Anatomy of Comics. Damien MacDonald. Flammarion. 2022. $40.
This is a companion book to a touring exhibition honoring the comics medium from the La Caixa Foundation in Spain. I came across this a while back and I’d meant to write a piece about it. I was instantly drawn to the striking cover. If you’re a fan of comics, do you recognize the artist? Given the nature of pop culture and media, it doesn’t matter if this image was, at one point, in wider circulation. Today, it needs to fight for attention with everything else. This is, in fact, by world-renown comics artist Charles Burns. It was originally a silkscreen print published in a limited edition by l’A.P.A.A.R. in 1985 and printed by Frederic de Broutelles. It has graced the cover of Metal Hurlant (Issue #120, 1986) as well as Dope Comix, Juxtapoz and El Vibora. But, I think it’s safe to say, it has gained a new life as the cover to this collection of exemplary comics art. As I suggest, this work of art, alas, is not the Mona Lisa of comics (not in terms of wide recognition) but figures mostly within the world of the comics cognoscenti.
Anatomy of Comics (2022) and PeePee PooPoo #1 (2024).
So, I take a bit of issue with up-and-coming cartoonist Caroline Cash for taking this Burns work and making it her own, with a few of her own flourishes, for the latest issue of her comic book series. No doubt, it’s a very clever tribute but she provides no attribution. The average reader will simply assume it is her own work. And, sure, it has become a mantra to “steal like an artist” and perhaps Burns is okay with the homage. The longer view is this: an artist is always aiming for artistic integrity and that takes time, perhaps a lifetime, to truly find one’s way. That brings me right back to this collection of comics art that honors that creative process of finding one’s way.
Catalan cartoonist Ricard Opisso Sala (1880-1966).
The act of creating comics that will stand the test of time is not a sprint but a marathon. The name of this exhibition is “Comics, Dreams and History” and what it makes clear is that there’s no room for pretense, not when you’re creating dreams. Damien MacDonald, a cartoonist himself, provides five essays, or monographs, to accompany a mix of short notes on selected pieces in the show. MacDonald sets the tone by stating he’s taking on the role more of an avuncular guide than an academic.
Saint Winsor!
Winsor McCay, it is safe to say, has reached a special and undeniable immortality and so it’s no surprise to find him included, and celebrated, in this book. His work will forever be spoken in the same breathe with any dissertation on the comics medium. It’s interesting to note that there is barely any mention of Art Spiegelman. Many of the other all-stars make a splash in this book: Winsor McCay, R. Crumb, Jack Kirby, Milton Caniff, but no Spiegelman tribute. And perhaps this is an example of the fluctuating waves of the never-ending assessments still being made on a relatively new art form. Basically, I don’t think it’s a deliberate slight at all but it does go to show that there’s always room for rethinking until you finally reach a certain undeniable apex, such as Saint Winsor!
Spanish cartoonist Antonio Hernandez Palacios (1921-2000).
The one mention in the book of Art Spiegelman is worth a mention here and that is in regards to a manifesto that was signed by Art and other notable comics artists. The following appeared in 1973 in Short Order Comix #1:
“It is the artist’s responsibility to hate, loathe and despise–fromica! Comics must be personal. The artist must strive to create quality product. It is our fervent belief that certain comics should still be trees! It is the reader’s responsibility to understand the artist. It is also the artist’s responsibility to understand the artist! Swiping is bad, experimentation is good!”
Milton Caniff (1907-1988).
Since we’re dealing with quotes, let’s try another. This one is by Will Eisner and is also included in this book. Perhaps in a mix of honesty and self-deprecation, Eisner summed up the cartoonist’s lot this way:
“I was a frustrated writer, a frustrated painter. And here, for the first time, was this marvelous opportunity that happens to any creative person once in a lifetime. Suddenly, there appears a medium, a receptacle, that takes your inaptitudes in both fields, puts them together, and comes out with an aptitude.”
— Will Eisner
That brings to mind a similar quote by Charles Schulz, this one is not in this book but from an interview with journalist Michael Johnson. I recall reading another version of it somewhere else too, as it’s basically a stock answer. This is not something you’ll easily find referenced anymore. Schulz is now Saint Charles, after all.
“My life is a story of almosts. I am almost a writer and almost an artist, so I do this for a living.”
— Charles Schulz
The flame keeps flickering, in and out, until either it dies off or it shines on, depending upon who leaps in to advocate for a legacy. Young people promote other young people, from one generation to the next. Right or wrong, one’s peers always seem to be of utmost importance. Only time will tell. One star’s once bright future may face a correction, flicker out and evaporate. There was a time in the wilderness even for undisputed icons, from the Mona Lisa to The Great Gatsby. Perhaps this book’s greatest purpose is to bring back a relatively obscure work by Charles Burns by having it on its cover, a way to cast a spotlight on it. And then unexpected things happen: like a newcomer upon the scene sees it and takes that same image for her own purposes. So, not trying to step on anyone’s toes. This is a tricky business when it comes to creating images and worthy of further discussion, which is an ongoing exploration for us folk interested in the study of comics and actually making comics.
If you have read any book on the comics medium, then you go to the head of the class. This one I found refreshing in its conversational tone and decidedly European vantage point. It’s a good solid overview and MacDonald provides many interesting observations. He provides an extended relaxed style that he pursues to good use as when he tackles the subject of secret identities or the power of comics to inform. Someone new to comics will find this very helpful and there’s enough nuance to keep more serious readers engaged.
John Romita (b. 1930).
The main goal here is to appreciate the comics medium and get a sense of what it takes to create something as inventive and original as the frenzied character observing his own eyeball from deep within his own skull. Charles Burns was a plucky 30-year-old artist in 1985 when the art on the cover of this book was first published. Burns was well on his way and listening to something telling him to step on the gas and create mind-blowing comics. This book is for everyone who enjoys mind-blowing comics and aspires to create some of their own. Good luck! It won’t be easy but it is well worth the effort no matter how long it may take you.
Charles Burns with PeePee PooPoo #1.
But, hang on, we’re not done yet. I am not one to ever leave well enough alone in the pursuit of attempting to get the full picture. My guess was that Charles Burns was fine with Caroline Cash’s tribute. As the above photo demonstrates, the maestro is more than fine with it.
