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Soper, Kerry D. Gary Larson and The Far Side. Great Comics Artists. Jackson: Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2018. Added by: joachim (8/29/19, 11:54 AM) Last edited by: joachim (8/29/19, 12:00 PM) |
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| Resource type: Book Language: en: English ID no. (ISBN etc.): 9781496817280 BibTeX citation key: Soper2018 Email resource to friend View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: "The Far Side", Aesthetics, Biography, Cartoon (single panel), Humor, Larson. Gary, USA Creators: Soper Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi (Jackson) |
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Kerry D. Soper reminds us of The Far Side’s groundbreaking qualities and cultural significance in Gary Larson and “The Far Side." In the 1980s, Gary Larson (b. 1950) shook up a staid comics page by introducing a set of aesthetic devices, comedic tones, and philosophical frames that challenged and delighted many readers, even while upsetting and confusing others. His irreverent, single panels served as an alternative reality to the tame comedy of the family-friendly newspaper comics page, as well as the pervasive, button-down consumerism and conformity of the Reagan era. In this first full study of Larson’s art, Soper follows the arc of the cartoonist’s life and career, describing the aesthetic and comedic qualities of his work, probing the business side of his success, and exploring how The Far Side brand as a whole—with its iconic characters and accompanying set of comedic and philosophical frames—connected with its core readers. In effect, Larson reinvented his medium by creatively working within, pushing against, and often breaking past institutional, aesthetic, comedic, and philosophical parameters. Due to the comic‘s great success, it opened the door for additional alternative voices in comics and other popular mediums. With its intentionally awkward, minimalistic lines and its morbid humor, The Far Side expanded Americans’ comedic palette and inspired up-and-coming cartoonists, comedians, and filmmakers. Soper re-creates the cultural climate and media landscape in which The Far Side first appeared and thrived, then assesses how it impacted worldviews and shaped the comedic sensibilities of a generation of cartoonists, comedy writers, and everyday fans. Table of Contents Acknowledgments (ix) Introduction (3) 1. The Accidental Cartoonist: Larson’s Life and Career (17) Works Cited (205) Added by: joachim Last edited by: joachim |