novelas gráficas de tono autobiográfico, así que Kuper no tenía que esforzarse mucho para dejarme satisfecho. Sin embargo, la única palabra que me viene a la cabeza tras haber terminado la lectura es... banal. No cabe duda de que el autor ha hecho un esfuerzo por abrirse de par en par en estas páginas, pero los treces años de trabajo que le ha llevado, según sus propias palabras, no se justifican ni en el arte ni en la historia. Incluso diría que ha sobrevalorado el interés que puede despertar su vida (o el talento para hacerla interesante a mis ojos). Una lástima.
October 17, 2017
the million-and-fifth "loser-kid-who-did-a-lot-of-drugs becomes an adult and makes a sexist and vaguely political autobiography/self-insert comic about being an Adult post 9-11" comic i've read. this one didn't even have any redeeming qualities. it read like a parody of the genre while not managing to be funny.
December 21, 2019
It is hard not to compare the narrative of the story with other writers, and Michael Chabon comes to mind, as he is adept at describing one's fictional life, which Peter Kuper tries to do in this book. The drawings are good, but the story itself seems flat.
January 16, 2026
Really enjoyed the art! Didn’t really find a lot to relate to the main character and found him to be gross and misogynistic at times. Did admire his plight to publish his book, and appreciated the reality of his adult non-sexual personal relationships.
June 3, 2017
Estupendo ejemplo gráfico de cómo romper la 4ta pared. Divertida, reflexiva, tristona. Se agradece la autosátira. Y te encariñas con los personajes y sus situaciones y con el estilo narrativo.
December 23, 2017
Very dark and funny story at times.
January 31, 2020
Diría que es el equivalente a Persépolis desde la mirada de un hombre, judío, neoyorquino de clase media...banal y en algunos momentos intrascendente.
July 25, 2022
An autobiography with some truth in it? Fun and funny.
July 6, 2016
The only thing worse than hearing one of your friends brag about his acid trips is hearing two of your friends brag about their adorable baby. Similarly, the only kind of autobiographical comic I dread reading more than the teenage drug fiend story is the "let's have a baby" story. The hipster and the bourgeoisie are the twin horns of lame, and these two emblematic narratives are like their spoor, left behind when they pass.
So Peter Kuper's Stop Forgetting to Remember focuses on drug use and babies, which is on the face of it a big problem. It also contains a "how I lost my virginity story" and a "I'll teach that bitch who didn't love me a lesson" story, all tied together by a chatty narrator ("Okay, okay! We get the picture! Jesus, don't you ever shut up??" one character complains. "Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"); these are all red flags.
(Of course Stop Forgetting to Remember isn't technically autobiographical; the protagonist is named Walter Kurtz (a nod to both Harvey Kurtzman and Jacob "Jack Kirby" Kurtzberg as well as Walt Kelly), and Seth Tobocman is named Saul, etc. There may be other minor differences that those familiar with the minutiae of Kuper's life can seek out, but, really, Kurtz is an authorial stand-in if there ever was one.)
Adding to the problem is the fact that Kuper has incorporated a couple of older pieces into the text. When Pynchon did this in V., he rewrote the interpolated story so its style would match the main narrative, but revising comics is really hard and time-consuming, and so the old material tends to stick out like a sore thumb, especially since it's not always well-integrated. The Richie Bush parody from World War Three Illustrated seems particularly shoehorned in, but then even a lot of the new material is awkwardly shoehorned in.
If all of this makes Stop Forgetting to Remember sound terrible--well, it's better than it sounds. Kuper's storytelling is strong, he's just telling the wrong stories. And his art, although uneven, is at its best very striking; his distinctive woodcut style is abstracted enough that it lets Kuper slip in surreal or cartoony moments when it suits his purpose. When running like a scared rabbit, a character turns into a rabbit. When dizzy and confused, a character turns into a dreidel. This sounds rather simplistic and overly literal, but its execution is charming.
In the end, the real problem with Stop Forgetting to Remember (in addition to all the ones enumerated above) is, I think, one of distance. Kuper's neither removed enough from his experiences that he can look back dispassionately and analyze it (as, say, Chester Brown does) nor close enough to them to make us feel that the emotions are happening now and the trauma is our own (as, say, Lynda Barry does). The in between stage just feels kind of...awkward. The best part of the collection is probably the account of Kurtz's experiment with bisexuality, if only because straight men having gay sex is still taboo enough to require some courage to write about, which creates an interesting dynamic the rest of the book lacks. The fact that this portion of the book ends with a horrible girlfriend crawling like a worm, even turning into a little cartoon worm as she grovels over the phone--well, this is typical of the maturity level of the book.
So Peter Kuper's Stop Forgetting to Remember focuses on drug use and babies, which is on the face of it a big problem. It also contains a "how I lost my virginity story" and a "I'll teach that bitch who didn't love me a lesson" story, all tied together by a chatty narrator ("Okay, okay! We get the picture! Jesus, don't you ever shut up??" one character complains. "Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"); these are all red flags.
(Of course Stop Forgetting to Remember isn't technically autobiographical; the protagonist is named Walter Kurtz (a nod to both Harvey Kurtzman and Jacob "Jack Kirby" Kurtzberg as well as Walt Kelly), and Seth Tobocman is named Saul, etc. There may be other minor differences that those familiar with the minutiae of Kuper's life can seek out, but, really, Kurtz is an authorial stand-in if there ever was one.)
Adding to the problem is the fact that Kuper has incorporated a couple of older pieces into the text. When Pynchon did this in V., he rewrote the interpolated story so its style would match the main narrative, but revising comics is really hard and time-consuming, and so the old material tends to stick out like a sore thumb, especially since it's not always well-integrated. The Richie Bush parody from World War Three Illustrated seems particularly shoehorned in, but then even a lot of the new material is awkwardly shoehorned in.
If all of this makes Stop Forgetting to Remember sound terrible--well, it's better than it sounds. Kuper's storytelling is strong, he's just telling the wrong stories. And his art, although uneven, is at its best very striking; his distinctive woodcut style is abstracted enough that it lets Kuper slip in surreal or cartoony moments when it suits his purpose. When running like a scared rabbit, a character turns into a rabbit. When dizzy and confused, a character turns into a dreidel. This sounds rather simplistic and overly literal, but its execution is charming.
In the end, the real problem with Stop Forgetting to Remember (in addition to all the ones enumerated above) is, I think, one of distance. Kuper's neither removed enough from his experiences that he can look back dispassionately and analyze it (as, say, Chester Brown does) nor close enough to them to make us feel that the emotions are happening now and the trauma is our own (as, say, Lynda Barry does). The in between stage just feels kind of...awkward. The best part of the collection is probably the account of Kurtz's experiment with bisexuality, if only because straight men having gay sex is still taboo enough to require some courage to write about, which creates an interesting dynamic the rest of the book lacks. The fact that this portion of the book ends with a horrible girlfriend crawling like a worm, even turning into a little cartoon worm as she grovels over the phone--well, this is typical of the maturity level of the book.
March 15, 2017
Hace poco empecé a leer novela gráfica y me he convertido en fan. La novela gráfica a diferencia del comic es una historia de extensión larga, ilustrada por viñetas y escrita por un solo autor (apuesto a que hay muchas más diferencias, pero esta definición me pareció muy práctica).
Hay alguien del que me he enamorado perdidamente Peter Kuper, él ha colaborado en publicaciones como Newsweek, Time, The New York Times y MAD (revista en la que dibuja la tira Spy vs.Spy) además de ser autor de numerosas novelas gráficas (algunas de ellas autobiográficas) así como de diarios ilustrados, otra de las cosas que ha hecho es ilustrar historias ya conocidas como la Metamorfosis y A través del espejo.
Una de las tantas cosas que me gustaron de Kuper fue su particular postura tanto política como de vida, él ha sido un crítico del gobierno de Bush y del gobierno gringo, en los distintos diarios que ha hecho de sus viajes muestra los diferentes matices de los países que ha visitado, para él ”es importante tratar de hacer mi parte para buscar comunicación con otras personas, para decir algo y tratar de cambiar las cosas”, creo que estas palabras resumen a la perfección el trabajo de Kuper y la razón por la que lo encontré maravilloso.
Si quieren comenzar a leerlo recomiendo estos libros,
Diario de Oaxaca
Mi favorito, habla de su paso por Oaxaca durante el conflicto de maestros en 2006, no solo explica la visión que tuvo del problema sino que muestra pasajes muy bonitos de la vida en Oaxaca, desde los olores que percibió, los insectos, la comida y las diferentes expresiones gráficas que podían verse en las calles.
Diario de Nueva York
En este diario nos muestra la historia y aventuras en esta ciudad, particularmente su paso por Brooklyn, así como su experiencia durante los hechos del 11 de septiembre. Este libro tiene poco texto y más imágenes.
No te olvides de recordar
¡Uy! este es otro que me encantó, es una especie de autobiografía en donde nos cuenta su historia, recuerdos de su niñez, adolescencia así como su experiencia como padre primerizo y el proceso mediante el cual se convirtió en ilustrador y escritor.
Me gusta porque se me hace un libro honesto narrado de manera agridulce, sin ser ñoñisimo ni sensiblero, logra conmover, reír y reflexionar :)
Hay alguien del que me he enamorado perdidamente Peter Kuper, él ha colaborado en publicaciones como Newsweek, Time, The New York Times y MAD (revista en la que dibuja la tira Spy vs.Spy) además de ser autor de numerosas novelas gráficas (algunas de ellas autobiográficas) así como de diarios ilustrados, otra de las cosas que ha hecho es ilustrar historias ya conocidas como la Metamorfosis y A través del espejo.
Una de las tantas cosas que me gustaron de Kuper fue su particular postura tanto política como de vida, él ha sido un crítico del gobierno de Bush y del gobierno gringo, en los distintos diarios que ha hecho de sus viajes muestra los diferentes matices de los países que ha visitado, para él ”es importante tratar de hacer mi parte para buscar comunicación con otras personas, para decir algo y tratar de cambiar las cosas”, creo que estas palabras resumen a la perfección el trabajo de Kuper y la razón por la que lo encontré maravilloso.
Si quieren comenzar a leerlo recomiendo estos libros,
Diario de Oaxaca
Mi favorito, habla de su paso por Oaxaca durante el conflicto de maestros en 2006, no solo explica la visión que tuvo del problema sino que muestra pasajes muy bonitos de la vida en Oaxaca, desde los olores que percibió, los insectos, la comida y las diferentes expresiones gráficas que podían verse en las calles.
Diario de Nueva York
En este diario nos muestra la historia y aventuras en esta ciudad, particularmente su paso por Brooklyn, así como su experiencia durante los hechos del 11 de septiembre. Este libro tiene poco texto y más imágenes.
No te olvides de recordar
¡Uy! este es otro que me encantó, es una especie de autobiografía en donde nos cuenta su historia, recuerdos de su niñez, adolescencia así como su experiencia como padre primerizo y el proceso mediante el cual se convirtió en ilustrador y escritor.
Me gusta porque se me hace un libro honesto narrado de manera agridulce, sin ser ñoñisimo ni sensiblero, logra conmover, reír y reflexionar :)
April 13, 2010
An autobiography of cartoonist Peter Kuper, billed as "The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz," is a step or two removed from the author. In fact, it is also removed from the readership.
Kuper, famed New York-based cartoonist behind such as Sticks and Stones, Give it Up! and Other Stories by Franz Kafka, and Stripped, hides behind his alter ego of Walt Kurtz, presumably for reasons of privacy (more specifically, that of the secondary characters herein). However, he also relies heavily on the use of storybook narration - that is, each encounter in his life is depicted in the form of a narrated minicomic, and the tale is presided over by the adult "Kurtz" character.
The book itself is a feel-good, enjoyable read, and is filled with humour one might expect from Kuper - self-debasing anecdotes from his childhood, and the occasional self-parodic entry (his "Ebony vs. Ivory" spoofs his work in MAD Magazine, for example) keep the tone light and fun. Sadly, since the book was prepared over a span of a decade or more, it seems to lack a lot of the spontaneity or extemporization that a more contemporary effort would attain.
Not by any means a bad book, but a somewhat underwhelming one from this artist of renown.
Kuper, famed New York-based cartoonist behind such as Sticks and Stones, Give it Up! and Other Stories by Franz Kafka, and Stripped, hides behind his alter ego of Walt Kurtz, presumably for reasons of privacy (more specifically, that of the secondary characters herein). However, he also relies heavily on the use of storybook narration - that is, each encounter in his life is depicted in the form of a narrated minicomic, and the tale is presided over by the adult "Kurtz" character.
The book itself is a feel-good, enjoyable read, and is filled with humour one might expect from Kuper - self-debasing anecdotes from his childhood, and the occasional self-parodic entry (his "Ebony vs. Ivory" spoofs his work in MAD Magazine, for example) keep the tone light and fun. Sadly, since the book was prepared over a span of a decade or more, it seems to lack a lot of the spontaneity or extemporization that a more contemporary effort would attain.
Not by any means a bad book, but a somewhat underwhelming one from this artist of renown.
November 7, 2013
It seems that if you have read one autobiographical comic you may have read them all.
As a rule of thumb (so that you know) comic artists and cartoonists live very boring lives enriched only by tattle tale sex lives that they illustrate very well on paper. Everyone of them will complain about the industry and go on about their struggle as artists.
That's the males, anyway.
After you've read a few they seem so same ole same ole -- often varying only in their penchant for misogyny.
Peter Kuper's efforts are better than others. More respectful of his female partners, more mature, more keenly observant of the rest of the world. Throw in his engaging and very inventive graphic style and you get a biopictorial better than most of the pack.
There's more confidence here. Less indulgent dross. It may meander a bit ..and in the end , not go anywhere special, but it works. If you are into the genre,Stop Forgetting to Remember is an essential read .
As a rule of thumb (so that you know) comic artists and cartoonists live very boring lives enriched only by tattle tale sex lives that they illustrate very well on paper. Everyone of them will complain about the industry and go on about their struggle as artists.
That's the males, anyway.
After you've read a few they seem so same ole same ole -- often varying only in their penchant for misogyny.
Peter Kuper's efforts are better than others. More respectful of his female partners, more mature, more keenly observant of the rest of the world. Throw in his engaging and very inventive graphic style and you get a biopictorial better than most of the pack.
There's more confidence here. Less indulgent dross. It may meander a bit ..and in the end , not go anywhere special, but it works. If you are into the genre,Stop Forgetting to Remember is an essential read .
May 19, 2008
Even for an alter-ego, Walter Kurtz seems to be drawn dangerously close to the reality of artist-author Peter Kuper, but the obscured lines between fact and fiction serves to ground the story and make it accessible to anyone who reads it.
Walter narrates the reflections on his past, leaving no humiliating detail unexamined, starting with his hormone- and drug-fueled adolescence. The pains of growing up are interspersed with his pains of being grown up: parenthood, losing touch with old friends and coping with 9/11 and the war that followed.
It feels extremely personal, that even if the details are a work of the imagination, the emotions are real. The story intertwines past and present seamlessly with an honesty that’s almost painful to read at times, but it’s irresistible and expertly illustrated to capture the often surreal journey of life.
Walter narrates the reflections on his past, leaving no humiliating detail unexamined, starting with his hormone- and drug-fueled adolescence. The pains of growing up are interspersed with his pains of being grown up: parenthood, losing touch with old friends and coping with 9/11 and the war that followed.
It feels extremely personal, that even if the details are a work of the imagination, the emotions are real. The story intertwines past and present seamlessly with an honesty that’s almost painful to read at times, but it’s irresistible and expertly illustrated to capture the often surreal journey of life.
June 16, 2012
Peter Kuper segue neste livro a tão americana tradição do comic auto-biográfico. Misturando reminiscências da adolescência com reflexões sobre momentos íntimos da vida contemporânea, Stop Forgetting to Remember segue à risca o cânone deste género de banda desenhada tão querida dos criadores independentes americanos. Mas deste autor espera-se mais do que recordações de charros fumados, reminiscências de antigas namoradas ou colisões com o mundo das fraldas. O artifício de criar uma autobiografia de um cartoonista fictício modelado no autor é intrigante mas o poder de Kuper está na sua linguagem visual, que neste livro não é levada ao seu nível habitual. Este género de banda desenhada é tão explorado que é difícil não ultrapassar o banal, e Kuper só o consegue quase nas últimas páginas da graphic novel, quando o choque do 11 de setembro se faz sentir na sua vida.
October 12, 2014
This one has been on my to-read list for a long time, and what finally prompted me to get off my ass and read it was Kuper's brief bio of Harvey Kurtzman in the new Masterful Marks collection. And as with that bio, this "autobiography" -- Kuper frames his own story as a fiction, in many ways -- is presented in an unconventional manner, which is one of the narrative's greatest strengths. The last 1/5 of the book becomes less reflective of the past (and the implications of that in the present) and more of a commentary on the current events during which this book was finished: 9/11, the Bush presidency, etc. In this way, that last part has less of a personal feel and more of a tone like you'd find in Kuper's World War III anthology. But that's fine, as the impact of that part is still effective. But as a result, the narrative has a different tone at the end than what had come before.
January 31, 2017
An odd little piece, ostensibly the autobiography of cartoonist Walter Kurtz, but really the (almost not) disguised biography of the author Peter Kuper. And the focus isn't on all of Kuper's life. You have framing sequences of Kurtz in the late nineties and early aughts, dealing with the birth and growth of his daughter, and flashbacks to his teens and early twenties and his experiences with sex, relationships, and drugs. Like most Kuper work, there's amazing energy in the pencils and a huge amount of brute honesty that serves the novel well. But the use of Kurtz instead of Kuper adds a strange distancing effect, and the work as a whole feels disconnected. The flashbacks are super entertaining, but would probably work better as a collection of short pieces than trying to tell a cohesive story.
August 31, 2016
There's plenty in this that seems all too familiar ...another graphic novel by a comic artist about a comic artist..about singles scene...about coming of age...teenage masturbation and drugs..troubles with women etc. But despite all this, i really enjoyed it. Kuper's cleverness humour and honesty save him. His attitude to women is not misogynist (as one reviewer below says) it's honest- and this is a good book to see a man's point of view. I don;t love his art which often feels boxy and stiff, but he does well here and with much nicer lettering than in his usual books...I spent a very pleasant afternoon with it.
August 30, 2009
This guy is a dick. I had picked this up since it was a graphic novel. When I was flipping through it he (towards the end of the novel) talks about parenthood and it sparked my interest. I read it yesterday and I'm still pissed. He has no respect for women and it makes me sick to my stomach that he has a daughter that someday might read his vacant, self-serving, diatribe that reeks of disrespect for women. Women are not stepping stones on your path through life Peter Kuper, (or things to ogle like the waitress!!!) get your shit together.
January 7, 2010
I really liked this book - I will probably buy it sometime. The idea is really cool and is carried out with the art very well. Essentially, the writer is getting married and having a child and doesn't want to forget his sometimes awkward/embarrassing past. The present is drawn in black and white; the past is red and white. Extremely honest and open while almost making fun of himself, the story is entertaining, to say the least. Lots of sex and drug use for those worried about it, but a really good read.
January 23, 2016
While reading Stop Forgetting To Remember, I stopped many times to think, "if I were to write a graphic novel, it would feel a lot like this." Full of self-depreciating humor, pandering to the audience, and one-off subtle jokes, I immediately connected with Kuper's alter-ego, Walter Kurtz.
It's not the most organized books, nor the most profound. But it's funny and insightful and a good deal of fun.
A quick, enjoyable read -- especially if you're a fan of depreciating humor. Three stars.
It's not the most organized books, nor the most profound. But it's funny and insightful and a good deal of fun.
A quick, enjoyable read -- especially if you're a fan of depreciating humor. Three stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews