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  • Published: 9 December 2008
  • ISBN: 9781897299586
  • Imprint: Drawn & Quarterly
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 96
  • RRP: $42.99

Skitzy

The Story of Floyd W. Skitzafroid



A graphic novel from the author of the beloved children's classic Corduroy

Published in the centennial year of Don Freeman's birth, Skitzy follows a day in the life of a man literally divided between life as an office worker and life as an artist. Without the use of dialogue, his fluid and economical illustrations create an engrossing and fully believable environment, seducing the reader into a familiar world where expressive, gestural drawings explore the possibility of striking a perfect balance between work and play.

Floyd W. Skitzafroid's wife worries that he is culture-starved and overworked, but she is only half right. Shortly after he leaves the house, Floyd splits into two: one a carefree artist, the other a grumpy worker with no time to spare. The contented Floyd quickly evades his morose counterpart in favor of a trip to his studio, sporting a broad grin throughout the day. But while this half paints and walks around pleasantly greeting those he meets, the other Floyd is confined to a desk, interacting only with paperwork, a looming boss, and his own disrupting thoughts. When the two halves of Skitzafroid are reunited after the workday, an unexpected eye-opener gives Floyd the push he needs to find a solution that will allow him to enjoy his passions without compromising his financial freedom.

  • Published: 9 December 2008
  • ISBN: 9781897299586
  • Imprint: Drawn & Quarterly
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 96
  • RRP: $42.99

About the author

Don Freeman

Don Freeman (1908–1978) was the author and illustrator of many popular books for children, including CorduroyA Pocket for Corduroy, and the Caldecott Honor Book Fly High, Fly Low. During his career as an artist, sketching impressions of Broadway shows for the New York Times and The Herald Tribune, he was introduced to the world of children’s literature when William Saroyan asked him to illustrate several books. Soon after, he began to write and illustrate his own books, a career he settled into comfortably and happily. Through his writing, he was able to create his own theater: "I love the flow of turning the pages, the suspense of what's next. Ideas just come at me and after me. It's all so natural. I work all the time, long into the night, and it's such a pleasure. I don't know when the time ends. I've never been happier in my life!" He created many beloved characters in his lifetime, perhaps the most beloved among them a stuffed, overall-wearing bear named Corduroy.  

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