Daniel Clowes

Daniel Clowes
Clowes in 2019
Born	Daniel Gillespie Clowes (1961-04-14)April 14, 1961 Chicago,Illinois,U.S.
Occupations	Cartoonist Illustrator Screenwriter
Known for	Eightball(1989–2004) Ghost World(1997)
Spouse	Erika Clowes
Children	1

Daniel Gillespie Clowes(/klaʊz/;born April 14, 1961) is an Americancartoonist,graphic novelist,illustrator,andscreenwriter.Most of Clowes's work first appeared inEightball,a solo anthology comic book series. AnEightballissue typically contained several short pieces and a chapter of a longer narrative that was later collected and published as a graphic novel, such asLike a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron(1993),Ghost World(1997),David Boring(2000) andPatience(2016). Clowes's illustrations have appeared inThe New Yorker,Newsweek,Vogue,The Village Voice,and elsewhere. With filmmakerTerry Zwigoff,Clowes adaptedGhost Worldintoa 2001 filmand anotherEightballstory into the 2006 film,Art School Confidential.Clowes's comics, graphic novels, and films have received numerous awards, including a Pen Award for Outstanding Work in Graphic Literature, over a dozenHarveyandEisner Awards,and an Academy Award nomination.

Early life and career, 1961–1988

Clowes was born inChicago,Illinois,to an auto mechanic mother and a furniture craftsman father.His mother wasJewish,whereas his father was from a "reservedWASPishPennsylvania "family; Clowes's upbringing was not religious.In 1979, he finishedhigh schoolat theUniversity of Chicago Laboratory Schoolsand attended thePratt Institutein Brooklyn, New York, where he earned aBFAin 1984. It was at Pratt that he met and befriended fellow cartoonistRick Altergott,with whom he started the small-press comics publisher Look Mom Comics.

According to Clowes scholar Ken Parille, the cartoonist had an early response to a "graphic" comic when, at age four, he burst into tears and began hitting his head against a wall after seeing a cover of aStrange Adventurescomic book that depicted a family dying of heat.Later, he received "piles of 1950s and 1960s classic titles likeArchieandThe Fantastic Four"from his older brother, who also introduced him to the work of legendary cartoonistR. Crumb.

Daniel Clowes'sWilson(2010)

Daniel Clowes andCharles Burnsdiscuss their careers in 2016

Clowes's first professional work appeared in 1985 inCracked,and he contributed to the magazine until 1989,working under a variety of pseudonyms, most prominently "Stosh Gillespie", and, toward the end of his tenure, under his own name.Clowes and writer Mort Todd co-created a recurringCrackedfeature titledThe Uggly Family.In 1985, Clowes drew the first comic to feature his characterLloyd Llewellyn.He sent the story toFantagraphics'Gary Groth,and his work soon appeared in theHernandez brothers'Love and Rockets#13. Fantagraphics published six magazine-sized, black and white issues ofLloyd Llewellynin 1986 and 1987, another story was published as a Back-up story in the reprint book Doomsday Squad (1986) andThe All-New Lloyd Llewellyn,the final Llewellyn comic book, appeared in 1988.

Eightball,1989–2004

In 1989, Fantagraphics published the first issue of Clowes's comic bookEightball.On issue #1's masthead, Clowes described the anthology as "An Orgy of Spite, Vengeance, Hopelessness, Despair, and Sexual Perversiona".Eightballlasted twenty three issues, ending in 2004. One of the most widely acclaimed American alternative comics, it won over two dozen awards, and all of Clowes'sEightballserials have been collected and released as graphic novels.

From #1 to #18, anEightballissue typically contained short pieces that ranged in genre from comical rant and Freudian analysis to fairy tale and cultural criticism. These issues also featured a chapter of a serial that Clowes later collected as a graphic novel:Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron(1993),Pussey!(1995), andGhost World(1997). With #19, Clowes abandoned the anthology format. The oversized black and white issues #19–21 each contained a single act of Clowes's three-actDavid Boring,which was released as a graphic novel in 2000. Clowes again changed format with #22. The first full-colorEightball,#22 included a single graphic novel-length storyIce Haven.The final issue, #23 was a full-color, single-story comicThe Death-Rayreleased in 2004.

During the early 1990s, Clowes was associated with Seattle labelSub Pop,creating artwork for recordings byThee Headcoats,The Supersuckers,The John Peel Sessions, and The Sub Pop Video Program collection. He designed the label's mascot, Punky, who appeared on T-shirts, paddle-balls, watches, and other merchandise. In 1994, Clowes created art for theRamonesvideo "I Don't Want to Grow Up".

Post-Eightball,2005–2023

Clowes at the 2006San Diego Comic-Con

AfterEightballended in 2004, Clowes began to release full-color graphic novels, beginning in 2005 withIce Haven,a revised version of the comic that appeared inEightball#22. In 2010 Drawn and Quarterly publishedWilson,Clowes's first graphic novel that had not been serialized inEightball.The next year, Pantheon releasedMister Wonderful,a revised and reformatted version of a narrative serialized weekly in 2007 and 2008 inThe Sunday New York Times Magazine,a story Clowes described as a "romance."2011 also saw the Drawn and Quarterly hardcover release ofThe Death-Ray,which first appeared inEightball#23.

During this period, Clowes drew the first of severalNew Yorkercovers and contributed comics toZadie Smith'sThe Book of Other People(2008) and the influential art comics anthologyKramers Ergot(#7, 2008). In 2006, after a health crisis,Clowes underwent open-heart surgery. His longest graphic novelPatiencewas released in the US in March 2016. His latest graphic novelMonicawas released on October 3, 2023, byFantagraphics.Clowes lives inOakland, California,with his wife Erika and his child.

Cultural contexts

Clowes's work emerged from the late-1980s and early-'90s American alternative comics scene and played an important role in comics achieving a new level of respect from reviewers, academics, and readers.Ghost Worldwas among the earliest American "literary" comics to be marketed and sold through conventional book stores as agraphic novel.(Clowes has been critical of the terms "literary comics" and "graphic novel." )It was presented in serial form withinEightball#11‐#18 (1993‐1997).

Some of his most popular stories, such asGhost Worldand "The Party", are associated withGeneration X( "The Party" was reprinted inDouglas Rushkoff's 1994GenX Reader). This movement's investment in post-adolescent aimlessness was one of Clowes's main themes during the 1990s. The cartoonist led the way for comic artists likeAdrian TomineandCraig Thompson,who also focused on the angst of post-adolescent characters.

Like filmmakerDavid Lynch,Clowes is known for mi xing elements ofkitschand thegrotesque.Reflecting the cartoonist's interest in 1950s and 1960s TV, film, mainstream andunderground comics,andMadmagazine, these elements surface in Clowes's 1990s work, especially his graphic novelLike a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron.During the 1990s, the juxtaposition of kitsch and horror became something of a zeitgeist in visual art, independent film, and post-underground comics.

Clowes's post-2000 graphic novels marked a shift in subject matter and form.Ice Haven,The Death-Ray,Wilson,andMister Wonderfulfeatured older protagonists and explored issues of masculinity and aging. Like the work of his fellow cartoonistsChris WareandArt Spiegelman,these comics displayed an interest in American comic-strip history, using layouts, coloring, and drawing styles reminiscent of newspaper cartoons, especially the large early- and mid-twentieth-century Sunday comic strips.

Awards

Clowes has received dozens of awards and nominations for his comics and film work. In 2002 he was nominated for several awards for theGhost Worldfilm, including an Academy Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Published, an AFI Award for Screenwriter of the Year, a Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay, and others.

For his comics, Clowes has won manyHarvey Awards,including Best Writer in 1997 and 2005; Best Series in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1997; Best Letter in 1991 and 1997; Best Single Issue or Story in 1990, 1991, 1998 and 2005; and Best Cartoonist in 2002. He has won numerousEisner Awards,including Best Writer/Artist: Drama in 2000 and 2002; Best Single Issue/Single Story in 2002 and 2005;Best Short Storyin 2008; Best New Graphic Album in 2011. In 2011, he won a Pen Award for Outstanding Body of Work in Graphic Literature.

Clowes was awarded theInkpot Awardin 2006.

Clowes received the prestigious Fauve d'Or for his album Monica at the 51^eÉdition of the "Angoulême Festival du BD" in January 2024.

Exhibitions

Clowes's original art has appeared in American group shows as well as exhibitions in Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, and elsewhere. His first solo show was held at Los Angeles's Richard Heller Gallery in 2003. In 2012, Susan Miller curated his first museum retrospective,Modern Cartoonist: The Art of Daniel Clowesat theOakland Museum of California.It featured 100 works, including pencil and ink drawings, color pencil illustrations, and gouache art, with covers forThe New Yorker,Eightballissues, and Clowes's graphic novels. The show traveled to theMuseum of Contemporary Art, Chicagoin 2013, and is at theWexner Centerin Columbus, Ohio, in mid-2014. It may continue on to Europe and Asia.

Screenwriting

In the late 1990s, Clowes began a career as a screenwriter. His first film was 2001'sGhost World.Based on Clowes's comic of the same name and written with directorTerry Zwigoff,the film is set in a nondescript American town and follows the misadventures of two best friends, Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson), who detest most of their high school classmates. After graduation they plan on moving in together and avoiding college, but they grow apart as adult pressures take their toll. The girls play a prank on a nerdy record collector named Seymour (Steve Buscemi), who quickly becomes Enid's unlikely friend and confidante, as her relationship with Rebecca deteriorates. Nominated for a host of awards, most notably a 2002Academy Awardfor Best Adapted Screenplay, the movie appeared on many 2001 "Best of" lists.In 2001, Fantagraphics publishedGhost Word: A Screenplay.

Clowes's second filmArt School Confidentialwas based on the cartoonist's experiences at Pratt Institute in the early 1980s. (Clowes's four-page comic "Art School Confidential"covered some of the same experiences.) Directed by Zwigoff with a script by Clowes, the film follows Jerome (Max Minghella), an art student who dreams of becoming the world's greatest artist. The film was not as well received asGhost World.In 2006, Fantagraphics publishedArt School Confidential: A Screenplay.A third adaptation of a Clowes graphic novel,Wilson,directed byCraig Johnson,starringWoody Harrelson,and with Clowes writing the screenplay, was released in 2017.

At least four other film projects have been discussed or partially developed, with one being abandoned and two remaining in limbo for over seven years. Clowes and directorMichel Gondrydiscussed making a film based onRudy Rucker's novelMaster of Space and Time,with Clowes writing and Gondry directing, but the project never advanced beyond this stage; of the film Clowes said, "I actually announced that that wasn't going to be made at the 2006 San Diego [Comic] Con."In 2006, Clowes began writing a script based on his comicThe Death-Rayfor a movie to be produced byJack Black's Black and White Productions.Clowes also wrote a screenplay based on the true story of three boys who, over the course of seven years, filmed a shot-for-shot remake ofRaiders of the Lost Ark.As of 2018,neitherThe Death-Raynor theRaidersproject has been greenlit. In 2016, it was announced Clowes will adapt his graphic novelPatienceforFocus Features.As of 2018the project remains in development.

Plagiarism by Shia LaBeouf

In December 2013,Shia LaBeouf's short filmHoward Cantourbecame available online. Soon thereafter, those familiar with indie comics noticed its remarkable resemblance to "Justin M. Damiano," a comic Clowes contributed to the 2008 charity anthologyThe Book of Other People.The short film was then removed by LaBeouf, who claimed that he was not "copying" Clowes, but rather was "inspired" by him and "got lost in the creative process." LaBeouf later issued several apologies onTwitter,writing, "In my excitement and naiveté as an amateur filmmaker, I got lost in the creative process and neglected to follow proper accreditation", and "I deeply regret the manner in which these events have unfolded and want @danielclowes to know that I have a great respect for his work." Clowes responded by saying "The first I ever heard of the film was this morning when someone sent me a link. I've never spoken to or met Mr. LaBeouf... I actually can't imagine what was going through his mind."

Legal representatives of Clowes also sent acease-and-desist letterto LaBeoufconcerning another tweet stating he intended to make a second film plagiarizing Clowes.

OK Soda

In 1993 and 1994, Clowes created artwork for Coca-Cola'sGeneration X-inspired beverageOK Soda,which was test-marketed in select American cities in 1994 and 1995 and then discontinued. His art appeared on cans, bottles, twelve-pack cases, posters, vending machines, and other merchandise, along with point-of sale display items. Clowes's art appears on two cans/bottles (the face of a young man looking forward; the face of a young woman looking forward), though he is often incorrectly credited for other OK can art.

Illustrations

• Clowes has illustrated over 25 LP, EP, and CD covers, includingEverything Looks Better in the Dark(1987)byFrank Frenchand Kevn Kinney,Thee Headcoats'Heavens to Murgatroyd, Even! It's Thee Headcoats! (Already),and theSupersuckersalbumThe Smoke of Hell(1992).
• His art appeared on askateboarddeck forSanta Cruz Skateboards(1991 – it was reissued in black and white in 2006).
• His artwork can be seen in theRamonesvideo for theirTom Waitscover"I Don't Want to Grow Up" (1994).
• AnOK Sodavending machine with Clowes art appears in several shots in Christopher Guest's mockumentaryWaiting for Guffman(1997).
• He created the movie poster forTodd Solondz's filmHappiness(1998).
• He drew the cover forEncounter Briefs,a fictional comic book featured inGreg Mottola's filmPaul(2011).
• He drew covers and booklet art for theCriterion Collection's releases ofSamuel Fuller's filmsShock CorridorandThe Naked Kiss(2011).
• He drew the key art for Season 4 of theHBOseriesSilicon Valley(2017).

Selected works

Comic books

• Lloyd Llewellyn#1–6 (1986–1987) and a special (1988).
• Eightball#1–23 (1989–2004).

Graphic novels

• Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron(Fantagraphics, 1993). Clowes's first graphic novel, this volume collects ten chapters serialized inEightball#1–10. A surreal narrative partially based on Clowes's dreams, it tells the story of Clay Loudermilk, an alienated young man who searches for his ex-wife after seeing her in a fetish film.
• Pussey!: The Complete Saga of Young Dan Pussey(Fantagraphics, 1995). This collection features Dan Pussey stories that first appeared inEightball.A satire of the superhero comics industry, it chronicles the life of the title character from his boyhood dreams of being a famous comic-book artist, to success drawing superhero stories, and finally to a rapid fall into obscurity.
• Ghost World(Fantagraphics, 1997). This graphic novel collects theGhost Worldchapters fromEightball#11–18. On the first paperback edition's back cover, Clowes includes a brief synopsis: "Ghost Worldis the story of Enid and Rebecca, teenage friends facing the unwelcome prospect of adulthood and the uncertain future of their complicated relationship. "The cartoonist's breakthrough and best-selling work, it has been translated into seventeen languages.
• David Boring(Pantheon Books, 2000). This volume collectsDavid BoringActs 1–3 fromEightball#19–21. The comic's elaborately plotted narrative explores the title character's search for the perfect woman and his effort to learn about his missing father.
• Ice Haven(Pantheon, 2005). First appearing inEightball#22,Ice Havenwas revised and reformatted for the 2005 collection, with new chapters and redrawn art. Featuring a fictional Midwestern town and a large cast of main characters, the story centers on David Goldberg's kidnapping and the strained interactions of the town's inhabitants.
• Wilson(Drawn and Quarterly, 2010).Wilsonis Clowes's first non-serialized graphic novel. Set inOakland, California,it tells the story of Wilson, a confrontational misanthrope who desires a deep connection with other people, but whose aggressive interpersonal style thwarts such relationships.
• Mister Wonderful(Pantheon Books, 2011). Called "a midlife romance" by Clowes, this volume is an expanded and reformatted collection of a story first serialized inThe New York Times Magazinein 2007 and 2008. It won a 2008Eisner Award for Best Short Storyfor the serialized version.
• The Death-Ray(Drawn and Quarterly, 2011). Clowes's long-form superhero story,The Death-Rayfirst appeared inEightball#23. A formally complex narrative, it recounts the story of Andy, who acquires super-powers and a death ray that he uses, according to the back cover, "in defense of the righteous".
• Patience(Fantagraphics, 2016). Clowes's longest graphic novel, the book is described by the publisher as "a psychedelic science-fiction love story, veering with uncanny precision from violent destruction to deeply personal tenderness in a way that is both quintessentially 'Clowesian' and utterly unique in the author's body of work."
• Monica(Fantagraphics, 2023), a multi-genre exploration of a woman's life and cults, conspiracy theories, and the mid-20th century

Anthologies

• #$@&!:The Official Lloyd Llewellyn Collection(Fantagraphics, 1989). Clowes's first anthology, this paperback volume collects thirteen stories from the sevenLloyd Llewellyncomics.
• Lout Rampage!(Fantagraphics, 1991). This paperback includes stories fromEightball#1–6, along with strips Clowes created for alternative comics anthologiesBlab!,Young Lust,andWeirdo.
• The Manly World of Lloyd Llewellyn: A Golden Treasury of His Complete Works(Fantagraphics, 1994). Clowes's only hardcover anthology, this volume collects all of the Llewellyn stories from the sevenLloyd Llewellyncomics, earlyEightballissues,Love & Rockets#13, and elsewhere.
• Orgy Bound(Fantagraphics, 1996). This anthology collects stories fromEightball#7–16, along with one-page strips fromDetailsmagazine andNational Lampoon.
• Caricature(Fantagraphics, 1998). Subtitled "Nine Stories",Caricaturecollects comics fromEightball#13–18, along with "Green Eyeliner", the first comic to appear inEsquire's annual fiction issue, commissioned by editorDave Eggers.
• Twentieth Century Eightball(Fantagraphics, 2002). Focusing on short humor comics, this collection reprints some of the cartoonist's most well-known work, such as "Art School Confidential" and "Ugly Girls". It won a Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work in 2003.
• Ghost World: Special Edition(Fantagraphics, 2008). This hardcover collects theGhost Worldgraphic novel and screenplay, along with other related material.
• The Complete Eightball, #1–#18(Fantagraphics, 2015). This two-volume hardcover set reprints the first eighteen issues of Clowes's comic-book series.

Other appearances

• "Justin M. Damiano" inThe Book of Other People(2008)

Movies

• Ghost World(2001)
• Art School Confidential(2006)
• Wilson(2017)

Miscellaneous

• Cracked– recurring strip "The Uggly Family" (1986–1989)
• Thee Headcoats–Heavens To Murgatroyd, Even! It's Thee Headcoats! (Already)cover (1990)
• Santa Cruz Skateboards – Corey O'Brien full-color deck (1991 – reissued in 2006 in black and white)
• National Lampoon– series of one-page strips (1991)
• Urge Overkill–The Supersonic Storybookcover (1991)
• The Supersuckers–The Smoke of Hellcover (1992)
• Eightballpostcard set (1993)
• "Boredom" – a mock board game (1994)
• TheJohn PeelSub PopSessionscover (1994)
• Ghost World: A Screenplay(2001)
• Little Enid Doll (2001–2002) – five versions
• Enid & Rebecca Cloth Dolls (2002)
• Yo La Tengo–Merry Christmas from Yo La Tengocover (2002)
• Enid Hi-Fashion Glamour Doll (2004)
• Pogeybait Doll (2006)
• Art School Confidential: A Screenplay(2006)
• The New Yorkercover(May 24, 2010)
• Dan DeBono's Indy– created original cover and interviewed

Commercial work

• OK Soda– Clowes was one of the main illustrators for OK Soda cans and print materials, along with fellowFantagraphicsartistCharles Burns.

External links

• Official website
• Daniel Clowes Bibliography:The most detailed site on the web for information on Clowes and his work by Ken Parille.
• Daniel Clowes at Fantagraphics:The publisher's page with biography.
• Outer-Court:Biography & discussion of Clowes's comics and characters.
• BBC Collective:Interview andIce Havenscreensaver.
• Girls' world–The Guardian,November 3, 2001: Interview with Clowes around the release of theGhost Worldmovie.
• 2011 radio interviewat The Bat Segundo Show
• rcn Comic Book Awards Almanac
• Guide to the Daniel Clowes Archive 2000-2014at theUniversity of Chicago Special Collections Research Center