Griffith "Zips" through an engaging lecture
Cartoonist and satirist Bill Griffith gave a lecture, "Up from the Underground with Zippy: 38 Years and Still Climbing," regarding the development of his successful comic strip, Zippy the Pinhead, last Thursday in the Mattin Center to a crowd of avid fans.
Zippy the Pinhead is a nationally syndicated comic strip which runs in publications such as the Baltimore Sun and the Washington Post. It is best known for its quirky sense of humor, poetic pacing and its eccentric approach to deconstructing American icons and staples of consumerism.
His presentation was the sixth in a series of annual artist talks that have taken place in the Mattin Center, courtesy of the Homewood Arts Workshops and Homewood Arts Programs. Previous lecturers have included other cartoonists such as Phoebe Gloeckner.
Griffith greeted the audience sounding a little shy, but soon found his groove once he launched into his presentation. The crowd, which consisted for the most part of fans old enough to have been with Zippy since inception, was quick to accommodate Griffith with eager ears.
Zippy the Pinhead has led an interesting life, garnering attention from all over the globe. Those who, as Griffith phrased, "don't get it" have often criticized the strip as being indecipherable and not reader-friendly. Actor Robin Williams once remarked, "Zippy is like a word processor with dyslexia." Despite any supposed drawbacks to the strip, through the calm, collected voice of Griffith, the simple brilliance of America's most notorious comic pinhead shone forth.
Zippy the Pinhead collects together a variety of influences, creating a smorgasbord of American low-brow culture as art. The strip revolves around the title character, who spouts semi-nonsensical observations with his bizarre cast of friends and collaborators. Among these are Griffy, the cartoon version of creator Griffith, Claude Funston, the tortured embodiment of the loyal American citizen, Zerbina, Zippy's off-again, on-again wife, Mr. Toad, an aggressive manipulator, Shelf Life, Griffith's fast-talking scam artist, and more.
Zippy the Pinhead is a nationally syndicated comic strip which runs in publications such as the Baltimore Sun and the Washington Post. It is best known for its quirky sense of humor, poetic pacing and its eccentric approach to deconstructing American icons and staples of consumerism.
His presentation was the sixth in a series of annual artist talks that have taken place in the Mattin Center, courtesy of the Homewood Arts Workshops and Homewood Arts Programs. Previous lecturers have included other cartoonists such as Phoebe Gloeckner.
Griffith greeted the audience sounding a little shy, but soon found his groove once he launched into his presentation. The crowd, which consisted for the most part of fans old enough to have been with Zippy since inception, was quick to accommodate Griffith with eager ears.
Zippy the Pinhead has led an interesting life, garnering attention from all over the globe. Those who, as Griffith phrased, "don't get it" have often criticized the strip as being indecipherable and not reader-friendly. Actor Robin Williams once remarked, "Zippy is like a word processor with dyslexia." Despite any supposed drawbacks to the strip, through the calm, collected voice of Griffith, the simple brilliance of America's most notorious comic pinhead shone forth.
Zippy the Pinhead collects together a variety of influences, creating a smorgasbord of American low-brow culture as art. The strip revolves around the title character, who spouts semi-nonsensical observations with his bizarre cast of friends and collaborators. Among these are Griffy, the cartoon version of creator Griffith, Claude Funston, the tortured embodiment of the loyal American citizen, Zerbina, Zippy's off-again, on-again wife, Mr. Toad, an aggressive manipulator, Shelf Life, Griffith's fast-talking scam artist, and more.
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xtina
posted 1/12/09 @ 5:34 PM EST
Mr. Toad is still my favorite. And the next time I have to vote for a president, I'm voting for Zippy. I always vote for Ralph Nader but they won't allow him to be a candidate; since Zippy is the much better consumer maybe they will let him run. (Continued…)
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