Jules Feiffer, cartoonist of acerbic wit and satire, dies at 95

Source: Washington Post

Jules Feiffer, cartoonist of acerbic wit and satire, dies at 95
The Pulitzer-winning writer found his voice in comics that provided a sardonic and sarcastic takedown of authority and conventional wisdom. He was also a playwright and screenwriter.

January 21, 2025 at 7:17 a.m. EST


Cartoonist and playwright Jules Feiffer in his New York City apartment on April 29, 1977. (Marty Lederhandler/AP)

By Ali Bahrampour

Jules Feiffer, the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, playwright, screenwriter and children's book author who was one of the most humorously neurotic literary voices of his generation, died Jan. 17 at his home in Upstate New York. He was 95. ... The cause was congestive heart failure, said his wife, JZ Holden.

Mr. Feiffer's weekly comic strip "Feiffer" -- initially called "Sick, Sick, Sick" -- ran in the Village Voice from 1956 to 2000 and was syndicated to more than 100 newspapers.

In an era defined by the nuclear bomb, the Cold War, racial tensions and the sexual revolution, Mr. Feiffer added his nerve-racked perspective to an influential cultural stage occupied by humorists such as Woody Allen, Mort Sahl, Lenny Bruce and the team of Mike Nichols and Elaine May.

Mr. Feiffer found his voice in comics that provided a sardonic and sarcastic takedown of authority and conventional wisdom. In addition, he told the Los Angeles Times, his work explored "how people use language not to communicate, and the use of power in relationships."

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2025/01/21/jules-feiffer-cartoonist-humorist-pulitzer-dead/

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https://www.lambiek.net/artists/f/feiffer.htm

Jules Feiffer
(26 January 1929 - 17 January 2025, USA)


Cartoon starring Feiffer's famous dancer.

Jules Feiffer is widely regarded as one of the most famous and influential American satirists of the 20th century. He started his career co-writing episodes of Will Eisner's 'The Spirit' (1940-1952) and creating his own gag comic 'Clifford' (1949-1951). Feiffer, however, made his strongest impact as an editorial cartoonist. His comic series 'Feiffer' (1956-1997) broke new ground by tackling taboos other cartoonists did not address. He effectively used his comic strip as an editorial column. His characters openly discussed relationships, sex, depression, family troubles, current events and existential angst. Voicing his strong personal opinions about political and social matters through his characters, Feiffer opened doors for many other alternative cartoonists. He also created the satirical graphic novel 'Tantrum' (1979) and the 'Kill My Mother' (2014-2018) trilogy, a pastiche of detective noir. Additionally gaining recognition as an author, playwright and screenwriter, his most enduring children's books are 'Munro' (1959) and 'The Man in the Ceiling' (1993). His play 'Little Murders' (1967) was well received, produced in New York and London, and made into a movie in 1971. Feiffer also wrote the script for the Alan Arkin movie 'Carnal Knowledge' (1971), starring Jack Nicholson, Candice Bergen and Art Garfunkel. With his influential book 'The Great Comic Book Heroes' (1965), Feiffer wrote one of the first essays on superhero comics. Jules Feiffer’s large body of work earned him a strong following among adult readers and many awards, including a 1986 Pulitzer Prize.

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