Michael Tisserand

In his much-anticipated biography Krazy, Michael Tisserand examines the fascinating role race played in the life and work of Krazy Kat cartoonist George Herriman. Born in 1880 to mixed-race parents, Herriman lived his life as a white man, keeping his heritage a secret. In print 1913–44, Krazy Kat’s blend of visual poetry and surrealistic settings made it among the most revered newspaper strips in comics history. Its fervent fans include Robert Crumb, Charles Schulz (Peanuts), and notoriously racist publisher William Randolph Hearst, who supported Herriman and the strip until the artist’s death.

New Orleans–based author of The Kingdom of Zydeco (1998) and Sugarcane Academy (2007), Tisserand signs books in the Wexner Center Store after the reading.

Cosponsored by Ohio State’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.