Jeffrey Brown

From Jeffrey Brown's new book "Undeleted Scenes", coming out in May 2010

by Ariel Radock

Fill In The Blank Gallery: In Funny Misshapen Boy you explain how you were introduced to comics at a young age. Did your parents approve of this interest?

Jeffrey Brown: They did, or at least, they never disapproved. I think they trusted me for one thing, and for the most part I stuck to what was appropriate for my age - X-Men, G.I.Joe, a lot of Marvel comics. I didn't start reading things like Eightball until high school.

FIB: You have a produced a large body of work ranging form graphic novels, contributions to anthologies, music videos, and posters. How often are you requested for work? What is the strangest commission you were ever asked to create?

JB: I guess I'm asked to do things fairly regularly - it seems like I'm always working on at least one side-project of some sort. Of course, I'm not turning down a ton of things, either, so maybe it's not so much. I think it's a good amount where I have plenty of opportunities to do different and new things, but not so much that it interferes with my own work. I don't know that I've ever done too strange of a commission... one time I drew a proposal strip for someone, which was fun. The comic was of the guy asking his girlfriend to marry him, with the last word balloon left blank for her to fill in with her answer. I met them later, and got to write in the 'yes.' That sounds kind of sappy, but it was very sweet, actually.

FIB: Although a significant amount of your work consists of autobiographical elements, do you find enjoyment speaking publically about your art or are you more of a private person?

JB: I  guess I'm more private, and for the most part I hope the work speaks for itself, but at the same time I think I can offer some additional insight or context to the work for people who are interested. Mostly it's weird to talk about myself writing comics about myself, since the comics are already so self-involved.

FIB: Is it strange to have an avid fan base considering that you once followed someone else’s work?

JB: Certainly... it's always odd for me to interact with people and remember that they're reading my books, I tend to approach meeting people the way I would in any other social situation. It always boggles my mind a bit when I think that someone I've never met,  and who lives incredibly far away, could be sitting there reading some of my comics.

From Jeffrey Brown's new book "Undeleted Scenes", coming out in May 2010FIB: Are there specific criteria you follow when planning the structure of a graphic novel? How do you decide which life events to include or exclude?

JB: I approach each project as it's own thing, I guess. I do try to be fair to people without sacrificing the idea I'm trying to get at, and try to make sure I'm not repeating myself within the story. I work from memory, and so what's included is usually built on that - the idea that if I remember it well, it's somehow meaningful to me, and therefore could be meaningful within the comic. If I feel like something isn't contributing to what the main idea of the comic is, I'll take it out, unless it serves some purpose like comic relief.

FIB: Your work often reflects honest human experiences which generates empathy within the reader. Are you conscious of this connection or simply tell a story in hopes your audience will have a positive reaction?

JB: I think I'm conscious afterward, but I work mostly on intuition, and start with making the work that I think would speak to me, and hope that it speaks to the readers as well.

FIB:  What do you consider to be fundamentally important in telling a good story?

JB: I think the only thing I'm really concerned with all the time is making work that's meaningful. I don't think in terms of 'story' so much, I really just try to get at understanding life in some way, and hope that comes through for the reader.

FIB: Do you feel that there should be a harmonious equilibrium of text and pictures to properly convey a story in a graphic novel? How is this balance achieved and does it differ with every narrative?

JB: I think there should be a balance, and it definitely varies from project to project. I tend to feel better when there's less text, and I always try to be conscious of whether or not the text is adding to the image or simply repeats information. I think the balance is best when the reader can take in both image and text together at about the same time, without getting bogged down or distracted by one or the other.

FIB: Particular sensory attributes such as sound or smell can trigger memories regardless of its connotation. Are there any specific associations with certain music, noises, or scents that come to mind?

JB: Hm, not that I can think of, but I think that definitely happens... one of the things that happens when I look back through my sketchbooks is seeing drawings will trigger memories and feelings, and I'll remember things about the day I drew a page, what was going on and how I was feeling.

FIB:  Humor has been proven to be a useful coping mechanism to absolve difficult or hurtful situations. Is it therapeutic to draw about your past? Do you consider yourself to be humorous?

JB: Usually all the therapeutic value is gone from events by the time I write about them, and I try to avoid working through anything in particular in my comics. In a way I'm sometimes trying to show that the catharsis has already occurred, so that when a reader relates the comics to their own experiences, they can get that sense of having gotten over or working through things. I definitely like to undermine the drama with humor, and I think all of my comics are humorous, for myself especially, at least when I'm writing them. I've come to see that people bring their own sensibility and experience to interpreting the comics, so how funny they think it is depends on what they've been through or what they're going through at the time. I try to show that it's okay to be flawed and embarrassing and everything, that we can laugh at those really bad times and it's okay.

From Jeffrey Brown's new book "Undeleted Scenes", coming out in May 2010FIB: The invention of the Guttenberg press rapidly increased the fabrication of art and considerably expanded the vicinity of work. If this device was never created how would it effect the production and distribution of comics today?

JB: I'm not sure there would be comics at all, since comics essentially began as a mass produced medium... although I do find the idea of all comics being hand-drawn kind of interesting. Part of the appeal of comics - and their effectiveness - is because of their accessibility, both visually and in terms of availability, so it's hard to see them surviving as merely individual objects, or at least surviving and continuing to express ideas as effectively.

FIB:  Any interesting projects coming up?

JB: Coming out this year are a new cat book called Cats Are Weird and a new Incredible Change-Bots book. I also did illustrations for the zombie/Beatles mash-up book Paul Is Undead, which was a fun and different project to take on.

FIB: Last but not least. Have you every chewed Bazooka Joe gum and read its comics?

JB: Yeah, I used to a lot more. I would collect them, and then throw out the little collection of comics, and then collect them again. To me as a kid, it always seemed like there must be a nearly infinite amount of those comics, most of which I would never get to read.

Artist's website: www.jeffreybrowncomics.com
You can purchase Jeffrey's new book Undeleted Scenes, out in May, here: www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/undeleted-scenes/712

Comments

[Bill Tucker]

Fantastic. Great questions Ariel. I had no idea who Jeffrey Brown was and now I'm a fan.