内容简介
'PrinceRogersetsouteagerlyonaquestandfindsafewadventures,alotoffriends,adamselortwoindistress(not)andhimself,intheend.A'carrierofjoy'whosemerepresencecauseseveryonetolaughuncontrollably,Rogerfindscrueltyandkindnessequallyamusing,andexpectshisquesttobealark.It'sanythingbut:AsRogerpassesthroughtheForeverForest,nearlystarvesattheDastardlyDivide,seespeopleattheirworstintheValleyofVengeance,andtemporarilydespairsintheMountainsofMalice,hesobersup,learnstocareforothers,becomesanexpertpeacemaker,doesGoodDeeds,andfallsinlovewithLadySadie,whosayswhatshethinksassherepeatedlysaveshisbacon.'--K.'Feiffer'sworldly-wise,confidingtoneandsenseoftheabsurdarehighlycongenial,andthedrawingsareavintageFeifferdelight.'--PublishersWeekly.100BooksforReadingandSharing1995(NYPublicLibrary)
作者简介
JulesFeifferhaswonanumberofprizesforhiscartoons,plays,andscreenplays,includingthePulitzerPrizeforeditorialcartooning.HisbooksforchildrenincludeTheManintheCeiling,ABarrelofLaughs,AValeofTears,ILostMyBear,Bark,George,andMeanwhile...HelivesinNewYorkCity.InHisOwnWords..."Ihavebeenwritinganddrawingcomicstripsallillylife,firstasasix-year-old,whenI'dtrytodrawlikemyheroes:AlexRaymond,whodidFlashGordon,E.C.Segar,whodidPopeye,MiltonCaniff,whodidTerryandthePirates.ThenewspaperstripbackintheI1940swasagloriousthingtobehold.Sundaypageswerefull-sizedandColoredbroadsheetsthatcreatedauniversethatcouldswallowaboywhole."Iwasdesperatetobeacartoonist.OneofmyheroeswasWillEisner,whodidaweeklycomicbooksupplementtotheSundaycomics.OnedayIwalkedintohisofficeandshowedhimmysamples.Hesaidtheywerelousy,butliehiredmeanyway.AndIbeganmyapprenticeship."LaterIwasdraftedOutofEisner'sofficeintotileKoreanWar.Militarism,regimentation,andmindlessauthoritycombinedtosqueezetheboycartoonistOutOfmeandbringouttherebel.Therewasnoformatatthetimetofit[heworkIragedandscreamedtodo,soIhadtoinventone.CartoonsatirethatcommentedontheLinmilitarytheBomb,theColdWar,thehypocrisyofgrownLIPS,thematinghabitsofurbanYoungmenandwomen,theseweremysubjects.Afterfouryearsoftryingtobreakintoprintandgettingnowhere,theVillageVoice,thefirstalternativenewspaper,offeredtopublishme.Onlyonecatch:Theycouldn'tPayme.What(lidIcare?"Myweeklysatiricalstrip,SickSickSick,laterrenamedFeifferstartedappearinginlate1956.Twoyearslater,SickSickSickcameoutinbookformandbecameabestseller.Thefollowingyearssawastringofcartooncollections,syndication,stageandscreenadaptationsofthecartoon.One,Munro,wonanAcademyAward."Thiswasheadystuff,takingmemilesbeyondmyboyhooddreams.Theonlythingthatgotinthewayofmyenjoyingitwastherealworld.TheCubanmissilecrisis,theassassinationofPresidentKennedy,theVietnamWar,theCivilRightsrevolution.Thecountrywascoiningungluedandmyweeklycartoonsdidn'tseemtobeanadequatewayofhandlingit.SoIstartedwritingplays:LittleMurders,TheWhiteHouseMurderCase,CarnalKnowledge,Grownups.Allthethemesofmycomicstripsexpandedtheatricallyandlater,cinematicallytogivemethetimeandspaceIneededtoexplainthetimestomyselfandtomyaudience."Igrewolder.Ihadafamily,andlateinlife,averyyoungfamily.Istartedthinking,asoldguyswill,aboutwhatIwantedthesechildrentoread,tolearn.IreadthemE.B.WhiteandBeverlyClearyandRoaldDahl,and,oneday,Ithought,Iley,Icandothis.""Writingforyoungreadersconnectsmeprofesssionallyto)apartofmyselfthatIdidn'tknowhowtoletoutuntilIwassixty:thatkidwholivedalifeofinnocence,mixedwithconfusionandconsternation,disappointmentanddopeyhumor.Andwhodrewcomicstripsandneededfriends--andfoundthem--incartoonsandchildren'sbooksthattoldhimwhatthegrown-upsinhislifehadleftout.That'swhatreading(lidformewhenIwasakid.Now,Itrytoreturnthefavor."
