Cliff Sterrett

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cliff Sterrett (born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota) was a comic strip cartoonist who created Polly and Her Pals.

The strip was published in the New York Journal, with Sterrett handing over the daily strip to others, amongst them Paul Fung and Vernon Greene, in order to concentrate on the colored Sunday strip from which Sterrett retired in 1958.[1] Sterrett's work was influenced by the abstract art of the times, in the early 1920's incorporating "striking patterns of abstraction much in the style of cubism and surrealism."[2] Coulton Waugh noted this as being somewhat innovative, stating that such absorption in Sterrett's style "appeared in Polly long before modern art was accepted by American art critics."[3]

[edit] Polly and Her Pals

Polly was the first of a whole series of comic strips about flirting pretty girls, like Boots and Her Buddies by Edgar Martin, Blondie by Chic Young and Fritzi Ritz, the comic by Larry Whittington that would later spawn Nancy. Although it was highly influential, it was never very popular and lacked the merchandising and spin-off books many contemporary comic strips had.[4]

The comic was not only remarkable for its creation of a new subgenre and prototype,[5] but also for its cubism-inspired graphics.[4] It is now considered as one of the masterpieces of the American comic strips of the Interwar period, both for its graphical qualities as for its storytelling innovations and humor,[6] and Sterrett is lauded as one of the great innovators of the comic strip.[1] When Polly and Her Pals was included in the Library of Congress exhibition Cartoon America, it was praised for its unique graphic style,[7], and is considered to be together with Krazy Kat the epitome of the Art Deco style in comics.[8] It had considerable influence on many later cartoonists, including Jules Feiffer.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Kees Kousemaker. Cliff Sterrett. Comiclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
  2. ^ M. Thomas Inge. Comics as Culture, 82. 
  3. ^ Coulton Waugh. The Comics, 42. 
  4. ^ a b Don Markstein. Polly and Her Pals. Toonopedia. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
  5. ^ You've Come a Long Way, Joanie!. Center for Media Literacy. Retrieved on 2007-05-15. “For example, the first strip about a woman, "Polly and Her Pals," featured a "tall, attractive young lady with a mind of her own." She became a prototype. Even her "French doll" look, cast the mold for future generations of comic women”
  6. ^ Laurent Boileau (2005-06-05). Polly and Her Pals, 1929-1930 (French). ActuaBD. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
  7. ^ Laughs! Tears! Thrills!: Comic Strips. Library of Congress (2006-11-13). Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
  8. ^ Le Musée des Beaux-Arts. Centre National de la Bande Dessinée et de l'Image. Retrieved on 2007-05-15. “On pense particulièrement à Krazy Kat de George Herriman et surtout à Polly and her Pals de Cliff Sterrett.”
  9. ^ Dolores Kazanjian O'Brien (2003-11-14). Jules Feiffer Visits Port Washington Library. Port Washington News. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.