Showing posts with label Maus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maus. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Art Spiegelman: Raw 3 Call for Submissions—Enticing Jules Feiffer

Back in 1991, Art Spiegelman and his wife Françoise Mouly were actively trying to recruit cartoonist Jules Feiffer to create comic pages that would appear in their magazine, Raw 3.



This, apparently, was not their first attempt. Raw was now in its second series and this third issue would prove to be its last. Feiffer never would appear in the magazine. Was he tempted by Spiegelman's drawing of himself and his wife humorously discussing Feiffer? Surely, he must have been tickled. The cartoon is at the bottom of the call for submissions. It shows Spiegelman and Mouly just as they were depicted in Maus, the renowned graphic novel first serialized in Raw. When Feiffer decided to sell this original work at Swann Auction Galleries in 2024, he commented only about his regard for Spiegelman and Mouly, not about his failure to appear in their publication. But perhaps Spiegelman has given us the answer. The dialogue conveys how busy Feiffer was with the variety of creative projects he was taking on.

Art Spiegelman
Swann Auction Galleries listing of June 20, 2024

Art Spiegelman
Swann Auction Galleries item description



The piece, which sold for $3,250 (buyer's premium included), has now resurfaced on AbeBooks. It is offered by Raptis Rare Books of Palm Beach for $7,500. A second chance, if you will.


Art Spiegelman
AbeBooks listing accessed May 10, 2026

Art Spiegelman
AbeBooks item description





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Friday, June 20, 2025

Federico and Sara's Copy of Maus by Art Spiegelman

In 2009, Art Spiegelman used a red marker to personalize a copy of the Italian edition of Maus belonging to fans Federico and Sara. 


The drawing is of Artie, Spiegelman's alter ego in the book. You can recognize him by the vest. Say, are those platform shoes?




In April, the bidding for this book on eBay started at $250. Bidders should always check the shipping costs, which can be significant.
Art Spiegelman
eBay listing ended April 22, 2025


Art Spiegelman
eBay item specifics

Art Spiegelman
eBay Bid History
Three bidders. This time the item doesn't go to the last bidder, but to the most frequent bidder.












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Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Twin Inscriptions in Art Spiegelman's Maus

Stephen Kroninger writes with photos of a first edition of Maus (1986) personalized for his twin daughters in 2019 by the graphic novel's author Art Spiegelman. Spiegelman has added a drawing of Artie, as his father called him, waving in friendship along with an inscription: "I knew yez when!" You can always recognize Artie in the Maus drawings by his vest.




Note:  My thanks go to Stephen Kroninger for these photos. This is Stephen's thirty-sixth contribution to this blog.


Personally, I prefer the spelling youse.



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Sunday, May 9, 2021

Kathleen's Copy of Maus II by Art Spiegelman

Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began was published in 1991, completing the graphic novel. In the book, Jews are depicted as mice, while Germans are cats and Poles are pigs. Kathleen's copy of the book was personalized for her by Art Spiegelman on March 10, 1992 in Bloomington, Indiana. It includes a drawing of Artie, Spiegelman's persona as he appears in the book. The book sold on eBay three months ago for $56.99.







Art Spiegelman
eBay listing ended February 12, 2021






Art Spiegelman
eBay item description



Art Spiegelman
eBay bid history
The second-to-last bidder gets it.





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Monday, September 18, 2017

Art Spiegelman: Cut and Pasted

For the copy of Maus II (1992) in the library of collage artist Stephen Kroninger and his wife Aviva, Art Spiegelman created a unique studio illustration. The striking figure of Art as a Jewish maus includes a collaged maus head over a loose ink sketch.

Maus II (1992) inscribed "For Steve + Aviva
with warm wishes
Art Spiegelman"



Note:  Thanks once more to Stephen Kroninger for providing me with a series of scans and photos from his library.

I'm always looking for scans and photographs of uniquely-personalized books by Art Spiegelman and other New Yorker artists. Feel free to share your prized collection here.

The new American Bystander #5 will carry the very first classified ad for this blog. Boy, will you be disappointed.

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Sunday, September 17, 2017

Oy Vey from Art Spiegelman

Art Spiegelman has signed and inscribed a copy of the first volume of Maus (1986) under the epigraph, an antisemitic quotation of Hitler's. Spiegelman's reaction, appropriately, begins with "Oy vey," a Yiddish exclamation of dismay or grief. The book depicts Jews as mice and Nazis as cats; Spiegelman has drawn himself as a chain-smoking maus.

Inscribed "For Stephen
+ Aviva ....
Oy vey +
best wishes
Art Spiegelman"

Note:  Thanks to Stephen Kroninger for providing the scan of his book and for supporting my efforts on the blog.

As you know, I'm perpetually in the market for scans and photographs of books uniquely-personalized by Art Spiegelman and other New Yorker artists. Get in touch if you'd like to give your treasures a public airing.

Maybe you've heard:  the new American Bystander #5 will carry the very first classified ad for this blog. I really should have worked harder to lower expectations.

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Saturday, September 16, 2017

Art Spiegelman: The Ink and Paste Club

The original edition of Art Spiegelman's Breakdowns was published in 1977 a bit before he found himself catapulted into the mainstream. The Maus in the subtitle refers to a beautifully-rendered but disappointingly short experimental comic that presaged the later acclaimed graphic novel. The book's cover depicts Spiegelman swilling ink right out of the bottle, as one no doubt does during a "breakdown." The copy personalized for collage artist Stephen Kroninger includes a drawing of the two artists toasting each other, Art with ink and Steve with paste, appropriately enough.

Inscribed "FOR STEVE
To yer healt'
All the best as my braincells
breakdown at 5 AM March 30, 1996
Art Spiegelman"

Art Spiegelman. Breakdowns, 1977


Note:  By now those of you with great deductive powers will have surmised that Stephen Kroninger provided the scans of his book. Thanks, Stephen, and—just so you know—I prefer champagne.

What would this blog be without reader-submitted scans or photographs of uniquely-personalized books by Art Spiegelman and other New Yorker artists? It would be just like all the other blogs out there. Don't condemn me to showing cat videos!

Maybe you've heard:  the new American Bystander #5 will carry the very first classified ad for this blog. There's other good stuff too.

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Thursday, September 14, 2017

A Maus in Profile: Art Spiegelman's Comix, Essays, Graphics and Scraps

A copy of Art Spiegelman's scarce Comix, Essays, Graphics and Scraps (1999) is personalized with an original drawing of his Maus in profile. It's simple and delicate.

Inscribed with a drawing of his Maus in profile
"FOR STEPHEN + AVIVA
W. WARM WISHES
Art Spiegelman
2000!"

The book's cover I interpret as a surrealistic comics riff on the David and Goliath story with the title character of Frederick Opper's Happy Hooligan grieving, a monumental pipe and that chin from E. C. Segar's Popeye, a lightning bolt straight out of C. C. Beck's Captain Marvel, not to mention a stray brick reminiscent of George Herriman's Krazy Kat. The landscape recalls the work of Giorgio de Chirico and René Magritte. Your results may vary.

Art Spiegelman. Comix, Essays, Graphics and Scraps (1999)


Note:  My thanks go out to Stephen Kroninger for providing this scan of a wonderful copy of a Spiegelman book I didn't know existed. Shazam!

I'm always looking for scans or photographs of uniquely personalized books by Art Spiegelman and other New Yorker artists. Go ahead, surprise me!

What's more annoying, Spiegelman's spelling of comix or his avoidance of the Oxford comma? I think it's the spelling. Keep your comments under 500 words please.

By the way, the new American Bystander #5 will carry the very first classified ad for this blog. My wife told me it won't drive any traffic here and—you know what?—she's absolutely right!

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Friday, March 28, 2014

MoCCA Arts Fest 2014

The 2014 MoCCA Arts Fest is right around the corner, coming to New York City on April 5th and 6th. The 2012 Festival was the first comic art convention I ever attended, and I had a surprisingly good time even though, as it turns out, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art was in the late stages of a serious financial crisis. Then MoCCA merged with the fiscally sound Society of Illustrators and its financial house was put in order. I was disappointed that the 2013 MoCCA show wasn't nearly as exciting for me, and I made fewer purchases accordingly. Now perhaps the pendulum will swing the other way.

Fiona Staples, MoCCA Arts Fest 2014
http://www.societyillustrators.org/Mocca_Event.aspx?id=10561


I'm not sure yet whether I'm going this year, but it seems that whenever I do go I come away with material for at least a few blog posts. For example, some swag I came across at the 2013 Fest included a pin promoting Art Spiegelman's MetaMaus. The next time I need to wear a pin with a swastika on it, I am ready.

Art Spiegelman, Promotional pin for MetaMaus


Note:  So just what was I up to at MoCCA Fest? See my old blog posts here.

More posts on Art Spiegelman may be seen here.

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Sunday, April 7, 2013

An Art Spiegelman Display Piece

Maus creator Art Spiegelman signed this 1999 San Diego Comic Con display card for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and added a drawing. This unique piece sold on eBay for just over $200.

Art Spiegelman, San Diego Comic Con Signed Display Piece, 1999


Art Spiegelman, San Diego Comic Con Signed Display Piece, 1999, eBay Winning Bid


Art Spiegelman, San Diego Comic Con Signed Display Piece, 1999, eBay Item Description

Art Spiegelman, San Diego Comic Con Signed Display Piece, 1999

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