A Quick, Little Interview with Dave Kiersh!

What led you to begin drawing, and what role does it play in your life right now?

        When I was a kid, I would draw picture books for school assignments.  My elementary school had a publishing center and shelves with books made by students that lined the hallways.  It seemed to me then that anyone was capable of making a book no matter what skills they possessed.  I remember my sister made a book about a fat girl who got stuck in a wicker basket.  It was all great stuff.  I still like to daydream and I think that coincides with drawing to me.  I'm not a professional.

How long have you been publishing your comix, and what titles do you publish?

        I've made lots of little mini-comics, mostly in editions of about 50 copies each.  The first series I was proud of, I made when I was 19.  It was called Quaaludes and there were 8 issues.  Mostly, it was about being a lonely teenager in the suburbs.  These got the attention of Jordan Crane who published me in his book NON.  After that I started doing a comic strip entitled DROP-IN in a local newspaper .  That didn't last too long, though, so I continued making minis with titles like The Least You Could Do and Special. A small publisher in France also put out a little comic by me.  More recently, I made 7 issues of a zine called Dirtbag.

I’ve noticed a lot of what I consider sentimental and nostalgic themes in your work.  Is this something that has always been there?

        I think I'm a sentimental person with a love for things outside of reality.  For a while, I really enjoyed Young Adult type novels by authors who wrote in the 1970's like Barbara Wersba, Paul Zindel, and Kin Platt.  Their work really spoke to me in an honest way.  While I'm not nearly as sophisticated, I think I've tried to portray a sense of desperation that I've had at times ... a desire for a greater romance with life.

Many of your comix that I’ve seen don’t have sharply structured storylines.  Could you talk about your drawing process and how you decide what to publish?

        Mostly I just draw a lot for myself and select the pages from my notebook that I think might be appealing to others.  Other times, I cut and paste images together in order to form a sort of song that sounds right to me.  Often, I just make copies of the bare minimals because anything more would be too costly for me.  I have made a comic with a long structured story but the format is larger and I can't afford to publish it appropriately.

Your style stands out, I think, because many of your comix that I’ve seen contain few words, and you don’t use conventional text boxes or panels.  Could you comment on those aspects of your style?

        I admire books with a sense of whimsy and would like to get away from a cluttered aesthetic.  Some of the most imaginative books I've ever seen are ARM IN ARM by Remy Charlip and I'LL BE YOU AND YOU BE ME by Ruth Krauss and Maurice Sendak.  These are famous children's books that don't have traditional storyline structures or the need for text boxes and panels to be inventive.

I’ve wondered about the autobiographical element in your comix.  Is there one, and, if so, to what extent?

        My work isn't necessarily autobiographical; it would probably be very boring if it was.  The comics are about me in as much as they are representative of my musings.  Some cartoonists like Chester Brown and John Porcellino are really experts at autobiography.  I think if I attempted anything that comprehensive, I'd end up making myself look like an idiot.

One of the things I’ve really enjoyed about Dirtbag is the way that you portray sex. It appears to me to be youthful, fun, and innocent. Do you ever draw anything that you consider too explicit to publish?

        In all honesty, I'm somewhat of a prude. My insecurities can be made into fun with my untrained scribbles. To me, some of the most elegant art is sexy in nature.  My favorite paintings are by artists like Jules Pascin or Pierre Bonnard who portray nudity in youth without being vulgar.

I loved your collaboration with Souther Salazar in A Last Cry For Help #2.  What was the motivation behind that book, and was it difficult to put together?

        Unlike myself, Souther works in a variety of mediums and is really talented.  We mailed a sketchbook back and forth across the country and then edited it, which resulted in Last Cry.  A third issue will be available this summer and will contain contributions by other people such as Dan Moynihan. 

Have you done other collaborations, or do you contribute regularly to other publications?

        The biggest collaboration I've done is a comic book I made with my girlfriend Fiona Logusch.  This is the comic that I alluded to earlier as having a structured story.  The story was her idea and we worked together in deciding how to put it onto paper.  Unfortunately, I am unable to self-publish this book right now.  Recently, some people have been asking me to contribute drawings to their small publications and if it interests me I usually agree.

Do you have any other comments to share, or projects you’d like to mention?

        Some of my comics are available to order online from www.usscatastrophe.com.   I also have a small website about my interests at www.scottjacoby.freewebtools.com.   Feel free to email me: davekiersh@aol.com.

What are some other mini-comix titles and artists that you enjoy?

        I really loved this Canadian cartoonist Chantale Doyle who did a comic called Misey and Vomit (but I haven't seen anything by her in years).  I'm also fond of Molly Barker who has two published collections of her works. Kati Rapia is an amazing cartoonist from Finland who does a book called Lonkka.

Dave's most recent comics are Dirbag #8 and Unicorns.  They are available for $2 each from Dave Kiersh, 568 Grandview Ave., 2nd Floor, Ridgewood, NY 11385.

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