Walrus Comics sits down with the American Splendor creator to talk about the pros and cons of doing autobiography:
You’re depicted in the press as a curmudgeon/eccentric, yet your work reveals a great empathy and sensitivity… Do you feel you’ve been misrepresented and to what extent do you feel you’ve played a role in perpetuating that image?
Well, I mean, I’m DEPRESSED A LOT OF THE TIME. I’ve actually been diagnosed as having major depression, you know… I’ve even… I mean, for a short period time over a year and half I was REALLY FUCKED UP, when I just retired and I didn’t know what to do with myself. The movie hadn’t come out and I was really messed up… Um, I don’t know… am I a curmudgeon? I suppose people can get that impression because I’m not a kind of guy who goes around slapping people on the back and tickle you under the chin or something but… I just leave it up to other people… I don’t think I’m particularly mean or anything like that. If someone calls me up out of the clear blue sky, NOT JUST FOR AN INTERVIEW… but if they want to talk to me, I mean they can invite themselves over to my house and Ill talk to them… and some of these people, I mean I don’t know what they want from me but… you know… I don’t mind that.
