There are a lot of Bryan Lee O'Malley interviews out there in support of his new Seconds, but don't miss the one we're publishing today, conducted by Dash Shaw. Here's a sample exchange:
Do you think of yourself as combining Canadian cartooning like Seth with Japanese cartooning like Rumiko Takahashi?
I don't know what I think of my work, and I'm sure Seth would bristle at any comparison (ha ha) but sure, that's a cute notion. My trajectory as a reader in the ’90s took me from superheroes to manga to American indies like Bone, and then belatedly discovering Seth and Chester [Brown] was the last piece of the puzzle for me. They brought the world of comics basically to my doorstep. I don't think the notion of a story like Scott Pilgrim would have crossed my mind before I read It's a Good Life if you Don't Weaken, just based on setting alone. It was a real "duh" moment for me.
If you showed the Bryan Lee O'Malley of 2004 who just drew Lost At Sea a copy of Seconds, what would he think? What would surprise him about the work he'd do ten years later?
Since I had Scott Pilgrim going, and the idea for Seconds was already in my head, I don't think 2004 me would be too surprised by 2014 me's work. I think the story of my work in the past ten years makes sense and is exactly what I set out to do. Most of those influences were already in place, except maybe Tezuka, who I didn't get heavily into until around 2007. But overall I'm just really happy with Seconds and pleased with the state of my drawing and writing and the whole thing. Maybe that's simple-
minded, but it's the first time I've felt that way about my work.
Meanwhile, elsewhere:
—Reviews & Commentary. Anthony Meloro illuminatingly compares a spread from a 1970s action comic to one from today. Dana Jennings responds to Witzend. Rachel Cooke reviews Roz Chast. This Austin English review in comics form of the new Tamaki & Tamaki book is fruitful to think about. Martin de la Iglesia compares early English and German manga translations.
—Interviews. Emily Yoshida interviews Bryan Lee O'Malley for Grantland. Mimi Pond is a guest on Bullseye. Alex Dueben talks to Katherine Roeder about her new Winsor McCay book.
—Misc. Per Martin Wisse, it looks like the comic store Lambiek may have to move locations or worse. Joyce Brabner is auctioning off many of the late Harvey Pekar's jazz CDs to help raise money for a local Cleveland family. Here is a gender breakdown of contributors to Houghton Mifflin's Best American Comics series. Sam Adams has a bit more on that Charles Burns Black Hole appearance in the latest Planet of the Apes movie. This Tumblr has a lot of good underground comix images. Does anyone know where to find a YouTube clip of the time Marvel went on Merv Griffin to announce that Thor was turning into a frog?
