Krazy Kat

I thought I would usher in my first free draw day with some of the cast of Krazy Kat since I wrote about the strip in my blog this week. Of course you have Krazy and Ignatz, trapped in their cycle. Ignatz throws brick, Krazy pines for Ignatz. Then there’s Officer B. Pupp, who is “full of authority.” He’s always after that mouse, but that mouse is full of sin. Then there’s a guy like Don Kiyote. He doesn’t really do much, but I put him in this drawing because I like his name. Same with Walter Cephus Austrige. I mean, what a name. Then there’s Bum Bill Bee, a wondering soul on the road to nowhere. Then lastly there’s Joe Stork, the “purveyor of progeny to prince & proletariat.” George Herriman was a fantastic and creative writer. You’ll have to read it to understand, but his language is playful and sophisticated. And, on a side note, this was quite interesting: Krazy Kat is addressed as a he and she. I thought that it was a strip by strip thing, but then I found one where the pronouns change multiple times in one sentence. Also, if you pay attention to the background, the shapes and colors of trees change a lot, giving it a surreal quality, and you know how I like surreal. Well, you probably know that. Anyway, as they continue to do the Lord’s work, Fantagraphics has collected a whole bunch of these strips. You can find some through your local library. I can’t recommend these strips enough.

My apologies for the fact that some of the characters are a little sloppy, but my wrist is aching so I am wearing a brace for the moment.