Tantrum

by Jules Feiffer, Neil Gaiman (Introduction)

Cartoonist, screenwriter and playwright Jules Feiffer's long out-of-print classic, "Tantrum", returns in this Fantagraphic edition, featuring new covers by Feiffer and an introduction by acclaimed Sandman creator Neil Gaiman.

The story of suburban disenchantment, "Tantrum" is the story of respectable and responsible businessman, Leo Quog, who, in the throes of a mid-life crisis, willfully regresses to the age of two. Having been two before, Leo demands his rights as a toddler: cuddling, cooing, tummy rubbing, and, most importantly, piggyback rides. In Leo's case, youth is definitely not wasted on the young. Feiffer has the uncanny ability to capture the frustrations of everyday life, while showing the lengths we'll go to escape from it.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Humor, Fiction

183 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've only read Feiffer's "first graphic novel" 2014's Kill My Mother - which I found confusing to read. This book from 1979 is also a graphic novel (in my opinion).

Told in full page panels in his characteristic messy style. I really enjoy his line work. And here it reads quite well. There were no pages where I was confused about what I was looking at.

Leo, a 42 year old family man, throws a tantrum and purposefully changes his body into that of a 2 year old. Instead of being the responsibility bearing bread-winner he now demands to be pampered (cuddled, diaper changed and powdered!). Of course his wife isn't having it, so he goes to his mother's house... who also wants nothing to do with him. On and on, he slowly discovers that he's not the only adult that's decided to become a baby - there's whole armies of them now!

[Dominick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odd book. Arguably an early example of the graphic novel, before that term came to mean "big comic book"; the story is told in cartoon form, with each page featuring a single image and usually dialogue balloons, rather than a panel grid. The protagonist, Leo, tires of being an adult so wills himself back to being a two-year-old, except he retains his adult memories and sensibilities. It's an amusing satire of infantilism and the self-obsessed culture we live in, including some pretty incisive sections, such as its skewering of body-consciousness leading to extreme dieting. However, the concept is mainly played for laughs, the most amusing moment perhaps being when leo is in the bath with Miss Swallow, and when she starts to wash him . . . well . . . ahem . . . he reverts to adult form and flees naked into the night. Feiffer's art is, as usual, sketchy but very expressive and fluid; he captures motion and emotion extremely well. Still, it's hard to engage too closely with such callow and self-absorbed characters. Since the text seems to want us to sympathize with Leo to some extent, this is a bit of an imepdiment. Nevertheless, great cartooning.

[Orion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tantrum by Jules Feiffer Tantrum is a 1979 black and white graphic novel about a 42 year old married father of two teenagers named Leo who is facing a midlife crisis. His life has no meaning, no mystery, no excitement. During a particularly bleak moment he wills himself back to the age of two so that he can play, be pampered, and get piggy back rides. Only he finds out that the rest of the world doesn't have the time or interest to oblige. As he goes to each person in his life, they all disappoint him in one way or another. Each is caught up in their own concerns and have little or no attention for Leo and his need to be nurtured.

Feiffer's black and white line drawings are wondederfully expressive, and his story telling is richly complex as Leo and all the people he confronts reveal their own inner turmoils and concerns.

[ComicNerdSam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and interesting, I liked it more than I thought I would! Feiffer’s art is messy and enjoyable, and his pacing is tight and easy to follow.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting concept, but I didn't find the execution either funny or enlightening and I didn't get anything out of the sketchy art.

[Noah Satern · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating proto graphic novel. The art is a fun mix of Ralph Steadman and Quentin Blake

[Aryanna Tunstall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious graphic novel about a man trying to shake off his responsibilities. Super relatable

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea more than the execution. Feiffer’s drawings are great - just not enough substance to justify a book.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the graphic novels of, oh, 1982, until the coming of Los Bros. Hernandez, and maybe even then.
Feiffer, one of our living treasures, spreads his wings in this fine story, a great long novel in cartoons, as if his weekly strip in the Village Voice took wings and grew beyond its fanciful premise. In this case, a man beyond middle age returns to little kid-size, with his mature sensibilities telling him to let everyone know the real truth.
Quoting from memory: "Don't grow up! Grown-ups do the sh*t work!"
Very highly recommended. And, hilarious.

[Stacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird graphic novel.

[mona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adult story about adult crisis, from the author of "Bark, George".

[Nick Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Certainly resonates more with me now as a 43 year old father than when I first read it as a 25 year old fresh into the workforce.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

great for all ages

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is really weird. I don't know how else to describe it.