Eight key works by Art Spiegelman

As one of the most influential cartoonists and editors of his generation, Art Spiegelman played a pivotal role in elevating comics into a respected literary and artistic medium. “Art Spiegelman is the guy who reinvented comics as a medium that people took seriously,” says artist and author Molly Crabapple.

While Spiegelman is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece “Maus,” his contributions extend far beyond that single work. From Funny Aminals to “MetaMaus,” his career is marked by bold experimentation and cultural commentary. Let’s take a closer look at some of his most significant works.

Funny Aminals (1972)

Funny Aminals was a one-off underground comic anthology created by Robert Crumb and featuring contributions from several emerging artists, including a 24-year-old Spiegelman. While the comic’s tone and style were vastly different from Spiegelman’s later work on “Maus,” it was within these pages that the first version of “Maus” made its debut.

The three-page strip introduced the now-iconic cat-and-mouse metaphor, portraying Nazis as cats and Jewish people as mice. One of the creative requirements for Funny Aminals was the use of anthropomorphic animal characters, a limitation that Spiegelman embraced to convey a dark, allegorical take on the Holocaust.

Though this early version of “Maus” would not be included in the final graphic novel, it laid the groundwork for his most acclaimed work. The strip marked a turning point in Spiegelman’s artistic direction, laying the foundation for a narrative that would eventually redefine the possibilities of comics as a medium for serious historical storytelling.

Arcade: The Comics Revue (1975–1976)

Created and edited by Spiegelman and Bill Griffith, Arcade: The Comics Revue is often regarded as one of the final and most ambitious anthologies of the underground comix era. Launched in 1975 in Berkeley, California, Arcade was conceived as an attempt to create a sophisticated “comics magazine for adults.”

Throughout its seven-issue run, Arcade blended past and present, featuring classic comic strips alongside contemporary works from groundbreaking artists like Robert Crumb, Justin Green, Jay Lynch and Diane Noomin. The anthology served as a platform for boundary-pushing storytelling and artistic innovation, reflecting Spiegelman’s ongoing interest in elevating comics beyond traditional genres and expectations.

Though short-lived, Arcade left a lasting impact by challenging the cultural status quo and expanding the possibilities of what comics could be. It helped pave the way for the rise of alternative comics in the 1980s and beyond, setting the stage for Spiegelman’s later work with Raw and the graphic novel revolution that followed.

“Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*!” (1977, Reissued 2008)

“Breakdowns” is a bold and introspective collection of autobiographical and experimental comic strips that challenged the conventions of the medium long before mainstream audiences were ready. First published in 1977, the book served as both a creative playground and an emotional release for Spiegelman, featuring glimpses of what would later evolve into “Maus.”

At the time, Spiegelman was more focused on the formal properties of comics than on linear storytelling. “Breakdowns” dives into visual pacing, panel relationships and the manipulation of pictorial space. The original cover was striking: a self-portrait of Spiegelman drinking India ink, with the title scrawled in jagged block letters, symbolizing both personal and artistic unraveling. Despite its innovation, the book failed to find an audience upon release, selling fewer than 3,000 copies and quickly falling into obscurity.

Yet this failure set Spiegelman on the path to create “Maus.” In 2008, “Breakdowns” was reissued by Pantheon Books as “Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*!” with a new introductory comic and reflective afterword. Today, it’s seen as a visionary work that helped redefine comics as a serious art form.

Raw Magazine (1980-1991)

Raw was a groundbreaking comics anthology co-edited by Spiegelman and his wife, Françoise Mouly. First published in 1980, the magazine quickly became a cornerstone of the alternative comics movement, offering a more intellectual, experimental approach in contrast to mainstream and underground counterparts like Robert Crumb’s Weirdo.

The idea for Raw grew out of Spiegelman’s dissatisfaction with the state of comics publishing. “He was saying, somebody should print comics in magazines. Somebody should print comics in The New York Times. And he was always disappointed when they never followed through,” Mouly recalled. She added, “The vision was to do some things that were of its moment but also would have the permanence of a book.”

Produced with exceptional attention to design and printed on high-quality paper, Raw elevated the presentation of comics to match its ambitious content. It showcased avant-garde, international and alternative artists who were often overlooked by mainstream publishers. Importantly, it also served as the platform where Spiegelman began serializing “Maus,” allowing him to test and refine what would become his most celebrated work. With Raw, Spiegelman and Mouly redefined the potential of comics, demonstrating that the medium could be both innovative and profoundly literary.

“Maus: A Survivor’s Tale” (1980-1991)

A deeply personal and groundbreaking work, “Maus” is Spiegelman’s graphic novel masterpiece that explores the harrowing experiences of his parents during the Holocaust. Using a haunting visual metaphor, Spiegelman depicts Jews as mice and Nazis as cats, an allegorical choice that powerfully highlights the trauma of genocide.

At its core, “Maus” is also a story about a fractured father-son relationship. Spiegelman described the emotional distance with his father, Vladek: “There was a generation canyon between us…. As an adult, I just had no relationship to speak of with him and kind of wanted one, wanted a way to come to terms with him, and this book afforded that by giving me the relationship of interviewer and interviewee to replace son and father.” Through a series of interviews, Spiegelman reconstructs Vladek’s survival in Auschwitz, while simultaneously navigating the lingering emotional wounds of their bond.

Anja, Spiegelman’s mother who died by suicide in 1968, is another lingering presence throughout the story, her memory woven into the family’s narrative of survival and loss. With its minimalist black-and-white aesthetic and innovative storytelling, “Maus” redefined what comics could achieve. Although “Maus” began serialization in Raw in 1980, the publication of its two volumes in 1986 and 1991 ultimately earned Art Spiegelman a Pulitzer Prize, marking the first and only time the award has been given to a graphic novel.

The New Yorker (1992)

In 1992, The New Yorker editor Tina Brown brought Spiegelman on board as a cover illustrator and contributing editor. His arrival brought a shift in the magazine’s visual tone, as he helped modernize its covers with bold, thought-provoking imagery that often questioned political and cultural norms.

One of his most iconic covers appeared just two weeks after the September 11th attacks, on the September 24, 2001 issue. Created in collaboration with Mouly, The New Yorker’s art editor, the design featured a subtle black silhouette of the Twin Towers against an even darker black background. This powerful, understated tribute was widely praised for its emotional resonance and restraint.

However, not all of Spiegelman’s covers were met with acclaim. Several sparked controversy, including those addressing topics like interracial relationships and police brutality against Black Americans. His willingness to confront uncomfortable subjects often led to tension with the editorial team, as he felt his creative freedom was being restricted.

Despite these challenges, Spiegelman produced more than two dozen covers and numerous interior illustrations during his time at The New Yorker, helping to further elevate comics and visual storytelling within mainstream media.

“In the Shadow of No Towers” (2004)

The tragic events of September 11, 2001, struck Spiegelman and his family in an intensely personal way. His and Mouly’s daughter, Nadja, had just begun high school in a building located directly beneath one of the Twin Towers. On that terrifying morning, as the building shook from the impact, Nadja and her classmates rushed to evacuate. Spiegelman and Mouly rushed to get their daughter and together the three fled the scene, only to turn back and witness the horrifying collapse of the towers. They saw a chilling blur of color, from the gray ash to the glowing red embers of burning flames.

Spiegelman processed the trauma through his art, ultimately creating “In the Shadow of No Towers.” The graphic memoir blends intense political commentary with a deep sense of personal anguish. Alongside his reflections on the attack, Spiegelman pays homage to early 20th century comic strips, drawing a connection between America’s past and its uncertain present.

Disillusioned by the U.S. government’s swift move toward war, Spiegelman’s critical stance made American publishers hesitant to publish the work. As a result, “In the Shadow of No Towers” was first published in the German newspaper Die Zeit. True to form, Spiegelman turned personal and collective catastrophe into a profound artistic statement. As he acknowledged, misery and disaster have often served as his muse.

“MetaMaus” (2011)

There’s no denying that “Maus” catapulted Spiegelman into a new realm of recognition, earning him critical acclaim and a Pulitzer Prize. Yet the success of such a deeply personal and haunting work has not always been easy for Spiegelman to live with. As he once admitted, “The book still seems to loom over me like my father once did.”

“MetaMaus” was born out of Spiegelman’s frustration with repeatedly fielding the same questions: Why mice? Why portray the Holocaust through such a dark and unconventional lens? Why cast the Nazis as cats? Tired of such simplistic interpretations, Spiegelman set out to provide a more comprehensive response.

Collaborating with associate editor Hillary Chute, “MetaMaus” weaves together three key threads that informed “Maus”: his aesthetic approach, historical research, and family history. Like its predecessor, the book spans generations, incorporating interviews not just with Spiegelman, but also with his wife and their children, Nadja and Dash.

Richly illustrated, “MetaMaus” includes original sketches, archival materials, and a DVD, offering a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind “Maus.” Far more than a companion piece, “MetaMaus” deepens the understanding of a masterpiece that continues to resonate decades later.

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From his early efforts with Arcade, striving to elevate comics as a serious art form, to winning the Pulitzer Prize for the deeply personal “Maus,” and later works like “In the Shadow of No Towers,” Art Spiegelman has continually redefined the boundaries of the medium. As both a cartoonist and editor, he helped transform comics into a more sophisticated, mature genre while broadening the reach, deepening the impact, and altering how the world views the art of storytelling.

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