George Herriman, 1880-1944, is considered to be a genius and the finest of all of America’s comic strip artists. The color images in the museum collection were done as presentation pieces or gifts for friends. Herriman lived in Hollywood and drew many of his comic strips at Hal Roach Studios.
Click here to see it in greater detail and a larger version will open in it's own page. To return to this page just close the new window.
At the studio, Harley M. “Beanie” Walker, was the writer of
the title cards on the Laurel and Hardy films. Walker, a former newspaperman,
was Herriman’s best friend.
Two of the color pieces in the museum collection were done as presents
for Walker. The 1939 seated image was done for an anniversary. The larger
watercolor with the house (below), has a rare self-portrait of Herriman
bringing his Anniversary artwork 3 days late to the Walkers by handcar.
Click
here to see the watercolor below in a much larger size on a separate page.
The color close-up image [below] is from a large piece painted for Jean Harlow and Hal Roach. Roach discovered Harlow. Herriman draws the pair in Arizona with the various Native American tribes playing cupid. Click here to see the full art.
The above left image is most likely the largest painting Herriman ever drew with his Krazy Kat characters. It was painted at a party on a 3 foot by 4 foot window shade for his daughter Toots. On the right is George Herriman’s self-portrait.
Above are two strips. The one on top is "The Water Lilly” the
daily Krazy Kat comic strip for June 1, 1931. Below it is “The Dingbat
Family,” a 1913 daily comic strip featuring Ignatz, Krazy Kat, and
the brick at the bottom. This large size original is very early, before
Krazy Kat had become a strip with its own title.
Left: Krazy Kat Sunday page from March 12, 1944. This is one of the last Krazy Kat strips done before George Herriman's death in 1944.
The Museum is interested in adding more Herriman watercolor
art and original Sunday and daily comic strip original art to the collection.
Please send pictures of what you have or contact John Fawcett, Fawcett’s
Antique Toy &Art Museum, P.O.Box 1156, 3506 Atlantic Highway [Route One], Waldoboro,
Maine 04572. Phone 207 832-7398 7am to 8:30 pm Eastern.
Email fawcetoy@gwi.net
