Comics archaeologist Craig Yoe strikes again with Krazy + Ignatz in “Tiger Tea,” a handsome collected edition from IDW under the Yoe Books imprint. George Herriman’s creation Krazy Kat was one of the first examples of graphic storytelling that frequently crossed the line from “mere” funny pages fodder into the realms of heady art, and this collection showcases the author’s flair for rampaging narrative absurdity: lysergic visuals that seem to depict an alternate dimension’s stark desert landscape and its deceptively complex inhabitants, most notably the indelible (and ahead-of-its-time sexually ambiguous) Krazy Kat and the sadistic, brick-throwing mouse, Ignatz. There’s quite a lot going on in Herriman’s oddly skewed scribblings.
Publishers Weekly Comics Week: Krazy Kat has frequently been cited as “the greatest comic strip of all time.” It’s certainly unique in both its surreal visual style and signature wordplay, but exactly what earns it such a lofty estimation?
Craig Yoe: By combining comics, fine art, and poetry George Herriman’s Krazy Kat transcends all three. The writing is enigmatic. It has depth that invites and rewards continuous rereading. Each perusal is a terrific experience and new nuggets of desert gold are found. The art is breathtaking. Herriman is like a Zen master. I imagine the process was like automatic writing—or drawing in this case—when Herriman put pen to paper. He must have been channeling a benevolent cartooning god. Maybe only Bill Watterson has come close to this feeling in his artistry. You see the art and you experience a soul, Herriman’s, and realize he was a gentle, whimsical, romantic, yet complicated person that you would enjoy conversing with, learning from, getting to know. The strip is, of course, ultimately about love, not in a sappy greeting card way, but love with its highs and lows. You know how it’s popular to describe relationships today with the phrase “it’s complicated”? Well, certainly the love triangle between Krazy Kat, Ignatz Mouse and Offisa Pupp is complicated, but fascinating to watch on the comic strip stage upon which Herriman played out his great story.
PWCW: Was Herriman merely having fun while crafting Krazy Kat’s world or was he speaking to something deeper?
Craig Yoe: I think I answered that with the previous question; Herriman was speaking to something deeper. But, you conversely inquiring about “fun” is a great reminder that, in addition to all the high-brow aspects and deep meanings that are woven into the narrative, Krazy Kat IS fun. Herriman had fun doing the strips and that fun and humor still works wonderfully today. Because the fun is based on universal themes of love, retribution, law versus anarchy, class, beauty, violence, and art, and not topical issues. It still resonates like a brick to the bean!
PWCW: Why was this particular story arc singled out for a collected edition?
Craig Yoe: The “Tiger Tea” series of strips is a rare instance where Herriman did explore a topical theme along with his other usual discourses. Prohibition was happening. Anti-marijuana legislation was being enacted. These Krazy Kat episodes are famous—or infamous. Krazy Kat and the other citizens of Coconino County imbibe an illegal mysterious substance called Tiger Tea and have psychedelic experiences and extreme personality changes. This is also the longest period where Herriman explored one theme, possibly inspired by the success of adventure strips like Terry and the Pirates and Flash Gordon. But the “Tiger Tea” strips aren’t exactly a straight narrative plot, but dreamy little sequences. For the book I’ve taken my favorites of these strips and packaged them together along with a few other strips where Herriman explores topics like opium and topped it off with a classic photo of Herriman in a Mexican sombrero smoking a funny-looking cigarette. This is the first time there has been a book devoted to the “Tiger Tea” strips, and the largest gathering of them. The ITCH blog, the International Team of Comics Historians blog () is also presenting some of the strips that weren’t included in the book. I make no claims that Herriman himself was a toker, but he certainly seemed to have a good time exploring a getting high experience in his High Art comic in “Tiger Tea.”
PWCW: Do you plan to further mine and examine Herriman’s body of work in future editions?
Craig Yoe: In addition to the great excitement of having my own imprint, Yoe Books at IDW, I am also continuing to do a very few select books with other publishers. I am finishing soon a large coffee table art book for Abrams titled Krazy Kat & The Art of George Herriman: A Celebration This year is the 100th anniversary year of Krazy Kat. On July 26, 1910, the mouse first threw an object at the head-bone of the kat. This new book, which will be released in the fall, is rich with original art and artifacts, paintings by Herriman, rare photos, and many treasures never before published. The scrumptious visuals are framed and given context by classic and contemporary essays, many commissioned just for the book. There is commentary by Bill Watterson, Gilbert Seldes, Richard Thompson, Douglas Wolk, Craig McCracken, Harry Katz (the fact that he was the chief curator for the prints division of Library of Congress was important, but his surname made him a shoe-in), and many surprises. I’m even still getting last minute unseen art that I’m putting into this exciting book!
PWCW: How did Herriman’s work influence what came after him, particularly regarding the subsequent development of newspaper strips and the later undergrounds?
Craig Yoe: I wouldn’t say Herriman influenced many artists; he’s such a unique, one-of-a-kind original. But certainly you can see inspiration happening in the exploring of themes by Charles “Sparky” Schulz in Peanuts, the facile art in the brilliant Mutts by Patrick McDonnell. Again Bill Watterson was inspired by Herriman, as you’ll read in his essay in my book for Abrams.
PWCW: How much was Herriman’s work possibly informed by the fact that though many of his friends and colleagues assumed he was of Greek descent, Herriman was actually a light-skinned Creole African-American from New Orleans?
Craig Yoe: Scholars have certainly explored how Herriman was Creole and his family moved from New Orleans to Los Angeles. There, Herriman passed for white, as many Creole did. This has influenced some of the identity issues and explorations in the Krazy Kat tapestry. I think Herriman was artistically influenced by Rube Goldberg and Bud Fisher… I’d like to climb that family tree!
Krazy + Ignatz in “Tiger Tea” is currently available at comics shops and bookstores nationwide.
