Robert Krulwich has many ideas on how to celebrate 12/12 (today), including paying a visit to the Dozenal Society of America’s website.  Here are two more contributions to the “12″ party.  First, it’s “Rocks Number 12,” a 2-minute animated film that aired on Sesame Street in the early 1970s.  This is my first memory of the number 12, and it’s the primary reason that (when I was growing up) 12 was my favorite number.

Indeed, if I were asked today to name a favorite number, I would still choose the number 12.  Of course, this wasn’t the only moment that Sesame Street invited viewers to spend time with the number 12.  As you may recall, another 12-themed animated short was “The Ladybugs’ Picnic”:

So, was Sesame Street was covertly advancing a dozenist agenda?  Is Public Broadcasting propagandizing for mathematical radicals?  If I ask enough ludicrous hypothetical questions, will concerned citizens argue for a full audit of Sesame Street‘s YouTube channel?  Or have you stopped reading this in order that you may scroll back up and play the happy videos?  I know I have.  I stopped reading this, oh, a dozen sentences ago.

For those readers (2 readers? 3? any takers?) who find these posts marginally more fascinating than watching paint dry, here’s a page from the just-edited Chapter 22 of my The Purple Crayon and a Hole to Dig: The Lives of Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss (forthcoming from the University Press of Mississippi, 2012).  For the record, the barely legible handwritten editorial notations are all mine.

On the page above (click to enlarge), I cut out a fair bit about Dave Hilberman (1911-2007), an animation pioneer whom I was fortunate to interview back in 2003.  His is a fascinating story, but the book isn’t about him.  I’ve tried to retain enough to convey some sense of the people Crockett Johnson (“Dave” to his friends) was working with, and why these people are important.  The context for this paragraph is that, after A Picture for Harold’s Room (1960), Johnson publishes no children’s books until 1963: one reason for this gap is the many other other projects he was working on.  The next paragraph (of which you see a little at the bottom of the page) picks up the theme of Johnson’s interest in and study of mathematics: in the Holt Barnaby books, Atlas’ formulae are real, and Johnson devoted the last decade of his life to mathematical paintings, even inventing a couple of original mathematical formulae.

(I also cut some bits pertaining to Ruth Krauss in this chapter, but very little and largely contextual.)

In all, I’ve knocked out 367 words from the chapter, reducing the manuscript to the still too-long word count of 134, 744.  It’s thus 7,422 words shorter since the last edit, but still 19,744 words longer than the contract specifies.  If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to get it within, say, 15,000 words over the limit.  During the next week (which also includes paper-grading, exam-grading, recommendation-letter-writing, grade-calculating, essay-refereeing), I want to get through Chapter 30 — which is currently the book’s final chapter.

I say “currently” because the next phase is restructuring the first eight chapters, which (I suspect) will involve cuts beyond what I’ve already made in this round of editing.  Right now, these chapters alternate between Krauss’s life and Johnson’s: 1 is hers, 2 is his, 3 is hers, and so on.  When Johnson and Krauss meet, they occupy the same chapter, and continue to do so until his death.  Though the chapters are short (all under 20 pages), Walter (my editor) thinks that this method results in losing “sight of one the two protagonists for so long that it’s difficult to stay invested in either of them.”  Thus, he suggests that even before they meet I include both in the same chapter — doing so will help make clear the connections between them earlier on.  I suspect he’s right, and (in any case) the only way I’ll know is to follow his suggestion, and see if it works.  For the record, I think that it will work.   Anyway, that’s the next task….

Onwards!

As noted in my last Christmas music post, I’ve made a lot of these mixes, each one different. Last year, I decided to make a mix of downbeat — even somewhat depressing — holiday music. This is it.

1. Blue Christmas Bright Eyes (2002)            2:22

Elvis’s version has been so overplayed that it’s no longer possible to truly hear the song, in his rendition. The only way to appreciate the song is to hear someone else sing it — in this case, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes.

2. Lonely Christmas Marshall Crenshaw (1986)            2:53

From Christmas Time Again, which also features songs from Alex Chilton, Don Dixon, Peter Holsapple, and Whiskeytown.

3. You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch Pete Nelson (2002)            3:47

Toning down the original version’s camp, Pete Nelson finds the melancholy in Seuss’s lyrics.

4. Fake Plastic Trees [Acoustic] Radiohead (1995)            4:46

To the best of my knowledge, this song has nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas, but “Fake Plastic Trees” certainly makes me think of Christmas trees.  Why?  I blame A Charlie Brown Christmas.  This particular rendition of “Fake Plastic Trees” appears on the Clueless soundtrack.

5. Winter Song Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson (2008)            4:27

I find the plaintive refrain of “is love alive?” quite touching.

6. Snowman Barenaked Ladies (2004)            2:59

“Made of snow, I don’t know how I fit in.”  BNL do bring the humor on Barenaked for the Holidays, but not on this song.

7. It Hasn’t Happened Yet William Shatner (2004)            3:50

From Has Been, Shatner’s outstanding collaboration with Ben Folds.  It’s here because of the lyrics in the first verse: “It was Christmas, and I was alone. / Strange city. / Strangers for friends. / And I was broke.” What’s nice about this song is that you can either enjoy it straight (if you’re feeling melancholic) or as camp.  I tend to experience it in the former mode — hence, its inclusion here.

8. Peace at Last Hem (2007)            3:38

Another song about missing a loved one during Christmastime, but delivered by Hem with such beauty and feeling.  If you like this, I highly recommend the band. They’ve recorded a lot of wonderful music, but I’m most partial to their first two albums, Rabbit Songs (2000) and Eveningland (2004).

9. River Madeleine Peyroux feat. k.d. lang (2006)            5:20

Written by Joni Mitchell, “River” first appears on her album Blue (1971).  Here, it’s performed by two of our best contemporary vocalists.  “I wish I had a river I could skate away on” — such a plaintive line.

10. White Christmas Aimee Mann (2006)            2:59

This song has always been associated with longing. Bing Crosby’s original recording, released in 1942, strongly resonated with soldiers missing home, and the people at home missing their loved ones far away.  Many have suggested that it’s ironic that one of the best-known Christmas songs was written by Jewish composer Irving Berlin, but I’m skeptical of that claim.  This song evokes less the religious connotations and more the cultural experience.  It’s nostalgic, dreaming of “just like the ones I used to know,” where “the treetops glisten and glow.”  Another example of why Irving Berlin is one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century.

11. Winter Wonderland A Fine Frenzy (2009)            3:43

I know nothing about this song’s composer (Felix Bernard) or lyricist (Richard B. Smith).  Wikipedia reports that Richard Himber and His Hotel Carelton Orchestra first recorded the song in 1934.  Johnny Mercer had a #4 hit with the song in 1946.

12. Christmas Time Is Here Thad Cockrell & Roman Candle (1993)            3:20

Another song from the compilation Christmas Time Again.  (See track 2.)

13. Something to Hold on To (At Christmas) Ron Sexsmith (2008)            2:30

Though he has some cheerier songs as well, Sexsmith is good for those contemplative moods.  Here, he dreams of something to hold on to — such as love or hope.

14. Christmas After All Maria Taylor (2006)            3:34

Resigned to the onset of another holiday season, Taylor sings, “They’re all running short on time, / and waiting in these long, long lines. / I guess it’s Christmas after all.”

15. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Hem (2005)            2:14

I generally avoid placing two songs by the same artist on any one mix,… but have been known to make exceptions on Christmas mixes.  This is one of those exceptions, inspired in part by the fact that some of the songs I wanted to include had already appeared on a folk mix I’d done a few years before (and I try not to repeat any songs).  It’s also inspired by the fact that Hem is a great group.

16. Christmas Time Is Here Vince Guaraldi Trio (1965)            6:06

From A Charlie Brown Christmas, of course!

17. Greensleeves Over the Rhine (1996)            2:50

With lyrics, known as “What Child Is This?”  Over the Rhine brings out the darkness.  Not for nothing is the holiday album (on which this appears) called The Darkest Night of the Year.

18. Silent Night Stanley Jordan (1986)            3:46

From Yule Struttin’ (A Blue Note Christmas), a fine collection.  Another favorite off of that one is Chet Baker’s rendition of “Winter Wonderland.”

19. Calling All Angels The Wailin’ Jennys (2009)            6:27

The earliest recording of this song — by its songwriter Jane Siberry, accompanied by k.d. lang — appears on the soundtrack to Wim Wenders’ Until the End of the World (1991).  A newer recording (sans lang) appears on Siberry’s When I Was a Boy (1993).  It’s hard to top that original version, but this one has a stark, folky appeal.

20. What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love and Understanding Nick Lowe (2004)            4:04

A live, acoustic recording by the songwriter — quieter than Elvis Costello’s famous cover or the Brinsley Schwarz original (which had Lowe on vocals).  This version allows you to better hear the seriousness of the sentiment: “My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes, sometimes.  Where are the strong?  And who are the trusted?  And where is the harmony — sweet harmony?”

21. My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year) Regina Spektor (2007)            2:52

Echoing the use of newscasts on Simon & Garfunkel’s “Silent Night/6 O’Clock News,” Regina Spektor mixes in sounds of gunshots & conflict — but relatively subtly, mostly in the background. The contrast highlights what’s absent from the key words in a line like “Happy New Year to that is living, all that is gentle, kind and forgiving.”  It reminds us that much in the world is none of these things.

22. Auld Lang Syne Billy Idol (2006)            0:52

I bought Billy Idol’s Happy Holidays for the pure campy pleasure of it (check out his “Frosty the Snowman”), but this last track on the record is actually quite effective — and affective.  I think its brevity and lack of accompaniment makes this particular track work.

Well, as promised, this has been a somewhat melancholic mix.  If you need something more uptempo as an antidote, check out the holiday mix I posted earlier in the week.

69 years ago this week, the United States entered the Second World War.  Classified 4-F (not fit for military service), 35-year-old Crockett Johnson was not called to serve.  Instead, in January of 1942, he enlisted in the Allied propaganda effort, helping found (with Greg d’Allessio, J. A. Blackmer, and Mel Casson) the American Society of Magazine Cartoonists’ Committee on War Cartoons.  To help raise money for the war effort, the Committee organized the Artists Against the Axis exhibit  — which also featured the work of Charles Addams, Peter Arno, William Gropper, Syd Hoff, Charles Martin, Garret Price, Gardner Rea, Ad Reinhardt, Carl Rose, Saul Steinberg, among others. Below is one of Johnson’s contributions to this exhibit.

The cartoon — which also ran in New Masses on February 24, 1942 — suggests that the only way for Hitler and the Axis powers to maintain what they have is to stop the clock (which Hitler does in the fifth panel).  Since stopping time is an impossibility, the Allies will catch up with them.

I learned about Johnson’s work for this group via newsclippings and the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art‘s exhibit, Cartoons Against the Axis (October 2005-February 2006).  I don’t remember who sent me this scan of Johnson’s comic.  If it’s you, please write me (or comment below) and I will supply credit.  Thanks!

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“Happy,” said Thomas. “When I grow up, I am going to be happy.”

Nine-year-old Thomas sees things that others don’t, like “tropical fish swimming in the canals,” thousands of frogs massing outside his house, and the loveliness of sixteen-year-old Eliza, who has “an artificial leg made of leather” and seems to understand him. Guus Kuijer’s The Book of Everything (2004, translated by John Nieuwenhuizen, 2006) is a brief, beautiful tale of Thomas losing faith, making friends with his sister and Mrs. van Amersfoort, gaining confidence in himself, and learning to resist his father’s bullying.  The prose is lyrical, the images are magical realist, and the story is full of wisdom and humor.  Here is a passage when Thomas, visiting Mrs. van Amersfoort, listens to Beethoven for the first time (the second sentence refers to her cat, who has been napping on a globe):

His ears started ringing again. The globe started spinning, cat and all. When he was about to draw Mrs. van Amersfoort’s attention to this, he saw that her heavy chair was floating above the floor like a low cloud. He barely had time to take this in when he felt the chair he was sitting in rising slowly, as if strong hands were lifting it. He wanted to shout with joy, but when he saw Mrs. van Amersfoort’s intent face, he realized that, with this music, it was normal for chairs to float. (19)

I love how this translates Thomas’s sense of wonder into a literal, physical experience. Kuijer does not tell us that Beethoven’s music makes them feel as if they were floating. Instead, they just float, borne upward in their chairs, drifting like low clouds. Beautiful.

The Book of Everything won the Flemish Golden Owl Award, but is not widely known in this country. It’s really, really good. I highly recommend it. I suspect that, once you read it, you’ll recommend it, too.

My article, “Obamafiction for Children: Imagining the Forty-Fourth U.S. President,” is now available on-line in the Children’s Literature Association Quarterly‘s current issue (35.4, Winter 2010).  To give you a sense of its thesis, here’s a brief excerpt from early in the piece:

To examine how these Obama biographies attempt to fit him into dominant national myths, this essay focuses primarily on visual representations—picture books and comic books—with a particular emphasis on two pre-election picture books from 2008: Nikki Grimes and Bryan Collier’s Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope, and Jonah Winter and A. G. Ford’s Barack. I make these two a primary focus because they’re the first picture books, have major publishing houses behind them, and seem to be the most popular children’s books about Obama. As of March 2009, Grimes and Collier’s book had sold 325,000 copies and was in its sixteenth printing; both books have been on the New York Times Book Review‘s bestseller list (Galupo). Barack has been so successful that Ford has illustrated two sequels, both written by Deborah Hopkinson: Michelle (published September 2009) and First Family (published December 2009). With the exception of the sole anti-Obama children’s book (Help! Mom! Radicals Are Ruining My Country!, on which more later), in children’s books about the forty-fourth president, attempts to reify Obama as an ideal American collide with his more complex history, sometimes even effacing his race. (335)

If you or your institution subscribes to ProjectMuse, then you can click on the link to the article (in this sentence or in the first one) and go straight there.  Or you may need to log in through your institution’s library first.  If you or your institution lack a subscription, then the article will be inaccessible (unless you pay for it).

This is a problem.  It’s one reason why I’ve taken to sharing some work in progress on this blog.  After all, scholars don’t get paid for writing scholarly articles.  Indeed, this Obama article cost me hundreds of dollars in permissions fees (for the images) — fees paid out of my own pocket.  Of course, I’m not in this for the money.  I’m in it because I like learning and then sharing what I’ve learned.  I was intrigued by the proliferation of children’s books about Obama, and so I thought: How many are there?  What do these books tell us?  The answer to the first question is 59 by the end of his first year in office (12 of those were published prior to the election).  The full answer to the second question is… in the article.  For a partial and incomplete answer to the second question, you might read some news articles I was quoted in, such as this December 2009 Washington Post piece (after I gave the talk at the American Studies Association) or this March 2010 piece in the K-State Collegian (after I gave a longer version here at Kansas State University).  But, yeah, to get it all — including access to all those images I paid for — you need to read the Children’s Literature Association Quarterly article.

The answer to the larger question of how to make scholarship more widely available is something smarter people are working on.  If you’re interested in seeking answers to the larger question, then I invite you to peruse the work of Kathleen Fitzpatrick or visit MediaCommons, which is also trying to solve the problem.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!  For today’s treat, it’s the holiday tunes that no December should be without.  Well, in my humble opinion, anyway.  Over the past decade, I’ve assembled 9 or 10 different holiday mixes (all with completely different songs).  The idea for this mix is to include favorites from all of those mixes.  In practice, I had to fudge here and there to make a coherent mix — and, to keep things upbeat, I omitted all tracks from my two slower mixes.  Anyway.  Ella Fitzgerald, Ramones, Swingerhead, Jackson 5, Gayla Peevey, & more!  Grab yourself some hot cider, a festive cookie, and press play!

Vince Guaraldi‘s entire soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) should be on any list.  And you probably already have it.  So, instead of a song from that album, here’s DJ John’s mash-up of some of the memorable lines from the TV special, set to Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy.”

A side project of Art Brut vocalist Eddie Argos and artist Mikey Georgeson, Glam Chops offers its own version of glam rock … and holiday cheer!

Les Brown, putting the swing in Tchaikovsky!

The Puppini Sisters released their first holiday album this year, which includes what may be the first listenable version of “Last Christmas” ever recorded — it’s actually a really wonderful rendition of the song.  The new record does not include their version of “Jingle Bells,” released as a single in 2006.

Recorded as a V-disc for the troops, this is one of my favorite Ella Fitzgerald holiday songs.  If I allowed myself more than one song by a single artist, then you might also be hearing “Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney” and her version of “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” on this mix.  Love Ella Fitzgerald.

Phil Spector’s A Christmas Gift for You might also be part of your holiday listening.  If it isn’t, check it out.  His wall-of-sound treatment of seasonal tunes is great fun.

There are far fewer Hanukkah songs than Christmas ones.  And, yes, there are some other good ones (you can only fit so much on a mix!).  I really love Matisyahu‘s single, released just last month.

There are many delightful recordings of this song, notably those by Bruce Springsteen (1975), Fred Astaire (1970), Jimmy Smith (1964), Ella Fitzgerald (1960) and Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters (1943).  The Jackson 5′s version best fit the mood I was going for here.

9. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas Gayla Peevey (1953) 2:38

This is my favorite Christmas song of all time, bar none. Gayla Peevey was a popular child singer of the early 1950s.  This song, written by John Rox and recorded when Peevey was 10 years old, was her biggest hit.

I love the joy in this one, and the late Solomon Burke‘s wish to give presents to everyone, all around the world.  I find the final verse quite touching.  ”Hope next year, things will have a lot of joy.”

With music written by Raymond Scott and lyrics by Mitchell Parish, here’s Louis Armstrong.  He recorded several holiday tracks, including “Cool Yule” (written by Steve Allen), “Christmastime in New Orleans,” and a delightful reading of Clement Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas.”

Old-school hip-hop, but not the sole Christmas song by RUN-DMC. They also recorded “Christmas Is” (1992).

Though they also recorded the theme to Square Pegs and  their hit “I Know What Boys Like,” this Christmas number may be the Waitresses‘ best-remembered song.

Actress, singer, and Tony-Award-winner Pearl Bailey considers the potential financial benefits of the season.

I love the “hip” description of Santa Claus as “the man with the bag.”

As readers of this blog may be aware, I have a special affection for a well-honed novelty tune. The contemporary master of the genre is, of course, Parry Gripp. “But, Reggie, where do you keep all the presents?” The answer to that question makes me smile every time I hear it.

Most people remember Boris Karloff as the voice of the Grinch, but forget that Karloff only does the speaking voice, and Thurl Ravenscroft sings all the songs.  It’s an understandable forgetting: the credits neglect to mention this fact.

Appears on Brain Drain, the band‘s final album to feature bassist Dee Dee Ramone.  The album also includes the song “Pet Sematary” (the theme to the film based on the Stephen King novel).  I first saw the Ramones in 1988, when Dee Dee was still a member.  When I saw them for the second (and final) time in 1990, Dee Dee had been replaced by C.J.  But, honestly, the focus of the stage show was Joey, face obscured by hair and his sunglasses, singing into the mic — and the raw, loud sound of the band.  Johnny’s guitar, Marky’s drums, and Dee Dee (or J.C.) on bass created that sound, but what I remember is the sonic experience of it all washing over me.

Shined Nickels and Loose Change, the album on which this song appears, includes a great cover of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.”

From the compilation A Lump of Coal, which includes Clockhammer’s version of “Here Comes Santa Claus,” and Henry Rollins’s ominous reading of “The Night Before Christmas.”

This appears on many compilations, and even on BNL‘s 2004 holiday album.  It comes to you here courtesy of the Nettwerk CD Christmas Songs.

As the Jesus and Mary Chain did, the Raveonettes mesh Phil Spector’s wall of sound with thick slices of fuzzed-out electric guitar. Here’s their Christmas Song, which has no resemblance to that other Christmas Song (the one written by Mel Torme).

A Swingerhead Christmas is one of my favorite Christmas CDs. It was out of print for a while, but is available again from CD Baby.

The best track from A Mutated Christmas (Illegal Art, 2001), this brings in vocals from several versions of “White Christmas”: Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and of course Bing Crosby (though only his whistle).

The YouTube video (below) of Straight No Chaser‘s witty mash-up of holiday songs (and Toto’s “Africa”) prompted the group to reform, and release several albums.  They re-recorded the tune for Christmas Cheers, which is the version you hear here.

Johnny Mercer brings you greetings from himself, Fifi, Glenn, and the entire staff.

With thanks to the Children’s and Adolescent Literature Community (ChALC) for organizing the event, we held a Mock Caldecott at the Manhattan Public Library this afternoon.  And, yes, of course, we weren’t able to get all of the books we wanted to look at — so, there are quite likely candidates we didn’t get to evaluate.  Here are the ones chosen by our group (composed of undergraduates, graduate students, children’s lit faculty, and members of the community).

1. Bill Thompson’s Chalk

This wordless tale of chalk drawings coming to life owes a debt to Crockett Johnson‘s Harold and the Purple Crayon in its concept, but Chris Van Allsburg in its rendering and its mood.  Thompson‘s odd angles of vision on events, unusual sources of light, and expressive faces put one strongly in mind of Van Allsburg.

And, for our honor books, we chose:

2. David Wiesner’s Art and Max

Wiesner keeps finding new ways to write metafiction.  This one cleverly riffs on pontilism, pop art, and wire sculpture… all while two lizards experiment with paint.  Like his The Three Pigs or Tuesday (two earlier Caldecott-winners), the book must be experienced to be understood.

3. Mac Barnett’s Oh No! (or How My Science Project Destroyed the World), illustrated by Dan Santat

Dynamic, clever, and strongly influenced by both anime and comics, this humorous tale derives much pleasure from extending its protagonist’s imagination into her world — the permeable boundary between the fantasy of a runaway science project and ordinary city life makes us at first think her dream is true, but later wonder… and all the while enjoy.

Here are a few that didn’t make the cut but that I really liked.

Lane Smith’s It’s a Book, on which I’ve elaborated in an earlier post, should have been a finalist, but got disqualified for having too “adult” humor.  While I concede that there are some “adult” jokes, its silent-comedy storytelling is certainly for all ages — and thus unlike the funny The Boss Baby, a tale by Marla Frazee, which (to my mind) depends more heavily on some knowledge of the working world to get the jokes.  Frazee’s book would be great for new parents, but Smith’s works better both for adults and for children who love to read.

Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney’s Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down is a well-designed, dynamic rendering of the lunch-counter sit-ins of the early 1960s.  The poetic text and the verve of the illustrations makes this tale very exciting.  It’s hard to compress a complex historical event into a picture-book, but this succeeds very well.

Oliver Jeffers’ The Heart and the Bottle is a brilliantly rendered allegory of loss and then, ultimately, rediscovering the sense of curiosity that makes living fun.  It made our top 5, but I’d like to see it ranked even higher.  Brilliant use of space, well-paced story, evocative images.  Readers should also check out Jeffers‘ earlier books Lost and Found and The Incredible Book Eating Boy.

Suzy Lee’s Shadow is another favorite for me this year.  You open it with the spine at the top, so that the fold is in the middle of your reading experience, dividing the upper half (a basement) from the lower half (a shadow).  The shadow transforms ordinary objects into an adventure.  Rewards re-reading.

What are your favorite picture books from 2010?  And which do you think will win the Caldecott Medal this year?

Cushlamochree! 70 years after Crockett Johnson‘s Barnaby made its debut, the entire ten-year run (1942-1952) will be published in full … for the first time!  Daniel Clowes will design the books — five in all, the first of which will appear in 2012. I’ll be providing biographical & historical notes.  The publisher is Fantagraphics, whose lovingly produced Complete Peanuts serves as a model for the Complete Barnaby.

These will be the original strips, and not the redrawn ones that appear in the collections published by Holt in 1943 (see above advertisement, courtesy of the generous Colin Myers) and 1944 — and republished by Dover in 1967 and 1975.

A favorite of graphic novelists (today) and of the culturally influential (in its day), Johnson’s Barnaby reflects its author’s wide-ranging interests — political satire, popular culture, classic literature, modern art, and mathematics.  Its subtle ironies and playful allusions never won a broad following, but the adventures of 5-year-old Barnaby Baxter and his bumbling con-artist of a fairy godfather was and is a critical favorite.  Confessing her love of Barnaby, Dorothy Parker wrote, “I think, and I’m trying to talk calmly, that Barnaby and his friends and oppressors are the most important additions to American arts and letters in Lord knows how many years.”  Barnaby’s deft balance of fantasy, political commentary, sophisticated wit, and elegantly spare images expanded our sense of what comic strips can do. With subtlety and economy, Barnaby proved that comics need not condescend to their readers.  Its small but influential readership took that message to heart.  As Coulton Waugh noted in his landmark The Comics (1947), Barnaby’s audience may not “compare, numerically, with that of the top, mass-appeal strips. But it is a very discriminating audience, which includes a number of strip artists themselves, and so this strip stands a good chance of remaining to influence the course of American humor for many years to come.”  His words were prophetic. Barnaby’s fans have included Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, Family Circus creator Bil Keane, and graphic novelists Daniel Clowes, Art Spiegelman, and Chris Ware.

And, now that these strips will be available to new generations of readers, here’s hoping that Barnaby continues to influence and delight creators and fans of comic art!

For more on this news, check out Tom Spurgeon’s article in today’s Comics Reporter.