‘IT'S HARD T0 | CREATE A LOVEABLE BLOWHARD'
Comic book confidential
With the movie world zoning in on DANIEL CLOWES, he may find it hard to script comics. Miles Fielder chats to a man who is as happy doing the dishes.
aniel Clowes has spent the last year making a
movie adaptation of his comic strip Art
School Con/idwitial. That's great news for admirers of his first stab at lilmmaking. Ghost World (a wicked satire about soulless modern America for which Clowes‘ screenplay received an Oscar nomination). but not such good news for fans of the comics. Now. with the new film in the bag. he has a new book out.
Constructed as a series of short inter—related strips featuring a cast of around 40 characters. Ice Huron is a barbed look at small-town life. The mosaic-style storytelling is something new for (‘lowes. ‘I started buying old newspaper Sunday sections that l used to read as a kid. There would be mixtures of comic strips. soap opera. adventure. humour. An odd mixture of styles. but somehow there was internal cohesion — someone would lose their hat in one strip and it would turn tip live strips later. That was the inspiration for [re Haven.~
The loose plot revolves around the disappearance of an odd little kid named David Goldberg. but the various sub-plots involving Ice Haven denizens build a picture of the community and form the core of the book. In typically self-referential fashion. (‘lowes introduces a character named Harry Naybors. a comic book critic who suggests ]('(‘ Haven is autobiographical. ‘I grew tip in the middle of Chicago. and ended up spending a lot of time in these little towns outside the city. dead
wastelands that only existed in the summer.‘ says (‘lowes. ‘()nce the tourists had gone the towns were just left with these really bitter people.’
(‘lowes is most satisfied with Wilder. 'lt's hard to create a loveable blowhard.‘ he says. ‘He‘s not based on anyone in particular. He‘s just a worse case scenario image of myself. especially in setting out to write but ending up washing the dishes — that‘s my whole life.’
Well. hardly. (‘lowes has been cartooning since 198‘). when the lirst issue of his ongoing comic book liig/iI/m/l was published. With 23 issues to date and a series of hardcover collections (Irv Huron repackages and expands the contents of [fight/ml] 22) as well as illustration jobs (the poster art for Todd Solondz‘s lilm Happiness) and the lilm adaptations to his name. (‘lowes has broken out of comic cultdom and into the mainstream. But now he‘s been feted by Hollywood. will he go back to comics full time'.’
‘I once made a chart that listed the qualities of comics versus the qualities of lilms.’ he says. 'In film it would be a ride to a restaurant to meet a film star: in comics I‘d take a bus to a store to sign some books. ln movies I‘d add two zeros to the money. And yet at the end of the chart I wrote: "And the winner is . . . comics." It‘s still the medium of choice for me. It‘s the one thing I have complete control over. I will certainly be producing more comics.‘
Ice Haven is out now on Jonathan Cape.
31¢ Nell Felneman Have the nerds finally taken their full revenge on a disapproving society? Seems that way if Geek Chic is to be believed, and the evidence within is frankly ovenNhelming. From C- 3PO to the iPod, we all love a good geek. See review. page 30. Thames & Hudson.
=8 Rodrigo Fresén A thoroughly enjoyable psychedelic romp from the mind of Mr F with Kensington Gardens, a very broad envisaging of the JM Barrie story. 080 Pierre loves it. See review, page 30. Faber
* Daniel Clowes The Short Cuts of comic books, Ice Haven features a cast of 40 and takes a distinctly vicious poke at small-town life. See preview. left. Jonathan Cape.
* Brian Bolland Here is a collection from the former 2000AD artist which can be described as more personal and less action-infatuated. From domestic strife to semi- autobiography, BoI/and Strips! is a potent curiosity. See review. page 31. Knockabout/Pa/mano Bennett.
* Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely A nightmarish, Orwellian vision from Morrison (pictured) and Quiter lies deep within WE3, with the US Air Force developing beastly supersoldiers to replace those struggling on the frontline. Please. don’t have nightmares. See review, page 31. Titan/Vertigo.
* Louise Walsh The much- loved scribe of The Cutting Room continues her promotion of the follow-up. Tambur/aine Must Die. which is one year old this week. All it does is make us hungry for that difficult third book. Borders Books. Glasgow, Tue 26 Jul.
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