DEC 12/ JAN 13

ISSUE#2
FEATURING AN
INTERVIEW WITH
ADRIAN TOMINE AND
COMIC ART FROM
THE BEST INDIE
TALENT AROUND
FREE
Welcome to Issue Two of OFF LIFE magazine, the UKs only street
press comic anthology.
Were trying to show people that comics can be more than
superheroes and Sci-Fi, and so if weve tempted some of you back
for a second read then hopefully were on the right track!
And what an issue we have. We are honoured to feature an
interview with Adrian Tomine, one of the most inuential and
inventive comic artists working today. If any artist has shown
that comics can be every bit as intelligent and emotionally engaging
as the established arts, its Tomine and we hope our interview
showcases that.
The artist line up weve put together is a real whos-who of
the indie scene too. Some are published, some are just starting
out but all of them have a story to tell. As we said last issue, our
aim is to create a stepping stone to all the works of genius that
exist out there in four-colour print, so if this little magazine whets
your appetite go forth and discover your local comic stockists.
Its not all laser eye beams and unfathomably large-breasted
womenfolk, we promise.
On a nal note, weve started running quick draw competitions
each Thursday evening on our Twitter account. We set a theme
and you get two hours to draw and post your art. We dont have
any prizes for the winners, but then we dont store your data and
sell it to insurance companies unlike some arseholes. So thats
something. If quick draw nights sound like something youd be
interested in, come say hello on Twitter @OFFLIFE_comic.
Now get reading people, were rambled out!
DANIEL HUMPHRY
Editor, OFF LIFE
COMICS
Pages 2 27
ADRAIN TOMINE
Page 13
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EDITOR
Daniel Humphry
ART DIRECTOR
Steve Leard
COVER ART
Mat Pringle
matpringle.co.uk

Get a Grip Studio

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RANDL
wearerandl.co.uk
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Hi Adrian, thanks for taking the time to speak with us.
My pleasure.
You started self-publishing while still in high school.
What was your drive for wanting to get your work out
there at such a young age?
The honest answer is probably desperation, loneliness,
and boredom. I cant really think of any other reason why
Id start putting out those mini-comics, and in fact,
if I had anything better to do at that point, I probably
would not have spent so much time drawing. But Id been
fairly single-minded about becoming a cartoonist since
I was a little kid, so by the time I started self-publishing,
I felt like Id already been practising for a long time.
Even after gaining recognition you continued
to selfpublish Optic Nerve. What was it about
the selfpublishing model that worked for you?
Just because you get a little bit of recognition
doesnt mean that the publishers are beating down your
door. I really, really wanted to be published by Drawn &
Quarterly, so I basically kept self-publishing until I wore
them down and they agreed to publish my comic.
Did studying English Literature at Berkeley ever
tempt you away from comics and towards more
'traditional' mediums?
Ive always had an interest in other types of
writing, but I dont think my college education

WITH HIS TALES OF LOVE LOST AND CULTURES CLASHED, FEW ARTISTS HAVE TAKEN
ON THE QUIRKS OF MODERN LIFE LIKE ADRIAN TOMINE. FROM HIS EARLY DAYS ON
OPTIC NERVE TO THE COLLECTIONS SUMMER BLONDE AND SLEEPWALK, THE 'TOMINE
STYLE' HAS BECOME A BENCHMARK FOR HOW FAR COMICS CAN BE PUSHED AND,
CULTURALLY, WHAT THE MEDIUM CAN ACHIEVE.
THIS MONTH, OFF LIFE WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO STEAL ADRIAN AWAY FROM HIS
NEW YORK DRAWINGS TO DISCUSS ART, SELF-PUBLISHING AND THE FUTURE OF COMICS.
13
ADRI AN TOMI NE
AD AD
had anything to do with that. I think it exposed me to a
lot of books that I wouldnt have picked up on my own,
but no, there wasnt a moment when I wanted to forsake
cartooning and become a poet or something like that.
Despite being a successful creator in your own right,
you still undertake commercial work. What attracts
you to it?
Well, being a successful comic book artist, at least
from my experience, isnt the same as being a successful
pop musician or a movie actor. I have the great luxury
of being able to work from home, spending most of my
time drawing my own comics, but it doesnt put me in
a position where I could turn my nose up at good
paying work. And in the case of a few of my more
frequent clients, like The New Yorker, for example,
its something that I really enjoy. Illustration work
is a whole different endeavor from cartooning, and its
a nice break sometimes.
Comics seem to have gone through a bit of a rebirth
in recent years. Where do you see their place within
the arts and culture now?
Its been a good ten years or so in terms of how
comics are regarded, particularly in North America.
I think were still a little bit behind the curve compared
to some European and Asian countries, but already
comics have reached a level of respect and interest that
I never thought would be possible.
What do you think needs to happen for quality
comics to reach a wider audience, or at least gain a
greater appreciation?
I think comics, just like all popular media, suffer
from the fact that a good chunk of the work just isnt very
good. Or to put it in less subjective terms, it isnt very
appealing to that wider hypothetical audience. No matter
how many articles might appear in the mainstream
media about how literary and respectable comics have
become, the odds are pretty high that if someone wanders
into a comic shop after having read such an article, theyll
be confronted with a lot of material that either doesnt
appeal to them or is even off-putting. But I dont think
theres anything wrong with that, nor is it something
that should be rectified in any way. I personally love
comic shops, even if they specialised in stuff that isnt
exactly my cup of tea, and Id hate to see them all
become sanitised in a bid for a broader audience.
I honestly think that the comics medium reached its nadir
long ago, and that the quality and diversity of work
continues to advance in amazing ways.
Finally, you're often grouped in the same wave or
school as other indie greats such as Daniel Clowes and
Jaime Hernandez. Is there another wave or style that
you see coming through now?
Denitely. I think theres a whole generation of
cartoonists if not more thats come along since
I started publishing. And the great thing is that these
younger cartoonists are coming from a much wider
range of backgrounds and upbringings than ever before,
and as a result, were seeing a lot of inventive, unusual,
and idiosyncratic work.
Thanks for your time Adrian!
Thank you!
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YOU CAN SEE ADRIANS WORK AT
ADRIAN-TOMINE.COM
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