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WAITING
FOR TOMMY
By Richard Johnston RICHARD:
Well it certainly seems you're on the power list. While your
name may not sell hundreds and thousands in the direct market,
you seem to have the ability to make publishers publish whatever
is your whimsy. Is this true - and could that power go to
our head?
KYLE:
It's great to be able to try new formats and genres. A big
change in comics I've seen since I started in the '80s is
the greater variety of genres. Now you have books like DIARY
OF A TEENAGE GIRL, ETHEL AND ERNEST, FAX FROM SARAJEVO, I
NEVER LIKED YOU and others. The main thing I do with my work
is add to the variety of books available. Most of my books
start with me saying, "Why can't I buy a comic book like this?"
I've always wanted to see a book like YOU ARE HERE, but nobody
ever made one, so I did it. I like Bible stories, but only
Max Gaines in the '40s and DC in the '70s had really done
any. I talked to the fellow who did the recent SAMSON book,
and he said that my KING DAVID had helped him get his publishing
deal. Most people aren't given opportunities to do something
unprecedented, it's risky. The great thing is now I meet all
these younger cartoonists who were inspired by WHY I HATE
SATURN, and are doing similar work. It was hard for me to
get SATURN published at the time, because it was an unfamiliar
format and genre. Now there's tons of great books in a similar
vein. Even art techniques like two-color printing, or coloring
the lines like a Disney film get imitated and become commonplace
after I use them. It's also why people tend to like my books
better five to ten years after they're first published.
RICHARD:
Maybe that'll happen to The Truth? The series made a splash
in publicity and influence, if not quite the same in critical
opinion. News discussion progams, the main character joining
Priest's Crew, Bob Morales taking over the main Captain America
book - and you seem to be a fan as much as the readers. Bob
reports that you don't want to know the story before you receive
your next script. Why has this touched you so?
KYLE:
I think it's always great to have more Black superheroes.
I also enjoy working with Bob. We used to do cartoons for
VIBE magazine together. I didn't want to read the script in
advance, because the suspense keeps me interested. A problem
with working from my own scripts is that not only do I know
the ending in advance, but I have to read the same story a
million times, when I write it, when I letter it, when I pencil
it, when I ink it, color it, proofread it, etc. I never get
to experience the excitement that everyone else does when
they read my book.
RICHARD:
So, what did go down between you and Evan Dorkin. Best of
buds, co-publishing work, now you seem to disown each other
and he's selling off sketches you did for him. Join the dots
for us? ***UPDATE: see
Evan Dorkin’s response to this question ***
KYLE:
I've lost touch with a lot of my old pals since I moved away
from Manhattan, got married and had kids. I don't hang out
with "the guys" any more. I'm home with my family every night
and I don't have much of a social life, because I work a lot.
I tend to socialize with other parents and go to places we
can all take kids to. I'm never in New York City any more,
so I'm not part of the big cartoonists social scene like I
used to be. I moved out of Manhattan in 1990. So that's 13
years I haven't been able to hang out with my New York drinking
buddies. Some of them understand, others don't. After 13 years
of not seeing someone, you should get over it.
As far
as business goes, I've reached the top of my field, as you
mentioned earlier. I have access to opportunities that most
other cartoonists don't. Since I am in demand and have the
luxury of choosing, I tend to take high-paying, high-profile
jobs like TRUTH, PLASTIC MAN, or BIRTH OF A NATION, my upcoming
collaboration with Aaron McGruder and Reginald Hudlin from
Crown Books. I had to mention this project somewhere in this
interview. I'm not doing this interview for fun, I'm doing
it to sell product! And you're doing it for money, so now
we're both happy, Rich. This simple understanding is why you
and I have maintained a successful professional relationship
for many years now. I work only with people who will help
my career and make me some money. I think that's a healthy
attitude, don't you?
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