Krazy Kat: The Comic Art of George Herriman

by George Herriman, Patrick McDonnell, Karen O'Connell

Krazy Kat, created by George Herriman, made its debut in 1913. During its 31 year run, it was enormously popular with the public and with many writers, artists, and intellectuals of the time. An innovative cartoon masterpiece and the first major biographical work on the artist himself.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Art, Humor, Nonfiction, History, Biography

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

George Herriman was an American cartoonist celebrated for creating the groundbreaking comic strip Krazy Kat, a work widely regarded as one of the most inventive, poetic, and influential achievements in the history of comics. Raised in a culturally diverse environment and navigating complex racial identities throughout his life, Herriman developed a singular artistic voice that combined humor, surrealism, philosophical reflection, and emotional nuance. He began his career as a newspaper illustrator and political cartoonist before transitioning fully into comic strips, producing several short-lived features and experiments that helped him refine his sense of rhythm, timing, and visual storytelling. Krazy Kat, which emerged from an earlier strip called The Dingbat Family, became his defining work and ran for decades in newspapers across the United States. The strip centered on a triangular relationship among three main characters: Krazy, a blissfully optimistic and androgynous cat; Ignatz Mouse, who continually expressed his contempt or affection by throwing bricks; and Offisa Pupp, a dutiful dog who sought to protect Krazy and maintain order. What might have been a simple gag became, in Herriman’s hands, a lyrical exploration of love, longing, misunderstanding, and the complexities of emotional connection, articulated through shifting perspectives, inventive language, and a dreamlike visual landscape inspired by the American Southwest. Herriman developed a distinctive style that blended loose, expressive brushwork with carefully considered composition, often altering backgrounds from panel to panel to evoke mood rather than physical continuity. His dialogue employed dialects, puns, poetic phrasing, and playful linguistic invention, creating a voice for Krazy Kat that felt both musical and deeply human. The strip attracted a passionate following among intellectuals, writers, and artists, including figures such as Gilbert Seldes, E.E. Cummings, Willem de Kooning, and many others who recognized its sophistication and emotional resonance. However, Krazy Kat never achieved the widespread commercial popularity of contemporaries like Popeye or Li’l Abner and often relied on the support of influential newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who admired Herriman’s work and insisted it remain in publication despite fluctuating readership. Herriman also produced the comic strip Baron Bean, as well as numerous illustrations, editorial drawings, and commercial work throughout his career, but it was Krazy Kat that defined his legacy and shaped the development of visual narrative art. The strip influenced generations of cartoonists and graphic storytellers, contributing to a lineage that includes artists working in newspaper strips, comic books, underground comix, graphic novels, animation, and contemporary experimental media. Herriman maintained a private, quiet personal life, working diligently and steadily, drawing inspiration from the landscapes of California, Arizona, and New Mexico, which he visited frequently and often featured in his art as stylized mesas, desert plateaus, and open skies. His deep engagement with the American Southwest brought texture, symbolism, and environmental presence to Krazy Kat, making setting an integral emotional and thematic component rather than a mere backdrop. Although widely honored posthumously, his work was recognized during his lifetime by peers and critics who understood the originality of his vision. Today, he is acknowledged as one of the key figures who expanded the expressive potential of the comic strip form, demonstrating that sequential art could convey subtle emotional states, philosophical ideas, and complex storytelling with elegance and humor. Herriman’s legacy endures in the ongoing study, republication, and celebration of Krazy Kat, which continues to be admired for its innovation, sensitivity, and unique artistic spirit.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great, especially for the student of comics history, interested in comics origins. Herriman is one of the greats, one you have to know, who did a lot of comics over the years, but is best known for Krazy Kat, begun as a strip in 1913, and championed and funded by no less a comics sugar daddy than William Randolph Hearst (yes, the tyrant loved comics and insisted on them in all his syndicated newspapers, so a few comics artists and cartoonists made a living with his support for decades), got a life time contract from him to continue the strip until his death in 1941. Strips/cartoons about cats and mice and dogs were and are in many ways the stuff of comics, or central to the enterprise, a way to make people laugh and a way to comment on the human condition and social issues. But this animal schtick began back then, more than a hundred years ago with him and others. But this is a narrative that depends on something bizarre (and funny--strange but funny)--a masochistic mouse and a cat--beaned strip after strip by bricks the mouse throws--who sees the mouse's attentions as love. There are plenty more bizarre things, too, and more bizarre, to our sensibilities, which I like.

Herriman loved the southwest and sets his strips often in the desert. They are not conventionally drawn, sometimes very sketchy, with idiosyncratic and linguistically complex dialogue--Herriman liked dialects of all kinds--and are at times goofy, and at other times just surreal. Sometimes hard to read, decipher. Sometimes the humor, decades later, is lost on me.

This edition is 1999, the text having been written in 1986, a loving scholarly and archival tribute by Patrick McDonnell, Karen O'Connell and George Riley de Havemon, who write biographical essays, and essays about his art, not just Krazy Kat. And lots of strips that would otherwise be lost. So we have them to thank.

Black Rat and Little Tommy Lost by Clyde Closser, among others, pay tribute to Herriman in their comics. Worth checking out, comics history fans.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something about Krazy Kat makes me feel woefully inarticulate. It's like I’ve been given two minutes to draw a picture of a sunset, and all I have is a black crayon. There's something so poetic, so artful, so *right* about Herriman’s work that mere words fail to do it justice.

Suffice to say, it lives up to its legend. George Herriman was there when comic strips were in their infancy, and he helped to shape them and to expand the boundaries of what was possible on the comics page. In addition to an overflowing bounty of choice daily and Sunday Krazy Kats, there is a wealth of biographical detail about Herriman himself, including samples of his other strips, like The Family Upstairs and Baron Bean.

Herriman had a knack for artistic layouts. His Sunday pages were a symphony of form and color. Combine that with a playful, expressive line, and an almost jazz approach to language and idiom … suffice to say that Krazy Kat was truly one of a kind. These pages remain as fresh and vivid as the day they were drawn.

Needless to say, Krazy Kat is always highly, highly recommended!

[ALLEN · Rating 3 out of 5]

KRAZY KAT, the anarchic American comic strip that played in American newspaper in the middle of the 20th Century, simply refuses to be forgotten -- it's that good. This intro book has the dual distinctions of being an economical method into the KRAZY world, and offering valuable background and numerous panels from the long-discontinued strip. Caveat: Becoming a krazy kollector is not cheap, so here's a good way to test the waters without going all krazy prematurely. Highly recommended.



Also highly recommended: , a solid biography which emphasizes the social, racial and career struggles of KRAZY creator/artist George Herriman.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my eyes, Krazy Kat is best appreciated as an art history text rather than as a source of entertainment.

Don't get me wrong, the slapstick imagery of an embittered mouse repeatedly lobbing a brick at a dopey cat's head never really gets old. I also can't even properly comprehend Herriman's influence in the realm of comics, as he was clearly an incredibly ambitious artist. His early experimentation with landscapes and layouts was groundbreaking and lighthearted.

But outside of 'appreciating' Krazy Kat, I rarely outright 'enjoyed' it as I was reading. I blame much of this on my failings as a reader (I don't have the largest attention span lately), and of course the age of the strip, but the comic is also just a little bit inaccessible.

I'd still thoroughly recommend checking it out, even if only to bear witness to how a single artist can drive an entire medium of expression forward. If you have an interest in comics, you owe it to yourself to check out a strip that began in 1913 yet is still being discussed and marveled at today.

A notable annoyance: In this particular edition the strips are very small, to the point of making the hand written text a strain to read.

[Philip Girvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute gold — a great masterpiece of 20th century art.

[Ben Carlsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love George Herriman, and Krazy Kat especially. This book does a great job of chronicling Herriman's carreer, and is a great collection of Krazy Kat strips. There aren't a lot of Krazy Kat collections, which is sad. For those looking, this is a great place to start. I also enjoy that the part on Krazy Kat from "The Seven Lively Arts" is reprinted in full in this book.

Anyone looking for a great example of what comic strips have done and can do, and for a profile of one of the greatest cartoonists ever to be in newspapers need look no farther.

[Zero Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a cats unrequited love for a mouse, but also so much more. It would have to be a work of genius to have remained popular for so long.

[E Soldier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply a masterpiece

[Peter D.j. · Rating 4 out of 5]

For years and years, I dismissed "Krazy Kat" as just strange and limited. However, the more I heard the raves from others, the more curious I became. "What am I missing?" Being on a stretch of reading comics lately (and one often leads to another!) I grabbed this collection. I just finished it, and yep, I quite liked it! It's fun to watch the basic plotline repeated again and again in increasingly absurd and poetic ways. I even got used to those unusual backgrounds. The way Herriman played with the structure of his comics predates "Calvin and Hobbes" by more than half a century! I got a kick out of a lot of the vocabulary, too, and couldn't always discern what were common phrases of the times (20s and 30s, mostly) and what were simply inventions of Herriman himself.

That's it!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, Krazy Kat is like a Zen koan or the Theatre of the Absurd in its defeat of attempts to rationalize it, so much so, in fact, that the comparisons with the koan and with the Theatre of the Absurd rapidly break down if I think about them too much.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know it was a hugely influential comic, but it's just not very funny.

[Gideon Ansell · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who doesn't know about Krazy Kat, the most influential comic strip of all times, this is a good intro to the alternate reality created George Herriman and inhabited by a multitude of anthropomorphic characters for over 30 years. Poetic, funny, sad, breath-taking, and ultimately beautiful, Krazy Kat is less a "comic strip" and more a meditation on the rapture of existence. George Herriman takes a simple comic construct from the early years of "the funnies", cat chases mouse, turned it on it's head, mouse clobbers cat with a brick. And in overturning that construct the entire world is now upside down. Don't come here for gags. It honestly isn't very funny and was never intended to be. Come here to uncover what goodness and innocence looks and sounds like in the face of banality, how love overcomes all obstacles, and how the things we call tangible are really illusions masking universal truths. Does that sound overblown? You won't think so after digging into the visual and verbal poetry of Krazy Kat.

There are many different collections of Krazy Kat strips, some in print, some out. This one has a relatively good representation of color Sunday strips and black and white dailies. The intro and background section give a cursory overview of Herriman and the genesis of the strip. There's enough biographical info to hint at the formative background that was the wellspring of Herriman's genius. It doesn't mention however that he grew up "mulatto" in post civil-war New Orleans and hid his heritage all his life. But there are more definitive biographies available. Just open the book and discover why there would be no Calvin and Hobbes, no Pogo, no Maus without Krazy Kat.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to see some cartoon characters that I didn't know were from Herriman. He illustrated "archy and mehitabel", that's something I've seen. But there are other characters here that look familiar. Sweet and clever dialogue and situations, mouse vs cat with thrown bricks, and many other zany characters. I needed a magnifying sheet to read some of the many comics in this book. This is from the 1910's-1930's.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's beautiful but also deeply sad and lonely, and it's only intermittently funny (it's striving for something else, it's an eternal circling)

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still the place to begin re George Herman & Krazy Kat.

Great reproduction of images and strips and great insight on every page!

[Ilduara Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esencial para comprender los inicios del cómic moderno

[Berna Labourdette · Rating 4 out of 5]

En principio, resulta insólito. Hasta idiota. Una tira cómica que extiende hasta el infinito el eterno triángulo: porque A ama a B, B ama a C y C detesta a A y odia (aparentemente) a B. Pero en el universo singular y particular del nortemericano George Herriman (1880- 1944), esta aparente comida de errores se transforma en una obra delirante, divertida y profundamente crítica.

A es Pupp, un perro policía, un grave guardían de la ley y el orden, que está perdidamente enamorado de B, que es Kat, un gato extraño (Herriman nunca clarificó de qué sexo era, lo que ha provocado cierta polémica, por el homosexualismo que implicaría, según algunos), soñador e ingenio, que ama intensamente a C, una rata perversa llamada Ignatz que no para de arrojarle ladrillos a la cabeza en cuanto se presenta la más mínima ocasión. Esto produce que el perro policía lo mande a prisión (si lo descubre). Sólo para escaparse de nuevo para... lanzarle ladrillos a Kat, para quien, esto es una profunda prueba de amor.

Los tres personajes principales parecen disfrutar su continuo sadomasoquismo, invirtiendo Herriman la cotidiana situación de perro odia a gato, gato odia a ratón y el ratón como víctima siempre (una característica que será tomada luego en muchas caricaturas como Tom y Jerry, Ren y Stimpy e Itchy y Scratchy, por citar algunas).

Herriman tenía una afición para realizar tiras cómicas excéntricas, generalmente con personajes que tenían una cierta fobia o manía y la llevaban hasta sus últimas consecuencias. Krazy Kat aparecía baja la tira cómica: La familia Dingbat, que estaba obsesionada con ruidos bajo su piso, que eran justamente provocados por Krazy e Ignatz, quienes debutarían en 1913 con una tira propia, la que se mantendría hasta la muerte de Herriman. Esto resultó en un universo realmente especial y único que no pudo ser continuado luego de la muerte de su creador como ha pasado con otras tiras cómicas como Peanuts o con los diseños de Disney. Herriman comenzó el camino de los universos realmente personales en el mundo del comic como Dave Dim con Cerebus o Bill Waterson con Calvin y Hobbes.

Parece una broma cruel. El mejor representante en comic de una "shaggy-dog story" (una historia aburrida que no termina jamás, es la traducción más precisa). Pero de aburrida esta tira cómica no tiene nada. Al trío principal se agrega el extraño hábitat, el condado de Coconino, mezcla de desierto de Arizona, con huracanes ocasionales, donde podemos encontrar los tradicionales vendedores americanos de puerta en puerta a principios de los '30, santones hindúes, una cigüeña fanática (Joe Stork) con su paquete y su correspondiente bebé del cual todos huyen, una señora entrometida y chismosa (Sra. Cuacua), fabricante de ladrillos Kolin Kelly (que mantiene esta historia entregando un aprovisionamiento infinito de ladrillos a Ignatz) y varipintos personaes en la tradición de Herriman, como un osito ecuatorial (en uno de los episodios más divertidos).

La influencia de Krazy Kat es vastísima: en autores como Walt Disney o Bill Waterson, entre otras características por el particular y riquísimo utilización del lenguaje cinético, el hecho que el segundo plano jamás es igual) y comprende la utilización de viñetas únicas. Herriman adquiere más confianza a lo largo de los años y comienza a hacer las cosas a su manera: rompe las convenciones como la utilización de de cuadros clásicos para rápidamente realizar una sola viñeta que ocupa toda la página. Otra cosa es la utilización remarcable del lenguaje para caracterizar a sus personajes, por ejemplo Krazy habla en un dialecto Brooklyn extrañísimo (era que no) y Pupp emplea un lenguaje rimbombante, como para indicar su posición de autoridad (aunque paradojalmente nadie lo respete).

Krazy Kat fuera del mundo del comic ha producido también admiración, produciendo comentarios, estudios y ensayos de autores tan importantes como Calvino, Kerouac y ee. Cummings, entre otros. Si bien en español solamente se han publicado dos antologías de la numerosa producción de herriman (recordamos que son cerca de 30 años de producción de tiras cómicas dominicales) donde la dificultad al momento de la traducción ha jugado un factor importante. Nos acordamos de una serie que fue exhibida que no contaba con la aprobación de los herederos de Herriman porque Krazy aparece definitivamente como una gata: La Gata Loca).

A mi parecer es una de las pocas tiras cómicas que merecen sin lugar a discusiones, el nombre de clásicos y se pueden leer como un simple divertimento, una trágica historia de amor, una crítica profunda a la sociedad y lo que es mejor, todo a la vez.

À mon avis il est une le de peu de bandes comiques qui méritent sans lieu à discussion, le nom de de classiques et qui peuvent se lire comme un simple divertimento, une tragique histoire d'amour, une critique profonde à la société et ce qui est mieux, tout à la fois.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newspaper comics in the United States enjoyed a burst of creativity in the years shortly before WWI. I think of literacy at that time and the gulf between educated and uneducated people. Also how did healthy minded uneducated people cope with the cynicism that must have been apparent after Reconstruction was halted by white privilege and power. After the corruption of the so called robber barons was made apparent. After... Thank goodness for a little levity every day in the form of comic strips. I wonder what political cartoonist Nash thought about the flourishing of comic strips daily in newspapers nationwide.

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's a joke: a sadist, a masochist and a police officer are stuck in the middle of the desert. Ha ha ha ha!!! Peanuts is the same thing ("you're going to love this, it's about a depressed child who constantly fails at being better liked than his dog"), satire as a way of dealing with desires and emotions that might otherwise get overwhelming and cause real problems. I'll admit I'm one of these suckers who claims to be intellectual because I appreciate the deeper subtext of the comics I sit around reading. That said, 'Krazy Kat' will remain one of the great strips for years to come. Now, who wants to go out with me???!

[meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Occasionally I become optimistic, usually when drunk, and feel at peace, fully integrated with my time. Then I sober up, read this book (preferably accompanied by Fletcher Henderson, or equivalent) and resolve once again: olde IS better.

A love sick cat pines after a sadistic mouse, whose repeated gifts of hurled bricks are interpreted as love notes. Charmingly drawn, literate, definitely NOT Cathy.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The problem with this book is the size of the reproductions-the comics are just too damn small and don't do justice to Herriman's work. The text is well written and thoughtful and tell his story wonderfully. I like the paper and the printing is nice, with the colors being vivid allowing for nice inspection of the strips. Too bad about the size, though.

[stillme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another tangent to Ten-Cent Plague. I can see the influence on most of the current comics. Beyond the artistry, though, I found it annoying - Kat talks in dialect that almost takes translation to read.

[Michael P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is difficult to say that this is a collection of Herriman's best strips, because so many others are as good. You can say that this collection is faultless and wonderful. This is an excellent introduction for those who do not get the Kat.

[Frieda Vizel]

Picked this up because I read in Bill Watterson's essays that he was most inspired by Krazy Kat. The text was fascinating but the strips were too small to enjoy. It's hard to find a decent reproduction of the Krazy Kat strip.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Herriman's comic strip is the work of art that has stayed closest to my heart for the longest period of time.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this many, many years ago. It's an excellent introduction to his work.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book about a great genius.

[Oriana]

I hear this is a good intro to one of the people I'm most ashamed to know nothing about.

[Justin Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I <3 krazy kat