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history of frustration

by austin english

"The Official History of comics is a history of frustration. Of unrealized potential. Of artists who never got the chance to do that magnum opus. Of stories that never got-or else they were bowdlerized by small minded editors". -Dylan Horrocks, from his award winning comic "Hicksville," 1998

Because comics are primarily juvenilia, the fact that there are some artists capable of producing actual art is ignored. This has lead to one of two outcomes for said artists: continuing to produce their type of comics in complete obscurity and eternal financial limbo (with the obvious exception of Robert Crumb), or use their talents in the more profitable area of comics, and try to squeeze in whatever artistic relevance they can within commercial confines.

At this point, what would motivate someone with true talent to work in the comics industry can only be described as idealism or insanity. If one simply wants to be recognized by a small group of "hipsters" who are aware of terms like mini-comics, and alternative comics, and care nothing for real recognition and supporting one's self through their art, comics are a superb choice. The fact that so many people pour their entire lives into the industry speaks volumes about the power of this art, and the potential many people see in it, but are usually unable to exploit.

Sadly, this means that many of the great artistic minds of our time will never be recognized, because they made the admirable but misguided choice to work in comics. This is a tragedy, and as I mentioned in my "Comics and Jazz" essay, it draws parallels to Jazz artists who died early deaths despite their enormous talent. Pianist Bud Powell died on the streets, a manic alcoholic, with only fellow pianist Thelonious Monk to care for him. If nothing else, today, one can easily find all of Powell's recordings at a discriminating record store, and critical acclaim has been heaped upon him by respected authors. The same goes for talents like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and others.

Comics on the other hand, seem as if they will leave less of a legacy. One can devote their entire life to the form, and be praised endlessly by their peers and comic journalists, but receive virtually no attention from the mainstream public (again, Crumb makes the happy exception list, as does Charles Schulz), even after their death. George Herriman (Krazy Kat), widely considered the greatest cartoonist of all time, is a name that has no meaning to most of the public.

So why did Herriman choose to draw comics? From what is said of him, he was a humble man, who was confused by even the least amount of praise. He was not a terribly popular cartoonist, but he was content with doing what he did, which probably gave his comics the relaxed and whimsical air they had about them. Still, as time goes on, Herriman's body of work faces an incredible challenge: surviving so that others may read it. The question is not whether Herriman is good enough to survive the test of time, but whether enough people will be aware of him to keep his work available and in print. The likely outcome is a future where Herriman's books are found only at antique bookshops, with those who are lucky enough to find them wondering why he has never heard of the chap who authored the pages. Farther into the future, Herriman's books disappear completely, while Shakespeare, Da Vinci, Beethoven, and a few lucky others are (hopefully, and rightly so) carefully preserved.

Sadly, this scenario applies to all cartoonists. In most cases, a talented cartoonist will never produce a great work like Herriman, because they will not be able to stay in the industry long enough, due to the fact that there's no money. If someone is a true artist, a talented one, there's little incentive to stay in an area where you won't be able to make a living from your art, when other mediums will provide you with security, and acclaim. Most of the time, people who would do great work in comics don't even consider it an option. Comics never enter the mind of most creative minds, because of their status as lower then low-art.

Those who do have the talent, the passion, and the patience to try to make it in comics are a rare breed, but they do exist. I discussed many of them earlier, as those who cared nothing for financial gain, but there are those who would like to provide for their families while working in comics. Sadly, while they are able to produce some worthwhile work, they are hardly ever able to create what they have the potential for, because to achieve their ambition of working in comics, they must cheapen their work according to popular tastes. Creators like Jack Kirby, Harvey Kurtzman, and others are examples of endlessly talented men who were able to produce financially successful work, but not able to produce their true masterpieces. When Kurtzman's The Jungle Book made it onto The Comic Journals Top 100 comics of the Century list (#26), columnist (and co-publisher of Fantagraphics Books) Kim Thompson begged the question: "what if it had been a success? What if Kurtzman, instead of being forced to leapfrog from more failed anthologies to the compromised Little Anny Fanny top teaching and illustration jobs, had been able to re-create himself as a one man satirical team?" Thompson ends by saying, "The Jungle Book remains one of the art forms most stunning successes, and one of its most heartbreaking failures." There are endless heartbreakers likeThe Jungle Book, and endless creators like Kurtzman who's work, despite brilliance, was ignored to the point where Kurtzman barely eked out a living.

So what do we have here? An industry who's best work will disappear in the distant future. An industry that is usually ignored by those who could make it great. An industry that is not accommodating to those who want to make a mark in it. An industry that forces those who love it enough to stick with it to produce second rate work. An industry where the only pure work is produced by people who don't have any illusions about making it big or getting wide recognition.

Actually, I think that last group isn't half-bad.

Austin English was born in San Francisco where he continues to reside to this day. His interviews with alternative cartoonists have appeared throughout the Internet, most notably at www.indymagazine.com. He also has a self-published mini-comic entitled The Tenth Frame available for just $1.00. You can contact him at three1145@ aol.com, or P.O. Box 460584 San Francisco, CA 94146-0584.