George Joseph Herriman (Father: George Herriman Jr.; Mother: Clara Morel; Spouse: Mabel Lillian Bridge; Children: Mabel and Barbara)
George Herriman (1880–1944) was a visionary American cartoonist best known as the creator of the comic strip Krazy Kat. He is widely regarded by critics and peers as one of the greatest artists in the history of the medium, often cited for elevating the comic strip to the level of high art.
Born in New Orleans to a “mulatto” (mixed-race) family, Herriman moved to Los Angeles as a child. Throughout his professional life, his African-American ancestry was largely kept secret, a fact that modern scholars believe influenced the themes of identity, fluid gender, and shifting boundaries in his work. He began his career in the late 1890s, working for various newspapers as an illustrator and cartoonist.
In 1913, he launched Krazy Kat as a standalone strip. The premise was deceptively simple: a “love triangle” involving Krazy Kat (whose gender was fluid and ambiguous), Ignatz Mouse (who despised the Kat), and Offisa Pupp (who loved the Kat and sought to protect them). Ignatz would habitually throw bricks at Krazy’s head, which Krazy interpreted as tokens of affection.
What set Herriman apart was his radical approach to visual storytelling. The strip was set in Coconino County, Arizona—a surrealist, desert landscape where the backgrounds would change wildly from one panel to the next, regardless of the plot. His use of language was equally inventive, blending English, Spanish, Yiddish, and phonetic slang into a poetic “patois.” His intricate layouts, cross-hatching techniques, and philosophical undertones gained him a cult following among the intellectual elite of his day, including T.S. Eliot and E.E. Cummings.
Despite low circulation compared to its contemporaries, the strip was kept alive for over 30 years by its biggest fan, media mogul William Randolph Hearst. Herriman’s work remains a cornerstone of the “ninth art,” influencing generations of creators from Will Eisner and Charles Schulz to Art Spiegelman and Chris Ware.
Active in others filds : Editorial Cartooning, Sports Illustration, Early Animation (character design for early film shorts).
