Help me read Krazy Kat

[shyguy]

Hi Ho.

Recently I checked a couple of Krazy Kat collections out of my local library and had a blast with them. I'd like to start collecting the strip, but the collected editions are confusing me a bit.

Should I (can I?) start from the beginning? Should I read dalies before Sundays? Is there a point at which the strip really picks up that would make a good starting point (of course, knowing me I'm going to want to start from the very beginning and watch the strip progress)?

[Jonathan Bogart]

Hi Ho.

Recently I checked a couple of Krazy Kat collections out of my local library and had a blast with them. I'd like to start collecting the strip, but the collected editions are confusing me a bit.

Should I (can I?) start from the beginning? Should I read dalies before Sundays? Is there a point at which the strip really picks up that would make a good starting point (of course, knowing me I'm going to want to start from the very beginning and watch the strip progress)?
Start with the Fantagraphics Krazy & Ignatz (http://fantagraphics.com/classics/krazy/krazy.html) series, which is ongoing (the next volume should be dropping in a few weeks, I think). It's an extremely classy effort, with intelligent introductions, rare archival material, and explanatory notes in each voluime. They're reprinting all the Sundays starting from 1925, which are Herriman's artistic show-off high point. Once they finish the run, they'll circle back round and start reprinting the earlier Sundays (which Eclipse Books had done in the 90s, in a lesser format).

For the dailies, there are several low-budget operations out there putting low-quality, high-cost reproductions out. Fantagraphics has made noises to the effect that they'll tackle the dailies once the Sundays are all out there, so that's what I'm waiting for. In the meantime, Krazy.com (http://www.krazy.com) has been putting daily strips online, for those who don't mind a little digital comickry.

[Sir Tim Drake]

For the dailies, there are several low-budget operations out there putting low-quality, high-cost reproductions out. Fantagraphics has made noises to the effect that they'll tackle the dailies once the Sundays are all out there, so that's what I'm waiting for. In the meantime, Krazy.com (http://www.krazy.com) has been putting daily strips online, for those who don't mind a little digital comickry.

Shouldn't that be "krazy.kom"?

[Jonathan Bogart]

I meant to add, it doesn't make a bit of difference when you start reading the strip. There are no ongoing storylines (or very rarely), and Herriman's talent was being able to spin thousands of brilliant, perfect strips out of a single conceptual gag. The only difference in reading from beginning to end is being able to see how his art mutated and solidified over the years.

[shyguy]

Thanks for the info, Jonathan Bogart!

My desire to read the series in sequence comes more from my desire to see how the strip progressed over time in terms of art, but I guess I can do that starting from any point.

Sounds like I'll start with the Sundays and wait for a high-quality reproduction of the dailies.

I'm pretty excited to start reading this series; what I've read of it so far is just... stunning. And hilarious!

[CaptChucky]

I find that I like the Sunday strips best, so I would start with those. But, I think all the Herriman stuff is great, and worth searching out. I wouldn't worry about reading it in any special order.

[scratchie]

The Krazy Kat book by Patrick McDonnell is also quite good. It gives you a decent biography of Herriman and his creations, and then a nice sampling of daily and Sunday strips.

[TheHistorian]

For the dailies, there are several low-budget operations out there putting low-quality, high-cost reproductions out.

I'd argue that point. There are several efforts at the dailies that are just fine. They may not be lavish, but not every strip reprint project can be.

[Jonathan Bogart]

I'd argue that point. There are several efforts at the dailies that are just fine. They may not be lavish, but not every strip reprint project can be.
Different tastes, I guess ... for me, production values matter, mostly as a sign of respect for the material. But if you know of a satisfactory Krazy Kat dailies reprint, let us know where! Everything I've seen has been disappointingly muddy and too-obviously shot from shoddy microfilm sources.

[scratchie]

I'd argue that point. There are several efforts at the dailies that are just fine. They may not be lavish, but not every strip reprint project can be.Different tastes, I guess ... for me, production values matter, mostly as a sign of respect for the material. But if you know of a satisfactory Krazy Kat dailies reprint, let us know where! Everything I've seen has been disappointingly muddy and too-obviously shot from shoddy microfilm sources.That was my objection to the one or two daily KK reprints I've seen. Not that they weren't "lavish" but that the quality of reproduction just wasn't that good. I'm sure it has more to do with available resources than respect for the material, but it was a little too "rough" for me to want to spend my money on. For serious KK fans, though, I'm sure it's like a gift from heaven.

Just to mention again that McDonnell's KK book has a fair selection of daily strips. Enough to satisfy my curiosity as to what the daily strip was like (I already had one of the early Sunday collections from Eclipse... wish I had sprung for a couple more of those...). It included one semi-extended story involving men in robes, as I recall.

On a tangent, does anyone know why the collections (both Eclipse's and now Fantagraphics) are titled Krazy & Ignatz rather than Krazy Kat?

[Jonathan Bogart]

On a tangent, does anyone know why the collections (both Eclipse's and now Fantagraphics) are titled Krazy & Ignatz rather than Krazy Kat?
King Features still owns the trademark to the name "Krazy Kat." Same reason DC has to call its Captain Marvel books some variant on "Shazam."

[scratchie]

King Features still owns the trademark to the name "Krazy Kat." Same reason DC has to call its Captain Marvel books some variant on "Shazam."How annoying.

Even more so because King doesn't seem particularly interested in exploiting their trademarks; a couple of years ago, I visited Universal Studios theme park in Florida. One of the features of that park is that there are various "themed" gift shops; e.g., the Marvel gift shop contains racks of Marvel TPBs and current comics, etc. I was quite excited to see a gift shop that was covered with vintage King characters on the outside (Krazy & Ignatz, Gasoline Alley, Blondie & Dagwood, etc), but on the inside, there wasn't (as I recall) a single book of reprints to be found. I had to make do with a DVD of black & white Popeye cartoons (half of which I already had on another DVD).

[TheHistorian]

KK dailies are reprinted by Pacific Comics Club and monthly in Comics Revue.

There was also one volume of a print on demand book, which covered 1918-1919 and was quite nice. I don't think you'd be able to find it now, though. There was an extended sequence in Raw volume 2, issue 3.

That's what I can think of at the moment.


Yeah, I agree that none of these are GREAT, but I'd rather have the stuff now, and then upgrade IF that becomes an option someday.

[Jonathan Bogart]

There was also one volume of a print on demand book, which covered 1918-1919 and was quite nice. I don't think you'd be able to find it now, though.
Actually, since the P.O.D. was through Amazon, it's quite available (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591099757/ref=pd_rvi_gw_3/104-7800837-0273563?ie=UTF8).

But one glance at the horrible Photoshopped gradient on the cover ensures that I'll never own it. (I am a snob, after all.)

[Brad Curran]

The Krazy Kat book by Patrick McDonnell is also quite good. It gives you a decent biography of Herriman and his creations, and then a nice sampling of daily and Sunday strips.

That's where my main experience with Krazy Kat has come from (I can't remember if it's the first place I encountered the strip or not). I've checked that book out of the library multiple times, and it's always a joy to read, and what little I've read of the biographical text was interesting (I would have read more, but, come on, those strips!). I really ought to start picking up those Fantagraphics volumes.

[TheHistorian]

Actually, since the P.O.D. was through Amazon, it's quite available (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591099757/ref=pd_rvi_gw_3/104-7800837-0273563?ie=UTF8).

But one glance at the horrible Photoshopped gradient on the cover ensures that I'll never own it. (I am a snob, after all.)

I'm glad to know it's available for those who want it. I'd say that one actually has the cleanest reprints of dailies that I've seen so far.