From: [j--y] at [yorick.umd.edu] (John Day) Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc Subject: INTERVIEW: IAGTFY Presents - MARK MARTIN, The Interview Date: 27 Jun 1994 20:29:56 -0400 We interupt our regularly scheduled programming in order to bring you the following special TV event..... I Ain't Got That Far Yet and the Dairy Council of America Present *** THE MARK MARTIN INTERVIEW *** *************************************************************************** The following interview was accomplished with the aid of the United States Mail service and questions from you, the Internet reader. Special Thanks will follow the interview. The interview is copyright 1994 Mark Martin & Chris Day. It is not to be reprinted without the permission of Mr. Martin or Mr. Day. Questions or comments can be directed to Chris Day c/o [J--Y] at [UMD5.UMD.EDU.] *************************************************************************** Introduction Mark Martin is a cartoonist perhaps best known for his work as the creator of one of the best comic book parodies of the 1980's "GNATRAT" He went on from that to create several issues of the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and most recently worked alongside Jim Woodring in the brilliant TANTALIZING TALES. He produced a regular strip for the Comic Buyers Guide, 20 NUDE DANCERS, which was collected into two books by Tundra. He has edited both the stip humor page for HEAVY METAL and the humor anthology HYENA, also for Tundra. His short work has been featured in a variety of anthologies, from ANYTHING GOES to BUZZARD to DUPLEX PLANET, and has produced various mini-comics, most recently two collaborations with Jim Woodring, EXQUISITE CORPSE & CON JOB. He continues to do various small projects today. Watch for Mark's new strip, "BLESS THE BEASTS" in the back pages of Steve Bissette's TYRANT, issue one available in September. He has made us laugh and he has made us cry. Ladies & Gentleman, I give you ... Mr. Mark Martin. ** Please note. There will be an interview with Mark in the August issue of the Comics Journal. Becuase of the nearness of that interview, he chose to refer any repeated to questions to that future interview. Please watch for it. ** GENERAL QUESTIONS ** 1. How you doin? "Can't complain. Doing pretty good since I found a good place to go swimming for free." 2. How did you get started in comics? Was GNATRAT your first project? "GNATRAT was my first big project. Before that I had done mini- comics and had a few single-panel & single-page comics published in CBG, etc., and had done cartoon work for commercial accounts." ** See Comics Journal Interview. 3. Who are your favorite cartoonists & why? Who/what are your influences? ** See Comics Journal Intv. 4. Why do you work in mini-comics? What advantages do they have over other formats? "Instant Gratification. They're small & quick, down & dirty, and after you finish the artwork, you take it down to the Quick-Copy Shop and Presto! you have books. There can be a 3-month lapse between finished art and "Real" comics - Certain material just fits the format better. "The major downside: Very limited financial return!" 5. In connection to that, why comics at all? What drew you to the outlet? Do you work outside the field? "Comics drew me to comics. I like comics! "I also do commerical illustrations (advertising & editorial) Not much over the last few years, I used to do more, but I'm glad to say I've been too busy in comics to do much else lately." 6. What kind of music, books, etc. do you enjoy? ** See Comics Journal Intv. "To which I'll add my recent favorite discoveries: LAUGH WITH LEACOCK - A book of short stories & essas by humorist Stephan Leacock. Circa 1910-1930. May be hard to find but check your library. A Very Funny Writer. MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO - Japanese animation, feature length movie. LITTLE ORLEY ADVENTURES - Children's records by Uncle Lumpy Brannum, circa 1940's & 1950's. Mike Price turned me on to this material. It's not been re-released since the 60's, but he owns it all and sent it to me on tape. Mike is talking with the record company that owns this material, trying to convince them to release it again, so keep your eyes peeled. Uncle Lumpy later went on to become "Mr. Green Jeans" on the Captain Kangaroo show, and you'll be amazed at how bland and watered down his character became. Uncle Lumpy is funny & inventive, wheras I found Mr. Green Jeans "adequate." ** THE WORKS ** 1. Several people just wrote in to say thanks for GNATRAT. It certainly seems to be a perennial favorite. What brought that project about? Is it something you can still look back on and be happy with? Do you think you would every return to it? ** See Comics Journal "I am not that crazy about the GNATRAT saga. In retrospect, I think it would have been better to leave it alone after the first book. I don't think GNATRAT will ever return. Too many other things I'd rather do." 2. How did the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles projects come about? "They invited me to do all the projects I've done with them." 3. 20 NUDE DANCERS 20: Why weren't all that many of the strips collected into the Big Books? Any plans to return to a weekly outlet? "Most of them were in the Big Book or the Year Two magazine-size compilation. The few that were not included will probaly be printed in my next comic book series <I'm working on material but don't have any definite plans or a publisher lined up right now> I'm working on a couple of strips now that I hope to syndicate <like STEVEN or LIFE IN HELL> weekly." 4. What are your feelings about being published in HEAVY METAL and what do you hope to accomplish through that venue? Was there a long-term plan to spin-off the humor section? "I'd just like to see as much of that kind of alternative humor get published in the mainstream as possible. Former editor Julie Simmons created STRIP-TEASE and publisher Kevin Eastman ultimately decides if it will continue, so they both deserve credit and thanks for this outlet. Naturally I'd love for the humor section to evolve into a separate magazine, but there are no plans so far. Historically, such material has not sold very well in the mainstream. (Nor terribly well in any stream, come to think of it.)" 5. What iwll be the fate of HYENA and STRIP-TEASE? "HYENA is dead. There was a little talk of resurrecting it at Kitchen Sink <without me> but it was not seriously persued. "STRIP-TEASE will continue as is." 6. Will you be attending the San Diego ComicCon this year? "No, can't make it this year." 7. How did you and David Greenberger [creator, editor of DUPLEX PLANET, a collection of conversations with elderly residents of nursing homes. Various artists illustrate the often non-sequitor answers and comments] get hooked up? What attracts you to his work? "Wayno was visiting me last year and David G. came by to my house to visit Wayno. That's how we met and I started working with him, but I've always enjoyed DUPLEX PLANET. I really enjoy being around very young people and very old people. They have very interesting ideas and insights." 8. What about Jim Woodring? How do you relate to his work? What brought you two together? Is there a chance that you will work together again in the future? "I contacted Jim after seeing his work on the back cover of WEIRDO. We became pen-pals and cultural exchangers. Jim's a great friend and one of the most talented people working in comics - I'd even say one of the most talented in art and entertainment in general. He's truly unique, a real original. I hope we work together again soon." *** THE INDUSTRY *** 1. Any thoughts on the death of Tundra? Was TANTALIZING TALES ready to end, or was it cut short by the merger? ** See Comics Journal Interview. "Jim and I would not have stopped doing TALES, it was a casualty of the merge. But we have both had more time to develop other projects and venues, so hopefully it was just as well." 2. Any thoughts on self-publishing? Would it be something you would consider for any future projects? "I would consider self-publishing, but it would be difficult to decide to do it. Many of the horror stories you've heard about it are quite true. I do not enjoy business wheeling and dealing and it does not come naturally to me, so I only self- publish if necessary." 3. As someone who has worked in the field through several busts, most of them in the black & white field, any thoughts on the state of the industry? "I've been 'In The Field' for eight years, and most of that time the industry has been in some chaotic state, so I've come to view the eruptions with less alarm. The comics business seems like a stormy marriage that has a lot of bumps, a few bright spots, and some screaming knock-down drag-outs, but continues to plow forward." *** The Lunatic Fringe *** A. How and where did you find a copy of QUADRO GANG #1? I though only a couple dozen of us had been inflicted with that particular book. I noticed it in your 20ND20 about being Anal Retentive. What do you think of it? Is it really a treasured possesion? "I met the creators of QUADRO GANG at a con and they gave me the comic. I enjoyed meeting these two sisters becuase they were full of enthusiasm and positive energy, and yes, I do treasure the book because it is so wrong. It's not bad or boring, it's terribly wrong. In a terribly interesting way. Other people probaly don't see it that way, but I like it the way some movie buffs like PLAN 9 FROM OUTERSPACE. B. What did you ever do to SMASHING PUMPKINS to get them to name their band after your destruction? "Ah, you know how these goddam punks are! 'Piffed off at the Auforities!' Their little attempt to offend me was barley even noticed. I've heard they're a very good band, but I've never heard their music. If anybody wants to send a tape to me, I'll send something back." *Ed. note: Mark's address will be printed at the end of this interview. C. I sometimes get your art & Marc Hansen's confused. Why is that? "Because Hansen is a weirdo." D. Have you ever been seen with Marvel Sales Rep Mike Martin at the same time? Or are you really the same, as I've suspected all along? "You have me confused with cartoonist Mark Martin. I'm the Race Car Driver." E. What's my copy of BLACK CHROME worth? "It's worth a million dollars if you can find a rich idiot." F. How can I get rid of warts? "Pee on a Frog." ***************************************************************************** For copies of CON JOB or EXQUISITE CORPSE, or to send him tapes, you can contact Mark at: 2 Briar Road, Williamsburg, MA 01096. Special thanks to all who sent in questions: [cur t w] at [evler.jsc.nasa.gov] [a--sc--t] at [magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu] [b--u--n] at [voguelph.ca] [t--mp--n] at [clipper.robadome.com] Also to Jeff Mason, who unknowingly put the idea for this in my head in the first place. To the Comics Buyers Guide, where I first saw an ad for GNATRAT: The Dark Gnat Returns. And to Mark Martin, for agreeing to the interview. Christopher Day ([J--Y] at [UMD5.UMD.EDU])