by Calvin and Hobbes, Bloom County, Peanuts, Doonsbury, The Far Side — these were the works that helped inform much of my childhood and adult life. What they managed to capture in few panels and words resonated as deeply as books and speeches and song. They said funny things, important things, silly things, true things. They made me think and they made me feel. They were art in every sense of the word, and commentary and escapism. They’ve continued to be all that and more as print has faded and the web has provided an even larger, even more accessible platform. And Stripped, the incredible documentary by Dave Kellett and Frederick Schroeder that covers that transition, has collected the pioneers of the industry, of all generations, together for an unprecedented set of interviews, and a peek inside how and why it matters so much to so many of us. Check out the blurb below for all the details, then go grab it — and gift it if the mood strikes you! — on iTunes. It really deserves our support.
$14.99 – Download now
STRIPPED is a love-letter to comic strips. It brings together the world’s best cartoonists to talk about the art form they love, and what happens to it as newspapers die. Over 90 interviews were conducted, including the first-ever audio interview withBill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes), as well as Jim Davis (Garfield), Cathy Guisewite(Cathy), Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey), Mike & Jerry (Penny Arcade), Matt Inman (The Oatmeal), Jeff Keane (The Family Circus), Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics), Lynn Johnston (FBOFW), Zach Weiner (SMBC), Scott Kurtz (PvP), Scott McCloud(Understanding Comics), Richard Thompson (Cul de Sac), Jeph Jacques(Questionable Content), Stephan Pastis (Pearls Before Swine), Bill Amend (Foxtrot), Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant) and more. STRIPPED sits down with these creators to talk about how cartooning works, why it’s so loved, and how they’re navigating this dicey period between print and digital options…when neither path works perfectly.
