"Those who can, do. Those who can’t, bitch about it on the Internet." -Simon, from The Book of Simon
Some bios list credentials, such as: Education BFA in Illustration, Massachusetts College of Art Occupation Former Production Slave, Ballantine Books Comics Credits Columnist, Writer, Artist, Editor Etc…
And some bios tell a story, such as: I can remember sitting in front of my television one morning, watching the old Batman show, when Julie Newmar appeared in that skintight black leather outfit as Catwoman. It was my first boy/girl thing. >A year later I was in kindergarten telling Katherine Burke that I loved her. It’s pretty much been a string of stupid mistakes ever since…
Still other bios state an intent, such as: This is a series of essays illustrating the life of one particular struggling artist as he plods through the world and occasionally bumps into some interesting shit.
But most bios just sit to the right of the column and are never looked at. So ignore this space and just read the damn column already…
Tough to make jokes this week, since we’re heading into a discussion tangentially about child abuse. A few years back, Debbie Drechsler put out the book Daddy’s Girl. It’s a frank and pull-no-punches depiction of the effects one thing can have on a young life. If you haven’t read it, go do so now. It’ll be a tough read, but one that is important. Considering the guts it took to confront such a difficult issue, I thought who better to talk about the subject of dealing with reality in a medium that is often criticized for its over indulgence of fantasy.
SM: Alright, first question. Where did the idea for Daddy's Girl come from?
DD: This is the hardest darn question!!! Basically, from my own experience, to make it simple.
SM: Is that the question you get asked most?
DD: It's usually phrased more like, "Is Daddy's Girl autobiographical? Which, by the way, at least in my case, isn't such a simple question. But, it's hard for people to understand that.
SM: Is it something you prefer not to elaborate on?
DD: No, that's not a problem. I'll tell you if we get somewhere I don't want to go.
SM: Okay. Well, the publisher was Gary Groth, who you said in the endnotes suggested 'a book'. Did he suggest it on this particular subject, or was he just suggesting you do some general material in a book format?
DD:Daddy's Girl is really a collection of stories from various places. Most of them were a weekly strip that ran first in the NY Press and then in the Stranger in Seattle. Some of them appeared in the Drawn & Quarterly anthologies in the early 90's. So what Gary did was suggest that we gather them all into the book.
SM: So this is work you'd been doing all along? Because my next question was going to be whether you altered your style to tell these stories.
DD: By the time the book was published, I'd been doing the stories for a few years. But basically, those stories were what propelled me into comics. I had a story to tell and comics was the best way for me to do it, as I saw it.
SM: Would you say that work you've done since then is similar? Not necessarily in themes, but in the sense that you dealt with a realistic issue in Daddy’s Girl, in a very straightforward way.
DD: The only other work I've done since is Nowhere, which I guess you would say is similar, in terms of realism, but it's just not as shocking. But it's how I think and perceive the world, so I would guess it's how all my comics are and will be unless that aspect of me changes. I tend to be really literal about everything.
SM: Being literal, does that sensibility establish where the line is drawn, content-wise. I mean, do you ever stop and wonder if you've taken something too far, or that you should maybe go farther with it?
DD: In looking back, I think I might've gone too far with some of the Daddy’s Girl material. I didn't think so then, and maybe the only reason I can feel that way now, is because I did it then. But I find it very hard to reread those stories and that makes me wonder how hard it is for other people to read (and see) and if that was the best way of presenting the material. I guess my sense of propriety drifts around, depending on where I am at any given moment. When I wrote those stories, I was much angrier at life than I am now, and much unhappier, so maybe I had less to lose? Or maybe it felt more necessary to slam people in the face with that stuff. I don't know for sure.
SM: I recently read Channel Zero, and the idea that stuck in my head was that the only people who make change are the people naive enough to think they can make change. I think we get more cautious as we get older and have more to lose. Would you agree with that? Or is it just the result of distance. Sort of like being caught in the eye of a storm. You only have perspective on it once you're out.
DD: I think that's partially true, but I also think there are people who know what's what who are making change, too. And it's much more courageous when you do it suspecting that it might be futile. And, having that perspective makes you much more powerful, don't you think?
SM: I'm not sure yet. Check back with me in a few years once I have some power and people are willing to listen to me. Right now my attempts to make change seem to fall on mostly deaf ears. But now we're getting off the topic.
DD: So, then, where would you like to go?
SM: What would you say are some of the pros and cons to tackling an issue like child abuse, or any serious issue for that matter, in a comics format?
DD: Actually, it's a great place for hard topics because comics are so much the bastard children of the arts that no one cares what lines get crossed. That's also a bad thing, of course, because not many people see your work. But I found it very liberating. I do my for-money work as an illustrator and I have to be ridiculously careful of what I draw, so, for me, comics are mind-boggling because I can say anything I want. Of course, another downside is that anyone can say anything they want and that kind of freedom can turn on you if you don't know how to self-edit.
SM: But did you ever encounter the stigma that comics has attached to it? Have some people dismissed your work without even reading it, simply because of their own prejudices?
DD: Well, yeah, I'm sure that happens, but mostly I never know about it because they don't tell me. And, frankly, part of why I wrote those stories was because no one ever listened to me. So I didn't even expect anyone to notice. It was a pleasant surprise to get so many letters from people reading my stuff. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. Mostly, I do my stuff for my pleasure, so if I'm satisfied with it, I've achieved my goal. Any other attention is the hot fudge on my sundae.
SM: Part of the stigma I was talking about is that comics are for kids. Considering the subject matter and how you depict it, would say that Daddy’s Girl is appropriate for children, both those dealing with a similar situation and those that aren't?
DD: Well, the comics I do aren't for kids. If I had kids I'd be uncomfortable with them reading Daddy’s Girl. Even if they were dealing with incest themselves. I think there are better ways to address that for young children. Maybe teenagers would be okay, but certainly not children. I write them for adults and Drawn & Quarterly markets them for adults.
SM: So I guess my final question would be why do a story like this?
DD: As I said before, I really did it for myself. But I found that a lot of adults were very moved by the stories. People who had experienced incest felt that I'd described what they'd experienced in a way that they couldn't and people who hadn't had that experience found a deeper understanding of it.
SM: I would put myself in the latter category. And that's all the questions I have on the subject. So, since this interview mostly focused on Daddy’s Girl, that came out in 1996. What have you been up to since then? You mentioned Nowhere...
DD: There are five issues of Nowhere, one of which is out of print, but the book version will be out in July, and as soon as I'm done putting together the book, I'm starting a new series. The book, by the way, is called Summer of Love.
SM: And that will be through Drawn & Quarterly?
DD: Yes, both the book and the new series.
SM: Alright. Well, there's just one last thing. If you've ever read the column, you’ll know I like to end each week with a suggested reading. When I do interviews I like to turn that burden over to the victim...uh, subject. So, can you recommend something for us?
DD: I have read the column, but forgot about this part. Yikes! Do you want comics or any kind of literature?
SM: Well, I usually go for comics, since I like to point my readers in the direction of something they might have missed. But you can go for literature if you want. It's funny to think that some interviewers have a dreaded question that they are known for asking. Barbara Walters gets everyone to cry. Craig Kilborn puts people on the spot with those 5 Questions. I strike fear when I ask for a book recommendation.
DD: No, that's okay. Well, I'm crazy about Jason Lutes' series Berlin, which just happens to be published by Drawn & Quarterly. The first part just came out in a book, but it's also a series. That wasn't so bad.
SM: Uh, actually, Jessica Abel already recommended that one.
DD: Great!!!! Uh, let's see, well, staying on the disturbing childhood theme---check out A Child’s Life by Phoebe Gloeckner. Her stuff is very well drawn and very disturbing. Also, Paul in the Country by Michel Rabagliati, from Drawn & Quarterly. Paul isn't disturbing, by the way. It's well-drawn and whimsical, I think would be a good term. Good to read after Phoebe's book.
SM: Alright then. We can now breath a sigh of relief. Anyway, I'll let you go now. Thanks again for the interview.
