Tomi Ungerer Versus America

Perhaps most familiar to Americans as the creator of popular children's picture books such as The Beast of Monsieur Racine (1971), French author and artist Tomi Ungerer has also produced a large body of adult works—including political satire, posters, and magazine illustrations—many of which emerged during the years he spent in New York in the late 1950s and '60s (Ungerer created the Village Voice slogan, “Expect the Unexpected”). In this well-rounded profile, filmmaker Tania Rakhmanova focuses on that turbulent period, which encompassed McCarthyism, the Cold War, and the Civil Rights movement, all of which provided inspiration for the artist. During this time Ungerer also produced Fornicon (1969), an X-rated publication (note: naughty illustrations featured here) that earned him the wrath of librarians, who—at an unspecified convention—denounced him as a pornographer. In 1971, Ungerer left the U.S. for Ireland and France (a museum in his honor is located in his native Strasbourg). The elderly Ungerer continues to be a vibrant presence, and his recollections and remarks here (including some pithy observations about the U.S. and Americans), coupled with comments from early colleagues, add depth and color to this engaging portrait of a unique individual with an enduring legacy. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Reed)