When and how did you start drawing comics?
Well, I've been interested in comics ever since I was a kid, before I
could read, even. I drew a lot as a kid, mostly copying from comic
books, but pretty much gave up on drawing around the time I was 12
(long story). I met some people into comics in college and that
rekindled my interest in them. This was during the mid-to-late 1980s,
and I was blown away by MAUS, AMERICAN SPLENDOR, and the READ
YOURSELF RAW collection. These and others inspired me to try drawing
again. I guess I didn't really get serious about drawing comics and
studying them more closely until the very end of college. At that
point, I realized I had a long way to go. I decided I would spend
however long it would take to teach myself how to make them. My work
was highly unpolished and unfocused, so of course there was no hope
for me of making any kind of living as an artist. I started working a
"day-job" to make a living and basically forced myself to draw on
evenings and weekends. This has been, and still is, the way my "life"
is set up. My desire to become a better artist necessarily led me
down a path of learning as much as I could about the history and the
mechanics of this artform. In the last 8 or 9 years, I've also been
lucky to become friends with many great cartoonists, and I'm deeply
grateful to all of them for sharing so much information and ideas
with me.
Why do you draw comics?
I have no idea. it's more of a compulsion than a choice. To vindicate
my childhood self, probably.
Have you had any problem with the tone of your comics, especially for HAW!?
No, not really. People often tell me I'm going to get arrested
someday, but so far nothing has happened, besides people thinking I'm
some sort of creep. I happen to think that the "gags" in HAW!
actually have a philosophical underpinning, or at least a
"worldview," and in no way are they meant to arouse the prurient
interest. That's actually the opposite of my intent, which I think is
to implicate everyone, the readers and myself included, in the
ongoing horror of the human imagination both in theory and practice.
Which are your favorite authors?
There are too many to list, both within and outside of comics. I
wouldn't even know where to begin. I tend to have pretty catholic
(not to be confused with Roman Catholic) tastes and enjoy various
works across a broad spectrum. I tend to have a dark sense of humor,
and I can probably find some of that in most things that I like. At
the same time, I'm a pretty sentimental and idealistic person, and I
also enjoy works that are simple expressions of what it feels to be
alive. I guess I just hate naming specific names, because I always
forget people... and anyone who's read my comics can pretty much
guess what I like.
What can you say to us of the book in which you have worked as editor "An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories"?
The book is 400 pages and features about 75 artists. I wanted to
showcase a varied sampling of the highly personal work that is
currently being produced in contemporary "art comics," along with a
few classic comic strips and other historical material that have
retained a modern sensibility.
Ultimately, it's a very personal book that reflects my tastes, and I
hope that the reader will find my choices at least interesting. I
spent a lot of time choosing and arranging the stories, and there is
an implicit "thesis" in the very structure of the book, which I will
leave for the readers to discern. The sequence of the works is
probably the aspect of the book I am most proud of, as far as my
"editorial skills" (such as they are) are concerned. I started seeing
surprising connections between artists and stories, sometimes
thematic, sometimes visual, that were pleasing to me; I went with my
instincts and tried to retain those connections when I put the book
in its final order. The hardest part was limiting myself to only 400
pages; the book could have easily been 800 pages.
Which are your plans for the future?
To avoid dying for as long as possible.
Well, I've been interested in comics ever since I was a kid, before I
could read, even. I drew a lot as a kid, mostly copying from comic
books, but pretty much gave up on drawing around the time I was 12
(long story). I met some people into comics in college and that
rekindled my interest in them. This was during the mid-to-late 1980s,
and I was blown away by MAUS, AMERICAN SPLENDOR, and the READ
YOURSELF RAW collection. These and others inspired me to try drawing
again. I guess I didn't really get serious about drawing comics and
studying them more closely until the very end of college. At that
point, I realized I had a long way to go. I decided I would spend
however long it would take to teach myself how to make them. My work
was highly unpolished and unfocused, so of course there was no hope
for me of making any kind of living as an artist. I started working a
"day-job" to make a living and basically forced myself to draw on
evenings and weekends. This has been, and still is, the way my "life"
is set up. My desire to become a better artist necessarily led me
down a path of learning as much as I could about the history and the
mechanics of this artform. In the last 8 or 9 years, I've also been
lucky to become friends with many great cartoonists, and I'm deeply
grateful to all of them for sharing so much information and ideas
with me.
Why do you draw comics?
I have no idea. it's more of a compulsion than a choice. To vindicate
my childhood self, probably.
Have you had any problem with the tone of your comics, especially for HAW!?
No, not really. People often tell me I'm going to get arrested
someday, but so far nothing has happened, besides people thinking I'm
some sort of creep. I happen to think that the "gags" in HAW!
actually have a philosophical underpinning, or at least a
"worldview," and in no way are they meant to arouse the prurient
interest. That's actually the opposite of my intent, which I think is
to implicate everyone, the readers and myself included, in the
ongoing horror of the human imagination both in theory and practice.
Which are your favorite authors?
There are too many to list, both within and outside of comics. I
wouldn't even know where to begin. I tend to have pretty catholic
(not to be confused with Roman Catholic) tastes and enjoy various
works across a broad spectrum. I tend to have a dark sense of humor,
and I can probably find some of that in most things that I like. At
the same time, I'm a pretty sentimental and idealistic person, and I
also enjoy works that are simple expressions of what it feels to be
alive. I guess I just hate naming specific names, because I always
forget people... and anyone who's read my comics can pretty much
guess what I like.
What can you say to us of the book in which you have worked as editor "An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories"?
The book is 400 pages and features about 75 artists. I wanted to
showcase a varied sampling of the highly personal work that is
currently being produced in contemporary "art comics," along with a
few classic comic strips and other historical material that have
retained a modern sensibility.
Ultimately, it's a very personal book that reflects my tastes, and I
hope that the reader will find my choices at least interesting. I
spent a lot of time choosing and arranging the stories, and there is
an implicit "thesis" in the very structure of the book, which I will
leave for the readers to discern. The sequence of the works is
probably the aspect of the book I am most proud of, as far as my
"editorial skills" (such as they are) are concerned. I started seeing
surprising connections between artists and stories, sometimes
thematic, sometimes visual, that were pleasing to me; I went with my
instincts and tried to retain those connections when I put the book
in its final order. The hardest part was limiting myself to only 400
pages; the book could have easily been 800 pages.
Which are your plans for the future?
To avoid dying for as long as possible.
P.D. Si alguién tiene tiempo, y ganas, y le apetece traducir la entrevista, que me la mande y la colgaré aquí.
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