Sunday, July 13, 2014

Really nice shot

I'm editing down 'The Beloit Interview'. This was a six-hour interview spread over March 9-10, 2010 which I conducted while John was living in what was basically a poorly insulated concrete bunker in South Beloit, Illinois.

It was the late winter of 2010, I believe -- early March? -- and John was nearing the end of his rope. He left Denver the previous fall for Florida, which didn't pan out too well, and he was back in the confines of the northwest suburbs. I remember he said he didn't want to live in Beloit proper, as Beloit is Wisconsin -- i.e. Packers country -- and he's a Bears' man. I don't believe there was much sarcasm in his statement at the time.

His apartment was pretty sad. I can't remember if it was a converted car garage or what, but it was just made of cinder blocks, with giant openings for the winter wind to whip into, and the landlord wasn't too responsive.

John was furiously wrapping up edits on 'The Next Day', a book he'd been commissioned to illustrate, and was in the beginning stages of revamping Spit and a Half to its former glory. This meant every square inch of the place was filled with stacks and boxes and bags of zines, comics, and books.

Anyway, as I was editing I realized how beautifully I shot the second day of the interview. John is here, pensively eating his breakfast as we discuss Walden, getting it right as a cartoonist, and how much work goes into drawing what appear to be very 'simple' comics.

I think it looks nice.


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