Passionella and Other Stories

Jules Feiffer’s Passionella and Other Stories, first published by New American Library in 1964, collects a series of sharp, satirical comic strips originally drawn for The Village Voice. Feiffer, working as both writer and artist, skewers mid-century urban anxieties, romantic delusions, and political pretensions with his signature scratchy linework and wry, empathetic dialogue. The collection’s title story follows a downtrodden chimney sweep who transforms into a glamorous movie star, a classic Feiffer fable about identity and the hollow promises of fame. This single-issue volume remains a landmark of sophisticated, adult-oriented cartooning, capturing a pivotal voice in the 1960s alternative comics scene.