cartoon history of the universe
cartoon history of the universe
Rip-Off Press (1978-92)
Sometimes I wonder if Larry Gonick fully understood what he was getting into when he conceived the idea for The Cartoon History of the Universe. He surely must have had some conception of the scope of his task, but I doubt he realized that it would take over 30 years and 1,450 pages of comic writing and illustration to convey the entire history of the universe from the beginning of time to the year 2008. And the time spent on writing and drawing still doesn’t include the enormous amount of research that he put into each and every page of his epic story.
Gonick’s The Cartoon History of the Universe is truly a monumental comic book achievement, but only the first nine chapters of the series were published in comic book form; subsequent chapters were published in trade paperback books by various publishers. All of the comic book versions of the series were also anthologized in paperback book form.
Each book (or comic-book length chapter) in the series covers history in approximate chronological order, though Gonick addresses certain regions of the world in single books in order to focus on certain influential eras. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction by a professor-type character (presumably Gonick, who was indeed a professor), who reads a passage from a history book prior to sharing a time machine journey with his readers. The chapter then moves on to explore a specific span of history, including wars, cultures, inventions, and milestones.
Gonick’s use of humor and satire enlivens the stories, which often juxtapose elements of modern dialog with centuries-old characters. But by most accounts, Gonick’s cartoon history is still ruled by scientific and historical fact, which enabled the series to be incorporated into the curriculum of dozens of university-level history classes.
One of the admirable aspects of the series is that Gonick doesn’t gloss over the brutality, deviancy or cruelty embedded in our historical past, though he does not always depict these events in graphic form (as someone like Robert Crumb might). Throughout the series, even when certain facets may be embellished with his perspective, Gonick sustains an unyielding enthusiasm for the truth in history, warts and all.
The Cartoon History of the Universe morphed into the The Cartoon History of the Modern World for the final two volumes, which were published in 2007 and 2009 by HarperCollins. The final two books cover the era of Christopher Columbus up to the year 2008.
The fact that it took Gonick 30 years and nearly 1,000 pages to get to the era of the 15th century is indicative of the enormous scope of his task. For myself, I particularly enjoyed the first three comic books of the series, which succintly illustrate and unravel pre-history and ancient history in a most entertaining manner. But having the entire history of the universe available in cartoon form is a gift that can be utilized again and again through one’s lifetime. Gonick deserves unparalleled praise for this landmark achievement in comic history.
