VIP: The Mad World of Virgil Partch

by Jon Barli, Virgil Franklin Partch (Illustrator)

Virgil Partch burst onto the scene in the nation’s magazines with his zany, sometimes surreal, but always hilarious cartoons, catapulting his career virtually overnight. Known to millions by his signature, “Vip,” this comedic genius was unlike anything the world had seen before. His unique brand of humor and trendsetting approach to cartooning ushered in a new era of the gag cartoon and pioneered a standard of madcap humor across the spectrum of comedy that was reflected in the cutting-edge sensibilities of comedians like Ernie Kovacs, Sid Caesar, and Jonathan Winters, and the trailblazing pages of Mad magazine. Inspiring a new breed of cartoonists, Vip became the most sought-after cartoonist of his generation, as well as one of the most prolific and influential cartoonists of his era. He not only transfigured the pages of an incredible array of the nation’s magazines, he also wrote jokes for other cartoonists; illustrated books, album covers, and advertisements; and his boozy drawings adorned merchandise such as cocktail glasses, beer cans, and napkins. VIP: The Mad World of Virgil Partch is the only comprehensive collection celebrating Partch’s rollicking life and career. His brilliant artwork and writings are reprinted from original art, primary-source publications, and family archives. Finally, Vip’s place in the world of cartooning and humor is distilled in this “lush” appreciation.

Genres: Art, Humor, Biography

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 16, 2013

Reviews

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never heard of Parcth but picked this book up on a whim from Comixology Unlimited. The biographical essays about Partch were informative, providing a nice overview of his life without getting bogged down with tons of detail. I quite enjoyed Partch's cartoons which were funny and had a unique style. I found the essays by Partch at the end to be tedious and would have preferred more of his cartoons over his prose.

[Charles Eldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

VIP’s art has always been familiar - perhaps it subliminally present around our mutual Orange County environs. This was a fantastic introduction to the person behind the pen. What a varied life! This book does a lovely job of presenting the artists beginnings and career and personal life - complete with a great sampling of visuals. The bonus of a few articles penned by the artist himself at the end really tied together everything.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Virgil Partch’s books were something my father kept on the bookshelf in his den. When he wasn’t there, I would look through these books and many others. It was a surreptitious education through osmosis.

Finding this biography, full of Partch’s drawings, stirred a long-forgotten memory.

[Richard Horsman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great art, beautiful layout, and hilarious cartoons: another great piece of book design from Fantagraphics. Unfortunately the workmanlike text that gives the very broad outlines of VIP's life and art doesn't offer much in the way of depth or analysis.

[David Rickert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was an interesting biography and VIP is definitely one of the funniest and most talented cartoonists ever. However, I would have liked to see more of his published gag cartoons since those can be difficult to find.