FANTAGRAPHICS AT 50! From the Fantagraphics Underground line, Charlie: Charles Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World may be unwieldy in title but it’s breezily charming in delivery. At 32 pages it’s a compact and speedy read but its all-ages vibe makes it accessible to younger and older readers alike. Written by Steven Brower and illustrated by Seymour Chwast it provides a succinct but amiable overview of the great clown of the era of silent movies.
To get the obvious note out of the way while it may be described as a comic in its publicity write-up that’s a description that would be pushing that definition somewhat. While there are undoubtedly occasional sequential moments this is, in fact, an illustrated mini-biography. Brower’s approach is to describe Chaplin’s life in text based on the Little Tramp’s own words, giving us an account that if not coming from Chaplin himself is doing the next best thing.
What we get Is a rundown of Chaplin’s difficult childhood, his early years breaking into showbusiness and the cinematic highlights of his illustrious Hollywood career. Chwast’s art has a stripped back immediacy that effectively captures the body language and versatility of Chaplin, embodying his comedy through its looseness and economy in a way that a more detailed representation never could.
Those hoping for in-depth commentary and analysis in Charlie: Charles Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World should be looking elsewhere. But if an almost zine-like approach to the great man’s work, and a perfect complementary publication to his films for a younger reader, is what you’re after then this delightful offering is for you.
Steven Brower (W), Seymour Chwast (A) Fantagraphics Underground
Review by Andy Oliver
Fantagraphics at 50 Month runs through August at Broken Frontier. You can see articles as they’re published in one tagged list here.
