For historians who study the early Founding Fathers of the modern comic strip, this fine book establishes Lyonel Feininger's significant influence on the evolution of the art form.
Known famously as a founding instructor of the Staatliches Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany, Feininger is also considered an early founder of the Modernist movement in 1920's Europe. Specifically, Feininger's style helped define European Expressionism.
Several notable details of his prolific career make Feininger unique among his contemporaries. First, he was an American ex-pat -- his family moved to Germany early in his life. Secondly, among his contemporaries he was the only Expressionist painter that cut his teeth as a masterful caricaturist and published cartoonist.
Bill Blackbeard's wonderful commentary fills the gaps in Feininger's contributions to comic strip history. The story is wholly American and the definitive presentation of Feininger's Sunday pages are breathtakingly exquisite.