Nobody's Fool

About this book

"The story of Schlitzie's long career--from Coney Island and the Ringling Bros. Circus to small town carnivals and big city sideshows--is one of legend. Today, Schlitzie is most well-known for his appearance in the cult classic Freaks (produced by MGM of all studios in 1932 and directed by Tod Browning, his first feature after the horror classic Dracula), in which all of the sideshow performers were real, not actors. The making of Freaks and Schlitzie's role in the film is a centerpiece of the book. Freaks was also the inspiration for Zippy the Pinhead, now in its 31st year of newspaper syndication via King Features, and led to Griffith's 50-year cartooning career. In researching Schlitzie's life (1901-1971), Griffith has tracked down primary sources and archives throughout the country, including conducting interviews with those who worked with him and had intimate knowledge of his personality, his likes and dislikes, how he responded to being a sideshow "freak," and much more. This graphic novel biography is not exploitative, but instead humanizes Schlitzie by providing never-before revealed details of his life, offering a unique look into his world and restoring some dignity to his life and recognizing his contributions to popular culture"--