Product Description

A gigantic retrospective/biography/critical assessment of one of the most important cartoonists in the history of comics, who went on to become an esteemed fine arts teacher in New York. Renowned as one of the great innovators within the commercial comics industry, his story about a Nazi commandant, 'Master Race', is studied in college courses and considered one of the most fascinating formal experiments in comics. This book reproduces many of his comics as well as his commercial assignments and fine art paintings. Illustrated in full-colour throughout.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #390057 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

Review
"Krigstein was one of the early masters of the [comic book] form, whose best work exhibits a richness and psychological depth unusual for its time."

Customer Reviews

A Fitting Tribute to EC Comics' Most Visionary Artist
Even among the gang of oddballs and mavericks at EC Comics, Bernie Krigstein was a square peg. There's an anecdote in this book about Krigstein and his wife Natalie turning up to Harvey and Adele Kurtzman's fancy dress party without costumes. It's almost a distillation of the differences in attitude between these two comic book titans, and what ultimately resulted in only a limited, difficult collaboration between the two. Krigstein was a serious guy, and a serious artist. More than any of his contemporaries, he wanted to expand the possibilities of the comic book form. He made it his mission to heal the rift between the 'lowbrow' culture of comics, and fine art. To Krigstein, there was no difference. To him, comics were an area of art worthy of study, and of application, just like painting. Every panel was a statement, complete in itself. And when his panels were pieced together into a harmonious whole, Krigstein was able to push the aesthetics of the comic page in new and exciting directions.

Greg Sadowski's book, B. KRIGSTEIN, is a sumptuous monograph of the life and work of this most daring and visionary of comic book artists. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1919, Krigstein had an early induction into the art form of comics, via the newspaper funnies. His upbringing was a resolutely working class one, but Krigstein's father was an inventor and draftsman, and obviously passed on the creativity that would be his son's driving force. At Brooklyn College, he would meet and fall in love with Natalie Horvitz, who became his wife and who would stick by Krigstein for the rest of his life (Natalie also provides a lengthy foreword to the book). Inspired by Cezanne and Picasso, Krigstein decided to become a fine artist. But now having to provide for Natalie, he tried, unsuccessfully, to become an illustrator and fell into comics quite unexpectedly. At first, comics were a means to an end; he considered them beneath him. But this attitude wasn't to last, and it seemed that Krigstein had finally found a job that, though low paying, might sustain he and his young wife. Unfortunately, by this point America had long since entered World War 2, and he was drafted.

The second chapter of the book is devoted entirely to Krigstein's wartime experiences, documented in numerous photographs, drawings and paintings. These range from Welsh landscapes to gruesome scenes of dead soldiers and sketches of life in the barracks. Throughout this difficult time, Krigstein kept up regular correspondence with Natalie, and many of his deeply personal letters are reproduced here. His belief in his own abilities is clear and Krigstein occasionally comes across as haughty, even arrogant. But his assuredness that one day he'd be spoken of in the same breath as Cezanne and Picasso, and his image of himself almost as an unappreciated genius, would be the forces that propelled him towards visionary status.

After the war, Krigstein immersed himself in developing his craft in comics, mainly to support his family (Natalie became ill after the birth of their son, who tragically died shortly after). Around this time, he was instrumental in setting up the 'Society of Comic Book Illustrators', a union which ultimately fizzled out, something that didn't surprise fearsome National Periodicals (later DC Comics) editor Robert Kanigher (who doesn't come across well here). Doing the rounds of the publishers, Krigstein began to see the potential of this lowly art form and his work eventually attracted Harvey Kurtzman. It would be two more years before Krigstein acted upon his offer, and made his way to EC Comics, where he'd produce the most feted sequential artwork of his career.

Given that he was hired thanks to Kurtzman, it's ironic that he should have produced his best EC Comics work with others. Krigstein and Kurtzman just didn't mesh, the former resenting having to follow the latter's layouts exactly. Yet with Johnny Craig, Krigstein would produce the Asian-influenced 'Pipe Dream', and with Carl Wessler, 'The Catacombs' (The Vault of Horror # 36 and 38, respectively). But his most fruitful collaboration was with Al Feldstein, for whom he would draw Ray Bradbury's 'The Flying Machine' (Weird Science-Fantasy # 23), 'In the Bag' (Shock Suspenstories # 18), and most importantly, 'Master Race', in Impact # 1.

'Master Race' is a haunting tale of post-Holocaust retribution from a time when such things weren't discussed. Though during the production of the strip Krigstein drove Feldstein crazy, it stands the test of time as their mutual masterpiece. During the story's climax, Krigstein splits panels vertically to wring maximum emotion from the piece and to draw out single moments in time. This is a technique that many other comics artists have employed since, not least Jim Steranko. Unfortunately, by the time 'Master Race' saw print, a prominent psychologist called Dr. Fredric Wertham was drawing tenuous connections between comics and juvenile delinquency. EC Comics was brought to its knees, and after a final, moral clash with Feldstein over a story ending, Krigstein moved on. And that's pretty much where this book ends, to be continued in a second volume, available soon.

'The Flying Machine', 'Catacombs' and 'Master Race' are presented in full here. Many of Krigstein's other great strips are reprinted in a companion volume, which is equally highly recommended. B. KRIGSTEIN is a fascinating tribute to a fascinating artist, a man never content to rest on his artistic laurels, who ultimately played a very great role in elevating comics from the status of mere 'kid's stuff'. You really should read it.