Confusies 2: Liberation of the Saddies

The second in a trilogy of graphic works inhabited by an eclectic assortment of cartoon characters caught in various moments of confusion, awkwardness and oblivious outrageousness. Inspired by the work of James Thurber, these captioned cartoons succinctly capture a world forever out of sync with the normal, the rational and the so-called well adjusted. While each book is structured around different criteria of organization, "Confusies" moves through six poetically titled sections designating notions such as "...despite the confusion...", "...beat down...", " and "...the dependence keeps..." Stromberg has experimented with the cartoons in various contexts, exploring, for example, their simultaneous qualities of levity and despair in a permanent mixed media installation at UCLA, or in an hour-long lecture given at The Smell.