A "Air" One, A "Sea" One, and a "Land" One 1917

This comic, "A 'Air' One, A 'Sea' One, and a 'Land' One," was made by George Herriman with ink on paper. What I see here is an artist working it out, testing the possibilities within each panel, each line, each gesture. The texture in this work comes from the pen itself. Herriman doesn't hide his process. He lets the ink bleed and pool in places, embracing the imperfections. Look at the panel with the desert landscape, the inky lines scratch at the surface of the paper, creating depth. It reminds me of Cy Twombly, but with a narrative twist. There’s something so personal in the way Herriman puts these marks down, like he's thinking out loud. Art isn't about perfection, it's about the conversation between the artist and the material. Herriman is just playing in the sandbox.