From Ignatz’s Brick to Modern Resistance: Bianca Xunise’s Six Chix Tribute to George Herriman
What does a brick mean?
In unsettling times, symbols tend to carry extra weight. A brick can be seen as a weapon. It can also be the beginning of a foundation. It can destroy; it also can create.
As a part of a recent Six Chix series, award-winning cartoonist Bianca Xunise shows us the humble brick as an icon of resistance.
At first glance, the focus is on resistance in a broad sense — standing defiantly firm, refusing to give up. But for readers who know their comics history, there’s a nod to the strange, beautiful symbolism of comics’ most famous brick and a quiet tribute to George Herriman, the groundbreaking creator of Krazy Kat.
A Brick, a Mouse, and a Legacy
Readers of Krazy Kat will remember that Ignatz Mouse’s defining act was hurling bricks at the head of Krazy. Though thrown in anger, Krazy interpreted the act as love. What could have been simple slapstick became layered with absurdity and poetry.
Herriman, who began drawing Krazy Kat in 1913, is widely regarded as one of the most innovative cartoonists ever syndicated in American newspapers. A man of Creole heritage whose identity was largely hidden during his lifetime, Herriman occupied a complicated place in American history, even as his work reshaped the language of comics.
For Bianca Xunise, that lineage matters.
She writes:
“How is a brick a symbol of resistance? My hope when people read this next series of comics is not only to chuckle a little, but to acknowledge how something so small — like a singular brick or a tiny little mouse — can represent community change. As an artist, I love a visual allegory for a bigger story. Bricks are used for foundations. At first glance we might fear the brick when it is dismissed as a weapon rather than a tool for change. If we all bring our bricks together, we can build a brighter future.
“We are like little mice but when we unite, we realize that there are more of us who hope the world is able to thrive than those who seek to destroy it.
“The Ignatz connection is an ode to my love of comics and our duty as cartoonists and writers to educate and inspire. George Herriman was not only one of the first syndicated cartoonists but also a man of color. It felt important to share that tribute during Black History Month. He carved this path for me.
“I am grateful Herriman — and King Features — give me this space to create another generation of history and comics that can start a conversation. I hope my comics help my readers laugh a little, even when they are absurd. It heals and can momentarily relieve the pressure when the world feels scary.”
Resistance as Foundation
In Xunise’s hands, the brick’s meaning shifts. It’s no longer something thrown. It’s something shared. Something that builds.
Resistance doesn’t always have to look loud or dramatic. Sometimes it looks like people coming together with small, steady contributions that add up over time.
That idea sits well within the world of newspaper comics. A daily or weekly strip may seem small on its own. But over months and years, the characters in these panels become part of readers’ lives — offering laughter, relief, and sometimes a new way of seeing things.
Comics, too, have long thrived in moments of upheaval. Think of the sharp revelation of political cartooning. Humor becomes pointed. Absurdity becomes a coping mechanism. In times of uncertainty, artists often lean harder into metaphor — into allegory that lets readers laugh while also recognizing something true underneath.
That balance of laughter with pressure relief has always been one of comics’ quiet superpowers.
Honoring the Past, Creating the Future
As the Tuesday cartoonist for Six Chix, Bianca Xunise brings a bold, contemporary voice to the long tradition of newspaper comics. She is the first Black woman to contribute to the feature and an NAACP Image Award-winning artist whose work blends humor, cultural commentary and visual storytelling.
With this Black History Month homage to George Herriman and Krazy Kat, she situates herself within more than a century of syndicated comics history — while also reshaping it.
There’s something powerful in the continuity. Herriman helped define what newspaper comics could be: surreal, philosophical, linguistically playful. More than a hundred years later, Xunise builds on that foundation, adding her own bricks to the structure.
Small Symbols, Big Change
A brick.
A mouse.
A comic strip panel that takes only seconds to read.
Individually, they may seem small. Gathered together across decades, across artists and across generations, they create something lasting.
Bianca Xunise’s “Icons of Resistance” series reminds us that art doesn’t have to shout to be meaningful. Sometimes it builds quietly. Sometimes it reframes what we think we see. Sometimes it simply makes us laugh just enough to keep going. We need that these days.
And sometimes, a brick isn’t meant to be thrown at all.
It’s meant to build something better.
