panellogy 398 - autobiographic comics

about the new book "chartwell manor" by glenn head & an overview about comics with autobiographic content by...
julie doucet, justin green, moebius, joyce farmer, robert crumb, adrian tomine, joe matt, chester brown, noah van sciver, will eisner and more

[@earlgrey862]

I forgot to mention the wonderful Paul comics by Michel Rabagliati... well he has not called himself Michel but Paul, but it's clearly him... if you want to know more about them, here's an older Panellogy about his comics: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oai6pGSarpdmjpI

[@ftloc]

Autobiography is perhaps the most 'fascinating' genre in comics for me - so many seem drawn to it, so many work in it, but it takes so much skill and balance to do it effectively. You've got some great selections here, some of my absolute favourites, and some that I definitely need to try out! Thank you for yet another wonderful survey.

[@warlockofwordsreturnsrb4358]

There's a good buzz building around ChartWell Manor, I must read that at some point.

[@roshanart8582]

hey, great video!!! thanks for introducing so many artists specifically in autobiographical comics!

[@petercooper9791]

Chartwell Manor was quite good. Crumb blurbs are never frivolous. Thanks for showing Special Exits. I'm currently caregiving my mother and will be ordering a copy to see the parallels.

[@Toracube]

That looks sooooo good !! Thanks EG.

[@edward2962]

Great vid! Dan Clowes did a kinda funny spoof of autobio comics in his Eightball title back in the 90's.

[@comicKkrakK]

I prefer it raw...! Nice one. I see Joe Matt, his name, a single panel, a page, a book and I just start smiling and laughing. Truly one of the best. Seth did do an autobio of sorts that appeared in Palookaville. I think it was collected as well...let me look.....it's listed as a "mock" autobiography and was collected in a book called "It's a Good Life if you Don't Weaken." Well worth the read

[@earlgrey862]

yes, of course, I even have read "it's a good life..."!... dementia, I hear you knocking

[@caroltyler8732]

Yow! Justin Green is the father of the autobiographical comic. Binky Brown was published in 1972. Binky is Justin, Justin is Binky. That was his nickname growing up. It’s considered the gold standard. What you showed was the McSweeney’s reprint. BB is about trying to cope with serious mental illness. Keep reading past the first few pages. This comic spawned the entire genre. Crumb started doing autobio after Binky was published. Spiegelman also. In fact, he did Maus because of Binky. I’m also an autobio cartoonist, influenced by Justin of course and he’s in every story I’ve done in the past 40 years. Along with our kid. Maybe dig a little deeper.

[@jamesedwardclard]

I ended up buying "Paying For It" because I was in the book store with my ex and she asked me what a "John" was? I asked her what she meant and she pointed to "Paying For It: Memoir of a John". After I explained what it was I ended up picking it up and reading it a random part out loud to her in the middle of the book store, and before I knew it I had read a third of it to her. So I figured I better buy it. We Ended up finishing the rest in one sitting. It's a bizarre book, very compelling in a car crash sorta way, can't turn away. Chester Brown is a weird guy. I live in the same city as him. You see him sometimes going around with a giant skullet, Can't miss him. You see Seth too, he's always very sharply dress.

[@earlgrey862]

yeah, Chester Brown is quite a character and "Ed, the happy clown" is one of my alltime faves... as to "paying for it": I read an interview with him (or was it just an "essay" by him?) in which he embellishs or rather glorifies prostitution. all props to him to being so open about it and everyone is entitled to his opinion... but I don't have to read that book.

[@jamesedwardclard]

@@earlgrey862 For sure, I'm certainly no fan of human trafficing obviously. It is a interesting book from the perspective of someone who lives in Toronto, he dated a local television/ radio personality for a few years, the book starts with her telling him shes leaving him for another man and he asks if he can continue to live together with her, and she agrees and carries on with the new guy with Chester in the other room. It weird scenes like that makes the book compelling, He does get into his political rational for visiting hookers later in the book and that part drags. The rest of the book is like watching a car crash, can't turn away.

[@billcrabtree8700]

Hey Milan - I’ve read Paying For It, and to me, in its honesty, it fails to successfully make the argument that Chester Brown may have wanted it to. What I mean is that there is enough there to give an observant reader doubts as to Chester’s motives and sense of satisfaction on the subject. I’m not sure this is intentional, but in a way that speaks to the strength of the work. Granted, it doesn’t begin to approach the subject from the point of view of the women involved.

[@earlgrey862]

yes, maybe/probably the book is interesting because of these reasons... like a book from a former century showcases different moral standards and beliefs without "wanting it"

[@Kines332]

Did five minutes research on google and the key to Adrian Tomine's pronunciation is that the stress is on the second syllable. Kinda rhymes with demeanour. You really could have done that.

[@earlgrey862]

thanks