Nate Beaty's Brainfag

Serious kids for stupid comics

posted in Home Jabber on February 04, 2005

I was excited to find Childhood is Hell at the local last-of-a-dying-breed, for reals Thrift Store here in Astoria. Matt Groening has got to be one the funniest damn people alive. But even more hilarious was the counter lady's response when I brought it up for purchase (along with 8 records, the total was two bucks!): "OH THAT MAN IS WEIRD."

"Yeah, he's uhh, pretty weird," I replied, still in shock at the miniscule cost of all these items.

"I bought one of his books as a coloring book, but you couldn't color in it!" She paused, obviously angry at the memory. "And it's certainly not for kids. I was going to call the publisher!"

"Yeah, it's not for kids." I lamely replied, a little confused as to how she would think it was a coloring book for kids.

As I walked home, it started getting to me. The old woman was a reminder of the majority attitutude towards comics and cartoons: entertainment for kids, but certainly not a serious art form. "Whatever," I eventually concluded. I was glad to find a class-A book for the shitter for a quarter, and went home to continue honing my attempts at my serious art form.

Speaking of which, I really want to make it to MOCCA this year.. Not only do I think it's time I saw New York, I also think it's time I became a serious cartoonist. Hahaha, oh-hoho.

As you might have noticed, I've recently become fascinated with coloring illustrations with Photoshop -- there's illos in About and Writing, and a few on the new Reading Frenzy site. This has gotten me to thinking of continuing Brainfag 6 with some new minis, and possibly colorizing the whole thing for online viewiing.

Aaron Renier and I have also been talking about doing a joint-mini for MOCCA, but we've been *talking* about that for almost four years, so don't hold your breath.

Just got a slew of new books and comic books including a Krazy Kat reissue (gawd I hate Fantagraphics' site), Jessica Abel's amazing Perdida #1, Bwana Spoons Pencil Fight #2, Kevin H's Or Else #1, and my fav: Lewis Trondheim's Nimrod #3, #4 and The Hoodoodad (yay Fantagraphics for publishing these in English!).