Mr. Clowes and I share a very casual conversation about comics, fatherhood and films. Join us, then pick up a copy of the brand new Complete Eightball comics in paperback! www.fantagraph... Support my patreon here: / noahvansciver
I wonder if Kurtzman lost confidence in his own drawing, or if he decided his time was more profitably spent on writing and laying out the pages for other artists to render? I saw Kurtzman at the first comics con I ever went to, the OrlandoCon in 1975, when I was 20. Kurtzman was one of the guests of honor, (the other being Burne Hogarth), and he organized a giant jam session on poster boards taped to the walls. Florida is home to many syndicated comic strip artists--or was then--and many of those guys participated in the jam. If it still exists, there is an 8mm home movie my dad filmed of the jam as it was occurring.
I am a huge admirer of Clowes' work, all of it, but I really prefer the look of his earlier stuff. That intensity he talks about here was so great, everything just vibrated on the page. I feel like, sometime around Ice Haven maybe, his art became more stiff and the characters all got this kind of glazed look in their eyes. His writing was as good as ever but the art was kind of... utilitarian, for lack of a better word. Maybe that was a deliberate choice, like he opted for a less showy style, but I've wondered if it's somehow connected to his heart troubles. He's done a lot of covers where the characters have this kind of thousand yard stare, like they're in shock, and to me they all kind of look like they're staring death in the face. In any case I'm just glad Clowes is still with us and still working. He's one of the best cartoonists we've ever had.
I'd like to see a collection of Daniel Clowes from Cracked. I'd also like an easy to find Noah Van Sciver collection of Madd work. Both sound great. Both would probably sell if anyone at those respective companies knew what they were sitting on.
what a great start to the conversation... the daddy talk... I second every word of Daniel Clowes' about having kids: it's exactly like I've felt it and still feeling it
Did you check out Leviathan by Peter Blegvad? I recommended it to you a while ago. It's somewhat about fatherhood, the titular Leviathan being the tiny child that comes into your life and takes it over.
I love your work, Noah. Thank you for doing this. Your interviews have helped me through the lockdown and that joy continues today. I appreciate your conversations and I learn so much from you and your guests.
🙌🙌 the cover of comics journal 233 is a great single pager that immediately came to mind, but being from 20 years ago only barely qualifies as recent (even in cartoonist time)
Just a footnote: Dario Argento paid homage to the character Lugosi plaid in the Black Cat by naming a strange doctor in Suspiria with his same name, Werdwegast.
Hey Noah, as entertaining as B. K. Taylor is, the book you should really seek out from the heyday of National Lampoon, that Fantagraphics published, is Ray And Joe: The Story Of A Man And His Dead Friend by Charles Rodrigues. You may need a diaper! And since you have the ear of the people in charge there, do what Dan said and press for an Ed Subitzky collected edition! Another unsung god of comics!!!
