by Mike Rhode
A local zine creator recently reached out to me to ask about an interview I did years ago with Bebe Williams. Johnerick Lawson and I met up later that week at Deandra Tan's signing event and I got a copy of his zine from him (and one for the Library of Congress). Upon learning that he'd published a comics newspaper in California, I asked him to do our usual interview.
What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
Sincerely and by that I mean however I can get the cartoon out whatever style, medium or genre hopefully at its core is sincerity. Mostly the comic work I have done has been in support of some thought exercise.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
Okay, let's look at a comic strip I am working on right now. It starts in a sketchbook and I usually use a Sharpie or something permanent so that I can just focus on things like the shape and movement without getting bogged down with details. This comic strip has been throwing me for a loop when I need to fail drawing it a bunch before it is right and maybe it will never come out the way I see it, but with a deadline something will.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
1977.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I would say for family. I live in Arlington Va,
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
My true training came from publishing an all-comics newspaper in SF called the Madhappys. I self-published comics before, but once I started publishing other's art, I learned from the fire of production. The speed of printing a newspaper monthly for 15 months was madness. I worked with two other comic artists - Jeff Walker and Nate Orman. My education in cartooning was, and still is, from the comic artist I work with and read. That's one thing I love about cartooning or comics or art, it really is the work you love that trains you.
Who are your influences?
I am influenced by my friends, and I humbly learn as much as I can from all that put their heart into what they do. Names i would say that are unquestionably influences are Jim Woodring, Sammy Harkham, Mobius, Bald eagles, Adam Air, Gabriel Fowler, Crumb, Katsuhiro Otomo
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change? Or rather, how are you hoping your career will develop?
Every mistake made me who I am so I think I'll leave it as is. I would love to know and understand what my career is and how it will develop but really I think just jumping off the edge of inactivity and doing something is my greatest effort. Just don't give up.
What work are you best-known for?
Secretly I hope not to be known for any one thing, and honestly I don't think most people really know me LOL. I like to make work that is sometimes hard to understand and I usually just put it out there with little care of some sort of recognition. I was known for a while in the early 2000 for selling my art on the streets in Williamsburg Brooklyn, but I think that too was probably just the locals, at the time I felt famous LOL
What work are you most proud of?
Right now the zine I'm making is called “Who Cares lol” It is an effort to celebrate the art in Arlington, VA. It's hard because I come equipped with a bunch of biases and opinions and I'm trying to just be observational and optimistic avoiding the authority part of sight. Both super hard in the climate of information we live in today. But I feel like I am doing something that I want to see and that makes me proud.
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
I am working on a sculptural project called “Patience.” I completed one of 11 life size sculptures of the little green army men but with the guns removed. I am doing 11 for the 11 states that have any form of waiting period before you are able to buy firearms. The figures will be decorated in children's drawings and hopefully placed together in a way that they can be climbed on and enjoyed not just for the message but also as fun objects to play with. Kind of like a cartoon come to life.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
Oh this happens to me all the time. I usually get crushed under it and lay in bed for a bit or on the couch. I like video games or really anything that can take your mind away from what you are working on. I find it to be the most important part of any creative process is to not be mean to yourself if you need a break. I also am working on so many things at once I usually just jump onto something else that I can feel some sort of flow in. other than that just work on tech like still life or perspective studies.
What do you think will be the future of your field?
Hopefully everyone will be an artist but idk I think that we will always need some sort of weirdo to show us a different way of looking at things that we have come accustomed to ignoring. I think print will continue though digital does seem to dominate the comics sphere at the moment. I see that continuing as well.
What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, or others? Any comments about attending them?
I love cons; when I was producing the Madhappys, we attended APE in SF. I feel like my vibe is more towards the Small Press Expo. I'm kind of a hermit though.
What comic books do you read regularly or recommend? Do you have a local store?
Kramers Ergot
Black Hammer
Shaolin Cowboy
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| Back cover of Who Cares LOL #1 |
What's your favorite thing about DC?
The people
Least favorite?
The people.
What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?
Hirschhorn, it was a saving grace for me in high school.
How about a favorite local restaurant?
Rossana mobile coffee truck is for sure my favorite.
Do you have a website or blog?
@trustrobot
How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected you, personally and professionally?
I worked in a doctor's office as the office manager/receptionist. It was a small practice, but I definitely got a front line look at how Covid swept through, not just as an idea, but as an illness that took a lot of life. I can say this though. I loved how little traffic there was.
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