Tom Spurgeon talks to Gary Panter about his new, massive retrospective book from PictureBox:
SPURGEON: So a book like this, what can that do for you? Does it help you establish relationships with galleries? Is it just bringing that aspect of your work to the attention of people who follow that art form?
PANTER: I think a book like this makes people happy; it’s like a chance to go through an artist’s drawers. If you care what’s in there.
But, yeah: it’s supposed to connect me up to people in the world that buy paintings that never heard of me before. If I could sell eight paintings a year at a decent price, I could afford to do comics. I can’t afford to do comics. I just do little illustrations one after another, design tennis shoes or whatever, throw the money at the bills. That’s why it takes another eight years for Jimbo to come out.
Maybe I’ll never make a lot of money. I’m making a lot of money compared to most cartoonists, I think. It’s just… New York’s expensive. Everyplace else is expensive, I guess. Being adult is expensive. As you know, right?
SPURGEON: If I ever become one, I’ll let you know.
PANTER: Any trip to the hospital can change everything.
