Interview by Cindy Linville - 1/31/05
School Project
1. When did you first start doing comics and why?
The very first comic thing I did was in 1990 or so. I was in the 4th grade and I
did the rough draft for a comic called "Contamination" that I typed up a script for
and drew character designs, which I still have. I then moved on to a different comic
idea a year or two later called "Doggie Bags" that never made it past the character
design phase. I drew up a few more ideas for comics up through middle school
including an X-Men parody called "Wrecked Men", all of which will probably end up in a
collection of the worst stuff I've ever done.
2. How many comics have you made?
In terms of books, I've done one-hundred and twenty-two. In terms of individual strips,
there are well over a thousand and probably closer to fifteen-hundred. One of these days
I'll go and get an accurate count. For number of books I've self-published, I've made
almost 17,000 books that are all over the world - including every state and twenty-five
countries. I've kept track of everywhere I've sent stuff and who knows where they get
distributed to from there. Most likely into the trash bin.
3. Who is your favorite artist or what is one of your
favorite comics?
Evan Dorkin who has done a ton of books but is mostly known from his comics "Milk and
Cheese" and "Hectic Planet". He was the one who inspired me to really start working
on comics as just more than a hobby.
4. What kind of things do you draw in your comics?
The most important thing for me is to make sure someone laughs from reading something
of mine. So, that means I've got to come up with some good jokes or a good gag or else
it's pointless. I've tried superhero or dramatic comics and it's just not for me.
Nothing beats making someone laugh and I'm happy I do humor comics. I like putting
these things in comics: robots, monkeys, ghosts, ugly people, stupid animals, aliens,
and pretty much everything else. Comic books are a great medium and anything is possible
in them.
5. What do you think of the comic strips that appear
in the newspaper?
I hate pretty much all of them. "Peanuts" was a big influence and an even bigger one
was "Calvin and Hobbes". If the same jokes didn't keep getting reused and the silly
thing known as censorship wasn't around, the newspaper comics would be a whole lot
better. I really hate "Marmaduke" because there are only so many things that dog can
do before he's not a viable commodity anymore. That strip should've only run for a week.
6. When did you start painting and why?
I painted in my dumb art classes in school but I started my painting gig in early 2001.
I donated a painting for a silent auction and it sold for $100 and I thought that was
cool so I wanted to continue doing it. Around that time, a friend of mine had given me
a bike and I wanted to repay her but she told me all she wanted was help in promoting
her art. We somehow came up with the idea about an art show named "7" where we would
do seven different paintings for seven weeks based on seven different subjects that
seven different friends of ours gave us and then we wouldn't reveal our interpretations
of them until the day of the art show we would showcase them at. Needless to say, all
seven of my paintings sold and I was hooked. I made more money on them than any of the
comics I had made in Florida so that was a big deal to me.
7. How many paintings have you done?
Around 130. I think the most I ever did in a day was 5 or 6.
8. What is the most unusual thing you've painted on,
what is the most unusual thing you've painted?
My scooter! Actually some of this other stuff might fall into that category since it's
not normal to paint on: skateboard decks, a table, an acoustic guitar, a vase, a bowling
ball, and a clock.
9. How did you get involved in 'Can't Do it'?
I was tricked! No, I was singing at The Globe when these guys I had known said I should
be in their band that was starting. I didn't take it serious so I didn't go to a practice
for three months. Then one day, I woke up before 2pm and went to my first practice on Oct.
12th, 2003. A couple practices later, we had a few more people and it went from there.
It's been one of the greatest experiences of my life and I'm so happy to be a part of it.
10. Did you ever think you'd be the lead singer of a
band?
Fuck no! I don't know how to sing and had always dreamed of being in a band but knew
that was never possible. Somehow it did happen and I'm becoming a better singer and
hopefully will learn some instruments one of these days, too.
11. What is the funniest costume you've worn while
performing?
I think the Batman costume will always top out but one of my favorites was the crazy ska
farmer that I dressed up as at the Anarchy in the FLA show. All these people were dressed
all nice and I show up looking like I just fell out of a pickup truck headed to a disco.
12. Are you the person who primarily sets up shows,
runs the website and does any other 'business' for the
band?
Yeah, I think my insane work ethic earned me that job. I'm a workaholic so I just took up
the reigns as being the one who makes sure everyone wants to play a show or can play a
show. It's actually easier than it seems. Setting up a show for me is a pain in the ass
because of all the other things I do but the other members of the band really help out
with everything. The site is easy now that pretty much everything is up to date. We all
do a good job promoting things, too.
13. How or why do you think you are so motivated to
accomlish all the things that you have?
I have no clue. I think it's because I've known that I don't want to work a real job
longer than I have to and when the time comes where I can make a living off my art, I
will never have to have a set schedule again. When I started out so young doing the
comics, I always wanted to be the young comic phenom but nowadays as I'm getting older,
I just want to entertain people any way I can and every possible way I can. It's nice
seeing someone read something I created or sing along to lyrics I wrote or just become
generally happy by some of my wild antics. It's the equivalent to being something that
actually has a purpose in life, like a doctor.
14. How many hours a week would you say you work on
your comics/art/band versus.... actually working?
Oh man, I've dwindled my actual work time down to a ridiculous amount in order to have
time to do the comics, paint, do Internet crap, spend time with my fiancee, and still
stay sane and get enough sleep and have enough time off from everything where I won't
explode. I'd say the ratio is 4 hours of work everyday on band/art stuff to 1 hour of
work at my regular job.
15. You also set up different shows or gatherings to
showcase comics or art. What show was the most fun, or
the most difficult to set up and why?
It was really fun but extremely stressful: the 2004 Tampa Bay Comic Book Bash and Ska
Extravaganza. Can't Do It got to play with some of the coolest bands in the area and I
go to meld two of my favorite things in the world: comics and ska. The most fun are the
Chauncey Potlucks because it's just an event where people bring food and hang out and the
4th Annual one of those is coming up. The two biggest were the Comic Book Bash and the
Zine Fest that I had in Dec. 2003. I packed The Globe both times and it felt really good.
|
Punk Planet #61 - 5/04 + 6/04
Josh Hole 'Zine #1 Review
A split 'zine combining Josh Sullivan Comics and Sink Hole, two Florida-based 'zines.
Interviews with bands like The Virus and The Ataris interspersed with short, interestingly
drawn absurdist comics. A nice package.
The Punk Parent #2 - 4/04
Josh Hole 'Zine #1 Review
Josh Hole is sweet, a split between Josh Sullivan's comics and Sinkhole 'Zine. I really
dug on Josh's comics, Sinkhole just has interviews with bands, the most interesting was the
one with The Ataris. Josh's comics really remind me of JTHM stuff, funny crap.
Comix View - 3/30/04
Comix View Spotlight On Josh Sullivan
A Journey to Artists Alley (MegaCon) by J. Terrill
So I'm walking along Artists Alley when suddenly what looks to be a 12-year-old thrusts a flyer
at me saying, "Here, check this out!" Since he wasn't trying to sell me anything I figured what
the heck. Next thing I know, I'm laughing my ass off and wanting very badly to interview this
man-child known as Josh Sullivan. While hanging with him and recording our conversation, he
bounced around like a gerbil on amphetamines while acting scaringly cheerful despite being
surrounded by the poor bastard children of the comic world who alternate between trying to
sell their books and debating how best to blow their brains away. It just goes to show that
even independents truly can have fun at what they do and Josh is just the party person who
does it.
J. Terrill with ComixView: Care to repeat everything you just said all over again?
Josh Sullivan: All right! I'm Josh and I stand up when I'm at comic conventions. I sit down
for about three minutes so I don't die, but I stand up for the most part because I want to be
personable to the crowd and say, "Hey, here, what's up, hi!" I say hello to them and ask them
for their names. I hand them some free stuff, try to draw them in, 'cause I'm not the superhero
artist...
CV: Yeah, I gathered that...
JS: I'm the indie humorist and that's the bottom barrel of the comic's world, which is the
bottom barrel of the art world.
CV: So what made you choose this particular route then?
JS: I'd always been influenced by the superheroes-X-men, Superman-all that stuff. I was brought
up on that, but Archie is what got me into comics. Then, after superheroes, I started getting
into stuff like Doug Allen's Steven, Evan Dorkin's Milk and Cheese, and Hectic Planet; some
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, Optic Nerve, Chris Ware stuff. I remember that had a huge
influence on me. But through this stuff, the influence was-I want to make people laugh because,
for the longest time growing up, I was the shy kid. I was the shy smart kid that was the
teacher's pet. And this really helped me get over being shy. Once I realized I could make
people laugh I didn't want to let that go, so I kept building on that. I'm really happy
'cause it makes people laugh, but I'm really happy it makes me laugh, 'cause it makes me
happy, you know. I'm not a depressed, brooding comic artist.
CV: No, you don't strike me as one. So how long have you been attending these shindigs?
JS: The first convention I was a guest at was December of '97. I was fifteen. It was in
Saginaw, Michigan, my hometown.
CV: Ahh, a Midwesterner, too...
JS: Yeah, I say, "pop" [not cola or soda] and I call convenience stores "party stores"
and people give me shit for it. "What's a party store? Isn't that where you go buy balloons
and party favors?" NO, you buy beer and cigarettes, you idiot! So, I've been attending
them-actually, the very first convention I went to was Motor City ComiCon, March 23, 1996.
And that comic convention is what got me to start doing this stuff. I'd done other stuff
before like superhero parodies, but a friend of mine had bought this comic and left it in
my backpack. The next day at school I was looking through it and thought, "I can do this.
I can do it twenty times better." It was weird that I started a humor comic 'cause I wasn't
really reading humor comics at the time, but I started it and it got really good responses.
Later on that year, December '96, is when I published my first book and now I'm up to 122 books.
CV: Wow. Do you keep count of how many you put out?
JS: Yeah. There are 18,751 of my books in the world. I've kept track of everything. I've kept
track of everywhere I've sent stuff-print runs and everything-and on my site I keep a catalog
page of everything in it. For the most part it's not for the fans, it's for me, so I can keep
track of this stuff. I never stop. Like, people are impressed that I have 122 books;
mini-comics, full-sized, and bigger than full-sized. I like to do a variety; I have seven
different titles and each one has a different style. Like this one, Josh Sullivan Adventures
mini-comic, it's a story not just a one-joke/one-panel sort of thing. And I started doing the
Toenails books because I realized the majority of people have short attention spans. And the
other thing, I hate one panel comics like Family Circus and Marmaduke. I want to do something
so out there, so absurd, that it would not be compared to Marmaduke. It would be the alternative
to Marmaduke. I hate Marmaduke; I wish that motherfucker would get hit by a car. They need to
have Marmaduke die! If Marmaduke is out chasing a car, "Ohh, that Marmaduke," and than gets hit
by a bus!
CV: [laughing] And you haven't done this yet?
JS: I'm gonna do a Marmaduke parody where he gets blown up by a landmine that he mistakes for
a bone. Like this comic I did where the guy says, "One time I ate a baby," and his friend,
who's just a head says, "That's ok. One time I ate a landmine."
CV: I don't think I've seen that one yet.
JS: I've got it in one of them Toenails books. But I want to do a whole landmine series.
Kathy is out on the beach looking for food and she mistakes that landmine for a cake so
she eats it and blows up. And then Billy, from Family Circus, is running around in his
backyard with all the dashes and having a good time and at the end there's a crater and
body parts. I knock 'em, but they were influences on me. I mean Peanuts and Calvin and
Hobbes were the big influences and deserve credit for being good comic strips, but the
stuff I liked when I was little-like Family Circus and all that shit-that was good at that time.
Now I hate it. Fuckin' Bill Keen just needs to retire, just needs to give it up.
CV: You self-publish all you own books. Is your intention to stay that way or to break in
with one of the indie publishers?
JS: I'm going to be working the Fantagraphics and Slave Labor angles-side note: At SPX all the
Slave Labor people got me wildly drunk.
CV: That's always a good thing.
JS: And Evan Dorkin harassed me all night and Sarah Dyer rearranged my wallet for me. I'd
like to get a publisher and get good distribution, but I've been doing it for so long I don't
mind doing it. Even if I had a publisher I'd still be doing all this stuff. I love doing this.
I got my website and that's gotten me fans from all over the world. The way I look at things,
if I was handed everything right at first and just given all this stuff, I wouldn't appreciate
it as much. I wouldn't be as happy as I am. I always look at everything as little steps; every
convention, every little-I do talks at a school every three months in a mass media class, and
that helps. That gets me a couple of fans. Kids come up afterwards and say, "We just wanted
you to know that your comic inspired us to make our own." And I was like, "Wow! That's one hell
of a compliment." For me, I'm 22. I've been self-publishing since I was 14, but I'm still only
22. There's years and years of advancement and I'm never going to stop churning it out.
And churning he certainly does. Between the conversation, he'd pause quick enough to throw
flyers at unsuspecting old ladies before turning back to talk about ska music and more scary
observations of the world around us. I was laughing my ass off the whole time we talked and
I still find myself laughing anytime I read his funny little books. To check out Josh's body
of work yourself, be sure to go to his website at: www.joshcomics.com. You can check out a
hoard of his funniest strips and even see weird animations like his pig-dog character, Chauncy,
interviewing Gary Coleman's head. It's a trip let me tell you. Now quit reading this and go
check it out! That's a good reader. Buh-bye.
Jason Terrill is a contributing editor at Comix View. Jason may be contacted at
comixview@visnat.com.
Punk Rock Reviews - 3/21/04
Josh Hole 'Zine #1 Review
Here’s a neat idea: a split zine. Josh Sullivan contributes the comics while the Sink Hole
Zine provides the interviews (The Virus, Darkest Hour, The Ataris) and articles. Here’s the
best part: the comics are side-splitting and original while the interviews are varied
enough to keep things fresh. It’s not very often that I come across a zine that does
something different. Here’s hoping more issues are in the works.
http://www.joshcomics.com
http://www.geocities.com/sinkholezine
Reviewed by Bart Niedzialkowski
Interview by Chad Panek - 2/04
School Project
Do you draw cartoons for a living - or have another source of income? If so
- what is your other job?
Oh, what a dream to draw comics for a living. I work about 25 hours a week at The Globe
Coffee Lounge here in St. Petersburg, FL. I've been doing that for over three years and
before that I worked at a restaurant for almost a year. Before the restaurant, I had lived
in Saginaw and worked at Shorty's Three C's comic shop for 3 and a half years. I also have
done a bunch of haphazard Web-sites for people that I've never been paid for. Paying art jobs
have been picking up and I've been selling more and more paintings ever since I started those
a few years ago. Being a comic artist has got to be one of the worst paying jobs ever so my
advice is to go be a mime or a professional juggler.
How important is location as far as getting your comics noticed?
This is something I've given a lot of thought to since I really want to get out of Florida
and explore the country. The really cool thing about being a comic artist is that you can
live anywhere and do comics. You can just send your work through the mail or over the
Internet so that's a nice perk and an aid to being a recluse. Honestly, if I hadn't moved
to St. Petersburg, I wouldn't be where I'm at in my art career. Saginaw seems to just be a
stagnant pool for angry rednecks and 12-year-old mothers. Saginaw does give a lot of support
to the arts but St. Pete and the whole Tampa Bay area is extremely receptive of artistic folk
such as myself. I'm a little odd and quirky so I have the edge of being pretty different than
the rest. I'd say if you moved to somewhere like New York or Los Angeles, you might have a
better chance of getting the right people to notice your work but then you are also in the
midst of a lot more competition. It's also ridiculous how competitive the comics world is.
It felt great to go to the Small Press Expo this year near D.C. and feel community amongst
all the artists and writers who were set up there. At any other comic convention, everyone
is battling for your buck and it's mostly superhero generica that gets the attention. The
comics industry is one of the shittiest industries there is but with a ton of the world's
creative forces working in it. You can go up to any normal bumbling idiot and they can tell
you who every cast member of "Friends" is but aside from the rotten newspaper comics, probably
wouldn't be able to name off even one comic artist working today.
How long have you been drawing cartoons?
My first comic creation I remember was this fairly intricate story I wrote called
"Contamination" when I was 9 or 10. It never fully developed into a comic but I drew
out character designs and I had a basic idea of how the first book might've turned out to
be. A few years after that, I had the concept to do a comic called "Doggie Bags", that never
came to fruition. In middle school, I had started drawing some comic ideas starring a
character named Captain Gomer and then I was still into superhero shit at the time so I
had a lame hero named The Bastard. The great thing is that I still have all this stuff and
I never throw away any of my art. I had art first published as a Reading is Fundamental
bookmark in fifth grade and I still have one of those. I always believe my comic career
started on March 25, 1996, though, when I created my first humor strip. This was about nine
months before I published my first book at the age of 15.
What got you interested in cartoons?
I was always brought up by cartoons (in the animation sense). When I became wildly obsessed
with "The Simpsons" when I was 9, I think that's when everything started falling into place
as to what I wanted to do with my life. I mean, I had been drawing since I was 2 but when
that damn cartoon came out, I wanted more than anything to be an animator. I drew up new
characters and sent stuff off to Matt Groening. For some reason, I thought they would want
to hire some 4th grader from Saginaw, MI to work on the show. I have since met Matt Groening
and have also learned they have someone my age working on the writing staff of "The Simpsons".
For a short time last year, I was going to try my hand at seeing what my chances were of
getting work on the show but that was quickly deterred by the fact that I always have way
too much work and art jobs that I take on. It's funny because I don't even watch "The Simpsons"
anymore and it's partly because it isn't fun an edgy anymore and the other reason is that I
just don't have time to. When I met Matt, I thanked him for being the one to inspire me to
want to do something with cartoons. I always have in the back of my head that I want an
animated show someday and I've tried my hand at simple animated stuff, which is up on my site.
What does your typical "work day" consist of?
This is going to be a fun question to answer. I get home from The Globe and I immediately
get on the computer to waste away a ton of time updating my Web-site or promoting the comics
somehow. Being a good publicist for your own work is critical when you're trying to get your
art or writing seen in a sea of millions. I doodle here and there and sometimes I can crank
out a ton of comics within a short period of time. For being such a workaholic, I sure don't
spend my time wisely sometimes. I need to have a to-do list because I can never keep track of
all the things I have to do or that I agree to do. Recently, I've stopped taking on non-paying
art jobs to make sure I don't go insane from doing asinine projects.
Do you work alone - or with a group of people?
I work best when I'm alone because I don't have to wait for anyone else to finish anything or
have to deal with attitudes/egos. I've collaborated on some comics and 'zines with other people
and for the most part, it's extremely enjoyable to share in the comic creating experience.
What's the most satisfying part of your job as a cartoonist? What aspect(s)
tend to wear thin?
The most satisfying part of being a cartoonist is making someone smile or laugh. The second
most satisfying is making myself laugh. I love that I can be entertained by my own work and
I think it's kept me sane for all these years. The things that wear thin are sometimes
thinking I'm doing the same crap over and over and not advancing the level of my humor or
art, having hand pains and back pains every so often, and when I tell people I do comics
and they respond with either "Can you draw me?" or "Where do you do stand-up at?"
Do you have a set schedule of work - or do you basically do it whenever you
become inspired?
I try to work all the time because I can do a lot of comics in a short period of time. I still
have a vast pool of ideas and jokes in my head to choose from and they don't take much to
execute. Sometimes when I've been reading or have gone to the Salvador Dali Museum here in
St. Pete, it's inspired me to churn out some work inspired by those things.
Followup to the last one - What inspires you the most to draw a cartoon?
To make someone laugh. I just want to make someone happy by seeing a one-panel cartoon or
a form of sequential art that is one of the best mediums to tell a story or a joke. There
is so much you can do with comic art that you can't do say in a regular novel, or short story
or by acting it out. It's one of the greatest feelings in the world to bring humor and
happiness to one's life.
Did you go to college knowing you were going to be a cartoonist?
What a hilarious question! I mean this because I knew from my first day of high school that
I didn't want to go to college. Nowadays, part of me wants to go and learn more things about
art but then that's time I'd take away from the other forms of artistic expression I dabble
in such as acting, singing, writing, and more. College isn't for some people and I'm really
glad it's not for me.
What classes helped you hone your skills the most?
While I was at Arthur Hill, my art teacher there treated me like crap and hated the idea
that I did the comics and they were well-received. When I was a junior, I started going to
the Saginaw Career Complex for Graphic Arts and it was the most amazing class ever. I learned
so much about computer design and digital photography and things of that nature and I miss
being around that group of like-minded artists each and every day. I had the pleasure of
speaking about comics and cartoon art in that same class while I was up in Saginaw the last
time. The year after that, I took Computer Technology and Networking where we learned
Web-site design and programming as well. This class really helped because I got more of a
handle working with a computer and learning the tools to make a site for my comics after I
moved to Florida. My site has helped me tremendously in getting the word out there about
what I do, showcasing some of my best and worst works, and enabling me more fans and making
me more friends.
What sort of business skills do you need to become successful?
Know how to promote the hell out of yourself. Set goals and make crazier goals once you
accomplish them. Don't be shy and learn to become a people person. If you can hand someone
a mini-comic instead of a business card, it provokes conversation and intrigue in what you
do. It's surprising that a lot of people are interested in comic artists but then again,
it's very hard to find a comic artist who truly knows what they're doing and can pull it
off in terms of entertainment value.
How do you break in to the field of cartooning/make a niche for
yourself/don't look like a hack?
I feel that I do look like a total hack in the comics world. I'm part of the new breed and
traditionalists sometimes scoff at anyone trying to step foot into a set standard of fan
favorites. I'm fairly surprised at how well my work has been accepted since I always feel
like the odd man out. Meet and greet the right people and get your work in the hands of
anyone you can find. Word-of-mouth is extremely helpful and this is carried over to the age
of technology with e-mails, message boards, and instant messaging. A lot of people can do
comics but setting yourself apart from the majority is really what is going to make you
stand out in the eyes of those who want to read interesting comics.
What kind of advice can you give to someone like me who really wants to draw
cartoons for a living - but isn't exactly sure how to make it a reality?
Prepare yourself for years and years of hard work. Just like any other career you want
to prepare for, there is a lot of learning and experimenting with what to do before you
can get a feeling that you've made it. You're going to have a lot of trial-and-error
situations and sometimes you might want to give up. You need to tough it all out and
stay happy and sane while you're busting your ass. I'm only 22 but have been doing comics
since I was a kid. Sometimes I feel like I'm not going to make it in this comic world but
that just isn't true; I know I will if I keep at it. My mom told me in a meanspirited way
one time that the comics would never get me anywhere. The comics have gotten me farther
than anything else that I could've imagined. I don't know where I'd be without the comics
because I've made most of my friends through them and I live a happy life because of them,
too.
You need to get your work to a point where they can be presented in a great fashion. If
you're showing your work to publishers or reviewers, you need to make sure they're seeing
some of your best work. If you feel you can do better then keep working at it. Everyone is
always improving but the more you put into it, the more attention you'll get for being a
cut above the rest. Being a comic artist is great and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Slug and Lettuce #78 - Winter/04
Josh Hole 'Zine #1 Review
Compilation 'zine of Josh Sullivan Comix and Sinkhole 'Zine. I totally dig this 'zine.
Josh's comix are fucken incredibly humorous, witty, and minimalistically drawn transcending
so many levels (even the peein' out the butt level). Marck Generous of Sinkhole 'Zine throws
in interviews with The Virus, The Ataris, and Darkest Hour. Quick, easy, and super fun. Can't
wait for #2!
|
Interview by Kayleigh Tanthorey - 10/31/03
School Project
Kayleigh: What first inspired you to begin drawing comics?
Josh: I was brought up on newspaper strips like "Peanuts" and eventually overly-obsessed
with "Calvin and Hobbes". I was a huge Archie Comics fan and my first comic book ever was
"Betty and Veronica" #13 (still have it!). I had written a story in 4th grade, sorta
sci-fi type stuff and then did some other cutesy-wutsey stuff before just giving it up
for a bit. Really, I was first inspired to do my own comics after going to my first comic
convention, the Motor City Comic-Con in Novi, MI (suburb of Detroit). The day after getting
back, I found that my friend I had gone with left an independent comic called "Shamrock Pete"
in my backpack. I looked through it and said "I can do this." and I drew out my first real
strip on March 25, 1996. It was odd that I had written a humor page since everything I had
really been reading at that point was superhero stuff. I had met Matt Feazell, the god of
mini-comics at the convention and he was a big influence on me wanting to start making my
own stuff. During the rest of that 9th grade year and that following summer, I did 40 pages
of this secret comic and I'm going to eventually introduce him into my regular comic world
sometime in the near future.
Kayleigh: Who all have you been able to meet and collaborate with over the years?
Josh: Right off the bat, I wanted my friends to be a part of this mess. I did stuff with
Stuart Andrews and Matt Kinney in the first few books and eventually probably over a 100
different people have done something for my books. Through the comics, I've met almost
every one of my friends and they've helped build a fairly large fan base that has turned
into more people I could stomach to be around. Very soon, I'm going to be collaborating on
a book with super-cool comic artist Greg Vondruska and there are plans to work on a book
with Todd Webb to submit to Slave Labor Graphics. Also, the giant 'zine I'm putting together
is working to help get more people's work out there and promote the talents of the people
I've met through the comics as well as other close friends and even people like my sister.
Kayleigh: Of all of those people you've gotten to work with who's had the most influence on
you and your comics?
Josh: My bestest pal in the whole wide world, Stuart Andrews, was always the one I looked up
to and he actually published my first book with the use of my other super good friend Lisa
Blair's dad's copy machine. It took me years to convince him to start doing his own books,
which he finally started doing last year, and has about 5 or 6 of them now (compared with my
115). My biggest comic influences are Charles Schulz, Bill Watterson, Evan Dorkin, Ivan
Brunetti, Chris Ware, Jay Stephens, Steven Weissman, David Boswell, Doug Allen, Todd Webb,
Johnny Ryan, and Matt Feazell.
Kayleigh: Which of the many characters you've draw would you say is your favorite?
Josh: I always will hold near and dear to my heart the aforementioned secret character (to
be revealed soon), the comic version of myself, and Chauncey, the Half-Emo Pigdog. The comic
Josh is a simple answer since it's me and I can draw myself in any fashion, get away with it,
and not have to deal with guff from others. This led to one of the most asked questions I hear
all the time, "Can you draw me in one of your comics?" The answer is no since I hate doing it
and I've only drawn a few of my friends, including Lou Simonetti, who is "Cliff" in the comics
and was the inspiration for the Lou comics I started in 10th Grade that were really the
catalyst to starting the books, which began Dec. 1996. Chauncey was a total fluke because
I had just been dumped by a girl I was madly in love with who I lived with and thought I
would spend the rest of my life with. The thing was that she was kinda emo sometimes and
I was drawing comics that made fun of emo kids shortly after the break-up that didn't
necessarily describe her. The title of the comic was "Emo is Cool?" and I drew this
grotesque-looking creature that looked like a pig and that looked like a dog. I then
just thought of the name Chauncey and he was born. It was probably the worst-drawn comic
I've ever done so I wrote on it "by Gerry Fried, age 8" and pretended that it was done by
someone else. I created this whole elaborate story about this kid that does phenomenal work
and is a force to be reckoned with in the comics world. So, Chauncey took off like crazy and
stunned the hell out of me and I ended up publishing his own title, of which there are
currently eleven issues, only a few months after his creation.
Kayleigh: What is the root of Chauncey's drinking problem?
Josh: I don't know where the hell this started because Chauncey wasn't a drinker in the
beginning. I didn't even drink at this point but I think there was always the allure as
to why Chauncey was always so mean to people but still loved by everyone in his world:
the martinis! It's easy to draw him drinking martinis so I figured he would be drinking
constantly since it was a good accessory. Plus, he would always be frequenting Club Emo
and he needed something to do while putting up with crybabies and shoulder bags. In issue
three of "Chauncey", his parents send him to rehab for his drug and alcohol abuse. I think
he kicked his drug habit since I really downplayed that part of the story since I don't do
drugs and I don't know what the characters would really be like if they were on them. The
potheads and crank fiends really enjoyed issue #3, though, and I think it sold faster than
the two previous issues.
Kayleigh: What's your favorite part of being a comic artist?
Josh: The throngs of women who fling themselves at me. My true favorite things are being
one of these cartoonist-types is making people laugh or smile, meeting new people who are
more interesting than me, and the crazy comics make me happy because I love my odd sense
of humor. I had started doing the comics when I was extremely depressed and fairly suicidal.
I credit the comics with pulling me out of that slump and making me realize that life is one
hell of a game. To put it simply, I wouldn't be where I am in my life right now if it wasn't
for the comics...I might not even be here at all if it wasn't for the comics.
Kayleigh: Besides the giant comic zine and the projects with Greg Vondruska and Todd
Webb you've already mentioned, what are you working on at the moment?
Josh: I'm a painting madman. Once I realized I could make way more money painting than the
comics at this point in my career, I started pulling out my acrylics and making funny canvas
art of devils and robots. I'm also trying to complete a project soon where I am getting a
free Malaguti Ciak 50cc motorscooter just for painting my characters on it. So far, I've
painted Chauncey and some checkers on it with immediate plans to paint robots and my
characters Nick the knife and Flying Straw on the front. I've also got a radio appearance
very soon to promote my work and one or two other art shows I plan on displaying junk at.
Kayleigh: When are your readers going to be able to see your "secret character"?
Josh: Well, since he turns 8 in March of 2004, I'm thinking everyone will see him in 2025.
I honestly don't know. I'm thinking about taking a six-month break from the comics like I
did for the first half of this year just so I can relax but I don't know if I can. I've
worked extremely hard to get to where I am but I still need to put in more and more work
everyday to sustain this position on the art totem pole. There are younger comic artists
starting to pop up and are sure to overtake me shortly unless I can keep doing fun and
unique work. For 2004, though, I'm working on developing Chauncey into more of a viable
character that appeals to drunks across the nation. The scret character is known only by
about ten people and I believe he can be revived and taken to a mass audience. I just
need time to work out some details and continue to keep things under wraps until a more
illustrious debut. As for the pages that were done of this strip, the character of
Stu-Artist premiered in it as Stu Gangbanger and then changed his name to Stu the Love
God. A prototype for the character Cliff was also in it and the only character carried
over into the "newer" comics was the half-brother of the comic version of me, named John
Salivan (a teacher used to call me this since he didn't remember my name was Josh Sullivan).
Kayleigh: What do you see in the future for you and your comics?
Josh: I will contine to go poor and end up squatting in a ditch. No, honestly, I have every
ounce of confidence that I'm going to make it with my art and become a millionaire because
of it. I'm sometimes my worst critic but I know what I want out of life and I know how to
obtain it. I'm a networking lord and I've been getting my comics and mini-comics in as many
hands as possible. More and more people are starting to take notice and I'm working to bust
out of the idea of just being an underground success. So many people right from the start of
it told me I was going to be famous and I knew that I wanted to be known for making people
laugh. The odd thing was that my mom told me I was never going to get anywhere with the
comics and I really proved her wrong. I've been on TV, in papers, published all over the
place and am getting a lot of recognition because of them. Both of my parents are extremely
supportive of the books now, although my dad has been so since the beginning.
Kayleigh: What advice would you give to other aspiring comic artists?
Josh: Keep making comics all the time. The only way to get better is to keep practicing.
I'm happy that there has been some sort've evolution with my stuff from 1996 to now but I
still want to perfect my art and I'm nowhere near at a level of doing strips at this point.
I don't think that will happen until I'm 50. Some other advice is to make flyers and hand
them out, mail them off, and put them in stores across town. This has been the single most
beneficial thing I've ever done which led to tons of art jobs and getting press in various
papers, etc. Also, go to comic conventions and trade with other creators, network, and see
what everyone else is doing and do the exact opposite. The comic market is saturated with
superhero garbage and we need to show the world that independent comics are way better in
quality and product. You need to work extremely hard to get yourself out there and there
isn't a way around it so don't get frustrated. There have been instances where I've wanted
to quit doing all of this stuff but I always get drawn back to doodling and making goofy
stories. This is my calling and if you know you want to do comics, get to it and in my case,
I self-published and still continue to self-publish. I knew from the start that no one was
going to publish a 14-year-old artist so I just took things into my own hands. It's very
rewarding but I can't wait until I get a legit publisher and then I'll get way better
distribution as well.
Kayleigh: Is there anything else I didn't cover or you would like to add?
Josh: Start a Web-site if you want to get your art out there. It's relatively cheap
compared to publishing comics yourself and people all over the world can check out your
stuff. Word of mouth helps drastically but also hand out flyers promoting your site.
Post on message boards and feature things that will keep bringing people back to your
site. I do a Comic of the Week and for awhile this year, I was doing daily art. My site
is almost a complete library showcasing the work I've done. I want to eventually scan
and show off my OLD comics that not too many have seen or want to remember. Also, get
to know other comics creators and talk to them. They'll give you extremely valuable
advice and tell you things to avoid mistakes they might've made or not want you to make.
I'm still young in this game and have learned so much so far. I always like spreading the
knowledge of self-publishing and promotion and I encourage people to e-mail me or drop me
a line on my site. Being a comic artist is such a great thing to be and telling people
you are one is even better. It's something different and more people should use comics
as a creative outlet.
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