Art Spiegelman Timeline and Summary

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• In 1958, Art is around ten or eleven years old. While skating with friends, he falls, but his friends abandon him. His father isn’t sympathetic.
• Now an adult, Art visits Vladek at his home in Rego Park. He records Vladek’s memories for a book he is writing about his father.
• Over the next few months, Art visits Vladek regularly to record his memories.
• On one visit, after Vladek finishes telling his story, Art gets up to discover that Vladek has thrown away his coat. Vladek gives Art one of his old coats, which Art despises.
• On another visit, Art arrives after dinner, and is chided by Vladek for not coming earlier to help with some housework. Art brings a tape recorder to record Vladek’s memories.
• Vladek mentions that Anja kept diaries. Art and Mala search Vladek’s office, but they can’t find the diaries.
• One morning, Mala calls Art; she’s worried about Vladek, who wants to clean the drain pipes. Art calls back, trying to avoid helping Vladek, but Vladek tells him not to bother.
• A week later, Art arrives at Vladek’s; Vladek is sorting nails and seems annoyed. Art sees Mala, who tells him that Vladek has discovered a comic that Art wrote about his mother’s suicide, entitled “Prisoner on Hell Planet.”
• Vladek seems to be fine with Art’s comic – he’s just hurting from the painful memories the comics bring back. Vladek and Art walk to Vladek’s bank as Vladek continues his story.
• On the way to the bank, Vladek has chest pains. Art helps him eat a Nitrostat, and Vladek feels better.
• At the bank, Vladek shows Art where he keeps his safety deposit box.
• On another visit, Art comes upon Mala, who complains about Vladek. He shows Vladek and Mala some sketches from the book, which they appreciate.
• After Vladek finishes telling another part of his story, Art asks him again for Anja’s diaries. Vladek admits he destroyed them; Art is furious.
• In Part II, Art and Françoise are vacationing in Vermont. Vladek calls to tell them Mala has left him, so they go visit Vladek in the Catskills.
• Art uses the visit as an opportunity to record more of Vladek’s story. On a walk, they sneak into a nearby resort.
• In the next scene, Art sits at his drafting board, thinking about the success of his book.
• Art visits his therapist, Pavel, and talks about his relationship with his father.
• Next, we see Art back with Vladek, at the resort, and they walk back to his father’s vacation house in the Catskills.
• The next morning, Art and Françoise drive Vladek to the supermarket, where he returns some groceries. They pick up a hitchhiker on the way back.
• It is now late autumn. Art visits Vladek, who wants Art to help him put up storm windows. But Art convinces Vladek to continue telling him his story.
• Vladek shows Art a book of old photographs, which Art takes for his book.
• Later, Art is at work at his drafting table when he receives a call from Mala, who is living with Vladek in Florida. Art flies down to Florida and accompanies Vladek back to New York, where Vladek is checked into a hospital.
• Later, Art visits Vladek, who has moved back to Rego Park with Mala.
• After finishing his story, Vladek lies down, calling Art “Richieu.”