Satiro-Plastic

by Gary Panter

Gary Panter exposes his inner thoughts and workings with the first of a three-volume sketchbook series.
What makes the original punk rock artist tick? In what will be a three-volume series, "Satiro-Plastic" is Gary Panter's sketchbook from December 1999 to November 2001. This fascimile edition of the pocket sketchbook diary shows the everyday creative spasms of this iconic designer-painter-cartoonist-illustrator.
In his introduction, Panter explains the first rule of the madness of his sketchbook: the pages and drawings are not in chronological order. Scenes from a family vacation to Oaxaca, Mexico; Brooklyn still lifes; and 9/11 images are interspersed with comics and illustrations buzzing with excitement and manic genius.

Genres: Comics

232 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2005

About the author

Gary Panter is an American cartoonist, illustrator, painter, designer, and part-time musician, widely regarded as a leading figure in the post-underground, new wave comics movement. His work, described by The Comics Journal as defining him the "Greatest Living Cartoonist," has influenced alternative comics and visual culture for decades. Panter grew up in Texas, studying at East Texas State University under Jack Unruh and Lee Baxter Davis. In the 1970s, he became a key participant in the Los Angeles punk scene, producing gritty, expressive art for the fanzine Slash and numerous record covers. This period saw the creation of Jimbo, Panter’s punk everyman, who combines influences from Jack Kirby, Picasso, and underground comics, appearing in Raw, Slash, and Panter’s own graphic novels, including Jimbo in Purgatory and Jimbo’s Inferno. These works blend classical literature, particularly Dante’s Divine Comedy, with punk sensibilities, and Jimbo’s Inferno won an American Book Award. Panter’s influence extended to television as the set designer for Pee-wee’s Playhouse, where his densely layered, chaotic designs earned him two Daytime Emmy Awards. He also created online comics like Pink Donkey and published retrospectives such as the two-volume Gary Panter. He contributed album cover art for Frank Zappa and Yo La Tengo, bridging the worlds of comics, music, and fine art. His style is expressionistic and fast, balancing painting, commercial art, illustration, cartoons, and alternative comix. Exhibitions of his work include the Phoenix Art Museum, Dunn and Brown Contemporary Gallery, and the "Masters of American Comics" show at New York’s Jewish Museum. In 2012, Panter received the Klein Award from the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, recognizing his enduring contributions to the field.

Reviews

[Edwin Vazquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Satiro-Plastic' not only changed my view of art and introduced me to the work of Gary Panter but enlightened my understanding of being an artist.

[Kim]

There are better Panter sketchbooks.