The K Chronicles
Encyclopedia
The K Chronicles is the autobiographical comic strip by independent cartoonist Keith Knight. Until February 2010 one could find it updated every Wednesday at Salon.com
. The strip previously appeared in the San Francisco Examiner.
Knight is an African-American artist who lives in Los Angeles
. His comics often explore themes relevant to his racial heritage, as well as current events, both personal to Keef and general to the world.
Kerstin Konietzka-Knight -Keith's Germany-born wife.
George W. Bush
-Keith has mercilessly lampooned the President of the United States and his administration since the 2000 election. In many strips, Bush is shown as a child, or having the mind of one, as shown by his tiny size and frequent childish giggling.
Dick Cheney
-In contrast to Bush, Vice President Cheney appears in the strip as a sort of evil mastermind (for example, after the real-life shooting of Harry Whittington
, Cheney appears in a strip, right after shooting Harry, and, after hearing one of the witnesses saying that what he did was illegal, boasts that he has already done so many illegal things, such as fixing the election, without being punished, and that he is confident that he will escape penalization again). He also makes an appearance in an installment entitled "People Who Can't Be Trusted", where he is placed on the list along with people who put cats on leashes, people who've never seen The Simpsons
, and others.
God -Depicted in the K Chronicles as a small rodent. In one K Chronicles Collection, The Passion of the Keef, God appears to deliver the introduction, in which he reveals that the K Chronicles are among his favorite reading material. He also shows up at other times in the strip, such as to visit and hang out with Keith.
Evil Twin - Keith's twin sister
Gunther - Ex roommate and drinking buddy
, Maakies
and Mutts
.
The K Chronicles has won "Best Comic Strip" three times in the Glyph Comics Awards
, in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
. The strip previously appeared in the San Francisco Examiner.
Knight is an African-American artist who lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. His comics often explore themes relevant to his racial heritage, as well as current events, both personal to Keef and general to the world.
Recurring characters
Keith "Keef" Knight -The cartoonist and protagonist. The strip centers mainly around his life.Kerstin Konietzka-Knight -Keith's Germany-born wife.
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
-Keith has mercilessly lampooned the President of the United States and his administration since the 2000 election. In many strips, Bush is shown as a child, or having the mind of one, as shown by his tiny size and frequent childish giggling.
Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
-In contrast to Bush, Vice President Cheney appears in the strip as a sort of evil mastermind (for example, after the real-life shooting of Harry Whittington
Harry Whittington
Harry M. Whittington is an American lawyer, real estate investor, and political figure from Austin, Texas who received international media attention on February 11, 2006, when he was shot by Vice President Dick Cheney while hunting quail with two women on a ranch in Kenedy County, Texas, near...
, Cheney appears in a strip, right after shooting Harry, and, after hearing one of the witnesses saying that what he did was illegal, boasts that he has already done so many illegal things, such as fixing the election, without being punished, and that he is confident that he will escape penalization again). He also makes an appearance in an installment entitled "People Who Can't Be Trusted", where he is placed on the list along with people who put cats on leashes, people who've never seen The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, and others.
God -Depicted in the K Chronicles as a small rodent. In one K Chronicles Collection, The Passion of the Keef, God appears to deliver the introduction, in which he reveals that the K Chronicles are among his favorite reading material. He also shows up at other times in the strip, such as to visit and hang out with Keith.
Evil Twin - Keith's twin sister
Gunther - Ex roommate and drinking buddy
Special features
Life's Little Victories -A frequently occurring feature of the K Chronicles in which Keith lists the small victories of everyday life, such as "Running into a movie theater and making sitting down just as the lights are fading", or "Having just enough ingredients to make a fresh bowl of guacamole!" Sometimes the feature has a special theme, such as the "foreign version" which takes place when Keith is visiting his in-laws in Germany, and the "on crutches" version, taking place when Keith was on crutches for two months after tearing his Achilles' tendon.Awards
In 2007, The K Chronicles won the Harvey Kurtzman Award for Best Syndicated Comic Strip. The other nominees were Antiques: The Comic Strip, DoonesburyDoonesbury
Doonesbury is a comic strip by American cartoonist Garry Trudeau, that chronicles the adventures and lives of an array of characters of various ages, professions, and backgrounds, from the President of the United States to the title character, Michael Doonesbury, who has progressed from a college...
, Maakies
Maakies
Maakies is a syndicated weekly comic strip by Tony Millionaire. It began publication in February 1994 in the New York Press. It currently runs in many American alternative newsweeklies including The Stranger, LA Weekly and Only...
and Mutts
Mutts
Mutts is a daily comic strip created by Patrick McDonnell in 1994 based on the day-to-day adventures of two house pets: a dog named Earl and a cat named Mooch. Earl and Mooch interact with each other, their human owners and a large cast of neighborhood animals.Charles M...
.
The K Chronicles has won "Best Comic Strip" three times in the Glyph Comics Awards
Glyph Comics Awards
The Glyph Comics Awards recognize the best in comics made by, for, and about people of color from the preceding calendar year. While it is not exclusive to black creators, it does strive to honor those who have made the greatest contributions to the comics medium in terms of both critical and...
, in 2006, 2007 and 2008.