The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 3 of 10)

2. Cityscapes and panoramas. See Curious George's ride down what I think of as Lexington Avenue in the 1950s, on top of a bus. Fascinating detail, down to every store front. See also the suburban street George rides on his bicycle as he abortively delivers newspapers. And there's a fabulous aerial view of Montmartre in the first book.

3. Size, perspective, and aerials. For a cartoonist to be able to imply vast distances is a considerable feat, and H.A. Rey does it over and over again. Check out George's wild flight into the sky on the tail of a kite, or look at the panel where he hides in the straw under the elephant -- with the elephant looking every bit as big AS an elephant must look to a monkey.

4. Self-portraits. Unfortunately, the modern combined edition of the original six or so Curious George books cuts off the original format horizontally. Every book contains at least one double-truck illustration that includes a self-portrait of Augusto, always smoking a pipe, and usually with a drawing pad in his lap. Augusto also peeks out of apartment doorways, looks out the doors of houses, and generally pops up throughout the strips.

5. Satire and observed detail. Check the movie producer's clothing, for example, in the panel where George signs a movie deal: the shadow-stripe suit, the heavy-rimmed tinted glasses, the tiny Italian loafers, the translucent ribbed socks.

6. Coherence of massed scenes. This is the most astounding stuff. In every story, George precipitates some disaster, generally involving lots of people in a big setting -- a farm, a hospital, a zoo, a city street. And every participant in these scenes is rendered in a few deft strokes, with the composition of the whole realized in stunning success.

p>H.A. Rey's skill as an illustrator is nowhere clearer than when you read some of the more modern knockoffs, written by Augusto's widow Margret, but illustrated by some inadequate publisher's hacks. It's enough to make you cry. br> -- Lawrence Henry br> North Andover, MA /p> p> USEFUL TOOLS br> Re: Dave Shiflett's SUV Heaven :

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