Cats, Dogs, Men, Women, Ninnies & Clowns: The Lost Art of William Steig

Description

Children, octogenarians, and everyone in between know the work of William Steig, the beloved cartoonist and award-winning children's book author whose work graced the covers and pages of the New Yorker for more than 70 years. In Cats, Dogs, Men, Women, Ninnies & Clowns: The Lost Art of William Steig, Jeanne Steig uncovers more than 450 never-before-published cartoons by her husband and provides personal insight and anecdotes about his work and her relationship with Bill, shedding new light on this celebrated genius. Praise for Cats, Dogs, Men,Women, Ninnies & Clowns: "A treasure trove of hundreds of previously unpublished illustrations by children's book icon Steig, this compendium is organized thematically (people, dogs, "odd ducks," etc.); the late Steig's wife, Jeanne, introduces each section with delightful, insightful anecdotes. "He used to refer to us fondly as 'a couple of cats,' or perhaps more romantically as 'two rolls on a plate,' " she writes. Of course, the best sense of the man behind Shrek!, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, and other favorites is gained from the strange, free, and wholly original artwork that fill the pages with caricatured portraits, animals a'courting, drunken clowns, knife fights, and creatures impossible to name. Taken as a whole, the glorious lunacy is testimony to a true iconoclast." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review "What a splendid gift it would be if the works tearing up the best-seller lists weren't that of a Stieg Larsson, but a Steig, William." --New York Times The Moment blog "Pure pleasure from cover to cover" --Booklist "The book details a great character, and does so with a remarkable charm. Highly recommended for all interested in comic history and everyone who likes to look on the lighter side of life." --Complex.com

William Steig (1907 - 2003) was an artist and writer best known for Shrek! (the basis of the blockbuster film series). He received the Caldecott Medal and the Newbery Honor. Jeanne Steig is the author of A Handful of Beans and A Gift from Zeus. She is also a self-taught artist, working almost exclusively with found materials. She lives in Boston. Roz Chast is a cartoonist whose work regularly appears in the New Yorker. She lives in Connecticut. Jules Feiffer is an award-winning writer, illustrator, screenwriter, playwright, children's book author, and cartoonist. He lives in New York City.