There are several comics to observe when looking at the birth of the comic strip, I focused on Krazy Kat by George Herriman. Why? Because I have heard rumors of its controversy. From my history of illustration class, I remember being told that during the time of it's production, people either 'got it' or didn't; loved it, or hated it. It didn't make sense to some people, but had a reputation for appealing to higher-class readers.
With this intriguing notion, I took it upon myself to read a number of Krazy Kat comics and make an assessment myself.
Surface observations: While not necessary, Herriman numbers the panels in the direction it's intended to be read. The artwork is very simple pen-work. There are a set of characters for the strip, though not all are used every time, and their personalities and relationships ride off of which animal they are. There is a strong southern/African American dialect written in to the character's dialogue. The stories of the strip all have a beginning, middle, and end, though there is an unusual feeling to them. Perhaps it is that (sometimes) there is not moral; and is always whimsical and playful. At times, I had to backtrack and look closely at the drawings to make sense of them--often I find difficulty in following the action because of confusing ink work.
Overall, I enjoy Krazy Kat comics. It think it's that whimsical and often cute quality of the stories. I'm also interested in the characters, particularly Krazy and Ignatz, whose relationship seems to ride on love/hate. I also find them strangely addicting -- I must read another!
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