Robert C. Harvey, a comics historian and critic, is a cartoonist who writes for The Comics Journal, Comics Buyers' Guide, and Cartoonist PROfiles. Among his books are Milton Caniff: Conversations and The Art of the Comic Book: An Aesthetic History, both published by University Press of Mississippi.
"A cartoonist," writes Harvey, "is a kind of one-man band...scriptwriter and story editor, casting director and camera operator, prop man and make-up artist...producer and director and actor and actress." Harvey examines the newspaper comic strip cartoonist in all these roles, tracing the history of strips in the United States from the early 1900s-when they were employed by Hearst and Pulitzer as weapons in the circulation wars-to the World War II action adventures of Terry and the Pirates, the satirical humor of Walt Kelly's Pogo, and popular contemporary strips such as Calvin and Hobbes. A cartoonist himself, as well as a lifelong student of the comics, Harvey has formulated precise standards for judging comic strips-standards that emphasize the importance of a skillful combination of both visual and verbal elements. Highly recommended for both academic and public libraries. (Color illustrations not seen.)-Janice Zlendich, California State Univ. Lib., Fullerton
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