The Heideggerian Disruptions of Zippy the Pinhead - …egrabiner.com/zippypub.pdf · · 2009-12-08THE HEIDEGGERIAN DISRUPTIONS OF ZIPPY ... THE HEIDEGGERIAN DISRUPTIONS OF ZIPPY

THEHEIDEGGERIANDISRUPTIONSOFZIPPYTHEPINHEADE.GRABINER 1

TheHeideggerianDisruptionsofZippythePinhead

©EllenGrabiner,PH.D.,2009

(Underconsiderationforpublicationbythemagazine,PhilosophyNow.)


TheHeideggerianDisruptionsofZippythePinhead

Z‐ManWithintherecentlysurfacedspateofanthologies,books,andmagazinearticlesinwhich

thephenomenonofthe“superhero”has

beenspotlighted,therehasbeenone

egregiousomission.Thereisnaryamention

ofZ‐Man,alteregoof“ZippythePinhead”

andcreationofBillGriffith,whohaspledged

to“appearcomprehensibletoonlyaselect

groupofsophisticated,enlightened

individuals.”1

Torectifythisperhapsunderstandableomission,IwouldliketobringZippyfrontand

center,ifonlytoappreciatethewaysinwhichheandhissuper‐powershave,forseveral

decades,de‐centeredthecomicworld.PayinghomagetotheZ‐man’ssuperability,Irisk

offeringajuxtapositionofmyown:MartinHeideggerandZippythePinhead.Sideby

side,thesethinkersbothquestionourhabitualapproachestoeverydaylifeandsuggest

weabandongestellen:thewaysinwhichwetendtoenframe,andconsequently

diminish,ourexperience.

1 Griffith, Bill, “Z-Man,” http://www.zippythepinhead.com , 1995

Figure1"Z‐Man"©BillGriffith


EncounteringHeidegger

WhenIfirsttriedtoreadHeidegger,Iwasinthethickofadoctoralprogram,

investigatingwhatIperceivedtobethehostilitydirectedatthevisualparadigms

rampantinWesternthought.Asalongtimepracticingvisualartist,Itookumbrage.I

wasdesperatelyseekingsomethinginsupportofavisualexperiencethatwasenriching

andopening,insteadoftheubiquitousreifyingandtotalizinggaze.WhenIstumbled

uponHeidegger’s,“TheAgeoftheWorldPicture,”IjumpedtowhatIthoughtwasthe

obviousconclusion:finally,herewassomeonewhowasextollingthevirtueofpicturing

andIapproachedhisessaywiththatexpectationinmind.

IwassosureofwhatIwouldfindinhisessaythatIwasblindedtotheactualwords

Heideggerhadwritten,blindedtothefactthathewasnotlaudingbutbemoaningthe

modernisttendencyto“picture.”

AsIread,Ihadthestrangestsensationofswimmingagainstthecurrent.While

Heideggerhasbeenaccusedofmanythings–beingreactionaryinhisattitudetowards

technology,beingaNazisympathizer–asfarasIamaware,hehasneverbeenaccused

ofbeingeasytoread.

Andiflikeme,youdon’treadGerman,youarereadingatranslation,forstarters.But

readingHeideggerbelievingheissayingonethingwhen,infact,heissayingquite

another,wasanimpossibleexperience.

AsIread,Ibecameawarethatmyforeheadwasallscrunchedupwitheffort;Iwas

workingincrediblyhardandunderstandingalmostnotatall.Iwastemptedtothrowmy


handsupandsimplysayuncle.Atthosemoments,inanefforttocalmmyself,Iwould

think:justreadthisaspoetry‐orperhapsasHeideggermighthaveencouraged,as

language.Justletthewordswashoveryou,Iwouldcoachmyself.Don’ttryto

understandinalinear,rationalway.Andsuddenly,remarkably,meaningwouldtake

shape.WhetheritwasHeidegger’sintendedmeaning,orevenameaningthata

Heideggerianscholarmightattributetohim,Ican’tknow.ButIreadthesentencesthat,

whenapproachedlogically,seemedatbest,closetogibberish:“Thenothingnothings,”2

[Dasnichtnichtet.]“TheWorldworlds,”3[DerWeltweltet]“Languageisthehouseof

Being,”4andatworst,seemedoxymoronic,“thesoundlessecho.”Suddenlythese

phrasesresonated;notinaprecise,linear,rationalway,andmaybenoteveninaway

thatIcouldarticulate,butinatacitlyvisceralway.Iwasforced,inreadingthesewords,

tosuspendwhatIalreadyknew.Infact,Iwasforcedtoreconsiderknowingatall;forced

torethinkhowitwasthatIwasapproachingHeidegger,forcedbythedeliberate

oddnessofhiswordstostoptryingtounderstandthemintheusual“everyday”wayand

toletthemeaningshowitselftome.

IbelievethatHeidegger’sexcessivelyparticularuseoflanguagewasrootedinahope

thathisout‐of‐the‐ordinaryconstructionswouldcauseustostopandabandonour

every‐day,habitualwayofreading,abandontheimpositionofwhatwealreadyknowso

thathismeaningcouldbeuncovered.

2 Martin Heidegger, "What Is Metaphysics?" in Martin Heidegger: Basic Writings, ed. David Farrell Krell (Harper Collins, 1077, 1993), 103. 3 Martin Heidegger, The Origin of the Work of Art, ed. Clive Cazeaux, trans. Albert Hofstadter, The Continental Aesthetics Reader (Routledge, 2000). 4 Martin Heidegger, Letter on Humanism, ed. Lawrence Cahoone, From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology (Blackwell, 2003).


InBeingandTime,Heideggerexamineswhathecallsour“everydayness.”5Hesuggests

thatbydiscoveringhowweare,everyday,wewillpreparethewaytowards

understandingBeing.“Bylookingatthefundamentalconstitutionoftheeverydayness

ofDaseinweshallbringoutinapreparatorywaytheBeingofthisbeing.”6

LovingtheBoxWhateveryoumaythinkaboutHeidegger,thisdisruptionofourhabitual,everyday

tendencytoencodeorshort‐cutourexperiencewashislegacy,andnonehastakenup

themantelofHeideggeriandisruptionwithasmuchverveasBillGriffith’sZippythe

Pinhead.7LikeHeidegger,Zippyconfuses,disrupts,redirectsandreturnsustoour

everydaynesssothatwemightseeitanew.

ToappreciateZippy,itisnecessarytounderstandthecontextinwhichhelives.As

Heideggerwillinsistthatyoucan’tknowthehammerwithoutknowingthewood,the

nail,theheftofitsweightasyouliftitintheair,thegravitythatpullsitdown–wecan’t

knowZippyunlessweknowthepanel–theboxinwhichhelivesandwhichhereveres,

thegutterwhichplaceshiminandoutoftime,thespeech/thoughtbubblesinwhichhis

utterancesreside,andtheworldsofhighartandpopculturewhich,injuxtaposition,

affordZippyamechanismforupendingourpreconceivednotionsaboutcomics,and

leadingustoZippy’sdeep,philosophicaltruths.

Whetherwechoosetoadmititornot,ourapproachtocomicsisgenerally,asHeidegger

wouldsay,“gestellen”orenframed.TheworksofArtSpiegelman,MarjaneSatrap,or

5 Heidegger, Martin, Being and Time, p. 15 6 Ibid. 7 All Zippy comic and text of Zippy comics referred to in this paper © Bill Griffith, World rights reserved. Distributed by King Features Syndicate. http://zippythepinhead.com


NeilGaimanandDaveMcKeanaregroundedinthedifficultsubjectmatterofthe

Holocaust,theattackonthetwintowers,oppressioninIran,andabuse.Thesegraphic

comicartistsnotwithstanding,ourexpectationofthefunniesistobejustthat.Zippyis

sometimesside‐splittinglyfunny.ButwhenweapproachZippyexpectingthe“usual‘set‐

upandpay‐off’typeofgaghumor,”8asGriffy,BillGriffith’scomicalteregoandZippy’s

foilwarns,wewillbesorelydisappointed.

Figure2Henry

AndinmuchthesamewaythatHeideggerreturnedagainandagaintotherootsof

philosophyinGreekthought,Zippyreturnstohisownpersonalfoundationintheroots

ofthecomicartofErnieBushmiller’sNancyandSluggo9andinCarlAnderson’s10comic

stripHenry,whichhasbeensyndicatedinternationallysincethe1930’s,andiswhat

mightcometomindwhenwethinkofthequintessential“comic.”

In“Henry”wefindanarrativeflowandtheutilizationofpantomimed,comicgestures:

Henrystrollscasually,handsclaspedbehindhisback,runs,kickingupconventional

cloudpuffs,expressesthenarrownessofhisescapebywipinghissweatingbrow.

8 Griffith, Bill, “How To Understand Zippy,” 1995, http://www.zippythepinhead.com 9 See “Charting the Known: The Geography of Ernie Bushmiller,” by Bill Griffith, http://www.zippythepinhead.com/pages/aabillgr.html 10 http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/henry/about.htm


If,however,weweretoapproachZippyexpectingacomictobelikethis,thinkingthat

wealreadyknowwhatacomicis,wewillbepulledoutofourcomplacency,inaway

reminiscentofmyapproachtoHeidegger’s,“AgeoftheWorldPicture.”

Zippy,likeHeidegger,isabigfanofseeingandsaying.AndlikeHeideggerheuses

languageaslanguage,tohelpupendourexpectationsofthecomicnarrative.By

highlightingover‐sized

landmarks,the

ubiquitousdiner,the

meditativesportof

bowling,orthe

transcendent

laundromat,hebringsus

rightbacktothepresent

moment.Thejarringjuxtapositionof“high”cultureandkitschbringsintofocuswhatwe

overlookinoureverydaywayofbeing,andbracketsZippy’sculturalcritique.

Zealouslyengagingideasthathaveprovokedthroughouttheagesaswellasthose

endemictoourpost‐postmodernlives—“po‐po‐mo”isawordthatIamsureZippy

wouldlove—Zippy’sessentialselfiscommentonidentitypolitics.Thepinheadwitha

bowedtopknot,aperennialfiveo’clockshadow,dressedinapolka‐dottedmuu‐muu,

makesastatementbyhisverybeing.

Itisn’tpossible,inthespaceallottedhere,toexperiencetheexpansivenatureofZippy’s

entireoeuvre.InsteadI’dliketozoomin,inordertoelucidatethePinhead’sthinking.

Figure3"SpeakEnglish"©BillGriffith


LikeHeidegger,BillGriffith–viaZippyandhispalGriffy,isnostrangertothebig

questions:fromaestheticstoexistentialismtothe“on‐going,non‐linear,exploration”11

ofourdualisticnature.

TheCartesianProjectAndlikeHeideggerbeforehim,Zippyhasmadeithismissiontoundonothingless

dauntingthantheCartesianproject.ButwhileHeideggerhademphasizedthestrife

entailedinBeing,Zippy’sapproachheremightbeconsideredclosertoGadamer’sidea

of“play.”Attimes,Zippysimplyprovidesuswithajuxtapositionthatflickersinits

randomabsurdity.Atothertimeshetacklesthenotionofdualityheadon.Herewesee

anexampleofboth!

Figure4"ZippythePinhead"©BillGriffith

WhencomicartistBillGriffithwantstogiveformtothe“opposingforcesofthe

universe”hechoosessomethingmonolithic,somethingwecouldn’tpossiblyoverlook:

enormousstoneheadsculptures.Byengagingtheminconversation,Zippyrendersthem

visible.Hisisaloud,persistent,andsillyvoicecheerfullyyellingaboutwhatishugeand

absurdinourcultureandwhat,aswewalk,headsdown,absorbedinourthoughts,

11 Griffith, Bill, “Understanding Zippy: Lesson Two, ” 1995, http://www.zippythepinhead.com/pages/lessontwo.html


comfortableinourknowledgeofwhatisallaroundus,wedon’teverreallysee.Could

hebecharacterizingtheseopposingforcesasrigid?Blockheads?Petrified?Couldhebe

commentingonthemind/bodysplitaswellascommentingonthenotionofopposing

forces?

WithZippy/Griffith,weneverknowforsure.Weseethestoneheads,notincidentally

modeledfromoneinaseriesofRobertArneson’ssculptures,entitledtheEgghead

series,attheUniversityofCaliforniaatDavis.

InArneson’sview,thesestoneheadsstandfortheintellectualintercourseofacademia.

ButforZippy,theysignifyallconceptualcouplingsandouringrainedexpectationthat

thesewillbeattheveryleast,hierarchicalandmorelikely,adversarial.Inthisstripwe

findtheopposingforcesinsistingthattobeanythingotherthanateachother’sthroats

is“unnatural.”ZippythePinhead,ontheotherhand,conformstonoone’s

preconceptions;embodies,inhismuu‐muu,arandomspontaneityanddelightinall

thingsfromthemundanetothesublime.Thehugerollingheadsarejustonemore

exampleofthefoilsthatresistZippy’sattempttomediate.Theypooh‐poohZippy’s

suggestionthattheycouldrelatetooneanotherinanyotherway,maintaining,“conflict

isnatural.”

(IwouldberemisshereifIdidn’tpointtotheobvious,albeitparadoxical,questions

raisedbythenatureofZippy’sintervention.Zippyorbyproxy,Griffith,isarguingforan

alternativeapproachtotheadversarialheads,isinconflictwiththem,andbyvirtueof

hisplea,positsan“either”totheir“or.”Ofcoursethisisalayerofwhatmakesthe

comicironicandfunny.Butdoesit,infact,provetheheadsareultimatelycorrect?Is


conflictnotonlynatural,butinevitable?AndifIamthenagreeingwithZippyand

implyingthatthosehissingheadsareinthewrong,amIalsofreezingthepolar

oppositesofthisparticularcontest?)

Zippyreframesthestoneheadhostility:eachheadismerelytheflipsideoftheother.

Theyareconnected,boundtooneanother,andnotjustbyvirtueoftheshared

attachmenttotheiropposition.InZippy’sworldthestrangeintermingle,fraternizein

waysthatundotheirpolarization.InZippy’sworldLesleyGoreprovidestheunexpected

swerveofnon‐sequitorthatmarkshisdiscourse.

WhatHeideggermightdescribeastheongoingunconcealingofanAletheictruth,

creatorGriffithcallsZ.O.W.L:Zippy’sOscillatingWaveLength.ZippycouplesThelonius

MonkandMyLittlePony,VintageDinerMenusandBob’sBigBoyHighDefinitionJpegs,

HelloKittyandCharlesBukowski.Theresultingshimmerofmeaningsisasintrinsicto

thePinhead’sphilosophicalmusingsasthejuxtapositionofcolorwastothe

Impressionists.

Byarticulatinganddecodingthenatureofcomicsingeneral,ZippythePinheadoften

functionsasametacomic:acomicthatcallsattentiontothecomicitself.Whilethisself‐

reflectiveandreflexivethreadrunsthroughmanyofBillGriffith’sdailysyndicatedstrips,

thereareseveraloftheseinwhichthisisaddressed

explicitly.

HereGriffithappropriatesHenryforjustthispurpose.

InfactthesimplicityofHenry’sconventionalcomic

Figure5"Oh,Henry!"©BillGriffith,2004


gesturesistheperfect“grrr”tothe“hiss”ofsomeheftyquestions:Whatisthenature

ofrepresentation?Isallexperienceencoded?Howdoweknowpreciselywhatitisthat

wethinkweknow?TransformingHenryintoaminipinhead,Griffithasksquestionsthat

areinpartseriousandimportantandinpartmakingfunofthoseofuswhoactuallydo

askthesequestionsandeventhinkthatturningtocomicstripslikeZippycangiveus

answers.Herewefindironycombinedwithridicule:asGriffithjuxtaposesthecomic

simplicityofHenrywithaself‐conscious,swipeatthequestionsthemselves,atthose

whoaskthem,andatthosewhocreatethecomicstripsinwhichtheyareasked.


ThePodofBeingFollowinginHeidegger’sfootsteps,makinghisown

“woodpaths,”Zippyappreciatesthatit’saboutthe

journey,notthedestination.Ashepusheshis

“pod”upahill,hereconsiders:“Maybeth’journey

isth’destination.”

LikeHeidegger’s“soundlessecho,”Zippylovesa

goodparadox,especiallywhenhedoesn’t

understandit.Hisconfusiondoesn’tkeephim

fromphilosophizingorwaxingpithy.Pontificatingaboutinternetaddiction,art,video

gaming,advertising,Google,orskeeball,languageisforZippy,asitwasforHeidegger,

thehouseofbeing.OrmaybeforZippy,itismoreaccurately,thepodofbeing.

Butinthisageofinstant,more,faster,better,itishearteningtoknowthereisasuper

heroamongus,whosesuperjuxtapositionsbringusupshort,undoourenframed

expectations,andreliablyreturnustooureverydaynessandourexperienceofthe

presentmoment.

Figure6"ZippythePinhead"©BillGriffith,2007

,2007


Figure7"FlowerChild"©BillGriffith,2009

The Heideggerian Disruptions of Zippy the Pinhead - …egrabiner.com/zippypub.pdf · · 2009-12-08THE HEIDEGGERIAN DISRUPTIONS OF ZIPPY ... THE HEIDEGGERIAN DISRUPTIONS OF ZIPPY

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