Herblock: The Life and Works of the Great Political Cartoonist [Hardcover]

Herbert Block (Author), Harry L. Katz (Editor), Haynes Johnson (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2009

A celebration of the man and his work, including a DVD with 18,000-plus cartoons.

There was no one like him. Throughout a career spanning seventy-two years and thirteen American presidents, Herblock’s spare, folksy cartoons made complex issues seem simple and moral choices clear. Syndicated throughout the country, his cartoons focused on important issues of the time, making Americans take note of the human folly that is politics.

Published in conjunction with a Library of Congress exhibition chronicling his life and times, Herblock will warm the hearts of all who have followed his work in the past and serve as an introduction of his work to a new generation. It is a celebration of his life that reinforces the importance of editorial cartoons as a vital means for expressing political opinion in America. Haynes Johnson provides a reverent and insightful biography, while Harry Katz places Herblock and his work in context. In addition to more than two hundred fifty cartoons in the text, a DVD containing more than 18,000 cartoons completes the collection. 256 cartoons

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The diminishing profession of editorial cartooning has been a particularly doleful canary foretelling the decline of the daily newspaper format. In this context, this retrospective of the late cartoonist's work defiantly documents the extraordinary career of a daily visual commentator on American political life. Designed to accompany an exhibit at the Library of Congress, the book briefly outlines the artist's career and its historical context, starting with Herbert Block's early career during FDR's term. His first Pulitzer, in 1941, earned him independence when he came under editorial fire for advocating U.S. entry into WWII. After his own military service, he joined the Washington Post, an association that lasted until his death in 2001. The bulk of the book showcases highlights of the artist's seven-decade career. Politically independent but largely progressive, Herblock is presented as prescient on issues including McCarthyism (a term he coined), civil rights and environmentalism. Herblock's best cartoons do more than provide color commentary on political skirmishes. They manifest characters vividly: his viciously ineffectual Eisenhower brandishes a feather opposite an ax-wielding McCarthy, for instance. The book is accompanied by a DVD containing 18,000 cartoons, a nearly complete collection of Herblock's indispensable oeuvre. (Oct.)
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Review

“[A]s this generous selection of cartoons verifies, [Herblock] was drawing his trademark fat-cat big shots and portentous atmospheres (he was a master of shading) virtually from the beginning. Castigated as a knee-jerk liberal, he was really on the side of the little guy, repeatedly pointing out how big labor as well as big business, homegrown demagogues as well as exotic dictators, oppressed the common person.... Herblock’s Post reporter colleague Johnson, cartoon curator Katz, and the man himself, via snippets from his occasional writings, contribute to the text, and a DVD containing more than 18,000 cartoons accompanies the book.” (Ray Olson - Booklist )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; Har/DVD edition (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393067726
• ISBN-13: 978-0393067729
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Cartooning
  • #41 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Artists, Architects & Photographers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The art of annoying the right people, November 6, 2009

By 

Robin Benson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Herblock: The Life and Works of the Great Political Cartoonist (Hardcover)

A fitting and wonderful retrospective celebration of America's greatest political cartoonist of the last five decades, published to coincide with a Library of Congress exhibition of Herblock's art. The bulk of the book (212 pages) has a large cartoon per page and a short commentary below to put it in the context of the times though various themes are explored with a spread or two: Cold War; Civil rights; Watergate; Reagan for example.

The first cartoon is from October 14, 1929 with a slightly crude drawing style but turn over the page to a drawing from 1933 and you can detect the first signs of Block's signature style: fluid motion of figures; strong lines that vary in thickness and the wonderful use of graduated tints. By the time he joined the Washington Post (permanently) in 1945 his artwork was perfect. Not only great drawings to look at but he had the knack of presenting complex political points in everyday situations that readers could easily grasp. I think his creation of Mr Atom, the bomb-shaped personality from the Cold War years is a good example of this.

Apart from the cartoons the front of the book has a couple of worthwhile essays about Herblock's life and the art of the political cartoon. Back pages have some fascinating insights by him and how he goes about creating his daily art.

I would be happy with the book as it is but to have a DVD with 18,000 cartoons is really the cherry on top of the cake. Using Adobe Acrobat it's easy to navigate through the material starting with cartoons from Herblock's high school years then just follow each year and see every cartoon up to his last on August 23, 2001. Text material on the disc includes his books, awards and nicely you can check out some online resources.

The book, the DVD make this a brilliant tribute to cartoonist who made a difference.

***SEE INSIDE THE BOOK by clicking 'customer images' under the cover.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars APT TRIBUTE TO AN ICONIC THINKER AND ARTIST, November 18, 2009

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Herblock: The Life and Works of the Great Political Cartoonist (Hardcover)

What can you do? When it comes to national politics and politicians sometimes all we can do is cry or laugh. Thank goodness for the late great editorial cartoonist Herb Block who helped us laugh in both the best of times and the worst of times. Yes, we chuckled whether it was at Adolf Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, the Great Depression, the New Deal or the atomic age. Block's work, which covered nearly 75 years serves as a record of our history, pinpointing events that shaped our country politically, culturally, and socially.

Words cannot describe Block's contributions but reproductions of his cartoons found in HERBLOCK surely do. We're reminded of how his work influenced both politicians and public opinion when we note that in the early 1930's with Hitler on the horizon Block warned of the Nazi menace. He revealed Huey Long for who he truly was portraying Long screaming into a microphone as before him a figure wrapped in chains represented Louisiana.

There was little that he did not tackle and for this he received numerous honors plus three Pulitzer Prizes as well as a place in the hearts and minds of countless Americans.

HERBLOCK offers some 200 of Block's cartoons presented in historic order plus a DVD containing 18,000 cartoons. A magnificent collection and apt tribute to an iconic thinker and artist!

Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cartoons with a punch, December 15, 2009

By 

wogan "the book reader" - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Herblock: The Life and Works of the Great Political Cartoonist (Hardcover)

Herblock ...a good editorial cartoonist is sent as a political conscience is pointed out and is probably the most apt description of this great talent.
Perhaps his most telling works are those done at the beginning of the conflicts that developed into WWII. Some of the most startling predictors of the conflict to come are those done even in the 30's concerning the ongoing problems in Europe. How talented and preeminent his genius was can be illustrated by the cartoon done in May of 1941 before the invasion of Russia by Germany. It shows the ghosts of Napoleon's retreating army meeting up with the soldiers of advancing Germans.
Each one of his works are interspersed with Herblock's biography, his work history and philosophy. The cartoons have a bit of explanation, making it easy to understand the point of each work, even if you are not familiar with that instant and time and crisis in history.
What a wonderful career he had, is shown, beginning with the bank failures in 1933 to George Bush and the NEA lobbyist in 2001. The work he did is wonderfully illustrated in an included DVD. It is a great resource for anyone engrossed in further and complete explorations of his work. Teachers would be well advised to use this marvelous resource both for history and political science classes, even as comparisons to current events - just a wonderful work and collection.