Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse

Disaster Is My Muse is exactly the kind of documentary I love getting on physical media. Art Spiegelman is such an interesting subject because his career goes way beyond Maus — underground comics, RAW, Wacky Packages, Garbage Pail Kids, political art, and decades of pushing against what comics were “supposed” to be.

The documentary does a great job connecting his work to his family history and showing how much his art came out of trauma, satire, anger, and just being completely unwilling to play it safe. I especially liked hearing from other cartoonists and artists because it gives you a much better sense of how big his influence really is.

The release itself is ridiculous in the best way. It’s a 2-disc Region Free Blu-ray loaded with deleted scenes, extended interviews, talks, gallery footage, drawing sessions, material with Françoise Mouly, Bill Griffith, Chris Ware, and a ton more. There’s honestly enough bonus material here to spend another couple of hours with Spiegelman after the documentary ends.

Smart, funny, personal, and loaded with great art. Exactly the kind of documentary release I want in the collection. Easy 5/5. 😁

An informative, wonderful tribute to one of the most iconic and influential comic book artists.

Follow the journey to convey the infinite weight of the past.

A great, intimate look at the creator of controversial comics.

I first watched this on YouTube last year and it's rather unsettling that this had its festival premiere before the re-election of Trump. Needless to say, Mr. Spiegelman's concerns over a new homegrown fascism and repression of artistic expression of disenfranchised minority groups over being "divisive" are sadly coming true. Need I mention the cut jab at the President for broadcast over worries of the administration's efforts to end PBS's funding, although they'd experience a major blow anyway with cpb's own funding being eliminated, thus leading to their dissolution?

Continue carrying the flag of dissent, by whatever means necessary.

Awesome artwork. Best Enjoy The Ride Release yet!