May 11
Here's something to hold you over until my next graphic novel hits the stands. TALES OF
THE STARLIGHT DRIVE-IN has just been released by Image Comics. It's a 250-page
graphic novel set at a drive-in movie theater, written by Michael San Giacomo and drawn
by a host of 23 artists, including a story by yours truly.
It's a clever concept and a great read. San Giacomo is a veteran reporter for the local Cleve-
land rag, who also doubles as the paper's comix critic, purely out of love for the artform.
Several years ago, he made the leap from critic to creator, writing a comic book series,
PHANTOM JACK.... and then spearheaded this ambitious project. Took several years and
one bankrupt publisher to get it in print. A true labor of love... and those I always highly
recommend.
It's also a colorful... and accurate... portrayal of the drive-in experience. They used to be
everywhere. We even had one in my small town. I saw my first movie there. Alas, It closed
before I had a chance to grope a date or sneak in a trunkload of buddies. For those too
young to have patronized a drive-in, it's place as a treasured slice of Americana is
well-deserved. It was a lousy place to see a film... the sound sucked,
the picture was worse
and the distractions were constant... but there was nothing like it. An entire culture grew up
around the drive-in, not to mention whole genres of film: slasher films, sci-fi monster flicks,
Beach Party movies, etc.
San Giacomo says drive-ins are making a comeback. There are
still a few here in the far outskirts of Cleveland. In fact, I'll be joining Mike for a book signing
June 6 at the Auto-Rama Drive-in in North Ridgeville, Ohio.
For ordering info for TALES OF THE STARLIGHT DRIVE-IN, go here.
And speaking of....
My new graphic novel, PUNK ROCK & TRAILER PARKS, will be out in September. I know
this seems like an interminable wait.... it's even more agonizing for me!.... but this is actually
being fast-tracked. This is just the kind of lead time that is the norm in the publishing industry.
There will be a book tour of some kind. More details on that later. I'll also post a preview
here on the site, with a pre-order link, as soon as the fine folks at Slave Labor Graphics get
it set up on their end.
This is a 150-page fictional epic, by far my most ambitious project to date. This is the cover.
I'll be posting a preview here before too long, and hopefully a link for pre-ordering.
So what it's about?
Here's the description written for the the book catalogs:
It seems not that long ago, but maybe it is. A time when hormones raged, the American
Dream was caked in rust, music actually mattered and the one thing that meant more than
any other was: ESCAPE!
PUNK ROCK & TRAILER PARKS conjures up the oppressive insanity of growing up in a
small town, the day-to-day weirdness of the trailer parks tucked away therein, the magic
allure of sex and the necessary comforts of friendship, the mystical power of the counter-
culture to turn outcasts into heroes and, most of all, the transcendant power of music,
specifically the punk rock of the late 1970's which redefined, transported, and ultimately,
perhaps, disappointed a generation.
PUNK ROCK & TRAILER PARKS touches on themes and emotions that are universal to
any kid in America who knows that there MUST be something else out there other than this....
PUNK ROCK & TRAILER PARKS is an evocative, hilarious, and ultimately poignant book
that will appeal to anyone whose youthful dreams live on.
...................................................................................................................................................................
And now... some letters:
Derf,
What are your thoughts on John McCain? Unless I haven’t been paying close enough
attention, you’ve never mentioned him. I saw where you came out anti-Hillary a couple
months ago. That’s fine with me; I don’t particularly trust her either. As far as I can tell, you
support Obama (even though you’re “not altogether convinced Obama won't wind up being
another Jimmy Carter... inexperienced and overwhelmed”). I like him too, and I think what
America needs right now is CHANGE. I think Hillary and McCain won’t offer that, at least not
to the degree that Obama would. Problem is, I can’t help but foresee McCain winning the
presidency. Given how bad Obama and Hillary are making themselves and the Democratic
Party look, and since he doesn’t have to do a little song and dance to get the nomination,
McCain may win it in a waltz (and that’s not to mention America’s preference for white male
Presidents).
So…your thoughts? Should I be worried?
Adam R.
Ha. You're mistaking me for someone with insight!
However... it's clear McCain will be more of the same. I've got cartoons waiting that say
just that. As will Hillary, for that matter. It might be fun watching her stick her stiletto up
the GOP's ass, but not worth 4 year's of Bubba and Hill. Neither McCain or Clinton will
get us out of Cheney's War. Obama is our best hope there, so for that reason alone,
yeah I'll back him. I wish there was more there besides nifty speeches. We need another
FDR. He's not that.
Can Obama get elected? Depends on how bad it gets before November. And given the
track record of the vile blithering incompetent in the White House, let's not crown
McCain just yet. The shithead Bush is set to veto the housing relief bill and will toss yet
more thousands onto the street. Add to that summer of soaring gas prices, inflation and
coffins streaming home. By November, he'll be the most reviled political figure in
American history.
As for cartoons, I tend to ignore the primaries, cartoon wise. Did one on Rush's cross-
over voters because that's pretty interesting, but otherwise it's just party politics and
intrigue. Yawn.
Having said that, There's another Hillary cartoon next week.
Derf,
I read your most recent comic, the May 5th comic. It was a pleasure to see someone having
your public visibility echo my concerns about a problem that is depressing to contemplate.
I was pleased to see you drawing attention to the "security-theater" in our public schools. It
saddens me to think that a sufficient number of our school administrators condone, at least
tacitly, methods which seem dangerously likely to strip a whole generation of any substantial
understanding of privacy and individual rights for failure to see how such concepts are
applied in practice.Ê
It frightens me to think that the generation that will be in power in my declining years will be
one taught to accept as common place prison-style "lock-downs", random searches, extant
surveillance, and invasive testing.
I'm glad you are calling attention to the issue. Please keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Steve
Derf,
I am a big fan of your strip, but I was shocked and appalled by the latest installment about
public schools.
When conservatives complain about a liberal bias in the media, political comics like this one
add fuel to their fire by giving Americans a wrongly slanted view of what's really going on.
You'll see just how much Millennials value their rights when you try to take one's cell phone
away during class. It's as if you were trying to take a kidney. They know their privacy rights
and stick by them if it suits their purposes.
As for expulsions, the public schools I worked in *never* expelled students -- even if they
never went to their classes or were caught selling dope or manhandled teachers -- that
would lower the headcount (and funding). You joke about tasering, but any physical mis-
treatment of students would lead to immediate firings and seriously bad press coverage. On
the other hand, a student grabbed me by the lapels and pushed me against the chalkboard
for taking his headphones off his desk when he had declined three requests to put them
away. The administration asked me not to press charges because it would make the school
appear violent in district reports. He was back in my classroom two days later.
When was the last time you were in a real public school? I think that you, like the majority of
the American people, *have no idea* what's really going on in our public schools. Last year
I walked away from a five-year career as a high school math teacher last year because I
couldn't stand how much intolerance there was in schools -- for education!
I challenge you to spend a full day in classes in your local public school and make a comic
about that!
Tiernan
Tucson, AZ
You missed the point of that cartoon. That strip wasn't a dig at teachers.... or even public
schools. Just a commentary on policy.
I don't have room for subtleties or footnotes. I was just making one point in the meager
amount of space I have to do so: that this locked-down, zero-tolerence stuff is brain-
washing a generation to accept such things as adults. And that's a fair point. I *don't*
think liberties are as important to them as to us. OH yeah, take away a cellphone or an
iPod and it's a Crime Against Humanity.... which is fodder for another cartoon!... but tap
their emails or monitor their screens at work or require DNA testing for job applications
or let cops set up random checkpoints and run background checks on passing cars...
THAT they accept as the norm.
You got the "liberal bias" thing mixed up, too. It's the rightwingers who are behind all this
security stuff. They love this "spare the rod" shit.
Ghetto schools are a different animal altogether, of course. That strip was about an
average American suburban school. I have friends who teach in ghetto schools and,
yeah, it sounds like a nightmare. Teachers there are heroes, no question.
...................................................................................................................................................................
March 11
MY FRIEND DAHMER, the one-act play, is currently running in the Theater Department at
NYU in Manhattan. The final performance is this Thursday evening, March 13. I had
hoped
to see a performance... but the blizzard last week, and the subsequent airport closing here,
dashed all hope. And now deadline... more on that in a moment... has me bottled up this
week.
Playwright Jake Arky reports it is a rousing success! "The play went great! Really, the
cast is a sight to see on stage and I'm not just saying that (nor am I the only one saying that).
So far, it's been a highlight in the festival -- not to toot our own horns or anything."
Here's a photo from the production...
This scene... as those of you who've read the book will recognize... is myself (played by the
actor
on the right) and my friend Dave B. driving Dahmer to the Mall for his "Command
Performance."
I can't tell you how positively bizarre it is to see a staged production of an episode out of my
adolecence. I freely admit, this tickles me to no end.
My only criticism here is that Dahmer drank Busch (in cans), not Coors Light!
...................................................................................................................................................................
Derf,
I AM SO OFFENDED BY WHITE MIDDLE CLASS SUBURBAN MAN... just kidding! I can't
believe you have been getting that kinda shit recently.
I can't believe that some of your so-called "fans" would be a bunch of thin shelled wusses.
Isn't lampooning and mocking all sides of the political spectrum more fair than anything
else? Besides they are all the same monkeys wearing different badges anyways. I guess
you shouldn't pick on poor Hillary... she's been through enough anyways, right?
As for the obesity shit, I have never considered your mockery of the American glutton to be
in excess (if you'll excuse the pun). Americans are gross. All of the stories you tell seem to
be sad rather than offensive. Often times I laugh but shake my head at the sad awful truth.
In short, fuck the fair-weather fans and thin-shelled readers. Champion the freedom of
speech as long as you still can.
Justin B.
Oh, I doubt if any of the letter-writers are regular readers. Except the offended portly
woman... and I thought her letter was a pretty good one. The Hillary types are shrill, no
question, but that's just a sample of what's to come.
I enjoy it. Nothing can top the screaming match that was the 2004 Election anyways,
with the threats and shouts of "treason" etc. It's almost impossible to believe now, but
Dubya's fervent supporters thought he was our savior and protector, personally
dispatched by Jesus to save the nation.
The Caucasian Crusader has been pissing off white guys since he first debuted 18
years ago.
...................................................................................................................................................................
Now. About those looming deadlines.
I'm pleased to announce that my latest book, PUNK ROCK & TRAILER PARKS has been
green-lighted by Slave Labor Publishing, who put out both TRASHED and THE CITY book.
Not only has the go-ahead been given, but the book has been fast-tracked! PUNK ROCK &
TRAILER PARKS should be in stores by Fall! I'll have the exact date soon.
March 3
To "Derf":
I could go into all kinds of reasons why your cartoon about Hillary Clinton in the oval office
sucks, but I'll just get right to my main point: it is not credible. Any woman will tell you that the
first thing Hillary will do if elected is find some page boy and head straight to the little hallway
off the oval office. I mean come on. The woman is running for president-- she clearly is not
getting mad, she's getting even. Smarten up.
I feel sorry for you.
Seanna Walsh
I'm not even a hillary supporter but nice comic jerk! I hope someone cheats on u someday
and people make fun of you constantly for it for the rest of your life!
jennylynnwilson
Your Hillary “cartoon” which appeared in the Boise Weekly this week is the worst excuse for
social commentary I believe I have seen in my 58 years of life.
I have written to the editor of the Weekly recommending they never run another “cartoon”
from you.
You are a disgusting twit.
RP Ringelstetter
Wow. I never figured THAT cartoon would generate such heated reaction. Didn't think
that Hillary... Wal-mart board member, supporter of NAFTA and the Iraq invasion,
ambitious, untrustworthy opportunist... was such a sympathetic person!
Plenty more letters, accusing me of being a rightwing facist blah blah blah. And here I
could have SWORN I've been
drawing vicious cartoons about Dubya and Co. for the
past 7 years!... for which, of course, I've been villified by the red-staters for being a
treasonous pinko.
This is what politics have been reduce to. Simple-minded Us vs. Them. For a humble
cartoonist to dislike the Clintons almost as much as George W is unfathomable.
I'm not altogether convinced Obama won't wind up being another JImmy Carter...
inexperienced and overwhelmed... but I know EXACTLY what Hillary is. I think I'll take
a chance on something new.
...disgusting twit that I am!
Feb. 26
Derf,
Hey I miss the letters. Not the fawning bootlickers, but the foaming, insulted patriots who are
personally hurt by your pictures of them as fat, stupid, Humvee drivers.
Steve Feldman &Jane Zimmerman
Ya got yer wish!
Hi Derf.
I have been a huge fan of "The City" since first encountering it in "The Funny Times".
However, when I mentioned your column to a friend who just moved to this area from Cleve-
land, she commented on how insulting you are towards overweight people. Guess I've
noticed your recurring theme of "Fat Americans", but never really took it personally. However,
looking back at past cartoons on your website, it is pretty clear how much you disdain the
obese. Us fat folk are the last group of people that it's considered acceptable to insult in
these PC times. Now, I don't think anyone will ever accuse you of being PC ... your biting
satire towards stupidity in general is awesomely irreverant. I particular share your political
views and love your perception of the moronic viewpoint of Suburban Man. But you just
seem mean-spirited towards the obese. Since I am a member of that expanding number, I
guess I should take those insults personally (although I am able to laugh at myself, so have
never taken the cartoons too much to heart). I do assume that were I ever to meet you, you
would dismiss me with a glance since you appear quite bigoted towards people who look
like me. The ironic thing is that you generally seem to equate obesity with stupidity. If you
were a member of Mensa, you would meet some of the fattest people you've ever seen. I
can't imagine why you are so prejudiced against the fat. Would you write cartoons about
gays or minorities with equal vitriol? You show more compassion for a serial killer than you
do for those of us who struggle every day with our expanding girth.
Still, even though you hate & insult me, I remain a fan of your comics.
Sincerely,
joy
Hmmm.
Well... in my defense... I only count four cartoons in the website archives of 75 or so that
fit your criteria... 2 on he-boobies, one named Fatter & Fatter and one a true story, which,
of course, I merely witness, not concoct. And one of those he-boobie cartoons is 15
years old (even though it has a 2007 copyright for legal purposes)! No counting Dick
Cheney cartoons that portray him as overly portly... he's fair game. I really *don't* do
many cartoons about obese folk. That true story is SUPPOSED to be compassionate
btw.... at least that was my intent. One of those head-shaking sights where you just think
"what are we doing to ourselves?" Doesn't come across that way?
Nor do I equate obesity with stupidity. Heck, Dubya is buff and he's the biggest moron
we've got. Another quick perusal of the archive slows MANY more examples of stupid
SKINNY people than stupid overweight ones. And I can't recall ever getting a letter ask-
ing me if I have anything against the skinny. The common theme here is, as you point
out, stupidity, in all its manifestations.
Of course... that's relative... what's stupid, what's not... and plenty disagree with my
definition. Suburban Man gets more mail of outrage than anything... calling me racist,
classist etc... even though I was born and raised in the white burbs. So I'm mocking my
own, which is perfectly acceptable under the Federal PC Act of 1995. But yeah, I do one
or two cartoons a year that are pretty nasty gags aimed at obesity. No arguing that. I'd
like to think I'm satirizing the obesity epidemic and not obese people themselves.
Obesity is part of the fabric of our society. It's a fair topic. My humor is dark, it's taste-
less, often offensive. No bones about it. I guess all I can hope for is that you enjoy the
strips you find funny.... and ignore the ones you find offensive.
I am an equal-opportunity offender.
Feb. 13
From here on, the new cartoons will be bigger. I just got my new iMac... with its huge 20"
monitor... and I was struck how small the 900-pixel cartoons look. I figure everyone is getting
bigger monitors, so might as well pump up the size a bit.
Why be like newspapers, where the
comix get ever smaller and smaller?
So from here on, they'll be 1200 pixels wide, which is
the size I'd LIKE to see the strip printed in papers, but, alas, is rarely the case.
For those of
you with smaller monitors, sorry for the inconvenience...and, might I point out, there are
some great deals on Macs out there right now!
Feb. 11
The staying power of My Friend Dahmer never ceases to surprise me.
The NYU Theater Department will be staging an adaptation of Dahmer this spring. Jake
Arky, a student playwright, has adapted the comic book into a one-act play and it will be per-
formed as part of a short play fest sometime this Spring. I've read Arty's piece and, although
it's very strange reading my words in another "voice," he's done an impressive job with it. I
hope to see it performed. I'll post details as they become available.
The other news: there will be a new edition of My Friend Dahmer.
I've always considered Dahmer a missed opportunity. Oh, I'm proud of the book... and
grateful for the critical acclaim it has received. But the fact is, the comic book is NOT how
I envisioned the project. When I did that piece, it was my first foray into graphic narrative
and, to be blunt, I had no clue what I was doing. The book was drawn in pieces, with years
passing between chapters. That's why it jumps around so much, back and forth in time. And
that's why it's a mere comic book. I couldn't find anyone willing to publish the damn thing, so
I had to spring for it myself. A comic book is relatively cheap to print, as opposed to a book,
so that's what I went with. I had no clue how to market it or distribute it. I didn't even have the
brains to put an ISBN barcode on the thing! Despite my blithering incompetence, Dahmer
sold over 6,000 copies, almost unheard for a self-published
comic, which normally are
lucky to
sell 600!
But now I've gotten an offer to turn Dahmer into a fullblown proper book, with a spine and
high-quality printing and professional distribution. Most of the material has to be re-done,
which is fine by me. There will be new material.... and the story will be more of a narrative...
and chronological. Looks like it will be about 100 pages and a smaller 6x9 book format. It's
grim work, immersing myself once again in Dahmer, but I'm thrilled for the opportunity to at
last do this project right.
I'm normally not big on covering the same ground. But Dahmer is
special.
This actually works out very well, as Dahmer will no longer be available in most comic
shops. As I said, I stupidly printed it without an ISBN and the major distributor just announc-
ed it will no longer carry books without a bar code.
The comic will be available here on the
site... and a few other odd places... but that's it.
And once my stocks are gone, the comic
won't be reprinted.
Washington City Paper has dropped the strip, after nearly 17 years. In fact, the paper drop-
ped ALL its strips, the ones it paid for anyways. I think it may still run a couple free comix,
presumably drawn by local high-school kids. The City Paper, one of the finest weeklies in
the land, was recently purchased by a large media company which, of course, immediately
slashed both budget and content. The comix were the latest casualty... and probably not the
last. It's hard to fathom such a stupid move.
Jan. 6
More new stories added today to the comix section, which I'm in the process of greatly ex-
panding. First is a preview of TRASHED, my epic tale of the year I spent as a garbageman.
This graphic novel is as good as anything I've ever done and got me an Eisner Award
nomination (the Oscars of comix) for Best Writer-Artist. TRASHED has never sold as well
as MY FRIEND DAHMER, but it is FAR more representative of my work. If you like
THE CITY (and why else would you be here?), give TRASHED a try.
The comix section is here.
Jan. 1
I've just added another piece to the COMIX section. My OPERATION RESCUE
SKETCHBOOK was drawn during one of the radical anti-abortion group's mass summer
protests here in Cleveland, Ohio. The small local group has it ranks swelled by hundreds
of out-of-town activists who are bused in from all points. They then conduct large protests
in front of the last two clinics in town that perform abortions, complete with bible thumping,
gruesome placards. fake bloody fetuses and protestors hauling lifesize crosses and
dressed up as the grim reaper! They're met by an equal number of abortion rights activists,
both mainstream and radical. Throw in hundreds of riot cops and media and it's all a
fascinating close-up view of the front lines of America's cultural war.
I originally drew this piece for the Cleveland Free Times, the weekly rag I was working for
at the time. Spent all day observing and sketching on a sweltering July day. Typically, the
paper's editor didn't provide adequate space and instead foolishly opted for a pedestrian
written article that differed very little from the coverage in the local daily paper. She offered
to run a couple sketches as illustrations for a far weaker article. I passed. It was a
frustrating missed opportunity.
So what you see here never actually saw print. It has, however, been shown in two
museum shows, where it generated quite a reaction. Read it here.
Jan 1, 2008
Happy New Year, all.
A quiet New Year's Eve for me. Usually, I'm up until 3, listening to the festival of explosions
and gunfire drifting up from the ghetto a couple blocks to the south. But last night, the
friendly fire stopped at 1 a.m. Guess times being what they are, that ammo is too expensive
to waste!
...................................................................................................................................................................
The latest addition to the COMIX & OTHER CRAP section, which I've just uploaded, is a
short story titled GHOULARDI. It's about one of the great monster-movie hosts of the 1960s.
Check it out here.
Dec. 11
I've just updated the old toons archive, removing the moldier offerings there and replacing
them with the best from 2007. A great way to while away a couple work hours. Go here.
Dec. 2
For years I prided myself on drawing every inch of every cartoon by hand. Not because I'm
a Luddite... I was one of the first newspaper artists to work on a Mac, churning out clunky
maps and charts with MacDraw on the first Macs back in 1984... but because I just enjoy the
physical act of putting pem to paper
I've been adding color in Photoshop for years, of course... but that was it. I inked and
every cartoon by hand with my trusty Micron pens and Sharpie markers.
Well, I'm sorry to say I've finally thrown in the towel. From here on out, I'll be doing all my
lettering in Photoshop. Why? Because newspapers have shrunk the comix so fucking
small that my hand lettering has become virtually illegible! I held out as long as I could...
but what's the point of makin comix no one can read?
So I grabbed a vintage comix font off Blambot. It's the font ( hand lettered by pros back in
the day ) used on all Archie Comics. I think that's fitting.
Nov. 11
Ok, comix fans. I have a few big announcements to make.
First, I'll be greatly expanding the COMIX & OTHER CRAP section of this site. I've decided
do post many of the comic book stories I've done over the years. Most of these were
created for various compilation comic books. I've got a dozen or so and I'll be posting
them regularly over the next couple months.
The first is MR. ROGERS, a short account of my encounter with the PBS kiddie icon. Just
click on the image above to go to the comix section.
....................................................................................................................................................................
For you Christmas shoppers, copies of THE CITY:COLLECTED are running low. The
publisher, Slave Labor is officially out of stock. The only copies left are on Amazon.
Grab yours here.
July 1, 2007
"None are so helplessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free." --Goethe
Got our nifty new passports in the mail last week. Our economy is on the verge of collapse
we're shipping home 50 dead soldiers a week, Dick Cheney is positioning himself for the
inevitable coup in November 2008, the Chinese are trying to poison us with toxic
toothpaste
... but our vacation is saved! These are, of course, the infamous Homeland
Security passports, with the embedded microchip so the government can track your
movements abroad. And they LOOK spooky. The old passports had a friendly look to them
Travel! Have fun abroad! Bon voyage! These new ones just scream "we know everything
about you, punk." And, of course, this is the first time in our history where the government
controls our ability to leave the country. Yeah, you needed a passport to travel before...
but that
was only to ENTER certain other countries, not to LEAVE this one. You could
drive into Canada whenever you wanted. Pretty soon, a border goon will demand to see
your papers" before you're allowed to cross. Which means they can slam close the border
at will.
The Homeland Security Stassi will be the one great lasting legacy of the Bush Junta. Long
after that swaggering creep is dead, a vast legion of his bureaucratic spooks will be
running our lives.
