Rick Altergott
Encyclopedia
Rick Altergott is a professional illustrator
and cartoonist
, residing in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
, with his wife, fellow cartoonist Ariel Bordeaux. Their collaborative comic book Raisin Pie is published by Fantagraphics.
Altergott is best known for Doofus
, a long-running series published by Fantagraphics, notorious for its low-brow
, scatological
humor. Doofus chronicles the misadventures of two small-town weirdos, Doofus and Henry Hotchkiss.
Altergott's first published work was in the early 1980s, but he didn't really settle into the comics world until late in the decade, when he contributed regularly to the humor magazine Cracked. Throughout the 1990s Altergott published the small-press comic Douche Bag Dougan (the titular hero of which later made an appearance in Fantagraphics' Zero Zero anthology.) Altergott's work has also appeared in Duplex Planet Illustrated and Hate (both published by Fantagraphics), where he was repeatedly promoted by Peter Bagge
.
In September 2006, Altergott released a serious biblical
mini-comic based on the life of Saint Matthias
. In 2008, Altergott and Bordeaux contributed to the anthology Kramers Ergot
7.
Altergott is good friends with cartoonist Daniel Clowes
, and lived in Chicago for a period when Clowes also lived there. Due to the similarities in their drawing styles, some observers have suggested that Altergott is a pseudonym for Clowes, allowing Clowes to draw in a different, Wally Wood
-inspired style. This is untrue.
:
Gilbert Hernandez
:
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
and cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, residing in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
, with his wife, fellow cartoonist Ariel Bordeaux. Their collaborative comic book Raisin Pie is published by Fantagraphics.
Altergott is best known for Doofus
Doofus (comics)
Doofus is an alternative comic by Rick Altergott about two foolish creeps, Doofus and his pal Henry Hotchkiss, and their adventures in Flowertown USA...
, a long-running series published by Fantagraphics, notorious for its low-brow
Lowbrow (art movement)
Lowbrow, or lowbrow art, describes an underground visual art movement that arose in the Los Angeles, California, area in the late 1970s. Lowbrow is a widespread populist art movement with origins in the underground comix world, punk music, hot-rod street culture, and other subcultures. It is also...
, scatological
Scatology
In medicine and biology, scatology or coprology is the study of feces.Scatological studies allow one to determine a wide range of biological information about a creature, including its diet , healthiness, and diseases such as tapeworms. The word derives from the Greek σκώρ In medicine and biology,...
humor. Doofus chronicles the misadventures of two small-town weirdos, Doofus and Henry Hotchkiss.
Altergott's first published work was in the early 1980s, but he didn't really settle into the comics world until late in the decade, when he contributed regularly to the humor magazine Cracked. Throughout the 1990s Altergott published the small-press comic Douche Bag Dougan (the titular hero of which later made an appearance in Fantagraphics' Zero Zero anthology.) Altergott's work has also appeared in Duplex Planet Illustrated and Hate (both published by Fantagraphics), where he was repeatedly promoted by Peter Bagge
Peter Bagge
Peter Bagge is an American cartoonist. He is the creator of Buddy Bradley, Hate, Neat Stuff, Martini Baton, and Sweatshop, Apocalypse Nerd and Other Lives. His stories often use black humor and exaggerated cartooning to dramatize the reduced expectations of middle-class American youth...
.
In September 2006, Altergott released a serious biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
mini-comic based on the life of Saint Matthias
Saint Matthias
Matthias , according to the Acts of the Apostles, was the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas' betrayal of Jesus and his suicide.-Biography:...
. In 2008, Altergott and Bordeaux contributed to the anthology Kramers Ergot
Kramers Ergot
Kramers Ergot is a series of anthology-style books of comic art edited by Sammy Harkham.-Publication history:Kramers Ergot started as a mini-comic self-published by Sammy Harkham under the imprint Avodah Books...
7.
Altergott is good friends with cartoonist Daniel Clowes
Daniel Clowes
Daniel Gillespie Clowes is an American author, screenwriter and cartoonist of alternative comic books....
, and lived in Chicago for a period when Clowes also lived there. Due to the similarities in their drawing styles, some observers have suggested that Altergott is a pseudonym for Clowes, allowing Clowes to draw in a different, Wally Wood
Wally Wood
Wallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. He was one of Mads founding cartoonists in 1952. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he...
-inspired style. This is untrue.
Quotes
Daniel ClowesDaniel Clowes
Daniel Gillespie Clowes is an American author, screenwriter and cartoonist of alternative comic books....
:
Gilbert Hernandez
Gilbert Hernandez
Gilberto Hernández, born February 1, 1957, in Oxnard, California, usually credited as Gilbert Hernandez and also known by the nickname Beto , is an American comics writer/artist...
: