Throughout his career as a cartoonist and editor, Art Spiegelman has never shied away from provocative storytelling in his comics.
American Masters “Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse” airs Tuesday, April 15 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.
From his early art for the countercultural underground comix movement to his acclaimed graphic novel Maus, Spiegelman’s legacy in the comic arts world continues to grow and has inspired many of today’s beloved cartoonists. Discover Spiegelman’s career and how his life story inspired his groundbreaking work, even in the face of looming censorship.
The film is part of The WNET Group’s Holocaust Days of Remembrance exploring antisemitism through the history and personal stories of the Holocaust, and their impact on Jewish life and culture. Featuring archival footage and stills, illustrations and new interviews with Spiegelman, Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse follows Spiegelman’s early career as co-editor of comic magazines Arcade and Raw before becoming a contributing artist for The New Yorker, as well as the origins and impact of Maus, his autobiographical work that became the first and only graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize.
Photo: Art and his parents, Anja and Vladek. Credit: Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly