Prickly City by Scott Stantis for December 25, 2008

I think it is great that Stantis granted that four-year-old’s wish to draw the last image of Carmen for this year’s Prickly City Christmas strip.

George Herriman’s “Krazy Kat” also took place in the southwestern desert, and he would throw lots of little surrealist background scenery into the strip, such as huge trees growing out of tiny little clay pots. When he would draw a crescent moon in the sky, he would often draw it in three dimensions, like a scooped-out cantaloupe wedge. Such a moon would often appear in the daytime, as Herriman was never overly concerned (read: not at all concerned) with having the background consistent from panel to panel. I assume that Stantis is giving a nod to Herriman, and I approve. Although I often disagree with his politics, I admire Stantis as a good cartoonist and knowledgeable about the history of the form.