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
 |
| 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?
johnerick.com
whocareslolva.com
@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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