five questions

[egypturnash]

No, not the meme. There's this ghost user on DeviantArt called 'da-interviews' who, well, interviews people. The usual format seems to be five questions to five people; past installments involved the same ones to each, this one was more personalized.

Why do I care about this? Well. 'Cause I'm one of the people interviewed in the most recent installment. It was interesting.

Comments

[xiombarg.livejournal.com]

It's good to know someone else out there appreciates Howarth. I love Bugtown, in all its gonzo energy.

Re:

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I think a lot more people like Howarth's stuff than admit it. Something about his work seems to be a forbidden, guilty pleasure.

Re:

[xiombarg.livejournal.com]

Why do you think that is? I mean, it's kinda like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas meets Amber. What isn't there to like?

(I'm catching up on comments I meant to reply to long ago... Can you tell?)

Re:

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

I think it's the rawness of it. A cultivated, deliberate, practiced rawness. His most famous characters are psychotics, and he's never really toned the darker content of his work down to make it 'safe'. If you just pick something up because Matt did it, you're really not sure what you're getting - are you getting whimsey and silliness? wild space-opera? snuff? horror?

Also, he's not wildly popular because, well, he hates superheros, and he's stuck to his principles; as far as I know, he's never done a stint on any "mainstream" hero book. I remember him once saying he could maybe have fun with a Bizarro World story, and I think he did a no-humans-anywhere Green Lantern story once, but that's it - compare this to most big names in comics, who made a good part of their rep on Batman or such before doing their own work, or did their own work before happily(?) moving into big-name super books.

I should send him some fan-mail and ask what he's been up to. I haven't been in a comics shop in forever and it'd be great to drop a hundred bucks on a big box of Howarth.

[pseudomanitou.livejournal.com]

it's interesting... Almost none of the people interviewed have "page-view" numbers exceeding 10,000 like some of what people might consider the more popular artists.

I'm suddenly inclined to believe that DeviantArt is actually working to promote deviations in everyday art :)

Re:

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

hee. There was something in the initial negotiation with the interviewer to the effect that he hoped it'd promote me more on DA; I believe it's supposed to become a front-page news item. Any promotion on DA would be more than what I've done; I haven't bothered to try and play the favorites'comments game at all!

Nice interview!

[doctorpinkerton.livejournal.com]

What a great opportunity to reflect on the BIG PICTURE. Nicely done, Peg.

Re: Nice interview!

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

It was a surprise to have it happen.

I wonder if I rambled too much...

Re: Rambling

[doctorpinkerton.livejournal.com]

No, not when it's interesting and insightful, particularly for a reader who doesn't know you as well. I thought it rang very true to life.

Oh and incidentally, I've been meaning to tell you this since you drew it, but I REALLY like 'Raindance.' One day I would like to get you to do a 2 color or 3 color screen design for a shirt, and I'd be knocked out if it came out anywhere near as good as that.

[ultraken.livejournal.com]

Very cool. :)