Comments on: Kliban, Tooth and Claw

Kliban, Tooth and Claw

maryh — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 00:57:19 -0800

As a teenager, Bernard "Hap" Kliban joked about wanting to join the Air Force to strafe civilians. Instead, he became a fabulously successful cartoonist best known for his Cats. But his non-cat work was perhaps more influential, and certainly funnier. Gallery 1, gallery 2, gallery 3. (many NSFW)

By: maryh

maryh — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 01:01:01 -0800

My personal favorite. I can't remember the first time I saw it, but I still remember many of the situations in which I burst out laughing inappropriately because this damn cartoon popped into my head.

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 01:04:31 -0800

I used to think of Larson as deeply original until I saw Kliban. Is this really Kliban? I'd swear its a Larson cartoon right down to the eyeglasses she's wearing.

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 01:14:53 -0800

Thankyouthankyouthankyou. Those gave me a boner. Especially the one maryh pointed out. "Oh, no. What a gracious hostess, though I possibly couldn't."

By: maryh

maryh — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 01:22:12 -0800

There's certainly a Kliban influence on Gary Larson, but Larson's cartoons were so consistently funny over such a long stretch I don't think you can discount his talent. And I wonder if Kliban was influenced by another, though lesser appreciated great, M. K. Brown.

By: maryh

maryh — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 01:23:06 -0800

"less appreciated", that is

By: hattifattener

hattifattener — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 01:25:54 -0800

Some of these are oddly Gorey-like too.

By: griphus

griphus — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 01:54:31 -0800

In regard to what vacapinta said, Something fishy is definitely going on. This comic can be found in the artist sketches page in The Prehistory of the Far Side. So, either whoever runs their website has their data confused or... Funny, making this comment is what finally got me around the hurdle of registering for mefi.

By: griphus

griphus — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:04:34 -0800

Uh oh. I might be completely wrong on that accusation. The presence of the word 'shit' tipped me off right after I made the comment. None of his sketches contained obscenity, or if they did, they wouldn't they print it (even in a rejected comics compilation) in something as (generally) family-friendly as The Far Side. It may very well be properly attributed to Kliban in this book. If anyone with a copy of either could verify, that would be great. I don't have either anymore.

By: maryh

maryh — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:09:26 -0800

Welcome to the Thunderdome, griphus!

By: goetter

goetter — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:09:49 -0800

The 27 Nov 2006 New Yorker had a small portfolio of previously unpublished Kliban pieces, under the title "Kliban's World."

By: waxpancake

waxpancake — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:13:40 -0800

vacapinta and griphus: Both comics you pointed to are absolutely Kliban's work. (And welcome, griphus!) maryh: There's a great attempt to deconstruct the pig cartoon here.

By: griphus

griphus — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:21:31 -0800

That's a great link, waxpancake. Especially when you apply it to something like the New Yorker caption contest. Then again, any guy who sticks a funnel in a pig's ass certainly is an asshole.

By: mmrtnt

mmrtnt — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:27:38 -0800

maryh, M K Brown. Thank you, I had forgotten! I remember seeing her cartoons in National Lampoon, thirty-some-odd years ago. I don't remember them being hysterically funny, but there was something intriguing about her pen work, primarily, the lines left out She was the first artist I'd ever encountered in ink-work who satisfied some weird tic in the eye with her annoyingly attractive use of white space. (I cannot describe it any better than that)

By: maryh

maryh — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 02:34:09 -0800

Ha! I just called my cartoon-obsessed husband over to look at the funnel pig scenario, and he thought it would make the perfect New Yorker Caption Contest entry. It's like the Sword in the Stone of captionless cartoons. Perhaps someday, a man or woman will come along with a caption worthy of it, and that person shall rule us all.

By: hal9k

hal9k — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 03:43:18 -0800

"And you shall feet water your sow"? Nevermind. Nice stuff, maryh. My favorite was the cat playing guitar: "Love them little mousies, Mousies what I love to eat, Chew they little heads off, Nibble on they tiny feet"

By: Catfry

Catfry — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 05:38:34 -0800

I don't get it.

By: schoolgirl report

schoolgirl report — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 06:11:13 -0800

There goes that rotten Halley's Comet. It makes me sick, I want to vomit!

By: ErWenn

ErWenn — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 07:23:23 -0800

I picked up copies of Tiny Footprints and Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head at a used bookstore years ago as a kid. Not as consistent as some of the more well-known cartoonists, but the funny ones were really funny. Besides, jokes with naked chicks are automatically funnier to a thirteen-year-old, and I had yet to discover Bill Plympton. I had no idea they were out of print, and I'm glad I never got rid of them.

By: pernoctalian

pernoctalian — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 07:37:21 -0800

Mousie dung! Kliban is high on the list of things that made my junior high years suck less. I still have my Cat pillowcases.

By: felix grundy

felix grundy — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 08:03:05 -0800

I like these two. Dilute Truth and Mixed Justice, indeed.

By: felix grundy

felix grundy — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 08:06:38 -0800

three.

By: jessenoonan

jessenoonan — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 08:47:04 -0800

hal9k beat me to my favorite quote, so I'll just say "Hey ottist! Paint dis!"

By: squalor

squalor — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 09:26:47 -0800

Thank you for an exquisite visual depiction of my present situation.

By: pinespree

pinespree — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 09:28:22 -0800

Looks like maybe Seth McFarlane has seen one or two of Kilban's comics as well.

By: fleetmouse

fleetmouse — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 10:01:13 -0800

I have always admired Kliban for his cultural literacy that comes across in sly, bizarre ways in his cartoons, and for his use of the word "qat" which is how I've spelled "cat" ever since seeing it in print.

By: loquacious

loquacious — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 10:25:52 -0800

Dirty Fat Person Sits On Presidents Face Oh, thank you. I was worried about this post at first. "WTF? Pepsi... cat?" Eat your heart out Far Side, Bizarro and Parking Lot is Full, all of you.

By: Mach5

Mach5 — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 10:59:41 -0800

This guy reminds me of the late great Parking Lot is Full. Another excellent fucked up comic.

By: interrobang

interrobang — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 11:30:29 -0800

Great post!

By: exlotuseater

exlotuseater — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 11:47:52 -0800

hilarious.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 12:19:34 -0800

That's weird. Because I remember that sketch from one of the Kliban books I bought in jr. high (actually, I shoplifted it from Alpha Beta in a desperate cry for attention & still have it -- shhhh.)... and that was WAY pre-Gary Larson.

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 12:45:00 -0800

There's another couple Kliban posts on MeFi, which was what always kept me from posting again. That and the ColdBacon and Blackjelly sites have been down intermittently. Still, if there's any cartoonist I could be like, Kliban would be it.

By: jtron

jtron — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 14:30:24 -0800

HARDW

By: Snyder

Snyder — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 09:43:10 -0800

My cat is fat And now I'll dine And eat all up this cat of mine!