"Never trust a socially adept cartoonist."

[avram]

I’ve been reading some comics-related weblogs, starting with the sidebar of The Comics Journal’s ¡Journalista!. Via BugPowder I found this Adrian Tomine quote:

Through his responses, the artist depicts cartooning as a path only for anal-retentive and antisocial types who could enjoy sitting alone in a room all day. "I always feel a notch away from being Jack Nicholson in The Shining," he tells his fans. "There's something about drawing over and over again in little boxes that's damaging. Never trust a socially adept cartoonist. Their work probably isn't good."

So there’s some hope for me.

Actually, it’s not true. Carla Speed McNeil (creator of Finder, the best comic being published today, and yes, I know I’ve said that before) is quite charming and socially adept. I’m sure plenty of other cartoonists are too.

Comments

Chris says you're socially adept...

[(Anonymous)]

But you're also shy. So you need to get comfortable with people before you can show your social adeptness. And I don't trust people who come across too smooth and willing to say what the occasion demands anyhow.

Smooth artists

[(Anonymous)]

Don't know why you consider yourself socially inadept. Hell, you seem more socially competent than most in our social circle. (Not hard, I know.)

My friend Maria says you have to be an extroverted smoozer to succeed in the fine-art world (comics may be different). (I used self-proclaimed shy-person Andy Warhol as a counter-example, but she replied, "If he really was shy, why was he hanging out with all those people at his 'Factory'?" She had a point.)

Matt

Re: Smooth artists

[avram]

It's the amount of time I spend at social gatherings with new people, just standing off to the side wondering how the hell to get conversations started.