I spent a wonderful 90 minutes on the Mundo Gonzo podcast, chatting with a warm, heartfelt—and very knowledgable—group of Brazilian comic book enthusiasts. I am always amazed, humbled—and profoundly grateful—when I realize that these stories impact hearts and minds all over the world. What a blessing.
You can view the interview below. Enjoy!
Have you ever thought about inquiring why Brazil is so interested in your work?
ReplyDeleteAs you point out, there have been several Brazilian folks who talked to you about it, I just wonder if you ever wanted to ask them why they think the nation is so interested in your work.
I am just waiting for the day you tell the story of your lunch with Will Eisner.
You know, where the two of you discussed growing up in Brooklyn vs the Bronx, the different personalities, how they changed over time. How things led to another.
And of course the two ours where you discussed Ohio, trying to get the bottom. Is it a real place? A theory? A myth? A state of mind? A concept? A metaphor for something? A goal? A madman's dream? A practical joke?
You were determined to get to the bottom of it, but of course never came up with a definitive answer.
The closest you got was Eisner saying he got drawing of some Super-guy in the mid-30s form Ohio, but he sent it back because it might be a scam.
Jack
I actually did a panel in Toronto (I think) with Eisner back in the late 80s. He was so impressive: thoughtful, eloquent, a real gentleman.
DeleteA lot of people Wall Watchmen the "Citizen Kane of comics." I think that is strange, Since A Contract With God and MAus exist.
DeleteNot the least of Which for Eisner's magnum opus because like Citizen Kane, many people know it is a classic, use it as an example, but have not consumed the media itself. Which is a shame.
One of the things Citizen Kane was known for was using genre style shots i.e. ones that do not typically belong in a drama or melodrama, into mainstream serious works Specifically horror style shots to set the mood comes to mind.
Eisner did that with Contract. The sort of exaggerated features he liked to draw were not really common in non-humor comics at the time. Just like your nemesis Orson Wells used horror techniques to set mood, Eisner used a comedic approach to increase all emotions, inclusion despair and despair.
However, Eisner being being referenced without being read has caused his work to be viewed incorrectly, or at least not fully
Something I have read A Contract With God referred to is, "slice of life." Which is complicated. The back up features certainly are slice of life looks at Great Depression Bronx Tenements. However, the main feature is a near operetta drama about a man succumbing to nihilism and anger, then seeking redemption because of the most devastating of personal tragedies.
IN fact, I would argue Eisner's slice of life graphic novels like City people and New York are not bad, but also not Eisner at his best.
Only Contract could really be viewed as popular, thus all are overlooked are the ones. But some deserve the title more, the character studies.
Eisner had a love affair with humanity. Not some cheap tawdry thing, true love, he saw its worst parts and still loved and cherished her.
That is why books Like The Building and A Life Force really feel more like they should be brought up more. They show tragic yet beautiful human experiences. Telling us who people are in their souls.
Compared to say...Dropsie Avenue, the final of the Contract with God trilogy, it is very different. It is certainly an interesting look at the cycles of a neighborhood. It does not have the same grounding It loses some of the Eisner magic, because it is a slice of life.
Calling Eisner's work "slice of life" is doing him a disservice, Not because slice of life stories can't be good, or masterpieces, or powerful, just because they are not what Eisner did best. It is also not what that specific story is.
The REAL question is, how annoyed were the people of the Toronto to just hear you and Eisner debate the nature of Ohio?
Jack
Eisner and I got into a terrible argument about that...which evolved into a fist fight. He was much older than me, but, man, could that guy punch! ; )
DeleteBut seriously...all interesting takes on Eisner. He's one of those creators, like Kirby or Bradbury, whose work truly inspires me. I read Eisner and I see the potential in comics , in my own work, that's still untapped. One of the giants of the field. Correction, he's not just a giant of the comics field, he's an artist whose work shines across all the arts.
Just out of curiosity, after Eisner punched you, did he run away, up a staircase that somehow spelled out his name?
DeleteJack
Yes.
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