The Comic Strip

Krazy Kat, a comic strip series by George Herriman is a great example of the power the comic strip possesses.  Krazy Kat is a perfect example of the creating emotion and connection to a simple representative art style, which easily communicates to every reader.  However, simple is hardly a word to describe the complexity and creativity that goes into each frame of the Krazy Kat Series.

Through further investigation and analysis of just a few strips of the Krazy Kat series, one can quickly start to see the deeper workings of the strip.  For example, further analysis of one of the Krazy Kat strips revealed various deeper psychological and personal themes represented by Herriman.  The idea of race and movement that affected Herriman's life showed up in several examples discussed in class.

One of the most interesting realizations I had during class was the effectiveness these simple comic strips have on an emotional level.  It seems the simpleness of the art form and quick ability to make a personal connection to the characters, quickly entices the users mind and helps transport the reader into that world. This is interesting to me as a game artist, who's primary goal is to immerse the player into a world different than the real one.

On a final note, it was enticing to talk about the "essence" or primary theme of Krazy Kat, that being the cat chasing the mouse. One of the great aspects about the comic strip, whether is be: Krazy Kat, Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, etc. is the continuation and seemingly simplistic method of conveying a certain: mood, theme or idea in every strip.