A Cockeyed Menagerie: The Drawings of T.S. Sullivant #[nn]

Framed by ornate Victorian-style borders, this Fantagraphics collection showcases T.S. Sullivant's wonderfully absurd ink work right on its cover: a winged hippopotamus soars overhead while below, a wide-eyed elephant bolts in panic as a comically determined rider on horseback gives chase. Sullivant's draftsmanship — both pencils and inks entirely his own — captures a world where animals misbehave with gleeful dignity, and the elaborate floral cartouche framing the title feels like a period broadside advertising the strangest show on earth. A thoroughly charming showcase of one of history's great humorous illustrators.