From: [td baue] at [pavo.concordia.ca] (BAUER, THOMAS D.)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.info
Subject: INTERVIEW: BERNIE MIREAULT
Date: 4 Apr 1994 03:50:31 GMT

What follows is a direct transcript of a document that I received in the
mail from Bernie Mireault on the morning of March 25, comprising 21 pgs
of handwritten answers more or less neatly scrawled on the backs of some
xeroxes of Dave Cooper's PRESSED TONGUE.

A big thanks from me to the following netfolk who sent in questions, as
I would not have thought of 1/10th of them myself:

[j--ls--i] at [skidmore.EDU]
[a--sc--t] at [magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu]
[James Langdell] at [Eng.Sun.COM]
[d--uc--i] at [netcom.com]
[j r m] at [elm.circa.ufl.edu]
[S--W--N] at [LIMS01.LERC.NASA.GOV]
[h--l--p] at [engin.umich.edu]
[M--RR--W] at [FNALV.FNAL.GOV]

And now, live from Montreal, for your pleasure...

INTERVIEW ON THE NET -- with your host, Tom Bauer!

Hello, everyone. I'm BERNIE MIREAULT. I'm a cartoonist, 32 years old and
father of two. Along with my partner, KATHRYN, I've been drawing comic
books for over ten years now, and I'm glad to have this opportunity to
get on the net and blab(Thanks, Tom!). For those who aren't aware, I do
acomic called THE JAM. It's currently being published by DARK HORSE
COMICS in black and white. Issue #7 is due out in late March(around
now)but FEW shops will stock it on their shelves. It's been my
experience you have to ASK your store to order it on your behalf.
Pathetic, I know! However, asking, nay, DEMANDING it by name is the
biggest thing you could do to support me. THANKS!

THE JAM #'s 1-5 were published by SLAVE LABOUR GRAPHICS a few years ago.
The work was reprinted in color by TUNDRA, but was never collected as
promised. From this episode I learned that a contract is no protection
at all. But I'm not bitter! Those first 5 issues comprise my first
GRAPHIC NOVEL or "ALBUM", and it's going to be MADE if I have to DO IT
MYSELF!

THE JAM is my take on the "superhero" thing. I have a nostalgic fondness
for superheros because that's the first stuff I ever read, so I have my
main character wearing this costume a lot, but that's where the
resemblance to superheros ends. The stories are mainly vehicles for my
half-baked philosophies. My main aim is to make you laugh, though I
sometimes get diverted by more serious topics. My art is very stylized.
I feel my strengths are storytelling and graphic design. I don't use
"real" perspectives much, and my anatomy is hardly realistic, but I have
fun.

The Jam is a unique comic art experience. Check out #7. We're only
getting started. My address is 5586 Clark Street, Montreal, Quebec,
Canada, H2T 2V4. Write me to let me know what you thought of the latest
issue! I LOVE getting mail. I don't always reply 'cause I'm busy, but
each and every letter gives me a buzz. Thanks!

Now, to the questions!

1. What are some of the titles you like to read on a regular basis and
why?

This is a partial list. Something is always forgotten.

HATE by Peter Bagge. (published by Fantagraphics) In black and white.
Wonderfully expressive cartoony style. Great stories. Lots of gossip.

EIGHTBALL by Dan Clowes. (Published by Fantagraphics). Black/white with
the occasional color pages. I've been reading Dan Clowes since Lloyd
Llwellyn. I've always like his writing. His sneer seems genuine. I
admire his draftsmanship as well.

DRAWN AND QUARTERLY (publishers: Chris Oliveros-Marina Lesenko) I'm in
love with their entire line.
UNDERWATER(by Chester Brown). A return to the playful inventiveness of
early YUMMY FUR. About time, too!
PEEPSHOW(by Joe Matt) I know Joe Matt, but don't live in the same city
anymore, so I pick up his autobiographical comic to see how he's doing.
PALOOKAVILLE(by Seth) Seth's bringing something new to comic books with
his 40's style brush renderings. An elegant book that your mother  might
like, too.
DANGLE(by Lloyd Dangle) I'm just getting to know this guy's stuff, but I
sure like it so far.
SLUTBURGER(by Mary Fleener) I'm a sucker for strong work by women.
DIRTY PLOTTE(by Julie Doucet)Ditto.

PRESSED TONGUE by Dave Cooper(Fantagraphics) This guy's stuff just blows
me away. He is the Rockefeller of texture.

SIN CITY by Frank Miller(Dark Horse) It puts ink in your well.

TICK TOCK by Pat McKoewn, Ron Turner and various(Suit Jacket Press) A
minicomic that features the art of Pat McKoewn, who is supremely
talented.

MARSHALL LAW by Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neil(Dark Horse) I think it's
hilarious. I also have a morbid fascination with O'Neil's artwork.

GRENDEL TALES by various(Dark Horse) 'Cause I work on it.

I also look at tons of old stuff and European stuff.

2. Who do you list among your artistic influences?

The following list is a result of a most superficial consultation with
my mental files. It is woefully incomplete, but here it is. In no
particular order: Steve Martin, Jack Kirby, Harvey Kurtzman, Steve
Ditko, Klaus Janson, Jim Steranko, Hernandez Bros, Frank Miller, Pander
Bros, Alex Toth, Richard Corben, Stephen King, Herge, Charles Schultz,
Charles Burns, Mike Golden, Alan Moore, Woody Allen, Matt Groening, Will
Eisner, Joe Kubert, Barry Windsor-Smith, Dave Sim, Bill Elder, plus many
more, young and old!

3. Whatever happened to your Grendel project with Matt Wagner? (Grendel
Logs)

Now THIS is interesting. I have the art, but I'm not sure it will be
used. This story, entitled "Devil's Cue", was completed about 4 years
ago. It was handed in to Comico just as they were beginning to go under.
Before the financial machinery ground to a halt, DIANA SCHUTZ (my
excellent editor, both then and now) saw to it that I was paid. Then
Comico went bankrupt, and Matt Wagner finds to his horror that his comic
book GRENDEL is considered an ASSET of Comico, and is frozen. For  2
years he's not allowed to publish his own comic. No justice there!
Anyway, to make a long story 17% shorter, eventually the red tape is
paid for and Matt is free to take GRENDEL to DARK HORSE. Then one day
I'm speaking to Matt on the phone about the story. I said that if Dark
Horse wanted to use it, I would expect to be paid. Matt said he wasn't
sure that was going to happen. Now, it COULD be said that I've already
been paid for the work, but THAT is between Comico and I. Dark Horse
shouldn't expect the story for free, should they? Hell, no! I'm SURE
they DON'T. Matt would take his fee for writing, and I'll take what's
due to the artist, thank yew very much! I think that's fair, and I'm
still waiting for it to happen, but no one's called me about the story,
so I'm unsure of it's fate. It SHOULD be printed soon, though. It's a
great story featuring Hunter Rose's sidekick, Larry Stohler. Matt's
story structure here is very strong. It's one of my favorite
collaborations. I wish we had a scanner, then I could show you some of
the art.

4. How exactly do you and Kathryn Delaney split the color work that you
do together?

I do all the fun stuff, and Kathryn does the backgrounds. She is a
painter and print maker that I fell in love with about 4 years ago. I'm
sure that she never expected to be working in comics. At the time I had
just begun to color GRENDEL: WARCHILD, we had just moved to Winnipeg,
Manitoba. I had taken a job with a computer-coloring outfit named
Digital Chameleon. Working all day on shit like YOUNGBLOOD and SHADOW
HAWK proved more demoralizing than I thought possible. Previous to this,
it was a point of pride with me that I never relied on assistants. I'm
used to the economy and total control inherent in doing everything
yourself. Now, for the first time, I needed help. Kathryn was happy to
be asked, and we've been doing it together ever since. We've yet to see
Kathryn's solo color work in the things we do together because of me.
Her color sense is so much wilder than mine that I've yet to give her a
decent opportunity to SHOW OFF for fear that it would disrupt the
storytelling, but the pressure to do so is building. You'll know I've
popped when you see purple flesh and green skies.

5. In Comics Journal #165, Matt Wagner claims that you have been
influenced by Matt, but won't admit it. What do you think of this?

I read this question before I got hold of Matt's interview. I must say
that it piqued my interest. What I thought strange about it was that
Matt would think I would DENY that he influences me. Hell! That boy gave
me my first PAYING job(GRENDEL 13-15). I've put in a lot of work on that
series ever since. I've been paying the rent by working on GRENDEL for
the last 5 years. His influence is everywhere I look, and I sure don't
deny it. Then I read the interview, and the part in question goes like
this:

JOURNAL: Have fellow professionals told you that they've been opened up
by your work?
WAGNER: People that are working now? Some of the younger guys.
JOURNAL: Mage was something that really hadn't been done before--a
personal adventure comic(I think this is a ridiculous statement-Bernie),
Madman, seems to have taken your lead.
WAGNER: Yeah...and The Jam, too, to an extent.
JOURNAL: Have they acknowledged your influence?
WAGNER: No--certainly not Bernie. Allred, probably...

"Certainly not Bernie"? This puzzles me because, as I stated previously,
Matt has had a great deal of influence on my WHOLE LIFE. I'd be a MORON
to deny it(Michael Allred has had a similar effect on me). So I've never
denied his influence and don't know why he might think I would, unless
"acknowledged your influence" really means "acknowledge your
superiority", in which case "Certainly not Bernie" is quite correct.
ULTIMATELY, however, it was great just to be mentioned, and I thank him
for that. His influence on my life has always been positive. I want him
to finish MAGE. If you  don't finish what you start, the purists won't
take you seriously.

6. Which of your comics work are you most proud of?

THE JAM #6. It was exciting the way the story came together with no
effort. Also, I like the way the story can stand on its own, yet, it's
PART ONE of my next album(Hi Alan, thanks for the interesting
questions).

7. Was THE EVERYMAN intended to be an ongoing series? Did you and Allred
have more stories planned?

Michael Allred set up the deal, and as I understand it, we were going to
DO the one-shot, see what the RESPONSE was and decide what to do from
there. Response to the book was UNDER-whelming and Marvel shit-canned
it. I'm glad SOMEONE saw it. I get asked about it fairly often, which is
nice. As it stands now, we'll do another sometime in the future. I like
working with Mike Allred. He has a great attitude.

8. Do you repeat lines of dialogue from THE JAM over and over as you
draw each page? It would be tempting to do so.

No, I don't, but I've heard it said more than once that some people
re-enact skits from the book, especially couples doing the Gordie/Janet
"Tarzan killed pizza with empty wallet" thing. I love it! It gives me
hope for commercial success someday.

9. When did you get your start in comics?

1984. I met Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrissette at a comic book
convention in Ottawa. They made up Matrix Graphic Series. They published
my first series, Mackenzie Queen. It ran 5 issues.

10. When did you get your start coloring?

The first time I was paid to color something was around 1986 for THE
JAM-SUPER COOL-COLOR INJECTED TURBO ADVENTURE FROM HELL #1, for Comico.
After that I did nothing for awhile, then I began getting odd-jobs on
GRENDEL. First inking, then coloring. Been coloring ever since.

11. How did you meet Matt Wagner?

I sent him a fan letter, along with samples of my work. I got lucky and
he let me do GRENDEL. Not long after, he fell in love with a Montreal
girl and moved up here for about two years. We shared a studio, and it
was there that I developed a real admiration for his artistic ability.
That boy can DRAW!

12. Why are you doing so much work for Dark Horse?

Diana Schutz, Matt Wagner and Bob Shreck are there. These are my friends
in this industry, and I like working with them.

13. Any solo projects out soon?

THE JAM #7. My book comes out irregularly because of my "pay the rent"
coloring commitments, but it's where my heart is. It should be out
around now. As THE JAM picks up momentum, the frequency of it's
publication will increase until I'm doing it monthly. That's my goal. In
color, too!

14. Do you consider yourself a fan-favorite artist?

I'd love to. It's ironic that my coloring is noticed before my comic
art. I'd rather be drawing, but with a family, I take what I can get. I
hope the attention I get from coloring leads some people to discover my
art. Of course, Dark Horse gives me a black and white book. Life is so
fucking PERVERSE.

15. What have you worked on?

I'm working from memory here, but I'll give it my best shot. Something's
bound to be forgotten though, so don't regard this as a COMPLETE list.

MACKENZIE QUEEN 5 issue mini-series. Matrix Graphic series. Collected
into one volume and reprinted by the good folks at Caliber Press. This
work was directly inspired by Steve Ditko's DR. STRANGE work. I wrote it
and drew it. I plan to introduce Mackenzie and Ududu into THE JAM
soon(next year). Printed in black and white.

THE JAM SPECIAL A one-shot, black and white collection of the first JAM
short stories. Published by Matrix. I write and draw.

GRENDEL 13-15 Written by Matt Wagner. Penciled and inked by me. Colored
by Joe Matt and Matt Wagner. Lettered by Bob Pinaha. My first job that
paid something. The music equipment that I bought with that money still
serves me today. A pleasant experience. Published by Comico.

THE JAM, SUPER-COOL COLOR INJECTED TURBO ADVENTURE FROM HELL #1
Published by Comico. I wrote/drew and colored. My first big break. It
flopped, but everyone liked it.

THIS MACHINE written by Sebastian Hasinger. I pencil/ink/letter. I've
done 16 pages so far. The first 8 were printed in Mindgame Gallery #1.
Production has been suspended because I've lost touch with the
writer(temporarily, I hope. Sebastian, are you out there?) It's a snappy
cyberpunk story with lots of great jargon. When complete it will be a
graphic novel.

I've had two jobs penciling for DC: #44 SECRET ORIGINS. A Clayface II
story written by Dan Rasplar. SECRET ORIGINS #1: A Riddler story written
by Neil Gaiman.

I had a story in TABOO #1 entitled CABLE(wrote and drew), and #3
entitled POKER FACE(wrote and drew). Published by Spider-baby Graphics
and Steve Bissette.

I did a FISH SHTICKS back-up for Steve Moncuse's FISH POLICE(issue #13 I
think; there's a big snail on the cover). Published by Comico. I
penciled/inked/colored. Written by Steve Moncuse.

I did a TROLL LORDS back-up story for issue #13(I'm beginning to see a
pattern here)of that comic. Written by Mark Shainblum. I pencil/ink and
letter. Published by TRU STUDIOS in glorious black and white.

I inked over John Snyder III's pencils for several issues of GRENDEL
(#'s 24-28 or thereabouts).

I colored SILVERBACK. A 3 issue mini-series written by Bill Loebs and
drawn by he and Sam Peck. Published by Comico.

I colored a Matt Wagner issue of THE DEMON 2 years ago. Published by DC.

I colored GRENDEL #'s 30-40 (The Tim Sale run) Comico.

I colored GRENDEL: WAR CHILD #'s 1-10 with Kathryn Delaney. Art by Pat
McKoewn & Matt Wagner. Dark Horse.

I colored GRENDEL TALES: DEVIL"S HAMMER. Art by Rob Walton. Dark Horse.

I am in the process of coloring GRENDEL TALES: A DEVIL IN OUR MIDST. Art
by Paul Grist. Written by Steven Seagal. Published by Dark Horse.

I did a great Grendel story for GRENDEL LOGS, which has yet to see light
of day. Matt writes and I pencil/ink. It's called DEVIL'S CUE. 10 pgs
long.

EVERYMAN 48 page, full-color one-shot done with Michael Allred.
Published by Epic Comics in 1992.

CREATURES OF THE ID Again with Michael Allred and writer Jeffrey Lang.
Published by Caliber Press in black and white.

ELI: work in progress. Here I'm collaborating with Drawn & Quarterly
Artist, Luc Giard. He loves comics, but has yet to really DO any (his
speiality is bold, full page ink drawings). I offered to shrink down his
drawings on a xerox machine and cut and paste stuff down and compose
some comic pages out of them, then write a NARRATIVE for it. We'll soon
see what comes of that.

ASPHALT TOMB: a story done for a Michael Gilbert project for Tundra that
never saw publication. Written by Scott Deschaines, I pencil and ink.
The Story was designed for 2-color printing. Mike Gilbert has designed
the Artwork(I hope!). I'm sure it'll see print somewhere.

SEX MACHINE: my attempt at an erotic science fiction story. Done for
Tundra, the book it was meant for got CANNED. It apparently HAS been
published by Tundra in ahrad cover collection of similar stories under
the "DIVA" imprint. Anyway, it's for sale on the mail order page in
recent issues of Heavy Metal. I'm not sure about any of it. I haven't
seen it yet. Ah, the Tundra Experience!

YOUR HANDS: a short story in Real Stuff #15, published by Fantagraphics.
Written by Dennis Eichorn. Drawn by Chris Oliveros(the publisher of
Drawn & Quarterly) Iinclude this to clarify my role in it. The credits,
"drawn by Bernie Mireault and Chris Oliveros", are misleading. All I did
on that story was thumbnail layouts and I colored the back cover(which
is the last page of the story). I'm not sure why Chris would assign me
such a disproportionate amount of credit, though I DON'T MIND being
associated so closely with that story because I think it's areal GEM.
Chris really should publish his OWN work more through his company, DRAWN
&QUARTERLY, but I think he feels it's UNETHICAL or something. What he's
doing is denying the public his gentle, humanistic voice. But then, he's
allowed to do as he wishes, just like the rest of us. I predict that in
the far-flung future of this medium, he will be the Patron Saint of
Cartoonists everywhere. Amen.

TOO MANY SANTAS: a story in the COMICO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. Written by
Doug Wheeler. I pencil/ink/color. Published by Comico.

CLASSICS DESECRATED by Doug Wheeler. I've done two one-pagers for him.
Published by various.

While working for Digital Chameleon, I colored the first three issues of
THE SPECTRE for DC. Art by Mandrake, story by Ostrander.

..a Sam Kieth MR. MONSTER story...published by Tundra...

I think that's close to everything so far. Boy! Dredging the muck of my
subconscious is dreary work! On to the next question!

16. I've seen THE JAM from Slave Labour, Tundra and Dark Horse. How
come?

If you ask me, I say "short-sightedness". If you ask them, they say "low
sales". All that's changing now, though. Honest.

17. Having worked on both color and black and white comics, what would
you say distinguishes good color art and good black and white art?

GOOD COLOR ART--I couldn't say. Everyone has different tastes. You do
some work that you think is brilliant only to find your boss hates the
color orange. I remember coloring SILVERBACK a few years ago. The art
was by Bill Loebs and Sam Peck. Very loose. Very, very loose. It was a
difficult job by anyone's reckoning, but in the end I found myself
LIKING the work I was doing on it. Forgive my vanity, but I
felt like I had SAVED that book. A year later I learned that the artist
DIDN'T LIKE my colors. "Too purple", or something like that. That blew
my mind, but then, there's not many things about life on Earth that
don't.

GOOD BLACK AND WHITE ART--A subjective call once again. For me I like
substantial blacks. If around 50% of the page has ink on it, then you
know I'm happy. Also, I like gutters between my panels. I also like to
see the occasional large image on the page. Backgrounds, too.

18. How do you handle the art differently if you know it's going to be
printed in one form(black and white)or another(color)?

Whenever I've done my own art, I've always had black and white printing
in mind. That means lots of parallel lines and various textures are
added that I would like to LEAVE OUT should the work be destined for
COLOR. I've yet to have a chance to apply my new knowledge of coloring
to THE JAM. I look forward to the opportunity. I would draw in an open,
contour line style. It would be great.

19. How did you break into comics?

I hung out at local conventions and showed my stuff around. I met people
who wanted to publish. I was available. I was free. As long as you have
no monetary expectations, it's not hard to be published. You just start
locally. To make a LIVING at it, THAT'S another story!

20. What kind of background do you have?

My parents were in the Canadian Armed Forces. We moved every three
years. I didn't draw then. My passions were WWII Model Aircraft and
fishing(or, more specifically, fishing lures; they worked on me the same
way that they worked on the fish, inspiring me to commit my first acts
of shoplifting). I got into mainstream comics when I was 17. I loved
CONAN! TARZAN, too. The whole "noble savage" thing. I started to draw
more regularly and soon I was drawing COMICS. The MAIN THING that
excited me about comics was that the VAST majority of them were AWFUL.
It looked to me like the field was(and is) wide open. I moved from a
small town to the City(Montreal)and attended College. There I took all
the art classes I could. I was really starting to get INTO drawing at
this point. I left College(which I couldn't afford anymore anyway)and
went to work on my own. In retrospect, I'm glad I side-stepped formal
art training and that whole "school" atmosphere. I've reached my own
conclusions my own way, and my work is all the more personal for it. My
parents were supportive, which means a lot, but I remember my father
taking me aside one night to give me some advice. This is the way I
recall that conversation:

DAD: Y'know, Bernie, this COMIC thing...
ME: What?
DAD: I mean, it's GOOD! I see you doing it and I KNOW that you work
hard. That's good! But...but, do you REALLY think you'll make a LIVING
at it?
ME: I'm going to try. I don't know.
DAD: That's GREAT! But it's the kind of thing that you can do in your
spare time. You might have to get a REAL job soon. To be able to live.
ME: We'll see. (At this point I realize this is not the standard
pep-talk. He's leading up to something.)
DAD: Y'know, have you ever thought about--

(Here, there is a long pause. He seems to have trouble with the next
word, and this makes me nervous. My mind starts to race as I try to
anticipate what he's going to say.)

DAD: --refrigeration?

(Here I explode into laughter. Dad's feelings are hurt because he thinks
Ilaugh AT him, but it's really just relief. I don't know what it was I
was expecting, but "refrigeration" sure wasn't it. I guess it was so far
away from what I wanted to do that for a split second there, I was in a
Steve Martin film.)

21. Any advice for aspiring creators? Any advice about traps and
pitfalls involved in dealing with a publisher?

Always try to work for nice people. Don't worry about contracts. They
aren't worth the paper they are xeroxed on. As a matter of fact I think
it's best NOT to sign one. These are such one-sided(in favor of the
publisher) documents that even the most enlightened ones are hardly
fair. In my contract for GRENDEL(coloring)one of the things that they
ask me to "waive" is "right to credit". I guess that means they want to
take my name OFF the work sometime in the future. COOL, HUH? When you're
just starting out, my advice is to find a small, local publisher and
work closely with them. Learn about the mundane reality surrounding the
preparation of your comic. Branch out from there. Work hard NOW, while
you're YOUNG and still have the ENERGY. Always work on your OWN
properties. Other jobs might LOOK good and offer short-term gain, but in
the end they divert you from your long-term goal, which is to make a
living from YOUR OWN work(that's my goal, anyway!). Why work on someone
else's farm when your own needs tending? If there's no publisher willing
to print you, then make your own books on a xerox machine and mail them
everywhere. Nothing can stop you! It is the nature of the investment
you're making in the creation and establishment of YOUR OWN characters
that you will work, UNLOVED and in the DARK for as long as ten years
before the corn starts to pop, unless...

..unless your ambitions lie in the direction of the latest superhero
trend. This is my advice for those seeking work doing mainstream
comics(For what it's worth. Tongue firmly in cheek). Practice your
social skills. Hone personal grooming to an art. How you look, how much
fun you are at parties and who you become drinking(or whatever)buddies
with is more important than TALENT here in the world of relatively high
finance and lowest common denominators that is mainstream (superhero)
comics. You must travel to conventions in cities like New York or San
Diego or Chicago. Once there, you have to INSINUATE yourself into THE
CIRCLE. Sparkling conversation on a wide variety of topics is your
passport to hanging out with the "pros"(those with more serious ambition
might want to carry a little cocaine). From there, you latch yourself
onto an "editor". Friendships are cultivated and the whole thing is
brought to fruition through enthusiastic correspondence and lots of long
distance phone calls. Of course you would assume that the person seeking
work is an accomplished artist with the work to prove it, but such is
not always the case. It appears you can get quite far without working AT
ALL(I hate the idea of "swipe files").

SO! That's my take on how to get into Marvel or some company like that.
The political takes precedence over the practical. One of the things
that I like about the comic medium is it's attendant community. It
doesn't suffer from the ridiculous pretensions of the "fine art" scene.
You don't become a cartoonist for the sake of image, THAT'S for sure!
Also, you have to work HARD! That separates the wheat from the chaff
quickly. If all you want to do is wear the clothes, go to the parties
and live the life of an arteest(work doesn't always AGREE with these
people)then there are much more suitable havens for you in music,
photography and abstract expressionism. Comics has it's share of odious
people, but there are real gems too. I like the atmosphere overall. Boom
town!

22. Living in the indie world, what are your thoughts on the potential
of making aliving doing comics?

The potential to make a living is definitely there. You're dealing with
amass-produced, inexpensive item that has the potential to convey great
art and grand thoughts. You just have to learn how to GET AT your
audience. Envision a trough full of slop with hogs all around it, just
WOOFING it down. You're one of the PIGLETS, scampering around, trying to
GET AT the trough. NO ONE lets you in. You have to become strong enough
to simply shoulder them aside and establish your place. Occasionally, a
hog might fall asleep at the trough, or simply explode, and you can get
in THAT way, but you might wait a long time. Once people have seen your
stuff and glommed onto it(a cheerful scenario)then you establish your
audience and try to build it up to 30,000 or so(for a black and white,
those numbers are excellent by our present standards). If you're
self-publishing a book that sells 30,000 copies a month, then you've got
yourself a nice little living. Anyway, money is a moot point. If you're
like me, then you're driven to produce comic art regardless of
compensation. The artists that I really admire all did personal work.
Jack Kirby with his weird, abstract shapes. Barry Windsor-Smith's
slavish attention to detail. Harvey Kurtzman's art and storytelling on
his war books. They all speak of high artistic ideals to me. THEY are my
role models.

23. What artists, past or present, dead or alive, would you most like to
script/plot a comic for?

Who indeed? What a fun question! Hmmmm. Okay. It's 1958. I'm looking out
of a window at the surrounding roofs and buildings of New York City.
It's raining and the sun is going down. I am in an artists studio. I am
waiting for the artist(MY artist!)to return. I am nervous because this
man is a hero of mine. I am a young writer of comic books. This man is
illustrating one of my scripts, and for me this a dream come to life so
I don't want to antagonize him in anyway, but from my experiences with
artists so far, I know that could well be impossible.

I had been working for E.C. Publications and Bill Gaines for almost a
year. My stories were popular and nothing but good things were
happening. I had always been a fan of E.C., and as an aspiring writer
had hoped to get in with them some day. I thought I saw huge potential
in this new art form, and I wanted IN. I sent submissions, but never
received a reply. Then one day(my 20th Birthday, in fact!)I found out
that my father actually KNOWS Bill Gaines(my Dad is a printer). Through
this connection I got my first assignment. Soon I was selling stories to
them. With my finances more secure than they had previously been, I
married my beautiful and loving girlfriend of 7 years, Kathryn.
Together, we excelled at parties. Soon none were complete without us.
Through these social events we came to know the Gaines' quite well.
Throughout that summer we found ourselves at his mansion for Bar-B-Q's
every other day. We shared long, enthusiastic discussions on the unsung
merits of our burgeoning new art-form and the directions best taken to
insure their posterity. I praise him as a hero for publishing and
fostering intelligent work that spoke out against racism and the horrors
of war. He said some nice things about my writing, then became silent.
He looked into the bottom of his glass, swirling the last bit of booze
around. He came out of his trance a minute later and said that I could
have the pick of the artists in his stable to illustrate my latest
script, which was a Pirate Story. I had but to NAME the NAME and he would
PERSONALLY see to it that that person complied. The last part sounded a
bit ominous, but I jumped at the chance. "Mr Gaines, you KNOW who I
think would be PERFECT for this job." Nodding, he smiled. So here I am
in this guy's studio. Gaines showed the story and our man went for it,
BUT he said he'd need to meet me to discuss CHANGES to the story.
Generally, I resist ANY change to the original script as a matter of
principle, but I think I could handle it, coming from him.

I meander around the studio, breathing the atmosphere as deeply as I
can. The room is huge. The ceiling is 20 feet high and the windows go
right up to the top. It's still raining, and through the wet, uneven
glass of the windows, the city sparkles and blinks. The moon is visible
and I notice that the sky is cloudless. It never occurs to me to
question the rain. I'm grateful for it. The walls are covered with
paintings in progress. There is nothing in the room that would suggest
that a cartoonist works here. Everything is very FINE ART, right down to
the titles of the books left lying around.

We had met at a diner on the corner. Throughout our meal we discussed
what he wanted to change. All his changes were brilliant. The story
suddenly possessed TWICE its former strength. I was astonished, and told
him as much. I then proceeded to lambaste him with fannish praise and
questions about his work. We became enthused. He invited me over to his
nearby studio to see some hitherto unseen experimental comic art he had
done, and to hear what I might have to say about it. SO. Here I am in
his studio, waiting for him to return from some godforsaken storeroom
with all this NEW ARTWORK that NOBODY'S ever seen. I can't seem to stop
smiling. Perhaps it's that sweet smelling marijuana cigarette that we
smoked when we arrived that makes me feel this euphoria now, but I'm in
the midst of a peak experience when I hear feet on the stair. HE
re-enters the studio with 2 bulging suitcases. He is none other than
BERNARD KRIGSTEIN. Later that evening Harvey Kurtzman drops by. We smoke
another marijuana cigarette and go out to a club to check out a hot new
band. Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!

Sorry I made everyone work so hard to get what COULD'VE been a 2 word
answer. I think this interview is the longest thing I've ever written.
Poor Tom Bauer didn't know WHAT he was getting into when he organized
this thing. He has to type over 20 PAGES of my hand-written notes into
his computer. I've been writing for two days. A NOVEL experience for me

24. Which writer, living or dead, would you most like to work with?

I'd like to work with Stephen King. And, of course, Alan Moore!

25. What is the one JAM story you will never tell, and why?

The LAST one. I hope to create something enduring, along the lines of
Herge's TINTIN. If my children or friends carry it on after I'm dead,
then I've succeeded in my quest for immortality(Hi Jim: thanks for
buying that Riddler page! Good questions, too!)

26. What was your favorite collaboration?

"When Is A Door", a 10-page story published in Secret Origins Special
#1. It was written by Neil Gaiman. I penciled and lettered. Matt Wagner
inked it. Joe Matt colored it. Every link in the chain was strong. Mark
Waid, the editor, deserves lots of credit for its existence. Ty
Templeton was the one who recommended me for the job after he turned it
down. Thanks, Ty! I think it's classic stuff. I love Neil Gaiman's work.

27. How do you pronounce your last name?

Mireault: rhymes with zero.

28. What title or character would you most like the chance to work on
either as artist or writer/artist?

My own characters, above all. However, it was superhero comics that GOT
me as a kid, so I have a nice, nostalgic feeling for that stuff, and
would love to have the opportunity to contribute to the lore of the
superhero archetypes as I see them. Namely, THE HULK, SUPERMAN, WONDER
WOMAN, BATMAN, KAMANDI and CONAN. However, the companies that "own"
these properties make it SOOOO painful to contribute that I have never
seriously entertained the thought. If/when I DO have an opportunity, I
would definitely need a writer/artist HOLD on the thing. Ithink that
THAT is where the BEST STUFF comes from. For a clear voice, you need
total control(most editors feel otherwise, though).

As I mentioned previously, superhero comics from the 60's inspire my
work. To look around at the current crop of bestselling comics depresses
me. Moronic violence and the stupid scowl on everyone's face drives me
crazy. My work reacts against it. I'm trying to portray stability and to
make people laugh. I feel that the superhero tradition is in the hands
of irresponsible people and is in danger of being permanently twisted
out of shape by bad karma. I would TAKE IT BACK and make it FUN. I want
to get the younger kids back into the audience with stories that work on
more than one level. To do all this I need your SUPPORT and your
word-of-mouth READER RECRUITMENT volunteer work. If you wanna encourage
the production of THE JAM, we have to get more readers. Dark Horse
regards THE JAM as a charity case. I have a contract up until issue #9,
but after that I could be floating in the void again unless sales
improve drastically. What a life! If you already do this for me(and I
KNOW there are those of you out there who DO)PROFOUND THANKS to you!
Gratitude and respect to Tom Bauer for organizing, editing and typing
this thing out. The same to all of you who participated either by asking
questions or by simply reading the whole thing. Thank goodness my
audience is more sophisticated than a regular superhero audience. Being
near them and hearing the innocent questions they have to answer time
and time again, sure makes me feel lucky for you guys. Thanks again!

THE JAM #7!
Out at the end of the March 94!
Find it! It's BRILLIANT!
Collect all 7!!

ahem...okay, back to you, Tom.

--

Well, folks, if you like the interview, you will enjoy Bernie's comic.
The story and characters are fresh and funny, and the art is excellent
and humorous as well. As Bernie has mentioned to me more than once,
back-issues of THE JAM are often available in the cheapie bins, so give
it a try: you'll love it!!

Any comments about the interview or THE JAM will be relayed to Bernie,
however I will not be able to provide responses.