A Crowning Achievement: Totally Crushed Out chats with Liz Prince
by Ryan Pangilinan

Without fail, internet comics are a dime a dozen, however, finding GOOD comics and artists online is a different beast altogether. Chances are, you’ve seen Liz Prince’s comics online and might have not even known whose work you were reading, but her illustrated life and tales about punk rock, relationships and cats is something that permeates barriers and finds something that we can all understand, and her enthralling wit makes her less Cathy and more Sergio Aragones. Recently, TCO had an awesome opportunity to do a little ol’ Q&A with Prince about things that we all love: comics, pizza, Saves the Day and cats.

Totally Crushed Out: What got you started into writing and drawing comics? Was there a singular inspiration where you were like “I’m totally going to do this and rock the hell out of it”?

Liz Prince: My first earth-shattering disappointment when I was a young child was when it was explained to me that cartoon characters aren’t REAL: my whole life plan up to that point, until I was about 4 or 5 years old, was to BE a cartoon character when I grew up.  And so I decided that I would become an animator, and until around 3rd grade that was my life goal until I realized what a pain in the ass it is to draw basically the same thing over and over again.  At around this time was when I got my first comic book.  I distinctly remember that it was an Olympic tie-in issue of Uncle Scrooge, and that was it, I knew then and there that I wanted to draw comics because it was a little less work than being an animator (and yes, that was my logic at the age of 9: BORN LAZY). 

I first became aware of the Liz Prince phenomenon via Livejournal (I know, I know) a few years ago. Given how vast the internet really is, do you think it’s difficult to start and maintain a presence online?

I would say that it’s extremely difficult to start and maintain an online presence, mostly because you have to keep a very rigorous posting schedule or else people lose interest very quickly.  It wasn’t until I quit my job to draw comics full time that I was really able to start posting comics to my website two or three times a week, and that has really made all the difference.  It’s kind of funny to look at my comic archive, which is indexed by date, and see how few comics I posted for the years 2007-2009.  That being said, I’ve been posting comics online for a long time, since about 2000, and luckily, most of that old stuff is really hard to find, but it’s been over 10 years and I’m still not really pulling great stats on my website, so it’s a labor of love.  And with things like Tumblr, it’s really hard to make sure that you get credit for your work; my comic about the Saves the Day song “Sell My Old Clothes I’m Off To Heaven” has been floating around on there uncredited for awhile, and it’s really frustrating; but it’s also my own fault, because when I first posted that comic in 2007 it was just on MY website, and so I didn’t even bother writing my name on it (because I actually hate writing my name on my work, but that’s another issue altogether), and now in 2011 you can see it on other people’s websites, with the follow up question “who drew this?”.  GRRRR.  So yeah, like I said before, it’s a labor of love.  You hear that!?  I’m doing this because I love each and every single one of you, therefore you should give me money. 

…please give me money…

You know, you brought up something that happens often, especially on tumblr, which is that comics, and art in general, are often posted without credit. Personally, I try to to attribute credit, even if I get it from a source like Comics Alliance. Do you ever want to reply to someone who reblogs your stuff and be like, “Hey this is mine!!! AND THANKS FOR POSTING IT I GUESS”?

Hmm, I suppose that was part of the idea of starting my own Tumblr (fuckyoulizprince.tumblr.com is my personal site, fuckyeahlizprince.tumblr.com is a fan site), that I could comment on links like that and be like “Oh Hi, yeah, I drew that. I know, I’m super fucking kewl”, but I have yet to do so.  I mean, I really don’t mind that people are posting my work on Tumblr at all, I just wish that for the comics that don’t expressly have my name written on them, that someone would be like “Oh, P.S. Liz Prince drew this.  It’s, like, the only funny thing she’s ever done.”

And in relation to the previous question, though your comics have been printed, your work is still primarily seen online. Do you think that there will be a point where you’ll want to do more comics that go through the traditional publishing rigor-moral?

This is an interesting question, because I don’t consider myself a “web cartoonist”, and everything that I draw is intended for print at some point: y’know, like, I expect that there will someday be THE ESSENTIAL LIZ PRINCE READER, which will have all of my comics in it.  In a fancy hardbound edition, with a slipcase, and gold leaf printing.  Of course, when this happens, I’ll probably have been dead for a long time, because that’s when my genius will really be understood; when I’m no longer alive to put my foot in my mouth. But that being said, I am actually working on a longer narrative, that is print only, which I have been self publishing as issues: it’s called I Swallowed the Key To My Heart and it’s totally emo, but there’s some sex in it, so if you want to see my boobs, that’s probably the only chance you’ll get.  You can buy the first 2 issues in my webstore, and I will continue to serialize it until the story is completed, at which point hopefully someone else will want to publish it as a “graphic novel”. 

Like a lot of other punk rock comic artists, the bulk of your art is centered around your personal life. Has anyone ever approached you after the fact with their own criticism, or are most people/cats generally happy with how they’re portrayed?

Shockingly, the only complaints I’ve gotten so far are from friends of mine who HAVEN’T been in a comic.  I guess I’ve been lucky enough to surround myself with people who are as exhibitionist in nature as I am? 

One of my favorite comics is “Cuddle Party,” in which you express the thought to pee during a cuddle fest, but then your plans are squashed by another cat joining in. Since this comic, have you discovered a way to interrupt cuddling without causing too much of a disturbance?

Since that comic, my opportunities to cuddle have been severely limited, thus I have to assume I’m just as ungraceful as I’ve always been.  Thanks for bringing that up, because now I’m depressed. 

I remember watching this interview with Will Eisner and he talked about listening to a lot of jazz records when he was writing and drawing the Spirit. What are some of the records that you like to jam out to when you’re drawing?

Well, since your last question depressed me, I decided to put on a Morrissey record.  I’m kidding, I was already listening to Morrissey!  But, honestly, I’m always listening to music, so it changes from day to day, and there doesn’t seem to be any one album that I find particularly inspiring.  Lately I will listen to the entire Mean Jeans discography to get me psyched, because it’s hard not be psyched when you’re listening to the Mean Jeans.  Marked Men is a favorite, as are the Descendents, Mr. T Experience, and Alkaline Trio.  I would say I listen to those bands more regularly than any others. 

Also, I listen to Morrissey as well and can place myself in the army of sadsack dudes who have Morrissey-related tattoos. What if someone got a Liz Prince tattoo (either of you or your comics)? Would that be flattering or creepy?

Here is the part of the interview where I admit that I have kissed several boys who have Morrissey/Smiths related tattoos.  I have never kissed someone who has a Liz Prince tattoo, but I know that there are some out there.  It is totally flattering, but at the same time I’m like “whoa, you really want my ugly mug on your body for the rest of your life?!  AWESOME!!!”.  So I guess what I’m saying is: get a Liz Prince tattoo and I will kiss you, but I reserve the right to decide where and if there is any tongue. 

Going back to the Saves the Day/Take My Clothes I’m Off to Heaven comic, I think everyone who loves that band, particularly their first three albums, sings their songs like how you drew it out because of how epic Chris Conley’s voice used to be. Have you ever heard any reactions from him?

Oh man, I would go into a bliss induced coma if I knew Chris Conley even SAW any of my Saves the Day comics, but as far as I know, he’s never looked at them, and probably never will.  I do know that Stephen Egerton of Descendents/ALL saw the comic I drew about Fun Fun Fun Fest, and that made my mind melt for a good few days.  And Joe Ayoub of Marked Men wrote me on Facebook to let me know that he liked my comic where I try to start a conversation with a guy who’s wearing a Marked Men shirt.  Oh, and Dr. Frank from MTX blogged my “Who Needs Happiness” comic where I’m singing to my cat.  I guess I’ve had some pretty great interactions with some of my punk rock idols due to my comics, and I didn’t even realize it until I listed them here!  Nevermind, I’m not depressed about your previous question anymore. 

On a personal note, I’ve never had a pet in my life, save a turtle and fish. I was thinking of adopting a cat for my upcoming birthday, though I also considered a guinea pig and a rabbit. Do you think I could cuddle more with a cat than the other two?

Ok, well, I’m going to be really biased here, because I think cats are the ultimate pets; very little work, very big reward.  My roommate got Gerbils as a gift once, and I hated those little fuckers.  All they did was stink up the place.  Sorry, Claire.  And Rabbits are cute, but I’ve heard they’re not especially cuddly.  So, y’know, if you want to get a B List pet, then by all means, it’s your funeral, but you should probably just go all the way to awesometown and get a cat.  My two cents.

Are there any upcoming books or projects that our readers should look out for?

I think that most of the books that I’ve contributed comics to have come out already:

• Turnstile Comix #1 by Mitch Clem featuring a 7” by the Slow Death
• Papercutter #16 featuring Joey Alison Sayers and Alexis Frederick-Frost
• This Isn’t Working, Comics about Ex-Boyfriends published by Paper Rocket
• Not My Small Diary #16: the transportation issue

I was really busy at the beginning of the year drawing short comics for all of those books, now I’m trying to switch gears to write and draw the 3rd issue of I Swallowed the Key to My Heart.  I’ve also been doing some art for bands, including a 7” for the awesome band Parasite Diet, but I don’t know when that will be out. 

You mentioned Turnstyle Comix, which kind of opens up the idea that there are several artists like Mitch Clem and Ben Snakepit that bridge that gap between punk and comic strips. Are there any other artists of the niche that you think people should check out?

Liz Baillie draws some great punk related comics http://lizbaillie.com/

as does Nate Doyle http://ndcrookedteeth.blogspot.com/

and pretty much everyone who also draws comics for If You Make It is great, although not necessarily “punk”: http://www.ifyoumakeit.com/category/comics

And seriously, how much more awesome would this interview have been if pizza were involved?

So much.

See a ton more of Liz Prince’s art and order a shirt or a comic via her website, Liz Prince Power.