Krazy & Ignatz, 1931-1932: A Kat a'Lilt with Song

Krazy and Ignatz

by George Herriman, Bill Blackbeard (Editor), Derya Ataker (Editor)

Fantagraphics's latest volume collecting one of America's true national treasures, Krazy Kat.

In 2002, Fantagraphics embarked on a publishing plan to reintroduce the greatest strip of the first-half of the 20th Century (the Peanuts of its era) to a public that has largely never seen it: this volume is the fourth in a long-term plan to chronologically reprint strips from the prime of Herriman's career, most of which have not seen print since originally running in newspapers 75 years ago. Each volume is edited by the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum's Bill Blackbeard, the world's foremost authority on early 20th Century American comic strips, and designed by Jimmy Corrigan author Chris Ware, who may well go down as the best cartoonist of the 21st Century.

Krazy & Ignatz 1931-1932 is a hot-baked brickbat of a volume, a dance with nearly two full years of the Sunday Krazy Kat (Herriman did not use color until 1935), snug between multiple pages of Herriman extras, including an extensive essay by series editor Bill Blackbeard on pre-Kat Herriman work (with reproductions from rare "Baron Mooch" and "Gooseberry Sprig" strips, and a rarely-seen 1923 full-page drawing of the Kat done for Circulation magazine), and, best of all, a 30-page sequence of over two straight months' worth of 1931 dailies! Plus a new "Debaffler" page decoding Krazy arcana, and a stunning layout front and back and throughout by the inimitable Chris Ware!

Krazy Kat is a love story, focusing on the relationships of its three main characters. Krazy Kat adored Ignatz Mouse. Ignatz Mouse just tolerated Krazy Kat, except for recurrent onsets of targeting tumescence, which found expression in the fast delivery of bricks to Krazy's cranium. Offisa Pup loved Krazy and sought to protect "her" (Herriman always maintained that Krazy was gender-less) by throwing Ignatz in jail. Each of the characters was ignorant of the others' true motivations, and this simple structure allowed Herriman to build entire worlds of meaning into the actions, building thematic depth and sweeping his readers up by the looping verbal rhythms of Krazy & Co.'s unique dialogue.

Genres: Comics, Humor, Art, Comic Strips, Fiction, 20th Century, Collections

120 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2004

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

[Luke Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

See Krazy Kat Collection 1935-1944...

[Michael P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sublime Mr. Kat, the sublime Mr. Mouse, and the sublime Offisa Pup go at it sublimely.

[StrictlySequential · Rating 5 out of 5]

BONUS-> pages 98 through 127 are dailies from 1931!

I'm on a Krazy bender like no other title that I've devoured voraciously. I now have only 12 years left to read out of the whole run from it's naissance in mid 1916 to his death in mid 1944. I own 4 more years but after that the obsession would begin to cost me dearly. Money that I don't have. So a week from now I will be going through an acute withdrawal. How much I will miss this immortal cast of wonders frightens me. I will probably break and spend $25 on one book* much faster than I think.

He's an artistic genius. FACT. His mastery of characters and the language overflows into his work in deluge fashion.

Story = *****
He's still not to his masterpiece material but it's getting close.

Art = ****
He's not perfect but it matters so little.


*Those who follow me should know that I do not get to choose the order in which I read unless I pony up extra money for titles such as these. Only my favorites get such attention. I read based on what books, usually that I have wanted for years, drop in price to my woefully stingy price range.

[Matt Carton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of all the Fantagraphics Krazy Kat's, this is my least favorite. I feel like the freshness of the 20s comics has dissipated a bit. Also, the reproductions are either (for the most part) fuzzy and muddy. The best part of this collection is the early 1932 dailies at the end of the book.

[Al McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and then, there’s a strip I don’t get. And I smile and move on. Not everything needs to make sense.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a pleasant surprise to find some of the daily strips collected in this volume! I really hope Fantagraphics starts a complete dailies collection soon!

[Kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Krazy Kat will never get old.