Larry Gonick
Encyclopedia
Larry Gonick is a cartoonist
best known for The Cartoon History of the Universe
, a history of the world in comic book
form, which he has been publishing in installments since 1977. He has also written The Cartoon History of the United States, and he has adapted the format for a series of co-written guidebooks on other subjects, beginning with The Cartoon Guide to Genetics in 1983. The diversity of his interests, and the success with which his books have met, have together earned Gonick the distinction of being "the most well-known and respected of cartoonists who have applied their craft to unravelling the mysteries of science" (Drug Discovery Today, March 2005).
. Each two-page comic discussed a recent scientific development, often one in interdisciplinary research. During the 1994-95 academic year, Gonick was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT
http://web.mit.edu/knight-science/. In 1997, his 14-issue series, Candide in China, published on the World Wide Web
, described Chinese inventions. He also writes the Kokopelli & Company
comic that appears in the magazine Muse
.
He drew the satirical, anti-corporate comic Commoners for Common Ground and later explained:
Since early 2009 Gonick has also drawn a humorous webcomic entitled Raw Materials that deals with technology and business matters, especially database administration.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
best known for The Cartoon History of the Universe
The Cartoon History of the Universe
The Cartoon History of the Universe is a book series about the history of the world. It is written and illustrated by American cartoonist, professor, and mathematician Larry Gonick. The final two volumes, published in 2007 and 2009, are named The Cartoon History of the Modern World volumes one and...
, a history of the world in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
form, which he has been publishing in installments since 1977. He has also written The Cartoon History of the United States, and he has adapted the format for a series of co-written guidebooks on other subjects, beginning with The Cartoon Guide to Genetics in 1983. The diversity of his interests, and the success with which his books have met, have together earned Gonick the distinction of being "the most well-known and respected of cartoonists who have applied their craft to unravelling the mysteries of science" (Drug Discovery Today, March 2005).
Comic strips and cartoons
From 1990 to 1997, Gonick penned a bimonthly "Science Classics" cartoon for the science magazine DiscoverDiscover (magazine)
Discover is an American science magazine that publishes articles about science for a general audience. The monthly magazine was launched in October 1980 by Time Inc. It was sold to Family Media, the owners of Health, in 1987. Walt Disney Company bought the magazine when Family Media went out of...
. Each two-page comic discussed a recent scientific development, often one in interdisciplinary research. During the 1994-95 academic year, Gonick was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
http://web.mit.edu/knight-science/. In 1997, his 14-issue series, Candide in China, published on the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
, described Chinese inventions. He also writes the Kokopelli & Company
Kokopelli & Company
Kokopelli & Company is a comic strip drawn by science historian and cartoonist Larry Gonick, aimed generally at ten- to fifteen-year-olds. Appearing monthly in Muse magazine, the strip relates the adventures of the nine New Muses, talented but definitely eccentric personalities tasked with helping...
comic that appears in the magazine Muse
Muse (magazine)
Muse is a children's magazine published by the Smithsonian Institution and Carus Publishing, the publishers of Cricket. Launched in October 1996, it is published in Chicago, Illinois, and has readers throughout the United States and around the world. Recommended for ages ten and above, it features...
.
He drew the satirical, anti-corporate comic Commoners for Common Ground and later explained:
- Feeling alternately mournful and enraged about the shameless expropriation of public space, public enterprise, publicly held goods like the atmosphere, oceans, and rivers, not to mention roads, parks, sidewalks, genomes, and the broadcast spectrum—indeed the very idea of the common good—I decided to do something about it! Well, say something, anyway.
Since early 2009 Gonick has also drawn a humorous webcomic entitled Raw Materials that deals with technology and business matters, especially database administration.