Review- THE YELLOW KID

THE YELLOW KID (Kitchen Sink Press, 1995; Hardcover)

Collects the Hogan's Alley, McFadden's Row Of Flats, and Around The World With The Yellow Kid strips originally printed in the New York World from 5/5/1895, 5/19/1895, 7/7/1895, 9/22/1895, 11/10- 24/1895, 12/15/1895, 1/5/1896, 2/16/1896, 3/15/1896, 3/22/1896, 4/12/1896, 4/26/1896, 5/3/1896, 5/17/1896-4/4/1897, 4/18/1897, 5/2-30/1897, 9/25-12/12/1897, 12/26/1897- 1/23/1898, 2/2/1898, 2/20/1898, 3/27/1898, and 5/1/1898

Writer and Artist: R.F. Outcault

I am completely enamored with the “Platinum Age” of comics. These strips are not just quaint snapshots of a bygone era, they are culturally and historically significant documents of America in the late 19^th century. This book is as much a history book as it is a collected edition. In the lengthy 140+ page introduction there are many pre-Yellow Kid Outcault political strips, albeit reproduced so small that they are difficult to enjoy.

The Yellow Kid got his start in the Hogan's Alley strip. In his day he was the most licensed character, with his image on everything from cigarettes to you name it. There was nothing Outcault wouldn't slap his character on to make a buck. The phrase “yellow journalism” can trace its origins to the character. It was also one of the first nationally syndicated strips. I learned a lot not only about the strip but about the history of New York City and the class structure of the city at that time as well.

While the character is an Irish immigrant stereotype, all ethnicities are represented in an equally unfavorable fashion. Given the large immigrant melting pot aspect of New York City at this time this sort of thing actually helped readers identify with the strip. It's hard to imagine in this politically correct, hyper-sensitive world, but the generalizations about Black, Irish, etc., didn't bother folks then as much as it does now. Indeed, anyone who believes that race relations are the same as they were during the era of Jim Crow laws need look no further than material which was actually released during the time frame. Many folks screaming racism and discrimination nowadays should feel ashamed of themselves, especially if you look at the portrayal of minorities during the era that this strip was originally published in. Things are better today. Not perfect, but much better than they were 100 plus years ago. Maybe folks in 100 years will look back at modern comics and recoil in horror. My kids will find out.

There are a handful of strips of Outcault's other famous creation, Buster Brown, in the back of the book. I would be all over a comprehensive reprint of Buster Brown strips, but given the current political climate and the relatively small audience for this type of material I would say that chances are slim to none that it will ever happen, which is a damn shame.

The Yellow Kid was a political satire strip, championing the cause of the poor and the downtrodden all the while poking fun at then-modern conveniences like alarm clocks and the New York City subway project. The importance of this material cannot be stressed enough. More comic fans should be interested in the history of the artform. You can't know where comics are going if you don't have a clue where they've been.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

 

The OCD zone- While this book is big, it is nowhere near large enough to do the material justice. Every single strip is shrunk down in size, being difficult to read at best and impossible to read at worst. I swear, there are times where you almost need a magnifying glass to read this, and I have 20/20 vision as of my appointment in December of 2014.

Linework and Color restoration: While the scans are of good quality, the strips are shrunk down so much that it is a moot point. Sad, considering that there is no way that this entire run will be reprinted ever again. The colors are original and/or yellowed with time, for better or for worse.

Paper stock: Matte coated stock with a slight sheen.

Binding: Smyth sewn binding with double fan adhesive. Book is a little creaky at times 20 years later due to the weight of the book block. There is one spot where the super (or crash) has a split maybe 1/8 of the way up. It doesn't effect the durability of the book per se, I am merely reporting this stuff as fairly and honestly as possible. It should be noted that this is a fairly worn second hand copy. It has been read more than once, and likely not by someone as insanely anal retentive careful as me.

Hardback cover notes: The image is printed on the casewrap, which, while having an excellent thickness lamination, has significant shelf and cover wear 20 years and who knows how many owners later. It should be noted that I could have spent a lot more for a nice copy (they made a ton of these) but I went for a solid mid-grade copy.

Reviews- DRAWING POWER: A COMPENDIUM OF CARTOON ADVERTISING and RACHEL RISING VOL. 5: NIGHT COMETH

DRAWING POWER: A COMPENDIUM OF CARTOON ADVERTISING (Fantagraphics, 2011; Softcover)

Not quite a collected edition, not quite an art book, Drawing Power: A Compendium Of Cartoon Advertising is a fascinating overview of the impact that comic strip characters had on the world of commerce. This book covers advertisements from the 1870s through the 1940s. Fans of classic newspaper strips will be especially interested in this book.

There are examples of Winsor McCay's and Doctor Seuss' advertisement artwork. Popular strips of the day like The Yellow Kid and Bringing Up Father were used to pimp anything and everything that they could slap their likeness on. Cigarettes? No problem! There are examples of every single popular character of the day (Mickey Mouse, Popeye, etc.).

As is the case with any material from this era, there are things that are politically incorrect, i.e. unfavorable racial caricatures, etc. I look at this sort of thing in a historical curiosity sort of light, although people looking at this with 2015 eyes will likely get offended.

This book is a delightful romp through the past, a glimpse into a simpler time. While it is tempting to think of the olden days as the good ol' days, they in truth were not in so many ways. I just appreciate how downright artistic everything seemed to be back then, from advertisements to building architecture.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Some of the later examples are comic book or strip-styled advertisements and are shrunk down, often requiring a magnifying glass to read.

Linework and Color restoration: These are raw scans of good resolution, although I dislike how the yellowing was left on many of them. I want to see things looking as close to new as possible, not with wear and tear.

Paper stock: Beautiful off-white uncoated stock.

Binding: Smyth sewn binding.

Cardstock cover notes: The cover has a unique coating that is textured with embossed lettering.

  
RACHEL RISING VOL. 5: NIGHT COMETH (Abstract Studio, 2015; Softcover)

Collects Rachel Rising #25-30 (cover dates April- December, 2014)

Writer and Artist: Terry Moore

Oh man, things are really heating during the seemingly perpetual winter in the town of Manson. Zoe is starting to challenge Rachel as the focal point for this series. This series is a real slow burn, playing out like a television drama with accents of Horror. Think of it as an undead version of Northern Exposure, only these undead are not brainless zombies and there is no moose. This title remains one of the bright spots in modern comics. Check it out!

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone

Paper stock: Uncoated stock.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: The coating has a matte finish but is of a high quality in that it doesn't scuff easily. Too often this style of coating is easily scuffed, but not so here.

Review- SOCIETY IS NIX

SOCIETY IS NIX (Sunday Press Books, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects newspaper strips from 1895-1915

Writers: Too numerous to list

Artists: Too numerous to list

Wow. As much a lesson in comic strip history as it is a collection of vintage strips from the Platinum Age of Comics, Society Is Nix is required reading for anyone who wants to know how it all began. There is a lengthy introduction which traces the origin of the newspaper strip to England and Germany in the 19^th century, showing numerous examples as well as the origin of the comic book, which was originally a way for publishers to reprint newspaper strips in book format. These were also the very first collected editions, if you will. 

There are many of these strips that I would love to see full blown collections of, such as Buster Brown and Pore Lil' Mose. Due to the racist caricatures found in those strips, it will likely never happen. Folks could never look past that and see these for the historical curiosities that they are. There are several examples in this book of racist caricatures which were common occurrences in newspaper strips of the day, and it seems like something out of The Twilight Zone. Those who believe that race relations have not progressed need look no further than examples found here to see how far things have come.

The comic jam and crossovers, things which I loathe and associate with the worst of modern comic fandom, actually originated during this era. Granted the crossovers were limited to characters within the same newspaper, but happen they did. The more things change...

This was done in clay and then photographed. Amazing!

As this was the dawn of the artform, the rules were made up as they went along. Some of the early strips had numbered panels so that people could understand how to follow along, a tradition continued in the early Golden Age comic books.

There are some brilliant artists in this book. F.M. Howarth's bizarre big-headed characters and thick black lines. Jack Bryans' silhouette style of storytelling. R.F. Outcault is another seemingly forgotten genius. A.D. Reed, whose style was a precursor if not direct influence on Robert Crumb and the underground “comix” of the 1960s. Ed Carey's Simon Simple, which is worthy of it's own line of books. Of course no overview of this era would be complete without a handful of examples of Winsor McCay's genius. Norman E. Jennett is an artist whose work needs to be rediscovered and collected. Penny Ross' Mamma's Angel Child is also brilliant. I can go on and on and on but won't. Suffice it to say that I want to see more of this stuff. 

Mamma's Angel Child. 

The Katzenjammer Kids are the most represented in the book, which makes sense since they were also among the most popular of the day as well as the longest running of these strips. I love the melting pot aspect of the early strips, with artists catering to the various immigrants in their respective cities.

I am beyond thankful for the people who thought to save what was essentially disposable entertainment. If not for the collectors and pack rats of the world this stuff would have been lost entirely. As it is, much of it is gone forever. This book certainly belongs in your collection.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5. 

The Smashing Pumpkins used this turn-of-the-20th-century font for their 1995 double album Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. 

The OCD zone- This book is an absolute beast. It is presented in the original strip size, and newspapers were fricking huge back then. It is an awkward, unwieldy read. If you lay it flat it is difficult to see the top of the page. If you read it laying on your back then you will feel it crush your rib cage as it is heavy.

Linework and Color restoration: These are high resolution scans. The yellowing has been removed and it looks as good as can be without full blown restoration. All imperfections found in the original comics (line bleed, off register printing, etc.) are found here.

Paper stock: Thick off-white uncoated stock. Perfect.

Binding: Smyth sewn binding, lays flat. This book is a beast. You need to lay it on your bed or your kitchen table (once you place freshly laundered towels under it on the table, of course- this is the OCD zone, you know!).

Hardback cover notes: Matte casewrap, fairly resistant to scuffing. Cloth wrap around the spine. Classy.