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Interview: Joshua Kemble   Comfortably NUMB: an Interview with Joshua Kemble By Matt Rawson Published: 2007-05-16

After reading about Joshua Kemble’s Numb, the newest recipient of the coveted Xeric Grant, I put an order for the book at my local four-color-fix factory. When it was released, I cracked it open, enjoyed every page of it, and promptly contacted Mr. Kemble for the following interview.

Matt Rawson: Numb seems to be a very personal work. How much of it is autobiographical and how much of it is fiction?

Joshua Kemble: Numb started out initially as a story about a past relationship I’d had, and was going to be one of those revenge auto bio comics, but then became something much different. By the time I sat down to write the comic, I wasn’t as concerned about getting revenge anymore, but more at trying to write a good story. So, it’s rooted in non-fiction, but is now about 70 percent fiction (to spice it up a bit).

MR: Was Numb written quickly, or was it something that’s been stewing in your mind for awhile?

JK: Numb had been stewing for a while in my head. Just one of those ideas that you push to your subconscious, and then never think about again. Accept that one day I thought of how funny it would be if someone like me, who’s so obsessed with publishing stories was beaten to the punch by one of my exes. That’s when I actually sat down, and drafted the whole thing out, which was by that time, quite quick. So… I guess it was both.

MR: I’m sure that I’m not the only one that found out about Numb from Neil Gaiman’s blog. Do you think that the mention has made any impact on the sales of the book?

JK: I’m not too sure. I’d hope so. It’s really hard to measure how it’s selling in stores, but I know that there are only about forty copies of the first printing of Numb left that haven’t been ordered, so I’m sure it helped. I know it felt cool as hell to have Neil Gaiman give me a shout out on his blog. He’s not only one of my favorite writers, but has a lot to do with getting me into indy comics in the first place. Just on that level, it was nice to know he’s at least heard of me. It’s interesting though. I just did a signing yesterday, and sold about two issues. So, just when you think your comic’s reaching people you realize just how small of an audience comics reach. Especially non-superhero comics. I had so many people pass by the table, eyeing the work then saying, “I’m more of the cape and tights kinda guy.” It seems odd to me that people would close themselves off to other facets of storytelling, or other genres so quickly. Like if the world where confined to only going to action flicks. I dig action flicks as much as the next guy, but I still check out other genres as well.

MR: In addition to (and distractions of) life and the day job, how long did it take you to see Numb from first marks to finished comic?

JK: Wow… It probably took about a year to finish the artwork all together. Being that it was the first comic book, and I was still sort of figuring out a working process. Still, it’s a labor of love.

MR: I can imagine how exciting getting the Xeric Grant was. Can you tell us a little about what all went into applying for the grant, and what life has been like been like since?

JK: Well, after finishing Numb, I sent off photocopies of the whole thing, along with the financial info requested, and a brief summary of the plot. The guidelines on the Xeric Grant website were extremely easy to follow, and I still remember wondering why I hadn't tried to get it earlier… At the time I was still finishing up my illustration degree at CSULB, working retail, and generally disheartened at the thought of getting published. I was expecting a long, tough hall before I’d ever see anything I did in print.

Still, and I think this is important, I stayed focused, and driven. The next thing you know, I get an acceptance letter from NBM for a graphic novel I proposed to them, a bunch of freelance illustration work, and then the Xeric acceptance letter. I swear that month was when everything changed dramatically. I went from being a student to a professional illustrator with a foot (a small one, but still a foot) in the door of the comics industry. Still, I don’t remember sleeping much since that all happened either. Suddenly, there’s tons of work to be done and not enough time to do it in. So it’s a blessing (mainly), but along with it, a bit of a curse as well.

MR: Your artwork reminds me a bit of graphic designer/illustrator Aidan Hughes, otherwise known as Brute, who is most famous for his KMFDM album covers. Are there any particular artists out there that you yourself see as direct influences?

JK: Of course. Charles Burns, Daniel Clowes, Adrien Tomine, Jason Lutes, Chris Ware, Winsor McCay, George Herriman, Craig Thompson, and on and on…

Selected pages from Joshua Kemble’s NUMB; click on each image to view a larger version.

MR: Your storytelling is not necessarily cinematic, as in it doesn’t just offer a simple panel to panel groove and is not linear and visceral like most mainstream books. In other words, you use a lot of symbolism to get the emotion of your story across. I believe this gives your book a very unique edge. Care to comment on these views?

JK: Firstly, thanks! In Numb, I wanted to use symbolism in a way which wasn’t able to be used in film. I was generally inspired to go that direction by artists like Chris Ware (for his pacing, tempo, and unconventionally forcing people to be active with the comic book), and Craig Thompson (I’d say the king of emotional symbolism in the medium today), as well as Jason Lutes (the people melting in the first few pages of Jar Of Fools). I really feel like the most effective comic books COULDN’T be made into movies, but stand alone as a work that could ONLY be a comic book. This isn’t to say other comics aren’t as good, but for me, that’s what gets me. Self-sustained comics.

MR: What is your process behind creating the artwork? How much does the computer play, if at all?

JK: There’s usually a long period of doing roughed out pages, where I work out the compositions, images, and pacing of the story. I like working on those elements of the story in a free form way where I’m not worried about end results so that the story doesn’t feel forced, and can have more of an improvisation to them. Then I sit down and pencil the actual pages on bristol board at two times the final size. I usually use pigma liners, brush pens, and white out when I then ink the pages.

Then the computer kicks in. I use the computer to up the contrast of the black line work, then use Photoshop with WACOM for coloring (as with Numb’s blue tones and color cover). The computer is pretty essential for what I do. Not for the drawing, or the inks, but for cleanup and color.

MR: What is your method of writing? Do you use a traditional script format, or do you write prose and then adapt it to the visual medium of comics, like Frank Miller does with Sin City?

JK: I’m somewhere between plan and prose. I come up with a story arc that’s set in stone, but then sort of improvise my way through it in the rough phase. It’s usually a lot more prose-ish though. It’s hard to have a script that’s set in stone have the flow of every day life for me.

MR: What are some of your favorite artists and writers working in comics and elsewhere?

JK: All the artists I mentioned as influences are probably some of my favorite authors as well. Frank King, Kevin Huizenga and Alex Robinson are also masters of story telling. Their stories make my “slice of life” attempts feel futile. As for novelists, I love Salinger, Vonnegut, Dave Eggers, Chip Kidd, Nick Hornby, Kerouac, and more. This would be tedious to list…

MR: Do you draw influence from anywhere outside the visual arts, e.g. music or, say, post-modern interpretive dance?

JK: Not from interpretive dance, or most things post-modern. Definitely from music. Most of Numb was inspired by Simon and Garfunkle. My graphic novel is based off of an idea that I formed while listening to a Death Cab for Cutie Song. But bands like At the Drive-In, Cursive, Bright Eyes, Fugazi, Death Cab for Cutie, Pixies, and the Beatles, just to name a FEW of them, tend to guide me along the way when I’m both writing and drawing.

MR: Speaking of your graphic novel, care to give us any dirt on that?

click to view

JK: Sure, it’s called Jacob’s Apartment so far, and is going to be published through NBM. The story is much longer, and is much more autobiographical (with a fictionalized spin). It’s basically two lovers who are polar opposites who can only be together when they are amid great changes in their lives. Sort of a modernized true-life Romeo and Juliet. Mixed into the plot, Jacob’s Apartment is basically about everything: Love, dreams, writing and art (once again), Loss of belief in God, bullying, escapism, death, and everything in between. It’s basically going to be 6"x9" and full color, probably 120 pages or so in length.

The process of working on it has been very set back due to life circumstances, and the various crashing of computers and external hard drives, but I’m still trucking out the pages. It’s just odd when you wind up with less pages done than you had finished a few months ago in the current month. Still, I think it’s going to be much more complex in both artwork and story than Numb.

click to view

MR: Are there any comics out now that you would like to recommend to the readers of ComicCritique.com?

JK: Well, Numb, of course! Just kiddin’. Current comics: Brownsville, Blankets, Curses, Tricked, The Acme Novelty Library (any of these), Optic Nerve, Too Much Coffee Man, Little Nemo in Slumberland, Black Hole, Same Difference, and on and on…

MR: Is there any advice you would like to impart on those looking to get their work published and in the hands of readers?

JK: Love it. If you don’t love comics, even though it’s dreadfully tedious to make them, give up. There’s more money in other industries, and if you don’t have the love for the medium that most of the artists within it have, then don’t pursue it. If you have the bug, and HAVE to make them, then study the medium, and then make something. The odd thing is that it’s really simple to submit work for the Xeric, as well as to publishers. They list a simple process on all of their sites. Follow it. When you’ve got something you feel is good, and people other than your immediate family and friends say it’s good, send it out. When editors give you feedback, listen to it, and adjust your work accordingly (within reason). If you get rejection letters, #@$% ’em. Don’t get discouraged, and constantly put your work out for critical feedback. Oh, and be patient. Not only with submitting, but with your work. Make sure you spend enough time to get each panel to a level which you like.

MR: Well, thank you Joshua for taking the time for these questions. I know I’ll be looking forward to Jacob’s Apartment and any other future work! But don’t turn blinders to certain influences out there. I hear many comics, like Sam Keith’s brilliant The Maxx was, in fact, influenced by post-modern interpretive dance… or was that post-mortem intravenous drugs? Oh well, I can never keep the two straight, and neither makes much sense anyway. We be out!

You can find out more about Joshua Kemble on his website.