Action Philosophers! is a comic book series by artist Ryan Dunlavey and writer Fred Van Lente, which was awarded a Xeric Grant in late 2004, leading to Action Philosophers! # 1's publication in April 2005.
The series focuses on a concise biography of some of the most notable philosophers and their ideas. To quote the book's homepage:
ACTION PHILOSOPHERS! is a comic book series detailing the lives and thoughts of history's A-list brain trust in a hip and humorous way that proves that philosophy is not just the province of boring tweed-enveloped college professors.
The series concluded with issue # 9, published in September 2007. There are several trade paperback collections available, including a series of three, each of which collects three issues of the series and a single book that collects all 9 issues along with additional material.
Contents |
The Action Philosophers series employs broad humor and a cartoony art style with the goal of making the often complex and metaphorical ideas of philosophy more easily understood than a traditional text would. Pop culture references often occur, including radical changes in art style that pay homage to famous cartoonists including Jack Kirby, Charles M. Schulz and Bil Keane. The creators themselves sometimes appear in the comics - most notably in the Derrida story, in which the story deconstructs into itself. Philosophical theories are examined in as objective a light as possible, with emphasis often given to the thinkers themselves, and how their lives shaped their ideas.
Van Lente and Dunlavey actively discuss the series on their message board, and have even encouraged fans to vote on which philosopher should be highlighted in a future issues (as illustrated with issue # 6, "The People's Choice", and issue # 9, "The Lightning Round").
The series has been nominated for an Ignatz Outstanding Debut Award[1], as well as a positive review from Philosophy Now[2].
| Title | Material collected | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| Action Philosophers! Giant-size Thing 1 | Action Philosophers #1-3 | ISBN 0-9778329-0-2 |
| Action Philosophers! Giant-size Thing 2 | Action Philosophers #4-6 | ISBN 0-9778329-1-0 |
| Action Philosophers! Giant-size Thing 3 | Action Philosophers #7-9 | ISBN 0-9778329-2-9 |
| The More Than Complete Action Philosophers! | Action Philosophers #1-9, plus new content | ISBN 978-0-9778329-3-4 |