|  You’re
just in time for this month’s edition of the footnote’s
famed HOORAY FOR COMICS with Future Comics Legend Dave Crosland,
artist of Puffed, Heaven, Llc., and Bad Ideas
as well as writer/artist of the upcoming Slop: Analecta.
Join us as our own erstwhile gabber, D.J. Kirkbride, gets
artist/writer Dave Crosland to open up about his love of comics,
art, and Levi 501 jeans…
DJ: You artist-types are always spouting off your
influences, and in the comics field, one usually hears the
names Jack Kirby or Frank Miller--but you have sighted on
numerous occasions, most of them at least fairly sober, that
the art of Rob Liefeld is actually the reason you got into
comics. What the fuck? That fills me with equal parts joy
and horror.
DAVE: Well, be you happy or afraid, that
Liefeld stuff I’m always talking about is all too true.
During the early '90s comics boom, I started having my first
bouts of “I wanna be a comic artist when I grow up!”
And, fate be damned, that was around the same time that Rob
Liefeld/Spike Lee Levis commercial was airing. What can I
say? I was blown away by the rock-god-ness of it. “Oh
my shit! This guy is in a jeans commercial, and he draws comics!
That’s what I wanna do!” At that point, I was
obviously going to have an easier time with comics and art
than I was with sports, girls, and social sciences. So I went
for broke and cast my die into the world of spandex asspants.
Of course, with Liefeld being my first real comic art influence,
this meant I spent an entire summer drawing people with twice
the tooth allotment of normal humans, 10-packs instead of
6-packs, invisible ankles, and guns that looked like glowing
dustbusters. But then my grandpa bought me How To Draw
Comics The Marvel Way, and I finally started copying
all those other guys... Kirby, Ditko, Jim Davis. You know,
“the masters.”
DJ: Most of your published output so far have been
collaborations with other writers, but you’re a really
creative storyteller as well. When are you gonna do it all,
John Byrne-style?
DAVE: I’ll actually be doing it Big
Willie-style in June. That’s when Slop:Analecta
is coming out from Image Comics. It’s a 144-page collection
of short stories and doodles that I’ve done with my
art partner, Debbie. There are some collaborative works in
the book. But, for the most part, it’s stuff that we’ve
done separately, all under one cover. Analecta is
actually going to mark the last comic collaboration betwixt
me and the Debster. He’s off to find fortune and glory
and The Cup of Christ (aka, painting more). Me, I’m
wrapping up a new Slop minicomic for Mocca and Wizard
World Chicago this summer. Then there are a ton of comic ideas
I want to develop by myself over the next few years.
DJ: Be that as it may, you hyphenate, are there any
writers you’d love to work with in the future? Or is
it soley going to be the artist/writer route from here on?
DAVE: Well, like I said, I’ve got some
solo miniseries/graphic novels that I’d like to do on
my own. Seriously, some of these things I have in mind, I’ve
been sitting on for two to three years. So it’ll be
a relief to finally have some of these stories see the light
of day. Honestly, I prefer being the artist and the writer.
I can’t speak for other comic artists. But, for me,
I think the pinnacle has always been finding an audience for
my own stories.
Still, collaborating with writers is a good thing. Depending
on the writer, it can be fun. And it can be a challenge. Working
with an outside writer can force you to draw stuff you’d
normally avoid drawing. So that’s a neat exercise.
If I had to name a few writers I’d like to work with,
I’d have to say Katsuhiro Otomo and Scott Morse... their
pacing in a story is just unparalleled. I’d love to
work with Mark Smith, because his shit is just beyond goofy.
Brian Azzarello would be awesome for some brutal crime-fiction
stuff. Lastly, I’d love to do a Douglas Adams comic
(for the British humor factor... so low key, so hilarious),
or a Chuck Palahniuk comic (for the kick in the groin factor).
 DJ:
You’ve already pimped Slop: Analecta, and I’m
sure it’s tits, but… if you had only enough money
for your Slop collection or Rob Liefeld’s upcoming
art stint on Teen Titans, which would you choose?
DAVE: Oh, hands down, I’d pick up the
Teen Titans books. Ya’ see, I recently discovered
a parallel dimension that I can get to via my toilet bowl.
And in this parallel dimension, Rob Liefeld’s artwork
is top of the line, primo stuff! I’ll buy his books
here, hold on to them for a few years, then flush the fuckers
and wait for the millions from my comic fence down there to
come gurgling back up.
DJ: What comics are you into these days?
DAVE: Sadly, not many. I stopped reading
for YEARS during and right after college. I try to pick up
anything from Mahfood, Morse, and Jose Garibaldi. They’re
my boys, true. But I also know I can rely on them for a quality
read. Um, I’m also a fan of The Amazing Joy Buzzards,
Street Angel, and Sam Hiti’s Tiempos Finales.
Those are the books where, if I see a copy I don’t have,
it’s a guaranteed sale. But there’s tons of fringe
stuff that I’m into on a less aggressive basis. I’m
not sure if you want me to list all of that, here.
DJ: How did you feel about the America’s
Next Top Model finale? And what’s this I hear about
you being seen around L.A. with Miss Jay?
DAVE: Well, the finale was over a week ago,
and the whole world knows that Naima won. It was pretty obvious
from the start that she would be the winner. I mean, c ’mon...
you take a girl THAT cute and put a mohawk on her? It’s
instant fierce!!!
Although, I must admit, I had my fingers crossed for that
waifish minx, Kahlen, to win. Timid farm girls need love too.
Oh, as far as that Miss Jay thing goes, what can I say? I’m
a sucker for a guy who knows how to walk in heels.
DJ: In addition to your comics work, you’re
quite the little painter, often doing “Live Art”
(painting in a public venue to music, often without pants)
with some guy named Jim Mahfood. Does it give you a kind of
freedom you don’t get with the comics work? And if you
had to choose between live art and a signed TPB of Rob Liefeld’s
new X-Force, which would it be? You could only have
one…
DAVE: Haha... well, to answer the first part,
live art is amazing. When it goes well, it’s just a
wonderful, spontaneous thing. And not just because you can
drink while you do it. It’s because you get to feed
off of every element of the show. You get your energy and
inspiration from the band, the crowd, and the MC of the event.
If the band is rocking, the MC is giving you your props, and
the crowd is enjoying everything, then it can add up to be
a great live art experience. I’d say that my best live
art shows were last year at Made In Milwaukee, in Chicago
with MF Doom, and a month ago in San Francisco at The Milk
Bar. Everything was just totally in synch at all of those
events.
Oh, but I’d pick a signed Liefeld X-Force TPB
over live art any day! If you’re in a foul mood or sick
or whatever, live art can just add to your stress. On the
other hand, I could always crack open that X-Force
TPB and laugh my balls off, no matter how bad my day was.
Hell, just thinking of it is giving me the school girl giggles!
DJ: Why does Mace Windu have a purple light saber?
DAVE: Obviously, the frequency of light that
lets our eyes discern the color purple is the same frequency
of light that lets us know that we ’re looking at an
“absolute badass” (scientific term... I swear),
also known as “The Sam Jackson Effect.” You multiply
the subdivider by pi, and carry the eight...and ta-da!
You’ve got Mace Windu and a purple lightsaber.
 DJ:
What’s next for you after this Slop collection?
DAVE: I’m working on two graphic novel
ideas that I want to pitch to a major book publisher. Both
are “twisted journey” type tales. I’ve also
started doing pages for a comic book that’s being concepted
by Derek Hess, an illustrator/printmaker out of Cleveland.
And, I’m in negotiations with Devil’s Due Publishing,
to work on a three-issue horror/comedy miniseries. That’s
it on the comics front.
Outside of that stuff, I’m just going to be working
on a new version of the website (hiredmeat.com).
I’ll be making some new apparel designs for Deadbeat
Sister (deadbeatsister.com),
and tooling around with some animation concepts.
DJ: Speaking of the animation work, is there anything
you’re really excited about? Is it more challenging
than your comics work? How many questions will I ask while
still trying to make this look like one question?
DAVE: I’m really excited about these
two cartoon concepts I’ve got going now. I just think
they’re really strong, entertaining ideas. I’m
really proud of how fun they are. Plus, if they don’t
make it as cartoons, I could always try to turn ‘em
around and make them into comic books.
The cartoon development stuff is way more challenging than
my personal comic stuff, for sure. Mainly it’s because,
with my own comics, no one can tell me what to do. I control
every aspect of it. But with animation, if you go to pitch
a concept, you’ve got everybody and their uncle telling
you what to change and how to make it better. It can be frustrating,
but that’s just the nature of the beast. And, like I
said, any idea that gets shot down by the networks, can easily
be turned around and made into something else, if I’m
really into it.
Um, and my guess is you’ll stop asking questions within
a question at three (if you know what’s good for you).
DJ: What’s your dream comics project? Do you
have any desire to work on one of the big superheroes, or
do you want to stay away from that genre and focus on more
independent work?
DAVE: I’d love to make a comic adaptation
of the tale of The Louisiana Purchase. That historical landmark
has always fascinated me.
I’d like to work on superheroes just for the opportunity
to twist the living fuck out of what people think superheroes
are supposed to look and act like. Just mix it up and, hopefully,
open some fanboys’ eyes. That, or just really piss ‘em
off.
DJ: Is Episode III going to redeem the bullfrog
necked George Lucas in the hearts of adult kids everywhere?
DAVE: I don ’t think there is anything
to be redeemed for Georgie. Even people who hate on the prequels
still own them, or have seen them more than once. Lucas STILL
has our money, and he’s still burned his name and legacy
into our brains forever. That fat fucker wins, whether we
like him or not.
Oh, and Episode III didn’t suck, by the way.
DJ: Was it always your intention to get into comic
books, or did you have other aspirations for your lively hood?
Any regrets? Anything you want to confess? Get off your chest?
Want a hug?
DAVE: Always my intention? Um, for most of
my life, YES. I had some wavy periods where I thought I wanted
to be a chemical engineer (high school), or an F-23 fighter
pilot (twenty-three minutes ago). But, you know, I never thought
those would be better ways to make a lively hood. So now I
draw for a living.
Regrets? I will never forgive myself for missing Atmosphere
and Aesop Rock when they toured through the Midwest in 2003.
DJ: Is there anything I forgot to ask? Or anything
you want to pimp? Feel free, sexy.
DAVE: If you didn’t ask it here, it
didn’t need to be asked!
For more info on artist/writer/lover Dave Crosland, check
out hiredmeat.com.
And if you're in the La La Land area, check out the "PUNK
TO FUNK" gallery show featureing the artistic stylings
of none other than Jim Mahfood and Mr. Dave at Meltdown
Comics on Friday, June 3rd. Dave will also be appearing
on next week’s episode of COPS! (His face is
blurred, but he’s the one drunkenly running around with
no pants on.)
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