Peter Kuper
Encyclopedia
Peter Kuper is an American
alternative cartoonist
and illustrator known for his autobiographical, social, and political observations.
, and moved to Cleveland, Ohio
when he was six years old, where he graduated from Cleveland Heights High School
in 1976. He attended Kent State University
in 1976-1977, then moved to New York City
in 1977, where he studied at Art Students League and the Pratt Institute
(along with his childhood friend and World War 3 Illustrated co-founder Seth Tobocman). In 1970 Kuper and Tobocman published their first fanzine, "Phanzine" and in 1971 published "G.A.S Lite" the official magazine of the Cleveland Graphic Arts Society. In 1972 Kuper traded R. Crumb some old jazz records for the right to publish some artwork from one of Crumb's sketchbooks in a comic titled Melotoons that lasted for two issues. For a short period he acted as studio assistant for cartoonist Howard Chaykin
.
Kuper has traveled extensively through Latin America
, Europe
, Africa
, the Middle East
and Southeast Asia
, much of which he documented in his 1992 book, ComicsTrips: A Journal of Travels Through Africa and Southeast Asia. He lived in Israel
in 1969-70. Though permanently based in New York City, Kuper and his wife and daughter resided in the Mexican state of Oaxaca
2006-2008, where he documented an ongoing teachers' strike and other aspects of Mexico in his book Diario de Oaxaca.
, which he co-founded in 1979 with Seth Tobocman
, Kuper is currently best known for taking over Spy vs. Spy
for Mad magazine
; it had passed through various hands after its creator Antonio Prohías
retired, but Kuper's version has appeared without interruption since 1997.
Kuper has produced numerous graphic novels which have been translated into French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish and Greek, including award-winning adaptations of Franz Kafka
's Give It Up!
and the Metamorphosis.
Kuper's Eye of the Beholder was the first comic strip to ever regularly appear in the New York Times and his autobiography Stop Forgetting to Remember covers the birth of his daughter, 9/11, and other vicissitudes in his life from 1995-2005.
His most recent book Diario De Oaxaca is a sketchbook journal of his time in living in Mexico (2006–2008).
, Newsweek
, Businessweek
and The Progressive
. He has done hundreds of illustrations for newspapers including The New York Times
. Kuper has been co-art director of the political illustration group INX since 1988.
to be an expert defense witness in the trial of Florida cartoonist Mike Diana
. In 2004 The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund defended Kuper when U.S. Customs seized a shipment containing the Eastern European publication Stripburger which had published Kuper's Richie Rich parody
, Richie Bush. After The CBLDF lawyers were brought in to argue that parody was not piracy, custom agents relented.
His wordless picture story Sticks and Stones was awarded the 2004 gold medal and his comic "This Is Not A Comic" won a silver medal in 2009 both from the Society of Illustrators.
He won another gold medal in the sequential arts category from the Society of Illustrators in 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative cartoonist
Alternative comics
Alternative comics defines a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to "mainstream" superhero comics which in the past have dominated the US comic book industry...
and illustrator known for his autobiographical, social, and political observations.
Early life
Peter Kuper was born in Summit, New JerseySummit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
, and moved to Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
when he was six years old, where he graduated from Cleveland Heights High School
Cleveland Heights High School
Cleveland Heights High School is the senior high school of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District.-History:Cleveland Heights High School was founded in 1901...
in 1976. He attended Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
in 1976-1977, then moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1977, where he studied at Art Students League and the Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
(along with his childhood friend and World War 3 Illustrated co-founder Seth Tobocman). In 1970 Kuper and Tobocman published their first fanzine, "Phanzine" and in 1971 published "G.A.S Lite" the official magazine of the Cleveland Graphic Arts Society. In 1972 Kuper traded R. Crumb some old jazz records for the right to publish some artwork from one of Crumb's sketchbooks in a comic titled Melotoons that lasted for two issues. For a short period he acted as studio assistant for cartoonist Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
.
Kuper has traveled extensively through Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, much of which he documented in his 1992 book, ComicsTrips: A Journal of Travels Through Africa and Southeast Asia. He lived in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1969-70. Though permanently based in New York City, Kuper and his wife and daughter resided in the Mexican state of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
2006-2008, where he documented an ongoing teachers' strike and other aspects of Mexico in his book Diario de Oaxaca.
Comics
Besides his contributions to the political anthology World War 3 IllustratedWorld War 3 Illustrated
World War 3 Illustrated is an American comics anthology magazine with a left-wing political focus, founded in 1980 by New York comic book artists Peter Kuper and Seth Tobocman, and painter Christof Kohlhofer, and subsequently produced by a collective with a rotating editorship...
, which he co-founded in 1979 with Seth Tobocman
Seth Tobocman
Seth Tobocman is a radical comic book artist who has been living in Manhattan's Lower East Side since 1978. Tobocman is best known for his creation of the political comic book World War 3 Illustrated, which he started in 1979 with fellow artist Peter Kuper...
, Kuper is currently best known for taking over Spy vs. Spy
Spy vs. Spy
Spy vs. Spy is a black and white comic strip that debuted in Mad magazine #60, dated January 1961, and was originally published by EC Comics. The strip was created by Antonio Prohías.The Spy vs...
for Mad magazine
Mad (magazine)
Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
; it had passed through various hands after its creator Antonio Prohías
Antonio Prohias
Antonio Prohías , born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, was a cartoonist most famous for creating the comic strip Spy vs. Spy for MAD Magazine....
retired, but Kuper's version has appeared without interruption since 1997.
Kuper has produced numerous graphic novels which have been translated into French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish and Greek, including award-winning adaptations of Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
's Give It Up!
Give It Up! (comics)
Give It Up! is a comics adaptation of nine short stories by Franz Kafka drawn by Peter Kuper.In the introduction, by Jules Feiffer, Kuper's adaptations are described as "riffs, visual improvisations."-The Stories:* A Little Fable* The Bridge...
and the Metamorphosis.
Kuper's Eye of the Beholder was the first comic strip to ever regularly appear in the New York Times and his autobiography Stop Forgetting to Remember covers the birth of his daughter, 9/11, and other vicissitudes in his life from 1995-2005.
His most recent book Diario De Oaxaca is a sketchbook journal of his time in living in Mexico (2006–2008).
Illustration
As an illustrator Kuper has produced covers for TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, Businessweek
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
and The Progressive
The Progressive
The Progressive is an American monthly magazine of politics, culture and progressivism with a pronounced liberal perspective on some issues. Known for its pacifism, it has strongly opposed military interventions, such as the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The magazine also devotes much coverage...
. He has done hundreds of illustrations for newspapers including The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. Kuper has been co-art director of the political illustration group INX since 1988.
Legal issues
In 1994 Kuper was asked by the Comic Book Legal Defense FundComic Book Legal Defense Fund
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a United States non-profit organization created in 1986 to protect the First Amendment rights of comics creators, publishers, and retailers covering legal expenses....
to be an expert defense witness in the trial of Florida cartoonist Mike Diana
Mike Diana
Michael Christopher "Mike" Diana is an underground cartoonist who became the first artist ever to receive a criminal conviction for obscenity for artwork in the United States.-Early life:...
. In 2004 The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund defended Kuper when U.S. Customs seized a shipment containing the Eastern European publication Stripburger which had published Kuper's Richie Rich parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
, Richie Bush. After The CBLDF lawyers were brought in to argue that parody was not piracy, custom agents relented.
Teaching
Kuper has taught courses in comics and illustration at Parsons School of Design (2002–2004) and The School of Visual Arts (1986–present).Awards
Kuper won a journalism award from The Society of Newspaper Designers in 2001.His wordless picture story Sticks and Stones was awarded the 2004 gold medal and his comic "This Is Not A Comic" won a silver medal in 2009 both from the Society of Illustrators.
He won another gold medal in the sequential arts category from the Society of Illustrators in 2010.
External links
- Complete list of Kuper's work for MAD Magazine
- INX
- Le Sketch: mini-comic with Peter Kuper's sketches.