American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 28 (2007) Winner
Gary Panter
ゲイリー・パンター
Geirī Pantā
Aliases:
Gars Panter
Pen Names:
Gars Panter（Alternate name used in some works/credits）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1950-12-01 （Durant, Oklahoma, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Durant, Oklahoma (birthplace) → Brownsville, Texas (grew up) → Sulphur Springs, Texas (grew up) → Los Angeles (punk scene, early career) → New York (exhibitions/publication activity)
Career
- Occupations
- cartoonist, illustrator, painter, designer, part-time musician
- Active Years
- 1970-
- Influenced By
- Cal Schenkel, Jack Kirby, Pablo Picasso, Frank Zappa (artistic influence)
- Influenced
- Matt Groening (influence on Bart Simpson's spiky hair and early character design), The American alternative comics movement
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Texas State University | — | Art | — | — | United States |
East Texas State University
Art
Country:
United States
Studied under Jack Unruh and Lee Baxter Davis; part of a student group known as 'The Lizard Cult.'
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Firecracker Alternative Book Award | Facetasm (with Charles Burns) | — | Firecracker Awards (ReadersRead / organizers) | Winner |
| 2005 | Inkpot Award | — | — | San Diego Comic-Con International | Recipient |
| 2007 | American Book Award | Jimbo's Inferno | — | Before Columbus Foundation | Winner |
| 2012 | Klein Award | — | — | Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) | Recipient |
| — | Daytime Emmy Award | Set designs for Pee-wee's Playhouse | — | National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences | Winner (2 awards) |
Firecracker Alternative Book Award
1999
Work:
Facetasm (with Charles Burns)
Organization:
Firecracker Awards (ReadersRead / organizers)
Result:
Winner
Inkpot Award
2005
Organization:
San Diego Comic-Con International
Result:
Recipient
American Book Award
2007
Work:
Jimbo's Inferno
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
Winner
Klein Award
2012
Organization:
Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA)
Result:
Recipient
Daytime Emmy Award
Work:
Set designs for Pee-wee's Playhouse
Organization:
National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Result:
Winner (2 awards)
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise
1988 Comics/Graphic novelA collection centered on Panter's signature character Jimbo, blending punk and pop-culture elements with occasional classical-literary motifs.
punk culturepop cultureresistance to systems of control
Jimbo in Purgatory
2004 Graphic novelA graphic novel referencing Dante's Divine Comedy, depicting Jimbo's chaotic, pop-infused journey.
dialogue with classical literaturereligious motifs reimaginedfusion of pop and punk
Jimbo's Inferno
2006 Graphic novelInspired by Dante's Inferno, combining Jimbo's allegorical journey with Panter's distinctive visual style.
morality and declineallegoryvisual experimentation
Facetasm
1992 Comics/Art bookIncludes collaboration with Charles Burns; notable for expressionistic technique and experimental drawing.
experimental expressioncollaboration
Crashpad
2021 Comics / CatalogueA recent collection of works and drawings, including notable and previously unpublished pieces.
retrospectivedrawing collection
Songy of Paradise
2017 Comics/Graphic novelOne of Panter's narrative works characterized by multilayered visual storytelling.
narrativevisual experimentation
Bibliography
- Hup (self-published). 1977
- The Asshole: A Parable (minicomic). 1979
- Okupant X. 1979
- Dal Tokyo (Fantagraphics). 1983
- Invasion of the Elvis Zombies (Raw Books). 1984
- Facetasm (Gates of Heck). 1992 (with Charles Burns)
- Cola Madnes (Funny Garbage). 2000
- 100.1: Drawings by Gary Panter (Plywood Press). 2004
- Satiro-Plastic: The Sketchbook of Gary Panter (Drawn and Quarterly). 2005
- Hey Dork!: The Sketchbook of Gary Panter (Drawn and Quarterly). 2007
- Gary Panter (two-volume retrospective, PictureBox). 2008
- The Land Unknown (Galerie Martel). 2009
- Songy of Paradise (Fantagraphics). 2017
- Crashpad (Fantagraphics). 2021
Adaptations
- Set designs for Pee-wee's Playhouse (television)
- Album cover paintings for some Frank Zappa releases (commissioned by Warner Bros. Records)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Expressionistic, bold lineworkfast, energetic drawing stylevisual practice that crosses painting, commercial art and comics
- Recurring Motifs
- punk/underground culturechaotic collage-like compositionsparody and reworking of classical literature
Legacy
Gary Panter is a leading figure in post-underground/new wave American comics. Through works such as the Jimbo series and his set designs for Pee-wee's Playhouse, he expanded the boundaries between comics, popular culture and visual art. His work has been widely exhibited and has influenced contemporaries and later creators.
Museums
- The Jewish Museum (New York) New York City
- Phoenix Art Museum Phoenix, Arizona
In Popular Culture
- Influenced early character design in Matt Groening's The Simpsons (e.g., Bart's hair)
- Provided album cover art for Frank Zappa releases and other musicians
Quotes
-
The Comics Journal called Panter the "Greatest Living Cartoonist."
Source: The Comics Journal (feature/reference) (2011) -
He and his friends are always up against systems of control... Jimbo is a wild combo-platter of brilliant drawing and stuff you didn't know could be done with mere pen and ink.
Source: Matt Groening (comment) (2008)
Trivia
- Jimbo's spiky hair is said to have influenced the design of Bart Simpson.
- Won two Daytime Emmy Awards for set design on Pee-wee's Playhouse.
- Published the Rozz Tox Manifesto in 1979, advocating artists' engagement with the capitalist system.
- Has collaborated with contemporaries such as Charles Burns.