I’m a writer and artist living in South Korea. I occasionally interview people in publishing, including writers, critics and so forth. I”m branching out into graphic fiction (which I’ve produced in the past and still have a strong interest in). I’m wondering if you’d be willing to do a short interview.
The questions are below. Hope you have time to fill them out. [Note: if you go ahead and do the interview, please also forward some jpegs of art and a bio to go with the post.]
About myself: My work, both academic and popular, has appeared in THE HUFS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOREIGN STUDIES, THE BROOKLYN RAIL, RAIN TAXI, DARK SKY, THE KOREA TIMES, THE CANADIAN FORUM, PRISM, CONVERSATIONAL READING, etc. I have had work broadcast on the CBC [radio], and written and staged two plays. My monologue “Die Happiness” was demo-videotaped by Clark Johnson, of THE WIRE and HOMICIDE. And I have a website devoted to publishing called CONVERSATIONS IN THE BOOK TRADE, where I have interviewed people involved in the world of books, including Fred Ramey, Richard Nash, Robert Lasner, Kassia Kroszer, Ed Champion, Scott Esposito, Adam Bellow.
1. Graphic fiction, we are told, is in; it has arrived. Academics talk about it, literary publishers include it — sometimes — on their lists. But how accepted is it really? Is it genuinely accepted by the high-brow, and viewed with true objectivity? Or is some of the praise that it is given merely bumpf? After all, MFA programs specialize in writing, not graphic fiction; English departments rarely if ever pay attention to graphic fiction; major publishers do not publish much of it, and major prizes never include it in short lists, even though it can be a form of novel. What needs to change for graphic fiction to gain more acceptance?
2. According to some observers of the publishing scene such as critic Alex Good, literary fiction (particularly by new authors) is struggling these days while graphic novels are enjoying steady, healthy sales. Any observations on why that is?
3. There are a lot of comics artists who self-publish. As in the music industry — with bands with their own labels — this is considered perfectly acceptable as long as the creative result is good. Yet self-publishing is deeply frowned upon in literary circles. Why do you think that is?
4. How did you start out?
5.What kinds of drawing materials do you use?
6. Cartoonists tend to refer directly in their work to the influence of other cartoonists, while traditional artists get “left out”. Any fine art influences on your work?
7. How about literary influences?
8. The United States has produced some of the biggest names in experimental comics, as the form as gone through a series of incarnations: the surreal satire of Krazy Kat by George Herriman, to the underground comics of R. Crumb, to the graphic fiction of Chris Ware. Any other names you’d like to add to the list?
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http://www.mundochanti.blogspot.com
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I’m a writer and artist living in South Korea. I occasionally interview people in publishing, including writers, critics and so forth. I”m branching out into graphic fiction (which I’ve produced in the past and still have a strong interest in). I’m wondering if you’d be willing to do a short interview.
The questions are below. Hope you have time to fill them out. [Note: if you go ahead and do the interview, please also forward some jpegs of art and a bio to go with the post.]
About myself: My work, both academic and popular, has appeared in THE HUFS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOREIGN STUDIES, THE BROOKLYN RAIL, RAIN TAXI, DARK SKY, THE KOREA TIMES, THE CANADIAN FORUM, PRISM, CONVERSATIONAL READING, etc. I have had work broadcast on the CBC [radio], and written and staged two plays. My monologue “Die Happiness” was demo-videotaped by Clark Johnson, of THE WIRE and HOMICIDE. And I have a website devoted to publishing called CONVERSATIONS IN THE BOOK TRADE, where I have interviewed people involved in the world of books, including Fred Ramey, Richard Nash, Robert Lasner, Kassia Kroszer, Ed Champion, Scott Esposito, Adam Bellow.
Finn Harvor
fharvor@yahoo.com
1. Graphic fiction, we are told, is in; it has arrived. Academics talk about it, literary publishers include it — sometimes — on their lists. But how accepted is it really? Is it genuinely accepted by the high-brow, and viewed with true objectivity? Or is some of the praise that it is given merely bumpf? After all, MFA programs specialize in writing, not graphic fiction; English departments rarely if ever pay attention to graphic fiction; major publishers do not publish much of it, and major prizes never include it in short lists, even though it can be a form of novel. What needs to change for graphic fiction to gain more acceptance?
2. According to some observers of the publishing scene such as critic Alex Good, literary fiction (particularly by new authors) is struggling these days while graphic novels are enjoying steady, healthy sales. Any observations on why that is?
3. There are a lot of comics artists who self-publish. As in the music industry — with bands with their own labels — this is considered perfectly acceptable as long as the creative result is good. Yet self-publishing is deeply frowned upon in literary circles. Why do you think that is?
4. How did you start out?
5.What kinds of drawing materials do you use?
6. Cartoonists tend to refer directly in their work to the influence of other cartoonists, while traditional artists get “left out”. Any fine art influences on your work?
7. How about literary influences?
8. The United States has produced some of the biggest names in experimental comics, as the form as gone through a series of incarnations: the surreal satire of Krazy Kat by George Herriman, to the underground comics of R. Crumb, to the graphic fiction of Chris Ware. Any other names you’d like to add to the list?