Larry Gonick is a veteran American cartoonist best known for his delightful comic-book guides to science and history, many of which have previews online. Chief among them is his long-running
Cartoon History of the Universe (later
The Cartoon History of the Modern World), a sprawling multi-volume opus documenting everything from the Big Bang to the Bush administration. Published over the course of three decades, it takes a truly global view -- its time-traveling Professor thoroughly explores not only familiar topics like Rome and World War II but the oft-neglected stories of Asia and Africa, blending caricature and myth with careful scholarship (cited by
fun illustrated bibliographies) and tackling even the most obscure events
with intelligence and wit. This savvy satire carried over to Gonick's
Zinn-by-way-of-
Pogo chronicle
The Cartoon History of the United States, along with a bevy of
Cartoon Guides to other topics, including
Genetics, Computer Science, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, The Environment, and (yes!)
Sex. Gonick has also maintained a few sideprojects, such as
a webcomic look at Chinese invention,
assorted math comics (
previously), the
Muse magazine mainstay
Kokopelli & Co. (featuring the shenanigans of his
"New Muses"), and
more. See also
these lengthy interview snippets, linked
previously. Want more? Amazon links to the complete oeuvre inside!
[more inside]
posted by Rhaomi
on Jun 6, 2011 -
29 comments
This past Spring, Duke University hosted concurrent exhibits that featured curated images of satirical political cartoons. Fortunately, the exhibits are free to enjoy from the comfort of your bed/couch/desk chair. From the Nasher Museum of Art, there is
Lines of Attack: Conflicts in Caricature, comparing pieces from as early as 19th Century France to post 9/11 US. From the Perkins Library, we get
Abusing Power: Satirical Journals, an exhibit of 19th and early 20th Century pieces from around the world.
posted by Ufez Jones
on Jun 10, 2010 -
3 comments
Searchable database of >120,000, reasonably high-resolution editorial cartooons. Mainly from the UK, and from the last 100 years. Search by person depicted (e.g.,
Thatcher,
Gorbachev,
Thatcher and Gorbachev); by year (e.g., Hitler and Stalin in
1941 or
1942), by design elements (e.g., cartoons
referencing sculpture by Rodin, or
cartoons with zebras), by topic (e.g.,
BSE,
Falklands War), by artist (e.g.,
William Hogarth,
L.G. Illingworth,
Carl Giles,
Steve Bell) or by publication outlet (e.g.,
Punch,
Evening Standard (over 10,000 from Evening Standard alone). There is a handy searching wizard as well.
posted by Rumple
on May 13, 2006 -
17 comments
The Lewis Walpole Library has digitized 10,000 images from its superb collection of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century satirical prints -- not the only collection of its kind on the Internet, but certainly one of the largest and best. Search under "Gillray", "Rowlandson" or "Cruikshank" and browse a selection of images from the golden age of English caricature. Everyone will have their own favourites, but here are a few of mine: Rowlandson's
Author and Bookseller, Cruikshank's
The Headache and Gillray's
Advantages of Wearing Muslin Dresses.
posted by verstegan
on Jul 31, 2004 -
4 comments
