James Kochalka
The Complete Interview Transcripts from the Journal Comics Explored Feature Article
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Here are the complete question-and-answer transcripts that were originally amassed for part 2 of the April 2003 Journal Comics Explored feature. As with any feature, all of the answers can never be used in the final copy, and some questions are always dropped for purposes of focus and clarity.
Comixpedia has chosen to include the entire set of interviews here – verbatim (typos and all) – so that those curious to know as much as they can about the thoughts lurking inside their favorite journal comic artists' heads can do so without having to resort to guerilla brain surgery.
Life, or a Reasonably Hand-Drawn Facsimile: Journal Comics Explored (Part 2)
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Les McClaine proudly proclaims himself an incurable egotist. James Kochalka says he's trying to delve into the mysteries of being human. Drew Weing draws them because he couldn't keep track of his life otherwise – he has a pretty horrible memory. Whether you accept these answers, or ask any of the growing host of other journal comic artists out there why they draw their journal comics, you'll find that, just like so many other things in life, or life itself, there is no easy cookie-cutter answer.
Waiting for Whimville
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 18, 2003 - 11:05
Following on the heels of James Kochalka's American Elf and Lea Hernandez' RumbleGirls will be Cayetano Garza Jr's Whimville. Currently a series on Modern Tales, Cat has been working on moving Whimville to a stand alone site. There is still no specified launch date, but it appears that date is getting closer.
As best as I can describe it, Whimville is a story about the land of Whimville where children's imaginary friends live. Unfortunately one of those friends turned evil and recruited a horde of destructive brain bunnies to take over Whimville. The plot cuts between the action in Whimville and the real world. It is a visually dynamic series that takes full advantage of its nature as a webcomic.
I Was a Teenage Blog Queen
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It all started early one spring as exams were wrapping up. My group of university friends, together 8 months of the year, were once again facing the harsh reality of being ripped away from each other, from Saskatoon to Timbuktu. Rather than trying to send emails to everyone (there were quite a few of us), we all got livejournals and started blogging, with the promise that we wouldn't tell the people at home (or wherever we were spending the summer) what we were up to.
Some of us were more successful than others.
Dave Bort's Journal Comic
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 8, 2003 - 13:17
A relatively recent journal comic is by Dave Bort who keeps a (roughly) daily journal and posts online. At the beginning his strips are very slice of life, even less polished than Drew Weing or James Kochalka would ever be and often so inert as to evoke Jim's Journal. Very compelling but much less revealing than say, Keaner.net.
Some good comics in the archive include this visit from Scott McCloud, this oddly hilarious swinging beatle, and an Elvis Costello punchline.
new webcomics site for women a "tremendous" success
Submitted by Joey Manley on April 7, 2003 - 13:06
Modern Tales, the leading publisher of subscription-based webcomics, announced this week that its newest offering, girlamatic.com, a webcomics anthology targetting female comics readers, has launched to tremendous success.
"This is our biggest launch since Modern Tales itself," said site publisher Joey Manley (the company publishes numerous targetted webcomics sites, including the avant-garde serializer.net, the action-packed AdventureStrips.com, and several single-cartoonist sites, such as James Kochalka's AmericanElf.com).
"The established comics industry, whether mainstream or 'alternative,' doesn't exactly have attracting female readers at the top of its priority list," said Joey Manley. "And I'd say that that's a shame ... but, hey, they've left a huge business opportunity open for us. I couldn't be happier."
Dancing Naked For You in Go-Go Cage Panels - journal comics explored
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Curious to know what's going on inside your favorite creator's head, but haven't found any of them willing to lay on your operating table for a quick scalpel job and brain yoink? Tired of having to call up your local phone psychic to find out what Joe Cartoonist had for dinner last night? Well, don't despair: an interesting alternative has crept onto the webcomics scene, one that may prove to satisfy all your needs for (voyeuristic?) curiosity – without the need for spiritual guidance at 9.99 a minute, or an abduction by burlap sack followed by water-torture interrogation.
Kochalka Sketchbook Diaries Part 3 Coming Out
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on April 2, 2003 - 11:46
Pulse caught up with James Kochalka to talk about his upcoming print collection of American Elf comics.
Guest Week At Achewood
Submitted by Xaviar Xerexes on March 27, 2003 - 12:07
Achewood has been having a week chock full of guest artists like James Kochalka, Jeff Rowland and John Allison.
Scary Go Chat: An online interview with John Allison by Leah Fitzgerald
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His comic has been compared to Seinfeld - and he's done a week of "crossover" strips to prove it. John Allison, the creator behind Bobbins and Scary Go Round, hasn't always had it as easy as Seinfeld. Allison ended Bobbins, hosted on KeenSpot, to move to Modern Tales with Scary Go Round.
