The Comic Strip Art of Lyonel Feininger

    (Fantagraphics, 2007)
™ and © Fantagraphics Books, Inc.

This book collects all of Lyonel Feininger’s comic-strip artwork, which comes from his two series, The Kin-Der-Kids and Wee Willie Winkie’s World. The artist/illustrator drew these comics in 1906 and 1907 and moved on to fine art painting afterwards. It is amazing to have the complete set available and in print 100 years later. While these strips do exhibit many of the stylistic norms associated with early comic strips, it clearly stands out for its draftsmanship and approach.

The Kind-Der-Kids focuses on three brothers that leave home to have an outrageous adventure while being chased by their worried aunt. It is one long continuous story that goes from strip to strip, but was canceled before the story truly ended.

Wee Willie Winkie’s World is told similarly to a children’s book with text describing each panel without the use of word balloons. The young protagonist uses his overactive imagination to see anthropomorphic characters in inanimate objects. These drawings are incredible and it is a shame that Feininger did not work in the comics industry longer.

— Colin Walton
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