Chris Ware

Franklin Christenson Ware (born December 28, 1967) is an American comic book artist and cartoonist, best-known for a series of comics called the Acme Novelty Library, and a graphic novel, Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he currently resides in Oak Park, Illinois. Ware's art is extremely eclectic in its influence, largely reflecting his love of early-20th century American aesthetics in both cartooning and graphic design. He can go from one artistic style to another with little conspicuous effort. While a handful of critics have accused Ware's work of being cold and overly obsessed with technique, the majority have come away impressed with his command of the medium and seemingly limitless willingness to experiment. The more canny observer can see the strong influence of early cartoonists like Winsor McCay and Frank King (creator of Gasoline Alley) in Ware's work, especially in terms of layout and visual and storyline flow. Outside the comics genre, Ware has found inspiration and a kindred soul in Joseph Cornell, both men sharing a need to capture items of nostaliga, grace, and beauty within "boxes." He has been called "the Emily Dickinson of comics." http://www.randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphicnovels/warekiddprint.html

Recurring characters and stories

Quimby the Mouse was an early character for Ware and a bit of a breakthrough as far as his current approach to comics is concerned. Rendered in the style of an early animation character like Felix the Cat, Quimby the Mouse is perhaps Ware's most autobiographical character. Quimby's relationship with a cat head named Sparky is by turns conflict-ridden and loving, and thus intended to reflect all human relationships. While Quimby retains mobility, Sparky remains immobile and helpless, subject to all the indignities Quimby visits upon him. Quimby has also been seen in the role of narrator for Ware's reminiscences of his youth, in particular his relationship with his grandmother. Quimby was presented in a series of smaller panels than most comics, almost providing the illusion of motion ala a zoetrope. In fact, Ware once designed a zoetrope that could be cut out and constructed by the reader in order to watch a Quimby "silent movie". Ware's ingenuity is neatly shown in this willingness to break from the confines of the page.

Related Topics:
Quimby the Mouse - Felix the Cat - Zoetrope - Silent movie

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Later issues of Acme Novelty Library serialized Ware's semi-autobiographical novel Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth. This was later published in book form to enormous acclaim from not only the comics press but the mainstream as well. The book won The Guardian First Book Award for 2001, the first time a graphic novel has won a major United Kingdom book award. Ware was also the first comics artist ever to be invited to exhibit in the prestigious Whitney Museum biennial exhibition, in 2002. Ware has also exhibited in Europe.

Related Topics:
Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth - The Guardian - 2001 - United Kingdom - Whitney Museum - 2002

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Ware is currently at work on Rusty Brown, a series ostensibly about an action figure collecting manchild and his somewhat troubled childhood, but which, in Ware's typical fashion, diverges into multiple storylines about Brown's father's early life in the 1950s as a science fiction writer and his best friend Chalky White's adult home life.

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Ware recently finished a shorter story, called "Building Stories." The Sunday New York Times Magazine has started serializing the piece with the September 18th, 2005 issue.

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Another recurring Ware character is the Super-man (not to be confused with Superman). In interviews, Ware has expressed the thought that were Superman real, he would probably indulge his every desire, growing fat and selfishly taking advantage of the world around him. Ware's Super-man resembles the way Ware drew God during the early part of his career, even wearing the same caped costume and domino mask and having the same slightly sadistic personality; it is unclear whether God can be distinguished from the Super-man in Ware's work. The Super-man also turns up in Jimmy Corrigan as an ambiguous and somewhat abusive mentor.

Related Topics:
Super-man - Superman - God

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