An admittedly shared reaction to Stephens' work is to label it cute. And, it is. Whether its Jetcat, an eight-year old girl whose alter identity is a flying, crime-fighting feline, or Kip, the treasonous puppy co-pilot of Space Ape Number 8 -- the character Stephens gives inky life to have an appeal that's similar to the nice little animals you find in the Sunday funnies, like Snoopy or Patrick McDonnell's Mutts. But there's a slightly sinister something that keeps Stephens' work from being as accessible to the mainstream as either of these examples. Maybe it's the cheeky, less-than-precious banter (often laced with words like "crap!") the characters engage in, or maybe it's the fact that many of Stephens' cutest characters get offed by other cute character in not-so-cute ways (butchered with large knives, necks snapped, etc.). Whatever it is, there's a quality of Stephens' work that is decidedly underground in feel -- it also keeps him from being just another artist whose grip on cute leaves room for little else.
Interviewing Stephens for this assignment was a distinct treat. As the self-proclaimed number-one Jetcat fan in the world, I've wondered what dastardly things live within the brain of her creator. If you're already a fan of Jay Stephens you probably won't be surprised that the interview turned out a little goofy. And if you're not yet into Stephens' absurd little masterpieces, you're probably more like your parents than you'd like to admit.
Shawna Ervin-Gore: What's your favorite part of being a comics creator? Is it everything you dreamed it would be (?) when you were an art school kid?
Jay Stephens: When I was an art school kid (briefly, I might add), I dreamed of being a painter! Comics was something I really fell into backward. My favorite part is definitely the fan mail. Knowing that people actually read and appreciate what you do is fabulous. Turns out that being a genuine street-level pop artist is more rewarding than being a stuffy old painter after all.
Ervin-Gore: And how did you get involved with Guff!? And Scatterbrain? For Guff! were you given any guidelines to work from (i.e. "you have to make sure your character is prone to flatulence")?
It's all who you know. I have Mike Mignola's home phone number. And Mike Allred's. Dan Brereton and Paul Pope . . . you get the picture, right? We're like a gang. I had to kill a guy to join. And yeah, Scott (Allie() was very into making Guff! super gross. All I gotta say is, the name is Icky Animal.
Who is this Icky Animal ?
Oh, nobody special. Just a character I made up at the very last minute to fill space. Ha ha! You wish! In reality, Icky kicks crotch! The new `Flip the Frog,' they tell me.
Is your life much different now that you're rich and famous, compared, to say, when you were running that massage parlor for visiting dignitaries?
Quite, say did you hear that story about that fellow with no sense of smell who got sprayed by a skunk? He commuted by bus to work and couldn't understand why people were glaring at him -- tears shooting out of their eyes -- it's a true story.
This has been a big year for you. Dark Horse began publishing Land of Nod in October, (more than 400,000 copies of issue one sold in the first three weeks!), and this month you visited Cuba for the first time since Castro took office [ Editor's note: the bearded one doesn't believe in humor, and Cuban readers of comics had to read them in hiding until Stephens announced his visit -- soon everyone was reading and trading comics in the streets -- what a coup!] You were also voted "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine. What were some of the lesser known highlights you'd like to share with your fans?
Hmmn. Kicking the crap out of Norm McDonald was sort of a highlight . . . learning to eat solids again . . . Oh! And getting Elisabeth pregnant! Definitely
As an artist -- what are your influences? What sorts of books (comics and otherwise) do you read?
I have a stack of half-read stuff. Let's see -- Amphigorey Also, a biography of Joan Miro, Ondaatje's The Cinnamon Peeler, Nine Stories -- it's all been pushed aside for baby books. What to Expect When You're Expecting and Bill Cosby's Fatherhood is about it right now.
As far as comics go, whose work do you like right now? It seems like you've worked with some really talented people. For readers who like your stuff, what would you recommend they pick up?
Well, you simply must check out Steven Weissman's Yikes! comics. Another gem is Archer Prewitt's Sof' Boy. But you can't beat the classics. Everyone should be familiar with Winsor McCay, George Herriman, E.C. Segar, and Floy Gottfried.
Dave Land told me a funny story about you and your pet duck that likes peanut butter. He didn't get too far into it and suggested I ask you for the details. I had a friend in high school whose cat liked pudding. I think it was the same sort of thing. Is this something we can share with our readers?
Dave's dead. He's #!@*%$#'n dead! You know? You think you can trust people. You think you can say things in confidence, and then --WHAM! Out of nowhere comes that firetruck!
What's next for Jay Stephens? Politics? The army? Breeding Schit-tzus?
Looks like animation is definitely next. After that? I think I'll reclaim my lost slacker years and loaf around resort towns spending all the money I made washing dishes for a year back in my home town.
Jay and his partner Elisabeth are also expecting a nice little baby in March (St. Paddy's Day, to be exact!) -- we wish the best of luck to the mommy and daddy to-be.