Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@*! by Art Spiegelman

Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@*! Reviews

• 
  Sam Quixote

  "Breakdowns" is a reprint of the same book published in the 70s except with a brief autobiographical intro by the author. The intro features nothing new to anyone with a passing interest in artists/writers: growing up Spiegelman wasn't good at sports so he turned to the life of the mind. He was influenced by MAD magazine, R.Crumb, and Peanuts. Wow, just like everyone else who grew up to be a cartoonist then.
  
  Then onto the book itself which features short strips. One is a dry and unfunny examination of what makes a joke funny. Another deconstructs detective stories and soap operas and shows up how basic and hammy their structures are. Really? I'd never have thought of that myself. He reprints the only decent strip here "Prisoner from Hell Planet" but seeing as it was already in "Maus", the only book he's done that's worth reading, it feels like padding. The rest of the book features one page illustrations of his dreams and a few more dull tellings of his life in NY (his apartment has roaches, his work is underappreciated).
  
  The book is massive, about 2 A4 sheets side by side, but very short coming in at a brief 87 pages. Besides irrelevant and frankly boring strips that shows Spiegelman is aware of how art is created, there's nothing here of any interest.
  
  Spiegelman writes in a lofty afterword that "In 1978... there was no demand for a deluxe large format album that collected the scattered handful of short autobiographical and structurally experimental comics I'd made between 1972 and 1977 - except by me". It's 2010 now and there's still no demand.
  
  If you're as interested in Art Spiegelman as Art Spiegelman is then you'll love this book.
• 
  Joshua

  It's easy to forget how important Spiegelman is to the medium of comics outside of Maus. As he so eloquently demonstrates in his comics preface, the shadow of that book will Spiegelman for the remainder of his life, and rightfully so. Still, it's these early works where one can see an artist willing to experiment and play with the form of comics.
  
  "Prisoner of Hell Planet," "Little signs of passion," and an early version of "Maus" are just some of the wonderful stories in this collection, and the massive size of the book allows the reader to simply disappear into the linework and textures and worlds Spiegelman creates.
  
  This book will obviously disappoint readers looking for plain or direct plots. This book isn't about that. These are stories interested in the form, with playing with the medium of comics. These early works show an artist finding a creative voice and seeing what is possible through comics and for that reason I took my time with every page just studying, or often drooling, at these layouts and the emotional register that was being conveyed.
  
  Breakdowns is a really underappreciated book, and so if the reader is interested in exploring the medium, or else observing Spiegelman's early work then Breakdowns is absolutely a must-read. I will open this book for inspiration over and over again finding something new and wonderful and inspiring.
• 
  Jason

  A terrific book that chronicles Spiegelman's coming-of-age amidst a jewish upbringing condemned to neurotic blame and guilt put on by the holocaust. it's a declaration of how he arrived to be a comic book artist, his father exclaiming "you have to use what little space you have to pack inside everything you can"...one suitcase...in case the Nazis come...to "everything you can" in a tiny graphic square. he is an experimental concept artist, exploring the implications of the frame, of making victims into mice, of putting Picasso and pornography in the same frame and letting a baby read Kafka as his mother contemplates suicide. He is trying to elicit a notion, concept, right. In this "breakdown" of his technique, he interfuses guiding quotes by famous authors such as Victor Shklovsky's "the purpose of art is to impart the senasation of things as they are perceived and not as they are known." and Susan Sontag's "no caption can permanently restrict or secure a picture's meaning"; these are displayed over the drawings from his comics, to implicate their true meaning, not as narrative but as stimulus of feeling, instigation. That's what he is, an in your face writer, trying to get you to think as crazy provoked as he is.
• 
  Eric

  Major hitch with this volume is it's too large to comfortably read in the manner I prefer to read: on my back, in bed. Otherwise, I.
• 
  Dominick

  Well, if nothing else, this book makes clear, to those not already aware of it, what a high opinion Spiegelman has of himself. Not that it's entirely unjustified, of course; he is a master of comics technique, as is abundantly evident here. He's also an impressive stylist, capable both of striking images in his "own" style and excellent pastiche work of various figures, not to mention cunning use of collage. But he also comes across as pretty consistently impressed with himself, which is unseemly at best--to Canadian sensibilities, anyway. At any rate, this book reprints the late 1970s collection of a bunch of Spiegelman's underground work preceded by a comics-form memoir and followed by a prose afterward, in both of which Spiegelman traces his development as an artist. There's great cartooning in the former and lots of interesting information in the latter. Seeing the reprinted material is worthwhile as well, since most of it I'd never seen before despite some of it having a high reputation (e.g. the original 3-page "Maus," "Ace Hole"). What most of this stuff has in common is experimentation, mainly with the formal properties of comics and the tension between form and content. Spiegelman's very much a "form" guy, with relatively little interest in narrative content evident here--ironic, give his overwhelmingly greatest success is the equally experimental and formalist but nevetrtheless narratively-driven Maus. (Indeed, one of the features of the initial comics memoir is the extent to which Maus now looms over his entire career--though given that he's not really done any substantive work since then, that's hardly surprising). Even when he does tell stories they are for the most part pretty self-conscious if not overtly meta. I'm more of a content than a form guy, though, so interesting as all the self-consciousness and formal play is, for me a little of it goes a long way. I'd also forgotten, since reading it in Maus, what a whiny, self-serving thing "Prisoner of the Hell Planet" is. Telling a story in which you characterize your concentration-camp-surviving mother's suicide as an act of murder against you . . . well, I suppose it expresses Spiegelman's emotional truth, but if so, words fail me. Anyway, this is an interesting if not superlative collection--to these eyes.
• 
  Alya AlShaibani

  2.5
• 
  Dimitri

  A fascinating insight into Spiegelman's journey to become an artist. We see early works of Maus and we feel the rage Art used to propel the comix medium forward.
• 
  Garrett Zecker

  This is a reprint of Spiegelman’s early, strange, deconstructed and ignored Breakdowns from the 1978 that only produced 2500 copies (there were 5000, but half got ruined in the printing process because the printers didn’t know how to do their jobs right). It is an interesting collection that includes a forward and an afterword that does an incredible job contextualizing and presenting the work in a manner consistent with what his intentions and history were, but not only that, allow a gentle peek under the hood of how he developed the unique postmodern style he was experimenting with. Considering this, I had some favorite parts – notably “As The Mind Reels” (the soap opera strip) and Ace Hole were pretty amazing. My favorite was “The Malpractice Suite” - I could have read a thousand of those. Finally, the portion of the afterword named “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore: A Guided Tour” was spectacular as breaking down his editorial and visual choices in constructing a piece that at first glance was relatively simple but earth shattering when examined frame by frame.
  
  This was a great book. Not likely visiting it again, but really enjoyed getting more of a look at an artist whose work has not only changed the world of literature with Maus, but who came from humble and edgy beginnings working for Topps, Mad, and some skin rags. Seeing a little more of his high school and college work as well as the places where he pushed the boundaries of the form in his early years was great.
• 
  Michael

  Breakdowns was Spiegelman's first book, put out in 1977, so this is a new edition of some old material. Spiegelman, however, does a new comic book introduction which is half as long as the original Breakdowns, so there's also plenty of new material. The best strips are the original three-page "Maus" and the classic "Hell Planet" strip that appears in the more famous, novel-length version of Maus. Most of the other strips are creative and formal experiments, and stylistic exercises. They're not engaging on a narrative level, but Spiegelman uses the medium in very impressive ways - his style is very elastic and allows him to play at noir, illustrate with a heavier, almost woodcut style, or work with Cubist images.
  
  The new introduction is largely a meditation on creativity and elements of his childhood that shaped his professional and creative life, and the introduction is probably, for me, the best part of the entire book. It's impressive, but I can see why others might not really like it.
• 
  Martín D. Herrera Morris

  La presente edición empieza con una historieta de 18 páginas, hecha para 2008. Un paseo autobiográfico desde la infancia, pasando por varios estilos de dibujo hasta... nunca encontrar el definitivo; porque de eso se trata: está siempre en la búsqueda y la experimentación.
  
  Luego empieza la colección de historietas pre-Maus, que datan de la década del '70. El episodio piloto de "Maus" (con dibujos muy diferentes) y "Prisioneros del Planeta Infierno" (también incluida dentro de Maus), son dos historietitas blanco-negro soberbias. Luego dos cómics-tutoriales: uno sobre contar chistes y uno sobre historias de amor; y el resto es un buen surtido de planchas surrealistas, alocadas, complicadas, algunas coloreadas, más o menos graciosas, todas visualmente respetables.
  
  Para mí (una humilde indigna opinión) es como si todo fuese una novela de aprendizaje del siglo XX, de esas que en vez de crecer para hallar la cordura, la pierden cada vez más. Siempre dejando clarísima una identidad y personalidad. La "sobriedad" llegará luego, con el otro famoso libro.
• 
  Lisenstein

  Ich bin ja ein großer Freund von Art Spiegelman.
  Die versammelten Comic-strips in "Breakdowns" zeugen von der Vielseitigkeit des Künstlers und regen Comicfreunde außerdem zu Detektivarbeit an. Welche Figuren hat er aus Comics anderer Künstler übernommen? Auf welchen Künstler spielt er an? Welchen Zeichenstil ahmt er gerade nach? Am meisten schätze ich an Spiegelman jedoch die autobiografischen Spuren, die er in seine Comics sät.
  Was soll ich sagen, eine schöne Sammlung!
  Abzug gibt es für die wirklich grottige deutsche Übersetzung. Was war da los? Ich habe das Gefühl, dass teilweise einfach Wort für Wort übersetzt wurde, ohne auf Satzbau oder Semantik zu achten. Wenn ich dann "Mein Vater war völlig auseinandergefallen!" lesen muss, dann möchte ich den oder die Übersetzer allesamt ins Slumberland schicken. Ja, wörtlich für "to fall apart" richtig, aber im Zusammenhang und ästhetisch einfach unter aller Kanone. Meine Augen!
• 
  ilovecomics

  Consigliato solo a chi già apprezza Spiegelman e desidera esplorare l’artista da giovane, qui spesso in versione sperimentale, di non sempre facile lettura.
  
  Nonostante il materiale base di Breakdowns, pubblicato originariamente nel 1978, sia frammentario, per temi e per stile, ho dato 5 stelle a questo libro, per l’eccezionale personalità di Art Spiegelman, il suo straordinario amore per il fumetto come forma d’arte, la sua venerazione per il fumetto delle origini, la straordinaria consapevolezza sulle potenzialità del mezzo, che si riflette nelle bellissime introduzioni o postfazioni con cui accompagna i suoi disegni. Caso unico di un artista che in fondo ha scritto un solo libro, Maus, costato però 10 anni di lavoro, e con esso ha ridefinito per sempre le possibilità del mezzo.
  
  Artista di matrice underground che non ci lascia mai indifferenti, anche per un frammento apparentemente insignificante. Di lui apprezzo l'infinito amore per il dettaglio, il fumetto viene trattato con la stessa dignità di un’opera d’arte in un museo, ogni vignetta, ogni disegno, se guardato con attenzione, rivela un'infinita di particolari ricchi di senso.
  
  Anche il progetto grafico delle sue opere è straordinariamente curato, incluso il formato, spesso large, in questo caso extra large. Tenere in mano un suo libro è anche un piacere fisico.
• 
  Gabrielle Danoux

  Planches publiées entre 2002 et 2003 dans différents journaux (Die Zeit, le Courrier International, The Independent). La BD ne vit le jour en tant qu'album grand format (34,8 × 24,5 cm) qu'en 2004. Il s'agit d'une réflexion, très originale à mon sens, sur les attentats du 11 septembre 2001 et l'impact qu'ils ont eu sur le comportement des Américains, l'artiste compris. «Je voulais refaire de la B.D. Après tout, ma muse s'appelle Désastre», dit-il en insistant sur le «Dropping the other shoe», expression idiomatique américaine utilisée pour exprimer l'attente d'un événement prévisible et théoriquement inéluctable. Après le gant de Kant (heureusement que j'ai corrigé : le logiciel de reconnaissance vocale avait mis Cantona) le chaussure (seconde) du «vaudeville étymologique». Lui qui n'aurait jamais porté un T-shirt I ♥ NY éprouva soudain de la tendresse pour ses rues familières et vulnérables qui ont trouvé la force de se reconstruire.
• 
  ashes ➷

  I'd recommend this to two groups of people: Spiegelman fans and Comics Are An Art Form people. Happily, I am both, so I enjoyed it quite a bit. It showcases primarily Spiegelman's early work, much of which is very in-your-face with the "I am a man who has just learned I can draw boobies and get money for it" sort of shock value mentality. That said, this is worth picking up just for Prisoner from a Hell Planet, Day at the Circuits, and of course the original Maus piece. It is a GORGEOUS book at its size; every page is detailed and beautiful. Very, very happy to own it.
• 
  Jeffrey

  If the art weren't so good, I would not have given 3 stars. I can't really say that I recommend this book, mostly because I don't get it. It seems to be a semi-autobiographical and experimental art exercise. Spiegelman is a great artist and writer, but a lot of what is in this book didn't make sense to me. The afterword was definitely worth reading as it explained the evolution of Spiegelman's career. Also, there is a short graphic essay titled Cracking Jokes that gives an explanation of humor that is also worth reading.
• 
  Aurcoe

  This is a book that has completely changed my perspective not just of comics but the world altogether. I'm not raving about Art Spiegelman being a genius, which he uncontrollably is, but about the way this book has articulated his journey from one point in his life, a disillusioned artist, to another, a more self aware (even if arguably still disillusioned) artist.
  
  Breakdowns is, in every definition of the word, exactly what it means.
• 
  Robin

  I’ll say to each their own... but I found the comic strips, well, stupid. Think in terms of shock value and humorless. Or at least, that’s my take.
  
  I did manage to stick around for the author’s (very long) rambling of an afterword. Maybe I was too stuck in what I’d read in the comics, but I just didn’t care to read his life story or rationalizations for his writing “medium” as he calls it.
  
  I haven’t read his more popular work ‘Maus’ yet and I’m not sure I want to anymore.
• 
  Sarah

  This was so weird and excellent. Spiegelman is even more obsessed than I am with the idea that form IS meaning, and this collection provides example after example after weirdo example of that obsession. I kind of want to teach it alongside Maus, but that very graphic blow job is probably a reason not to. Lol.
• 
  Rachel

  Interesting look at Spiegelman's development as an artist/cartoonist. The early parts of the book cover his childhood, and his afterword gives more context. Thirty years ago, I wouldn't have cared much about the objectification of women, but I don't have as much tolerance now. 2 1/2 stars, rounded up for nostalgia's sake.
• 
  Andrea Janov

  I have wanted to try to get into graphic novels for a while now, yet never found one that really intrigued me. Until I read an article about Art Spieglman. His attitude and approach sucked me in. Breakdowns is a really interesting look into Spigelman's process, motivations, psyche. This collection of his early work is varied in style and approach, all with a clear voice.
• 
  Pranjal Awasthi

  A lovely insight into the life of one of the most prolific comic artists of our times. Art Spiegelman is one of those rare illustrators who truly brings his A Game to not just drawing but also conventional prose writing and the end product is a treat
• 
  Ruben Giró

  Eclèctic. Té trossos molt interessants, d'altres molt estranys i experimentals.
• 
  Thomas

  better than i thought it’d be. relatable in its tackling of mental illness/hopelessness/depression. educational in its portrayal of post-WWII life in NYC for polish immigrants and the world of comics
• 
  Esther

  Simply sublime, it’s a meta-comic with its narrative commenting on itself while unfolding each panel revealing its mechanism. And. Yet. It’s. Not. What. You. Think.
• 
  Igor Stanojević

  “Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.”
  
  ― Mel Brooks
• 
  Drea

  Incredible and important and inspiring. What an artist.