Meta tags:
Headings (most frequently used words):
on, survey, comic, strip, essays, the, blog, pre, code, and, little, nemo, in, slumberland, halloween, of, schulz, has, moved, bissette, horror, comics, collections, part, melanie, gillman, polly, her, pals, sean, knickerbocker, mutt, jeff, rio, aubry, taylor, bill, bedard, heroes, vermont, horrors, reprints, rule, briefer, frankenstein, from, idw, andy, warner, lyonel, feininger, kin, der, kids, wee, willie, winkie, world, katie, moody, winsor, mccay, dream, rarebit, fiend, about, favorite, places, archives, contact, stats, meta,
Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (1106), and (553), that (172), this (146), for (146), comics (145), with (140), his (137), nemo (119), was (114), strip (96), mccay (83), from (78), are (66), have (59), but (57), all (57), #horror (54), their (53), not (52), more (51), comic (51), #briefer (51), slumberland (49), which (48), here (47), strips (47), had (45), little (45), were (45), first (43), these (43), work (41), frankenstein (41), mutt (41), has (38), also (38), can (38), would (37), story (35), many (35), into (35), world (35), you (34), feininger (34), fisher (34), art (33), jeff (33), 2010 (32), posted (32), one (32), characters (32), class (32), new (31), character (31), like (30), most (30), some (30), book (29), when (29), collection (28), bud (28), other (27), time (27), willie (27), dream (26), stories (26), while (26), out (26), who (26), code (26), survey (25), original (25), been (25), monster (25), winkie (25), flip (25), may (24), page (24), own (24), parade (24), com (23), reading (23), only (23), pre (23), essay (22), rarebit (22), than (22), its (22), they (22), about (21), further (21), still (21), though (21), between (21), even (21), kids (21), through (21), winsor (20), author (20), two (20), blog (19), later (19), years (19), there (19), any (19), series (19), much (18), published (18), color (18), fagan (18), comments (17), fiend (17), link (17), well (17), over (17), such (17), almost (17), them (17), what (17), halloween (17), rutland (17), reader (16), ccs (16), him (16), both (16), cover (16), artists (16), current (16), wee (16), being (16), yoe (16), cartoon (15), library (15), drawn (15), complete (15), cartoonists (15), see (15), before (15), early (15), after (15), essays (15), kin (15), der (15), sunday (15), narrative (15), four (15), genre (15), just (14), year (14), bissette (14), three (14), above (14), could (14), order (14), panels (14), captions (14), post (14), history (14), bill (14), design (13), schulz (13), way (13), books (13), her (13), strange (13), often (13), american (13), however (13), where (13), long (13), sadowski (13), now (12), collections (12), dreams (12), medium (12), itself (12), readers (12), modern (12), another (12), pages (12), right (12), line (12), assignments (12), back (12), did (12), style (12), how (12), then (12), fact (12), very (12), really (12), comment (11), whole (11), made (11), venues (11), particular (11), instructor (11), high (11), amazon (11), herald (11), adventures (11), part (11), get (10), 2009 (10), historic (10), context (10), stephen (10), does (10), rights (10), each (10), must (10), film (10), experience (10), chosen (10), entire (10), 1905 (10), universal (10), added (10), writers (10), enjoy (10), either (10), note (10), lyonel (10), editor (10), week (10), artist (10), action (10), volume (10), heroes (10), watterson (10), name (9), july (9), main (9), white (9), tagged (9), online (9), created (9), century (9), best (9), read (9), present (9), professional (9), ever (9), dialogue (9), along (9), end (9), public (9), among (9), said (9), written (9), tribune (9), availability (9), format (9), point (9), too (9), single (9), same (9), lost (9), real (9), make (9), off (9), will (9), think (9), morpheus (9), pals (9), fear (9), website (8), october (8), merkl (8), available (8), life (8), wrote (8), york (8), visual (8), due (8), panel (8), always (8), 2012 (8), king (8), should (8), srbissette (8), your (8), highly (8), look (8), full (8), place (8), until (8), every (8), marvel (8), seems (8), reprint (8), 1954 (8), better (8), during (8), people (8), town (8), princess (8), imp (8), surreal (8), smith (8), polly (8), site (7), wordpress (7), center (7), river (7), vermont (7), katie (7), moody (7), course (7), jam (7), times (7), given (7), audience (7), creators (7), few (7), simply (7), around (7), popular (7), form (7), find (7), window (7), change (7), info (7), notes (7), enjoyed (7), individual (7), paid (7), tight (7), chicago (7), andy (7), images (7), click (7), others (7), although (7), small (7), next (7), great (7), black (7), down (7), himself (7), focus (7), seem (7), become (7), title (7), featured (7), second (7), without (7), dick (7), craig (7), eye (7), reprinted (7), offers (7), case (7), prize (7), movie (7), creator (7), 1915 (7), ghost (7), sendak (7), bedard (7), splendid (7), sundays (7), personality (7), actually (7), rio (7), sean (7), cicero (7), crumb (7), benson (7), content (6), studies (6), junction (6), visit (6), university (6), german (6), resources (6), comes (6), student (6), ________________________________________ (6), reserved (6), permission (6), footnotes (6), became (6), storytelling (6), pie (6), day (6), took (6), use (6), illustrations (6), eyes (6), run (6), ________________________________________________ (6), city (6), animated (6), necessarily (6), indicative (6), assigned (6), deadline (6), completed (6), juggling (6), caliber (6), sharing (6), approximate (6), chronological (6), subjects (6), heyday (6), fantagraphics (6), those (6), parents (6), leave (6), humor (6), including (6), themselves (6), daniel (6), webster (6), having (6), boy (6), entirely (6), rather (6), era (6), introduction (6), last (6), 1950s (6), mind (6), interesting (6), feature (6), might (6), human (6), company (6), space (6), cat (6), tom (6), tell (6), recommend (6), never (6), because (6), instead (6), ways (6), traditional (6), help (6), knickerbocker (6), melanie (6), cca (6), create (5), street (5), june (5), november (5), museum (5), old (5), myrant (5), archivist (5), she (5), below (5), source (5), far (5), since (5), remain (5), issue (5), event (5), rarely (5), angles (5), five (5), left (5), newspaper (5), enough (5), reason (5), fears (5), otherwise (5), noted (5), image (5), brackets (5), enhance (5), warner (5), copy (5), america (5), age (5), artistic (5), large (5), move (5), truly (5), unique (5), came (5), friend (5), land (5), gutters (5), bizarre (5), take (5), similar (5), interested (5), different (5), children (5), environment (5), wonderful (5), making (5), begins (5), less (5), found (5), aunt (5), jim (5), media (5), come (5), advantage (5), mid (5), presented (5), entertainment (5), future (5), tales (5), doesn (5), short (5), interest (5), publisher (5), under (5), earliest (5), krazy (5), please (5), gallery (5), continue (5), known (5), batman (5), events (5), non (5), 1904 (5), cited (5), common (5), aubry (5), taylor (5), literature (5), presenting (5), cartoonist (5), publishers (5), idea (5), money (5), started (4), august (4), september (4), state (4), packed (4), incredible (4), archived (4), influence (4), famous (4), career (4), greatest (4), essentially (4), 20th (4), ulrich (4), definitive (4), 2007 (4), scholar (4), field (4), 1973 (4), effects (4), today (4), using (4), matter (4), fantastical (4), themes (4), installment (4), eight (4), dreamer (4), word (4), wake (4), upon (4), creative (4), vaudeville (4), earlier (4), adult (4), final (4), technology (4), inspired (4), purchase (4), san (4), oct (4), don (4), began (4), mysterious (4), personal (4), worked (4), drawing (4), influenced (4), letters (4), man (4), rendered (4), school (4), working (4), effect (4), variety (4), trees (4), big (4), beautiful (4), movement (4), told (4), tall (4), lack (4), third (4), indeed (4), set (4), light (4), weird (4), hands (4), mouth (4), usually (4), brief (4), play (4), race (4), british (4), taken (4), follows (4), takes (4), vision (4), fans (4), death (4), house (4), anything (4), publication (4), becomes (4), again (4), 1953 (4), period (4), imagery (4), energy (4), keep (4), beloved (4), within (4), alone (4), say (4), aka (4), son (4), publishing (4), contemporary (4), incredibly (4), daily (4), attended (4), late (4), true (4), month (4), collector (4), george (4), horrors (4), bring (4), together (4), simple (4), hour (4), marschall (4), maurice (4), peter (4), maresca (4), copies (4), permanent (4), access (4), uses (4), result (4), normal (4), stage (4), isn (4), horse (4), bed (4), sort (4), journeys (4), balloons (4), called (4), reach (4), incorporated (4), game (4), showcase (4), face (4), employs (4), thing (4), sometimes (4), backgrounds (4), billy (4), lot (4), huizenga (4), assistants (4), aesthetic (4), desdemona (4), gillman (4), cliff (4), sterrett (4), greg (4), college (4), write (3), view (3), log (3), sign (3), january (3), march (3), april (3), research (3), favorite (3), places (3), amazing (3), students (3), our (3), older (3), films (3), overview (3), demonstrates (3), works (3), absolutely (3), interview (3), interviewed (3), collected (3), offer (3), once (3), fast (3), episode (3), special (3), scenarios (3), explore (3), animation (3), printed (3), spite (3), mature (3), dreaming (3), whose (3), free (3), nature (3), entertaining (3), claims (3), give (3), recognized (3), obvious (3), clear (3), forty (3), balloon (3), perhaps (3), appeal (3), illustrator (3), creating (3), engaging (3), experiments (3), print (3), especially (3), level (3), following (3), grand (3), protagonist (3), encounters (3), immediately (3), bridge (3), static (3), classic (3), tropes (3), giant (3), arguably (3), 1921 (3), unless (3), recommended (3), 1997 (3), francisco (3), sources (3), golden (3), keeley (3), 1906 (3), 000 (3), weekly (3), gone (3), forever (3), dispute (3), editors (3), fame (3), active (3), established (3), childhood (3), mark (3), young (3), expressive (3), decade (3), sold (3), magazines (3), spent (3), previous (3), used (3), faces (3), possible (3), narration (3), bottom (3), occasionally (3), forms (3), japanese (3), yet (3), features (3), open (3), aside (3), originally (3), appears (3), accompanied (3), creation (3), frame (3), quite (3), contrast (3), hand (3), produced (3), gangly (3), glorious (3), lines (3), creates (3), comparison (3), throughout (3), nose (3), child (3), strong (3), supporting (3), japansky (3), boys (3), pete (3), past (3), island (3), nothing (3), shows (3), kind (3), russia (3), eventually (3), ends (3), adventure (3), imagination (3), product (3), everything (3), fantasy (3), broken (3), thought (3), master (3), welcome (3), volumes (3), generous (3), reproduction (3), flavor (3), 1988 (3), recent (3), 2006 (3), party (3), lends (3), boom (3), swamp (3), aren (3), business (3), sadly (3), brushwork (3), friendly (3), dead (3), 1947 (3), writing (3), included (3), parody (3), 1948 (3), eisner (3), spirit (3), ongoing (3), legal (3), terror (3), featuring (3), debuted (3), installments (3), live (3), shelley (3), beginning (3), 1939 (3), resurrection (3), act (3), adaptation (3), photo (3), 1930s (3), hit (3), lasted (3), meet (3), remains (3), fall (3), venerable (3), hero (3), heavily (3), illustrated (3), famed (3), comicbook (3), creations (3), iger (3), vintage (3), super (3), betsey (3), swardlick (3), exhibit (3), continued (3), weeks (3), thomas (3), issues (3), home (3), moved (3), 300 (3), conventions (3), whom (3), fan (3), turned (3), john (3), general (3), bit (3), slightly (3), larger (3), connection (3), influential (3), annual (3), 2005 (3), richard (3), followup (3), marvelous (3), dimensions (3), taste (3), extreme (3), something (3), growth (3), pieces (3), didn (3), include (3), taking (3), 1910 (3), mars (3), dangerous (3), moment (3), _______ (3), example (3), thinking (3), actions (3), flat (3), sequence (3), turkey (3), done (3), goes (3), chronicle (3), considered (3), appear (3), playmate (3), video (3), happy (3), facebook (3), chooses (3), anyone (3), rules (3), sense (3), talk (3), precise (3), information (3), telling (3), language (3), makes (3), ally (3), companion (3), twenty (3), introduced (3), worth (3), material (3), gratifying (3), amount (3), evolution (3), changed (3), mostly (3), seemed (3), mack (3), liverpool (3), cartoons (3), links (3), shorts (3), via (3), kevin (3), feet (3), specifically (3), away (3), 1918 (3), 1934 (3), passed (3), wasn (3), 1932 (3), section (3), forgotten (3), lecture (3), handsome (3), covers (3), knowledge (3), marins (3), required (2), subscribed (2), subscribe (2), schulzlibrary (2), already (2), account (2), feed (2), cartoonstudies (2), org (2), december (2), february (2), archives (2), ohio (2), graphic (2), faculty (2), search (2), posts (2), lively (2), based (2), covered (2), detail (2), seminal (2), comprehensive (2), cinema (2), edition (2), rare (2), dover (2), publications (2), paced (2), intoxicating (2), paper (2), convey (2), needed (2), compelling (2), serious (2), legitimacy (2), metaphors (2), employed (2), fault (2), specific (2), newly (2), abandoned (2), curious (2), stand (2), arbitrary (2), insight (2), ubiquitous (2), paired (2), combination (2), blamed (2), occasional (2), dreamland (2), why (2), subject (2), experimentation (2), text (2), seen (2), twists (2), flattened (2), manipulate (2), attempt (2), invention (2), reasons (2), strict (2), lush (2), nouveau (2), influences (2), attempts (2), sensibilities (2), gears (2), critics (2), craft (2), least (2), ten (2), target (2), laws (2), social (2), straight (2), recognize (2), frequently (2), fever (2), subconscious (2), pioneer (2), represents (2), illustration (2), stylistic (2), apparent (2), seven (2), pictured (2), thus (2), wellspring (2), pet (2), acquired (2), blackbeard (2), artnet (2), alfred (2), vance (2), churchill (2), 1888 (2), smithsonian (2), markstein (2), windsor (2), potential (2), newspapers (2), james (2), services (2), met (2), income (2), marks (2), staff (2), joke (2), sustained (2), exact (2), surrounding (2), somewhat (2), proving (2), regardless (2), details (2), lay (2), achieved (2), output (2), caricature (2), chance (2), opportunity (2), born (2), possessed (2), locomotives (2), fine (2), wouldn (2), sketches (2), germany (2), attend (2), celebrated (2), break (2), ornamentations (2), bodies (2), composition (2), mouse (2), resemblance (2), table (2), superficial (2), unusually (2), clad (2), replaced (2), blue (2), engaged (2), hidden (2), trip (2), pace (2), exclusively (2), separated (2), gives (2), impression (2), type (2), existed (2), designed (2), associated (2), several (2), expressionist (2), labeled (2), visceral (2), else (2), limbs (2), expressly (2), crash (2), smash (2), sky (2), clouds (2), dreamscapes (2), developed (2), cast (2), ordinary (2), expected (2), revolves (2), strenuous (2), teddy (2), leader (2), group (2), pale (2), forehead (2), dressed (2), whatever (2), fat (2), constantly (2), relied (2), crew (2), water (2), bathtub (2), castor (2), oil (2), hound (2), cousin (2), gussie (2), hair (2), named (2), certainly (2), going (2), wholly (2), giving (2), madcap (2), unusual (2), serial (2), eating (2), enormous (2), rest (2), escaping (2), locals (2), country (2), strength (2), believe (2), traveling (2), insane (2), stranded (2), allowed (2), titular (2), elephant (2), tree (2), giants (2), size (2), across (2), mountains (2), madness (2), idw (2), helping (2), proposal (2), pencils (2), inks (2), process (2), showcases (2), reprints (2), offering (2), cracked (2), packager (2), continues (2), provide (2), community (2), tome (2), finally (2), cites (2), hoping (2), standard (2), shifted (2), hardcore (2), quartet (2), return (2), selected (2), inventive (2), crisp (2), enemies (2), living (2), herein (2), pointed (2), superhero (2), doubt (2), approach (2), tale (2), 1940s (2), kid (2), heart (2), genius (2), directly (2), launch (2), anthology (2), initial (2), appetite (2), howard (2), gothic (2), victor (2), loose (2), begin (2), zoo (2), apple (2), men (2), hard (2), whether (2), precursors (2), ran (2), national (2), release (2), cycle (2), fortunes (2), surprise (2), success (2), showing (2), double (2), saving (2), ending (2), dracula (2), pictures (2), innovative (2), dated (2), 1940 (2), rates (2), food (2), quickly (2), scholars (2), excellent (2), 1980 (2), robert (2), splash (2), top (2), jerry (2), love (2), gross (2), boody (2), behind (2), recently (2), reviewed (2), herriman (2), gory (2), daze (2), jen (2), vaughn (2), article (2), saturday (2), miss (2), apart (2), chairman (2), costume (2), 2008 (2), 1970 (2), universe (2), roy (2), wife (2), len (2), wein (2), titles (2), appearance (2), mansion (2), 1968 (2), detective (2), celebration (2), convention (2), dave (2), writer (2), charlton (2), float (2), grown (2), saw (2), bad (2), encompassing (2), creatures (2), night (2), consisting (2), largest (2), notice (2), growing (2), pride (2), crowd (2), fire (2), costumed (2), addition (2), colorful (2), reproduces (2), comicstrip (2), won (2), elaborate (2), stewart (2), care (2), talent (2), architectural (2), possibilities (2), environments (2), european (2), moebius (2), question (2), planets (2), exist (2), scene (2), conflict (2), resolution (2), consciousness (2), denizens (2), actors (2), 1908 (2), 1912 (2), plain (2), jan (2), secondary (2), brooding (2), gets (2), trouble (2), fully (2), means (2), afraid (2), experiences (2), manhood (2), unsure (2), wrong (2), serve (2), serves (2), plays (2), arrive (2), lets (2), lands (2), grows (2), descriptions (2), passive (2), jump (2), conscious (2), lacks (2), straightforward (2), close (2), cases (2), affect (2), feel (2), call (2), mother (2), stop (2), generally (2), describe (2), exposition (2), clearly (2), criticisms (2), treated (2), finding (2), successful (2), critical (2), landscapes (2), expense (2), months (2), daughter (2), friends (2), ground (2), nearly (2), thanks (2), abebooks (2), hunting (2), former (2), youthful (2), extensive (2), travel (2), none (2), realize (2), lives (2), brings (2), regular (2), fantastic (2), depths (2), able (2), grateful (2), lies (2), scenes (2), flow (2), continually (2), setting (2), readable (2), submit (2), choosing (2), represent (2), whereas (2), draftsman (2), newer (2), outside (2), unfortunately (2), peak (2), dreamlike (2), royal (2), employ (2), testament (2), failed (2), _________ (2), coney (2), stated (2), existence (2), standing (2), exactly (2), outstanding (2), follow (2), evolving (2), parallel (2), evidences (2), wonder (2), frightening (2), intended (2), kingdom (2), died (2), notion (2), 1911 (2), various (2), members (2), cream (2), let (2), got (2), inches (2), job (2), breisacher (2), funnies (2), start (2), number (2), check (2), visible (2), ball (2), method (2), ron (2), probably (2), weight (2), contour (2), pants (2), generations (2), suits (2), technique (2), texture (2), decided (2), wheeler (2), syndicate (2), gave (2), 1920 (2), managed (2), hire (2), involvement (2), trailblazer (2), running (2), completely (2), kat (2), circa (2), readership (2), nostalgia (2), draw (2), hired (2), studio (2), srb (2), narrow (2), quality (2), forces (2), certain (2), zoetrope (2), imagine (2), sparingly (2), mainly (2), gesture (2), confusion (2), clarity (2), http (2), acts (2), noting (2), seeing (2), smart (2), brought (2), key (2), 1936 (2), press (2), forthcoming (2), 1991 (2), vol (2), shared (2), easier (2), fascinating (2), 1999 (2), expanded (2), 1990s (2), fund (2), copenhagen (2), connecticut (2), utica (2), marlboro (2), bennington (2), repeatedly (2), extant (2), addendum (2), disclosure (2), 1971 (2), decades (2), graced (2), preserving (2), dominated (2), editions (2), outrageous (2), supermen (2), reed (2), crandall (2), shelves (2), irons (2), corpse (2), dinner (2), pulp (2), lent (2), notorious (2), experiment (2), theory (2), plenty (2), sadowsky (2), mysteries (2), collectors (2), email, loading, collapse, bar, manage, subscriptions, report, privacy, entries, meta, 240, 884, hits, stats, nov, 2026, donations, inquiries, box, 125, south, 05001, 802, 295, 3319, contact, osu, charles, santa, rosa, california, resides, restored, firehouse, bank, room, zines, novels, related, ephemera, inspirational, resource, share, enthusiasm, narrated, slideshow, demonstrating, markl, boston, globe, joshua, glenn, anywhere, earth, poured, foundation, visionary, ravishing, addendums, member, donated, add, credentials, inc, cough, effusive, assault, alacrity, hollywood, powerhouse, michael, bay, know, pen, gray, conceive, logical, conclusion, forays, struggling, countless, intervening, endured, topical, references, roosevelt, constructed, flatiron, building, jabs, mormons, church, officially, polygamy, topic, 1890, artifacts, episodic, continuity, exuberant, allow, welcoming, exaggerations, alarming, furious, rush, plots, resonant, emotional, responses, operatic, lushness, beg, turner, eventful, developments, nine, tie, pamphlets, contrary, unnecessary, foodstuff, nightmare, fuel, sufficiently, spicy, exotic, symbolizes, excess, regret, seed, vivid, unsettling, blossom, shuddering, cares, exploration, equivalent, cheese, beer, agitating, misadventures, longevity, immediacy, enchants, universally, masterpiece, precursor, endeavor, seriously, wild, placement, toyed, tossed, speaker, angry, indignant, retorts, swirl, chaos, physical, altercation, sideways, commuter, placed, toy, consciously, control, testing, bolstered, pseudonym, silas, contract, accomplished, characteristic, perspective, trendy, weights, turn, woodcut, switching, aware, definition, embraced, dismissed, pragmatic, profitable, milestone, technical, integrity, inarguable, gertie, dinosaur, lighthearted, stands, reality, apply, changes, blossoming, psychoanalysis, freud, prior, playground, deep, rooted, desires, primal, anxieties, latter, represented, dreamt, inept, peers, deliver, factness, gleeful, absurdities, imperil, fueled, sleeper, relatable, visuals, interpretation, hungry, henrietta, sammy, sneeze, sixty, frederick, stokes, recollected, hallucinatory, nascent, flexible, faster, enabled, advances, printing, sophisticated, bids, sequential, readily, mere, percent, relevant, enthusiasts, analysis, attacking, motion, picture, immortals, godzilla, kong, winkle, lynonel, comprised, academy, digital, album, sampler, outposts, papers, regarding, 1944, toonopedia, oregon, thompson, kim, seattle, meanwhile, experiencing, tapped, demonstrate, amongst, deciding, outdone, wanting, population, traveled, berlin, procure, bevy, seduced, promise, steady, agreed, produce, problems, vibrancy, joy, disguised, troubled, relationship, editorial, wanted, compete, repetitive, derailed, plans, circulation, dropped, axed, replacing, staunch, bleeding, winter, circumstances, departure, cite, burden, producing, detailed, weeklies, blame, unwillingness, dismissal, ahead, highest, heights, mediums, pity, spend, lifetimes, katzenjammer, 1871, speaking, fascination, steamboats, showed, aptitude, margins, fellow, filled, expertly, adopted, half, caricatures, chafing, against, demands, total, mastery, increasingly, caricaturist, skill, astonishing, burst, dour, shivering, nervous, poplar, abound, structured, symmetrical, grids, soaring, inserts, leaves, medusa, heads, grinning, jesters, heavenly, obviously, replaces, flowing, curves, trademark, chunky, geometric, red, eyed, frolicking, gutter, concerned, windmill, strongly, reminiscent, woodblock, prints, bear, striking, mondrian, stijl, assumed, exercises, experimentations, ulk, harper, round, humoristische, blätter, terms, bears, possesses, furrowed, brow, outfit, clothes, childish, facing, inwards, meant, interpret, retold, corner, outcropping, seaside, cliffs, thin, figure, dwarfing, panorama, points, hallmark, feverish, calm, meditative, sleepily, contemplates, surroundings, marked, person, composed, prose, frames, mood, reinforces, speak, thread, exists, ambles, squarely, brightest, stars, shine, briefest, brilliant
Text of the page (random words):
he bewitching eyes from frankenstein 15 september october 1948 well i d tag it as an eisner parody if only for its femme fatale zona but the whole of briefer s approach to this one frankenstein tale smacks of eisner s iconic 1940s body of work briefer s frankenstein shifted gears again with the hardcore horror comics boom of the early 1950s and yoe offers a quartet of frankenstein tales from briefer s return to horror amid the pre code horror swamp tomb of the living dead frankenstein 20 august september 1952 friendly enemies from 24 april may 1953 the she monster 28 january 1954 and the tree of death 31 june july 1954 are indeed representative of the swansong years of briefer s series these aren t the stories i d have selected from this period in briefer s horror series there are better ones to my mind but they re interesting enough horror tales sparked with inventive imagery and bits of business sadly they lack the energy of briefer s earlier stories even the brushwork denotes his exhaustion with the 14 year run though ever the pro briefer doesn t short shrift the reader the storytelling is crisp clear and the narratives provide enough twists to keep even the most jaded genre reader s interest with dick briefer s frankenstein archivist editor packager craig yoe continues to provide a service to the comics community while this tome is as stylishly produced as all yoe s books if anything the cool die cutting of frankenstein s eyes lends this volume an appropriately children s storybook flavor yoe has finally addressed the one complaint i have with too many of such compilations craig cites the original publication source date and year of publication on the first page of every story kudos craig and here s hoping this practice becomes standard operating procedure for all future collections per usual the color reproduction from the original comics retains the flavor of the pre code four color showcases and the restoration work on the stories themselves is exquisite while the briefer frankenstein comic stories have periodically been reprinted in the years since briefer s death including reprints in dr frankenstein s house of 3d 1992 the cracked monster magazines cracked monster party 1988 and monsters attack 1989 90 and a recent black and white paperback reprint volume entitled the monster of frankenstein 2006 this current collection eclipses them all handily while offering the most comprehensive overview of briefer s life work and the arc of the frankenstein comics stories briefer single handedly created yoe spices the stew with a generous helping of briefer artwork from his other frankenstein efforts including his ill fated comic strip proposal s stages of work roughs pencils inks preserved from briefer s process and an eye popping array of cover reconstructions briefer painted and drew for fans later in his life dick briefer s frankenstein is the ideal halloween christmas gift for any monster lovin comics reader and establishes a welcome new threshold for the entire yoe idw line of reprint volumes this is highly recommended reading and as with all the yoe collections a grand entertainment from cover to cover stephen r bissette mountains of madness vt 1 comment posted in historic new book tagged craig yoe dick briefer dick briefer s frankenstein frankenstein pre code horror comics survey 1 comic strip essays andy warner on lyonel feininger s the kin der kids wee willie winkie s world posted on 10 24 2010 by srbissette 1 comment note this is the second in a series of essays written by the current class of 2012 for survey of the drawn story i ccs s comics history class they are posted here in approximate chronological order of when their chosen subjects comic strips were either first published or in their heyday these were class assignments and should be enjoyed in that context these are not necessarily indicative of the work the individual artists writers would do in paid professional venues this is work assigned in class with a tight deadline completed while juggling many other class assignments that said it is all of high caliber or we would not be sharing it with you here enjoy unless otherwise noted any image captions or comments in brackets like this were added by the survey i instructor stephen bissette to enhance this public post as were the author info and further reading notes after the essay and author s footnotes all illustrations in this particular post were added by the instructor ________________________________________________ lyonel feininger lost expressionist master of the sunday comics page by andy warner ccs class of 2012 the brightest stars shine briefest the light of lyonel feininger s brilliant comics may have winked out due to a contractual dispute but still now over a century after they were produced they seem too wonderful too weird to have existed even for the single year he was active in the medium although feininger made a name for himself in painting and printmaking he designed the cover for the bauhaus 1919 manifesto was associated with several expressionist groups in germany and even had the distinction of being labeled degenerate artist by the third reich the tall gangly german american artist s cartoon output was limited to two strips he created in 1906 for the chicago sunday tribune the kin der kids and wee willie winkie s world even a cursory glance at these large format sunday pages is a visceral experience feininger was making comics like no one else in his era before egon schiele met gustav klimt just as picasso and braque were developing what would become cubism feininger s comics exploded in glorious color from the pages of the tribune his figures move at odd angles all limbs hands and caricatured faces the environment while expressly the focus of wee willie s world has an incredible vitality in both strips waves crash and smash lightning tears jagged lines through the sky clouds loom impossibly large and city alleyways tilt insanely in no small feat the worlds that feininger creates make windsor mccay s little nemo dreamscapes seem almost static by comparison the kin der kids is the more developed of the two strips like other comics of the era it begins with an introduction to the cast of characters right off the bat feininger impresses upon his readers that this will be no ordinary cartoon as could be expected by the title the action revolves around the adventures of the three kin der brothers daniel webster pie mouth and strenuous teddy the character designs revel in their own weirdness daniel webster ostensibly the leader of the group and thus the focus of the readers sympathies is a pale to the point of jaundiced prematurely balding bookworm with a vast forehead deeply creased with worry lines he is dressed in funereal black and throughout the course of the strip rarely removes his nose from whatever book he can find pie mouth is a grotesquely fat child blessed with a perpetually gaping maw that he stuffs constantly with whatever grub he can lay his greedy hands on strenuous teddy is a preternaturally strong redhead who can usually be relied upon to get the kids out of a tight spot the supporting characters are no less strange daniel webster s dog sherlock bones is a gaunt little blue dachshund with all the sadness of the world in his eyes rounding out the crew is little japansky a clockwork water baby found at the bottom of the ocean a technological marvel presumed lost by a marauding japanese submarine he s the tireless mechanical workhorse that powers the leaky bathtub the kin der kids go adventuring in their nemesis is aunt jim jam a severely attired matron who s not above engaging in a footrace through the streets of london in order to administer the boys their hated dose of castor oil unrelenting as a hell hound she s accompanied in this quest by the ludicrously dressed cousin gussie and a disturbingly featured small yellow man with thinning hair named buggins last but certainly not least bizarre is mysterious pete a supernatural being of unexplained origin clad in chaps and a cowboy had who rides around on a cloud with his trusty hound and guns down waterspouts with a six shooter after this brief introduction the kin der kids begins in media res with the boys already sailing past ellis island in a bathtub how did they get there where did japansky come from where are they even going and why in a bath tub nothing is explained in the second strip mysterious pete shows up with instructions for their trip but the reader is not privy to them by the third strip the kids are harpooning whales feininger seems wholly uninterested in giving his readers any kind of grounding whatsoever this works to the advantage of the strip giving the unfolding action a crazed madcap intensity right from the get go feininger took advantage of the week to week format of the newspaper strip to work in a fashion that was still unusual at the time a sustained serial narrative the kids brave a storm pie mouth s eating binges and an enormous fish before the action shifts to mysterious pete alerting aunt jim jam to their whereabouts castor oil in tow aunt jim jam and cousin gussie borrow a hot air balloon and the hunt is on the rest of the strip s brief run consists of the kids escaping first to england and then to russia the three have a spate of encounters with the locals in each country they play rugby race submarines and have competitions of strength with the british in russia they re taken captive by bomb wielding troops who still stung by the russo japanese war the previous year believe japansky to be a spy without fail aunt jim jam traveling by balloon boat or insane flying machine eventually shows up to terrorize the boys after a final gag involving pie mouth getting a sore tooth the strip ends as abruptly as it began the kids are mid adventure stranded in russia with aunt jim jam s arrival imminent no explanation is given for termination and no denouement allowed wee willie winkie s world feininger s second strip for the chicago tribune is no less strange bearing an obvious debt to mccay s little nemo the strip follows the titular character a young boy through a strange world of imagination unlike nemo however wee willie winkie expressly takes place in the real world although on two occasions it recounts the protagonist s dreams the magical and strange environment around which the whole of the action and story revolves is entirely a product of willie winkie s daydreams and confused perception everything surrounding him is anthropomorphized trees swaying in the wind become dancers stone houses acquire character wants and needs occasionally the fantasy is broken willie winkie nears an object he thought to be an elephant and sees it to be only a tree trunk but just as often his vision of the world is presented as fact thunder clouds are massive giants the size of the sky striding across the countryside water pumps are sleepy old gentlemen sputtering gouts of liquid when their ponytails are pulled while the art style o f wee willie winkie s world is quite similar to that of the kin der kids the format could not be more different the hallmark feverish action of the kin der kids is replaced by a calm meditative pace following willie winkie as he sleepily contemplates his surroundings the story in the kin der kids is told exclusively through dialogue and visual action and the strip is marked by a complete lack of third person narration wee willie winkie s world by contrast is composed entirely of it indeed the prose is separated entirely from the art and set below the panel frames this gives the impression of a children s book a mood feininger further reinforces by using type rather than the hand drawn text of the kin der kids there is no real story to speak of in wee willie winkie s world the only thread of narrative that exists is spent on following willie winkie as he ambles through his world the focus is squarely on the environment in terms of character design willie winkie bears some superficial resemblance to daniel webster he possesses an unusually furrowed brow and is clad in a similar outfit the black of daniel webster s clothes however is replaced by a childish blue and willie winkie s features are open and engaged where daniel webster is always facing inwards and down forever lost in his books willie winkie is only interested in the world around him aside from willie winkie the only other real character in wee willie winkie s world is feininger himself the reader is meant to interpret the narration as a story originally told to feininger by willie winkie retold to them through the comic he appears only once in the strip almost hidden in the corner of a panel having accompanied his creation on a trip to an outcropping of seaside cliffs he is a tall thin figure dwarfing willie winkie s small frame as he sketches a panorama the boy points out to him wee willie winkie s world above all demonstrates the total mastery feininger possessed in the art of caricature the artist had spent the 17 years previous working as an increasingly celebrated caricaturist for german and american magazines including harper s round table humoristische blätter and ulk in wee willie winkie s world this skill is used to great effect an astonishing variety of faces burst from every possible place from dour locomotives to shivering and nervous poplar trees other stylistic influences abound wee willie winkie s world is structured along symmetrical grids with big soaring panels in their gutters most frequently to break up the narration along the bottom but also occasionally between the panels themselves feininger inserts beautiful and bizarre ornamentations these take the form of trees leaves medusa like heads grinning jesters and heavenly bodies their place in the composition of the page is obviously influenced by art nouveau but feininger replaces the flowing curves of that style with his trademark chunky angles and geometric forms a red eyed mouse frolicking in the gutter of a strip otherwise concerned with willie winkie s take on a windmill is strongly reminiscent of japanese woodblock prints in one strip the ornamentations even bear a striking resemblance to mondrian and de stijl as that movement had yet to be born however it can be assumed that these exercises in color and line are feininger s own experimentations although he d worked in illustration and caricature for years feininger came to comics through a chance opportunity and left them much the same way he was born in 1871 in new york city to german speaking parents he possessed a childhood fascination for steamboats and locomotives that would leave its mark on both his comics and fine art and showed an early aptitude for drawing while he wouldn t create comics until the age of 35 he was influenced in his childhood by american cartoonists and the margins of the letters he wrote as a young man to his friend and fellow artist alfred vance churchill are fil...
|
