Που πας Αμερική;

by Jules Feiffer, Γιώργος Σιούνας (Translator), Παυλίνα Καλλίδου (Lettering)

Στη συλλογή των ιστοριών του Feiffer που παρουσιάζουμε εδώ δώσαμε μεγαλύτερο βάρος στην "υπαρξιακή" παρά στην άμεσα πολιτική διάσταση του έργου του. Κι αυτό γιατί θεωρούμε ότι είναι περισσότερο καθολική, περισσότερο κατανοητή σε ένα μη-Αμερικάνο κι έμμεσα αλλά ανατρεπτικά πολιτική.

Έχουν εκδοθεί συνολικά 19 βιβλία με τα πολιτικά του σκίτσα, και η ΒΑΒΕΛ κυκλοφόρησε το συγκεκριμένο το 1984. Κλασσικό μέγεθος ευρωπαικού άλμπουμ, περίπου 80 σελίδες ασπρόμαυρες.

80 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1984

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

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Εξαιρετική συλλογή. Όπως γράφει και στον πρόλογο δεν είναι τόσο εστιασμένη στην πολιτική πλευρά του έργου του Feiffer αλλά στην υπαρξιακή έτσι ώστε και εμείς που δεν ζήσαμε από μέσα τα τεκταινόμενα της Αμερικής '70-'80 να μπορούμε να κατανοήσουμε και ίσως να ταυτιστούμε. Πάντως, κάποια λίγα κοινωνικοπολιτικά του στριπς γύρω από το Βιετνάμ, την ατμοσφαιρική ρύπανση και τους μαύρους δείχνουν έναν άνθρωπο βαθιά μορφωμένο και συνειδητοποιημένο ως προς τις διεκδικήσεις του που δεν συγχωρεί. Γιατί εν τέλει δεν αφήνει κανέναν ανέγγιχτο αλλά ισοπεδώνει από την μικροαστική συμβιβασμένη μάνα των προαστίων μέχρι τον χαρτογιακά και το επαναστατημένο φρικιό.

Πάρα πολύ καλός και spot-on σχολιαστής. Τελικά ο μόνος λόγος να κράξει κανείς την βαβέλ δεν είναι για την ελιτιστική κουλτούρα που προωθούσε αλλά για την υπερβολική της προσπάθεια να ανοίξει τα μάτια στους τότε περιορισμένους αναγνώστες κόμικς με τέτοια (και άλλα) διαμάντια.