title: Shifting Sands Dusts Its Cheek in Powdered Beauty

Shifting Sands Dusts Its Cheek in Powdered Beauty

Lucy may have ganked the football from Charlie Brown, but the object of his affections (the elusive Little Red-Haired Girl) never beaned him with a brick. Likewise, while Linus may have occasionally dropped hints of philosophy as a lead-up to a gag, he never had the chance to indulge in an extended meditation on a door without a frame.

These jarring, elaborately decorated covers by Chris Ware are excellent fit for the Fantagraphics Krazy Kat collection. The Complete Peanuts covers succeed by embodying the comfort, familiarity and sheer iconography of the characters; this reissue of Krazy Kat delivers on lunatic intricacy, fine detail, and the promise of a newly-rediscovered intellectual treat.

Also note the bits of southwestern detail (Krazy Kat takes place in the Arizona Painted Desert). A nice touch; it’s difficult to incorporate southwestern style without invoking Taco Bell.

— , 2007-09-18 03:57:00 -0400

wonderful. as books and posters.

— Ian S. , 2007-09-19 05:16:00 -0400

Chris Ware continues to blow my mind.

— nate s. , 2007-09-19 05:30:00 -0400

The fonts really seem to make the covers don’t they? The fonts and the way they interact with the radical color schemes and forms…

I like them. They work as pieces of graphic art, book covers, and even pieces of art in their own right.

Refreshing…

— C-Dog , 2007-09-19 15:40:00 -0400

about time we see some good covers up in this mother fucker

— D-Dog , 2007-09-19 16:31:00 -0400

Not buying it. Yes they are elaborately decorated but so what the result is just visually irritating.

— beauGeste , 2007-09-20 00:44:00 -0400

Sorry about the bad punctuation.

Not buying it. Yes they are elaborately decorated but so what. The result is just visually irritating.

— beauGeste , 2007-09-20 00:47:00 -0400

I’ve got to second a little bit of what BeauGeste mentioned.

They’re all individually quite beautiful and exciting, but I think a little more carry-through would have helped this as a series. Something a little more constant, that perhaps helped to control the barrage of … well, everything else. As they are, am I the only one who finds them to be a bit visually exhausting?

— jasfitz , 2007-09-20 01:10:00 -0400

No you’re not the only one.. i’m with you and beauGeste on this for sure.

— Luke Tonge , 2007-09-20 02:47:00 -0400

am I the only one who finds them to be a bit visually exhausting?

i think that’s intended.

they do a great job of referencing the design of the time period (1913-1944 according to wikipedia), but giving it a surreal spin.

— jaclyn , 2007-09-20 03:46:00 -0400

As pretty as they are it took me four covers before I worked out what the title actually was.

I’m torn between loving the second-tier details, yet being frustrated that he seems to have missed some more basic points.

— jim , 2007-09-20 04:50:00 -0400

This is definitely a case where regular rules should not apply. Chris Ware has given these books an amazing series look with using diverse treatments on each cover, in the spirit of the comic. I believe that he hand letters the title as well. Hats off to C.W.

— jW , 2007-09-20 05:19:00 -0400

I was vaguely aware of the comic strip but actually did not make the connection when I first saw the covers. Could there be a better example of cover designs totally overwhelming the content of the book?
Aside from their “irrational exuberance”, which one can argue is the point of it all, they just don’t make the grade.

— beauGeste , 2007-09-20 05:59:00 -0400

I think it’s wonderful that they are all different and have their own flavor. The comic book genre thrives on that and it’s what makes it special and unique. What better platform to play with type, image (metaphor) and color…

It is true that the actual comic gets lost in it all though. But it’s stiff a fun bunch of covers to have on your shelf. The type and compositions are energetic and attractive.
Much of fantagraphis stuff end up looking very fun an busy when they make compendiums and galleries. I guess they want the strip to go out with a bang!

— Ian Shimkoviak , 2007-09-20 06:59:00 -0400

still

— Ian Shimkoviak , 2007-09-20 07:00:00 -0400

If Fantagraphics expected anyone to buy these who didn’t already know Herriman’s work, then beauGeste and jim might be right. These books are geared more for collectors, though, who’ll be far more likely to recognize the content despite the “overdesigned” covers.

— , 2007-09-20 08:37:00 -0400

Oh my. I hate these. But then I also don’t like Chris Ware’s work in general. He’s too cold.

These are too fussy and as James stated above – only folks who know the comix will want them.

— Dean , 2007-09-21 09:28:00 -0400

^Cold?

Really? Not in 1,000 adjectives would I choose cold.

— C-Dog , 2007-09-21 15:52:00 -0400

I might get to “cold” laterally, when thinking about these as I find them a bit overwrought. Beautiful to be sure, and I’ve seen and held these books lusting after them but only for the contents – not for the covers.

— , 2007-09-24 03:59:00 -0400

Men are really strange creatures. When presented with something beautiful, so many of you start to pick, pick, pick at what’s wrong with it.

And they wonder why women end up with eating disorders.

I’m sorry, but you all make me nuts.

— , 2007-09-24 11:33:00 -0400

^Best comment this year

— , 2007-09-24 18:16:00 -0400

I only get to “cold” laterally when somebody starts sneezing next to me on the F train.

Otherwise, I haven’t the slightest clue what that even means, if anything.

As for covers, these are fun in a Chronicle Books/design-section-of-the-bookstore way, meaning they’re supposed to look all designed to w/in an inch of their lives. Can’t read that script face, but then, maybe who cares because they’re pretty?

— Christian in NYC , 2007-09-26 07:49:00 -0400

I can read all of these no problem, and I like them a lot. Great job!

— , 2007-10-01 11:44:00 -0400

They’re fantastic, but the Ware fan would do better to admit that Ware + Herriman is a pretty bad fit.

— Martin Schneider , 2007-10-11 04:36:00 -0400

beautiful!

— , 2007-11-27 10:11:00 -0500

chris ware is just a freaking genius. he makes everything he touches beautiful.

i can understand the “visually exhausting” comments. Looking at these is like staring down a third bowl of ice cream. but they are just so damn pretty. I hate Krazy Kat and don’t understand why comics people are so nuts for Herriman. I was tempted to buy these solely for the covers.

— , 2008-11-10 10:12:00 -0500