Art Spiegelman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist known for his books \Maus I"" and ""Maus II"" and his numerous New Yorker covers, spoke to a crowd of several hundred people Monday evening at the Wisconsin Union Theater.
Over the course of his 90-minute lecture, sponsored by Hillel, Chadbourne Residential College and the UW-Madison department of history, Spiegelman discussed both the overall history of comics and his personal experiences as a cartoonist.
Spiegelman started his lecture by lighting a cigarette, the first of several he puffed on while he spoke, and lamented the social stigma smokers face.
""At this point last week, Mayor Bloomberg [of New York City] said secondhand smoke is more dangerous than al Qaeda,"" he said, indicating he disagrees vehemently with that assertion.
Spiegelman devoted the majority of his speech to outlining the history of comics. He analyzed dozens of comic strips from different eras, displaying them on a projection screen above the stage.
He said he believes the history of the medium has been characterized by a clash between high and low art.
""The tug of war between vulgar and genteel culture is where the energy in comics comes from,"" he said.
Spiegelman also addressed his career as a cartoonist. He focused particularly on the past two years, in which he has written ""In the Shadows of No Towers,"" a series of comic strips about the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, an event he experienced firsthand as a resident of lower Manhattan.
""The only way I could articulate and put my thoughts together was to draw them in little boxes,"" he said.
Spiegelman briefly criticized President Bush's response to the attacks, blaming him for failing to take advantage of the opportunity he had to promote peace.
""When the whole world was upside down, no one was sure what would happen next,"" he said. ""It was a moment of possibility that was squandered very quickly.""
Students who attended said they found various aspects of the speech compelling.
""My favorite part was seeing his covers from the New Yorker,"" UW-Madison sophomore Rob Hamilton said. ""I see them lying around my house, so it's interesting to learn the stories behind them.""
""I liked his stories about his experiences on September 11,"" UW-Madison junior Tracy Janowiak said. ""I thought it put a personal touch on the lecture.""
""I liked that he was smoking the whole time,"" UW-Madison senior Silas Haglund said. ""That made it more comfortable, less like a formal lecture.\
