Krazy & Ignatz 1929-1930: "A Mice, A Brick, A Lovely Night" (Krazy Kat)

Rating:
Summary: "Oh well, I'll inspire myself with anudda inspiration"
Review: I've said this before and I'll say it again - Krazy Kat is simply one of the best comics ever produced. It completely smashes the western stereotype that comics are merely "for kids" and are supposed to be predictable, cute, and shallow.

Krazy Kat is not necessarily for kids. Your kids probably won't get it (and if they do, put them in an honors class immediately), though they may find pleasure in the slapstick elements. The strip is based on a bizarre love triangle between a "Kat" (Krazy, whose gender is indeterminate), a mouse (Ignatz)and a dog(Offisa Pupp). The Kat loves the mouse who hates the Kat who is hated by the dog who loves the Kat. I'm sure that was crystal clear. There are many ways to interpret this triumvirate, but I like to think it's about longing or futile and innocent longing and the inevitable obstacles that keep life from being perfect. The only way Ignatz acknowledges Krazy's existence is by throwing bricks at his/her head. Krazy has rationalized this into an act of love, and so pines away for Ignatz to toss a brick at him/herself. Offisa Pupp wants nothing more than to catch Ignatz in the act, and so the battle of good and evil begins with innocence trapped in the middle somewhere. An act of love then negates another perceived act of love. The strip is easier to experience than it is to explain (as you've probably just noticed).

This is yet another GREAT release from Fantagraphics. The graphic design on the cover and throughout is wonderful, and there are interesting and amusing "bonus materials" inside.

One of the "bonus" articles talks about the change in American humor away from slapstick and surreal humor towards more of a post-vaudeville early Bob Hope style of comedy. It was during these years of transition that Krazy Kat fell out of favor with the public at large, but William Randolph Hearst (yes, "Citizen Kane") loved the strip and demanded that it stay in the papers. His editors pleaded with him to cut it, but Hearst stood by the strip (Herriman also had a lifetime contract with Hearst, according to the article). The article goes into detail on these issues. It is a very good read.

Also, in the back of this installment is a reprint of the actual sheet music for the "Krazy Kat Rag" published in 1911, before Krazy had his/her own strip.

And of course there's plenty of classic full page strips. But be warned! There are no pages missing - many Krazy Kat strips were reprinted on particular dates, and in 1929 the first non-repeated Sunday strip appeared on Februray 10th. This is explained in the back of the volume on the "Ignatz Mouse Debaffler pages" along with some late 1920s anachronisms. So when you turn to the 1st strip in the book, the date will say "February 10th" which is fine. I admit I panicked at first until I consulted the all-knowing debaffler page.

Overall another great addition to the ever growing available collection of Krazy Kat in print. May Fantagraphics continue in pleasing the Krazy Kat freaks (like myself) until every Krazy Kat strip possible has been reprinted. A ba-jillion thanks!