Peter Kuper

Infobox Comics creator
name = Peter Kuper


imagesize =
caption =
birthname =
birthdate = birth date and age|1958|09|22
location =
deathdate =
deathplace =
nationality = American
area = Artist, Writer
alias =
notable works = "World War 3 Illustrated"
"Spy vs. Spy"
"The System"
"Give It Up!"
"the Metamorphosis"
awards = "Society of Illustrators" gold medal, 2004
website = http://www.peterkuper.com

Peter Kuper (b. September 22, 1958) is an American alternative cartoonist and illustrator known for his autobiographical, social, and political observations.

Besides his contributions to the political anthology "World War 3 Illustrated", which he co-founded in 1979 with Seth Tobocman, he is currently best known for taking over "Spy vs. Spy" for "Mad" magazine; it had passed through various hands after its creator Antonio Prohias 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". His most recent book "Stop Forgetting to Remember" covers the birth of his daughter, 9/11, and other vicissitudes in his life from 1995-2005.

Legal issues

In 1994 Kuper was asked by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund 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" [http://richiebush.com/] . After The CBDLF lawyers were brought in to argue that parody was not piracy, custom agents relented.

Illustration career

As an illustrator Kuper has produced covers for Time, 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 [http://inxart.com/] since 1988.

Awards

Kuper's wordless picture story "Sticks and Stones" was awarded the 2004 gold medal from the "Society of Illustrators".

Influences

One of Kuper's earliest influences was the 1964 nuclear disaster film "Fail-Safe", which became a motivation for positive personal achievement by encouraging him to accomplish his goals "before the bomb drops."Fact|date=August 2008

Teaching

Kuper has taught courses in comics and illustration at The School of Visual Arts (1986-2001) and Parsons School of Design (2002-2004).

Personal life and education

Kuper was born in Summit, New Jersey and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, 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 Parsons School of Design and the Pratt Institute [ [http://www.heightsarts.org/exhibits/gallery05/ Biography in HeightsArts: A Nonprofit Arts Organization.] Retrieved August 4, 2008.] (along with his friend and "World War 3 Illustrated" co-founder Seth Tobacman). For a short period he acted as studio assistant for cartoonist Howard Chaykin. [ [http://www.tcj.com/233/i_tobocman.html Worcester, Kenton. "Waxing Politick," (an interview with Seth Tobocman) "The Comics Journal" #233 (May 11, 2001).] Retrieved August 4, 2008.] (He 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 Ttravels 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 have resided in the Mexican state of Oaxaca since 2006, where he has documented an ongoing teachers' strike. [http://www.vqronline.org/gallery/61/] . [ [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=110834 Lorah, Michael C. "Peter Kuper on "Stop Forgetting to Remember" and More," Newsarama (Apr. 7, 2007).] Retrieved August 4, 2008.]

Selected bibliography

*2007 — "Stop Forgetting To Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz" [http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/stopforgetting/index.html] , hardcover (Crown)
*2006 — "Theo and The Blue Note", children’s book (Viking)
*2004 — "The Jungle," (hardcover reissue) adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s novel (NBM)
*2004 — "Sticks and Stones", a novel in pictures (Three Rivers Press)
*2003 — "The Metamorphosis", and adaptation of Franz Kafka's short story (Crown)
*2001 — "Speechless", a retrospective collection, hardcover (Top Shelf Productions)
*2000 — "Mind’s Eye", a collection of syndicated strips, hardcover, (NBM)
*2000 — "Topsy Turvy", a collection of political comic strips, trade paperback (Eye Press)
*1997 — "The System", (collected as a single book) softbound, (DC/Vertigo)
*1996 — "Eye of the Beholder", a collection of syndicated strips, softbound (NBM)
*1995 — "World War 3: Confrontational Comics", co-editor of anthology (4 Walls,8 Windows)
*1995 — "Give It Up!", comics adaptation of Franz Kafka short stories, hardbound, (NBM)
*1995 — "Stripped, An Unauthorized Autobiography", softbound (Fantagraphics)
*1993-1994 — "Wild Life", comics by the author, comic format, two issues (Fantagraphics)
*1992 — "ComicsTrips: A Journal of Travels Through Africa and Southeast Asia", travel-related comics by the author (Tundra and then re-issued by NBM)
*1991-1993 — "Bleeding Heart", comics by the author, comic format, five issues (Fantagraphics)
*1991 — "The Jungle", comics adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s novel (First, Classics Illustrated)
*1989 — "World War 3 Illustrated", co-editor of anthology (Fantagraphics)
*1988 — "Life and Death", collection of author’s comics, magazine format (Fantagraphics)
*1987 — "New York, New York", collection of author’s comics, soft-bound (Fantagraphics)
*1984 — "The Last Cat Book", illustrating an essay by Robert E.Howard, soft-bound (Dodd Mead)

External links

*
* [http://inxart.com/ INX]

Interviews

* [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=110834 Newsarama]
* [http://www.mrmedia.com/2007/06/peter-kuper-stop-forgetting-to-remember.html Mr. Media]
* [http://www.wcpn.org/index.php/WCPN/an/2007/07/31/ Around Noon radio interview]
* [http://blog.mundofantasma.com/?p=836 Mundo Fantasma]

Endnotes