George Herriman (1880–1944, seen in a self-portrait) was an American cartoonist best known for the comic strip Krazy Kat (1913–44). He started as a newspaper cartoonist in 1897 and introduced Krazy Kat in the strip The Dingbat Family in 1910. A Krazy Kat strip began in 1913; in its main motif, Ignatz Mouse pelted Krazy with bricks, which the naïve Kat interpreted as symbols of love. The strip was noted for its poetic dialogue, fantastic backgrounds, and experimental page layouts. Herriman was drawn to the landscapes of Monument Valley and the Enchanted Mesa, and his artwork used Navajo and Mexican motifs against shifting desert backgrounds. More influential than popular, Krazy Kat had an appreciative audience among people 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. Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst gave Herriman a lifetime contract with King Features Syndicate, guaranteeing him a comfortable living. The Comics Journal placed the strip first on its list of the greatest comics of the 20th century, and his work has been a primary influence on many cartoonists.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Herriman

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

312:

Constantine the Great defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in Rome. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Milvian_Bridge

1886:

In New York Harbor, U.S. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty (pictured), a gift from France, to commemorate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty

1893:

In Saint Petersburg, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky led the first performance of his Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Pathétique, nine days before his death. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._6_(Tchaikovsky)

1995:

The world's deadliest subway disaster took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, when an electrical malfunction caused a fire that killed 289 passengers and injured 265 more. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Baku_Metro_fire

2009:

The detonation of a car bomb by an as-yet unidentified party in Peshawar, Pakistan, killed 137 people and injured more than 200 others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/28_October_2009_Peshawar_bombing

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

mulct: (law) A fine or penalty, especially a pecuniary one. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mulct

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

I see the triumph of good over evil as a manifestation of the error-correcting process of evolution.   --Jonas Salk https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jonas_Salk