Jiggs and Maggie | Volume 1

Jiggs and Maggie. Volume 1. Engelstalig.

Bringing Up Father, zoals deze strip oorspronkelijk heette, is een van de belangrijkste Amerikaanse krantenstrips uit de 'platinum age'. In een heldere stijl, krachtig en elegant tegelijk, schetst George McManus (1884-1954) de amusante verwikkelingen van het nouveau-riche echtpaar Jiggs en Maggie. 

Maggie probeert haar echtgenoot te verheffen door hem mee te nemen naar concerten en hem te introduceren in de betere kringen. Maar Jiggs zit liever met zijn vrienden in de kroeg van Dinty Moore, die hem zijn favoriete gerecht serveert: corned beef and cabbage. Het conflict tussen de simpele genoegens van Jiggs en Maggies hogere ambities bleek het publiek decennia lang te kunnen amuseren, en het werk van McManus zou menige tekenaar beïnvloeden. De strips die in dit eerste deel zijn verzameld werden oorspronkelijk gepubliceerd in 1919.
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Bringing Up Father - the original name of the comic strip series published in this volume - is of one of the great American newspaper comics of the 'platinum age'. Its main characters are Jiggs and Maggie, a nouveau-riche married couple of Irish descent. Maggie wants to improve her husband by taking him to concerts and other social events. But Jiggs prefers the company of his old friends at Dinty Moore's saloon, where he eats his favourite dish: corned beef and cabbage.

The conflict between Jiggs's lower-class pleasures and Maggie's higher aspirations has amused the reading public for decades. And creator George McManus (1884-1954) brought a boldness of line and a unique sense of art nouveau to his panels that have influenced many artists.

Bringing Up Father was first published in 1913 in the New York American and quickly became a success. It was syndicated in newspapers all over the United States and in many other countries. McManus continued to draw Jiggs's and Maggie's adventures until his death. Other artists took over and kept the comic alive as late as 2000.

The comics collected in this volume were all published in 1919 and reprinted the same year in the first two issues of a series of books published by Cupples & Leon of New York. The drawings were reproduced from these books. Great care was taken to reproduce the artwork as faithfully as possible and many hours were spent restoring imperfections.