Tonight we had back to back full-house shows, first Kate Beaton then Glen Hansard for a midnight concert. Glen bought Kate’s book, Kate is staying for Glen’s concert. (at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe)
I can’t imagine a nicer confluence of events! His whole band ensemble were a delight to meet also!
estherhoneypie-deactivated20190 asked: Hello, First of all just want to say how I really really like your work, as a sort-of aspiring illustrator, your work is a really great inspiration so thank you !! Also I actually have one very simple question: do you like the Monty Python if so how does it influence your work?
Everyone is influenced by Monty Python, yes? Probably. I only had two television channels growing up, but I remember in grade six, CBC started playing Monty Python late at night sometimes. And there was one other kid in my class who started watching it too, and we had never seen anything like it, or heard of it before. I remember coming to school the next day and making a beeline for him to talk about the funny things we saw. “The funniest joke in the world” - that was the one that was the best one. Still!
In grade 12 the teacher let us put on “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” as a school play, and I was the director. It was a complete mess. It was probably illegal? We had a great time.
rousse asked: Does it bother you when people use your art on, say, a reblog comment, without mentioning you?
Like a reaction gif? I guess if they do it I don’t really see it.
sadfunnytrue asked: You're an inspiration to this little nobody cartoonist. I hope to be successful as you one day. And also that I get to meet you. Also, if you haven't already, Christina of Sweden (a queen who was actually crowned "King" and had an affinity for hats with feathers) might be of interest to you.
Thank you! Listen: we are all little nobody cartoonists at the start. In some ways it’s a nice place to be because you have the time and space to figure it out, and do what you love because you love doing it. You feel good about your accomplishments because they mean a lot to yourself, your toughest critic and main audience. Once it becomes your job, a little of that light disappears, though you count your lucky stars. Remember when you do make it (and why shouldn’t you?) that you still need to be your toughest critic and main audience. It’s a good perspective to keep.
Christina of Sweden was great, I know!
meegsneeg asked: You went to a liberal arts college instead of a strictly art college. What advice would you give a young artist with a passion for history struggling to decide between a liberal arts and art school?
My liberal arts school had a really stellar Fine Arts department - Alex Colville went there. I think that the liberal arts schools offer the best of both worlds, and you can check out all the things that interest you.
wombat-hugs asked: What's you favorite Greek Myth?
Athena being born fully grown, and armed, from the forehead of Zeus! I wrote a comic once where Zeus also gave birth to another child fully formed, adult, but this child was a layabout with no job and he was like “where did I go wrong with Jayden??”
norree asked: Some of your opinions on authors/historical figures are pretty harsh (not that they're wrong) have you ever since changed one? As in, do you ever look back at a comic and think, 'I don't feel the same way anymore'? I love your books, by the way. : )
Yes, for sure! But I think what happens more is that I realized that I would make a joke or a gag comic about one person, and it would be about a specific thing, and I would be trying to get the humour out of it, so it would needle at this one thing. To a reader, this might look like I only had one opinion about the subject, and that was it. One joke, one comment, one opinion, no nuance. If the joke was a crass one, then even more do. So I started trying to put more and more into the comics, to present a more rounded version of the subject. Where before, I’d write and draw one gag, now you see me do four to eight. That’s how things are these days, at least.
it is publication day! This interview goes Down to Bleak Town but also other places
I think that what’s really happening there is that women in history or literature are often presented to us as sort of second-tier importance. We hear less about them, we study them less, representations of women are likely to be “less” somehow. So in the comics, I often pit them against this positioning in history, looking for justice or something like that. Finding comedy in the imbalance that is apparent to us as modern readers. Then I think they are often looking exasperated by the men around them, not because the men are bad, but because the men have always been presented to us as more important, and then in the comic, they play into that, and the woman has just had it.
STEP ASIDE, I’M A SHARK! Two of our favorite creators sit down for a discussion of webcomics, writing for all ages, and their latest works. SPX is thrilled to present Kate Beaton, creator of “Hark! A Vagrant!”, “The Princess and the Pony” and her SPX 2015 debut “Step Aside, Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant! Collection” in discussion with Noelle Stevenson, creator of “Nimona” and co-creator of Eisner Award-winning series “Lumberjanes.” No sharks or ponies were harmed in the making of this panel. Moderated by Heidi MacDonald.
SPX takes place in the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Convention Center (5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda, MD 20852) on both Saturday, September 19th (11am-7pm) and Sunday, September 20th (12pm-6pm). Admission is $15 Saturday, $10 Sunday, or $20 for a weekend pass. Get the weekend pass! Tickets are available at the door. As usual, you will find D+Q at booths #W1-4, and we’ll have with us Kate Beaton, Bendik Kaltenborn, Brecht Vandenbroucke, and Michael DeForge. All signings take place at our booth. #W1-4. Here are our full plans for one of our favourite weekends of the year!
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th Show open 11 am to 7 pm 12-1pm: Brecht Vandenbroucke signing 12-1pm: Panel SPX SPOTLIGHT ON KATE BEATON AND NOELLE STEVENSON in White Oak Room 1-2pm: Kate Beaton signing 3-4pm: Bendik Kaltenborn and Brecht Vandenbroucke signing 4-5pm: Michael DeForge and Bendik Kaltenborn signing 5-6pm: Kate Beaton signing
