Origins & Early Life

George Joseph Herriman III (August 22, 1880 – April 25, 1944) was an American cartoonist best known for the comic strip Krazy Kat (1913–1944). More influential than popular, Krazy Kat had an appreciative audience among those in the arts. Gilbert Seldes' article "The Krazy Kat Who Walks by Himself" was the earliest example of a critic from the high arts giving serious attention to a comic strip. The Comics Journal placed the strip first on its list of the greatest comics of the 20th century.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Herriman's work has been a primary influence on cartoonists such as Elzie C. Segar, Will Eisner, Walt Kelly, Charles M. Schulz, Robert Crumb, Art Spiegelman, Bill Watterson, and Chris Ware. Herriman was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to mixed-race Creole parents, and grew up in Los Angeles. After he graduated from high school in 1897, he worked in the newspaper industry as an illustrator and engraver.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He moved on to cartooning and comic strips—a medium then in its infancy—and drew a variety of strips until he introduced his most famous character, Krazy Kat, in his strip The Dingbat Family in 1910. A Krazy Kat daily strip began in 1913, and from 1916 the strip also appeared on Sundays. It was noted...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alfred Wegener — Contemporary (Born in 1880) (1880): Pioneering geophysicist known for proposing the theory of continental drift.
• Alice Bailey — Contemporary (Born in 1880) (1880): American esoteric writer known for neo-theosophical works and pioneering New Age concepts.
• André Derain — Contemporary (Born in 1880) (1880): Pioneering French painter, co-founder of Fauvism, known for vibrant colorism and later classicism.
• Aimee Semple McPherson — Contemporary (Died in 1944) (1944): Pioneering Pentecostal evangelist, famous for founding the Foursquare Church.
• Alan Parker — Contemporary (Born in 1944) (1944): Acclaimed English filmmaker known for genre versatility and numerous BAFTA and Golden Globe wins.
• Ali Sayad Shirazi — Contemporary (Born in 1944) (1944): Key Iranian military commander during the Iran-Iraq War, assassinated in 1999.
• Alexander Bogdanov — Shared historical date (08-22 · Born) (1873): Polymath philosopher, pioneer of blood transfusion, and key Bolshevik revolutionary.
• Bartholomew Gosnold — Shared historical date (08-22 · Died) (1607): English barrister, explorer, and privateer key to Virginia's founding.
• Al Pacino — Shared historical date (04-25 · Born) (1940): Intense American actor celebrated for his powerful stage and screen performances.
• Alexander Knox — Shared historical date (04-25 · Died) (1995): Esteemed Canadian actor and writer, known for dramatic roles and literary contributions.
• 1880 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1880
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• 1944 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1944
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