Herriman, George (1880-1944), was an influential American cartoonist. Herriman is best known for his comic strip “Krazy Kat.” The characters of Krazy Kat and Ignatz the mouse originated in an earlier Herriman comic strip called “The Dingbat Family.” They became an independent feature on July 2, 1911. Herriman drew “Krazy Kat” until his death.
In the comic strip, Krazy Kat loves Ignatz the mouse. However, Ignatz dislikes the cat, frequently hitting him in the head with a brick. Krazy Kat believes Ignatz’s assaults really reflect the mouse’s love. A third character, a policeman dog named Offissa Pup, secretly loves Krazy Kat and sides with the cat against Ignatz, frequently putting the mouse in jail. Most of the action takes place against a dreamlike background of the Arizona desert.
Herriman’s characters speak a distinctive style of poetic dialogue that extended the traditional limitations of language in comic strips. “Krazy Kat” revolutionized the visual style of comic strips. Several animated cartoons were based on “Krazy Kat” and modern painters and sculptors showed their admiration for Herriman by injecting references to his strip in their works.
George Joseph Herriman was born on Aug. 22, 1880, in New Orleans. Herriman drew “Krazy Kat” for newspapers published by William Randolph Hearst, a big fan the comic strip. In addition to “Krazy Kat,” Herriman created several other comic strips, drew editorial cartoons, and provided newspapers with illustrations. Herriman died on April 25, 1944.
