MOTHER JONES BY E-MAIL

«--Previous Post | Blog Index | Next Post--»

Interview: "Garfield Minus Garfield" Creator Dan Walsh

mojo-photo-gmgstrip.jpgAs we entered the second half of 2008, I thought I'd take a look at Riff page view statistics for the year, just to see what online Mother Jones readers have been clicking on around this fun little blog. And what, dear Riffers, do you think was the number one post of the first six months of 2008? A post mocking George W.'s misinterpretation of a painting? A cynical look at coverage of the Iowa primaries? Abstinence pants? No, no and no. Our most-viewed post was my meditation on the subtext of late-capitalist anxiety in the comic "remix" Garfield Minus Garfield. Riff readers are stoned!

It turns out I was onto something: in the months since the piece's appearance on the Riff, "G-G" has been covered in The New York Times, Time Magazine, and The Washington Post; the latter tracked down original Garfield creator Jim Davis, who called the work "an inspired thing to do." So, who's behind this now-phenomenally-popular bit of inspired photoshoppery? Meet 32-year-old Irishman Dan Walsh, who turns out to be a really nice guy. He answered a few questions via e-mail about the strip.

So, was I onto something with my whole theory that Garfield Minus Garfield is about identification with the "product" in a fractured late capitalist society, or was I full of crap?

Yeah I think you were on to something. It's Jon's inability to "fit in." It's about being a sad, bored, lonely nerd on a Saturday night. I can't imagine why it became so successful on the internet ;-)

Part of G-G's appeal is its "bootleg" nature, but interestingly, most mashups are about addition rather than subtraction. Do you identify with "remix culture" or art pranksters like Banksy, or is this just a laugh?

I would say I do identify with the remix culture. I think all artists bootleg to a point (not that I'm claiming to be an artist!). But everything is derivative: music, art, literature. Anyone who says they're influenced by no-one is lying.

A commenter on my original post compared G-G to removing everyone but Kramer from an episode of Seinfeld, an idea which I thought was spectacular. Do you have any other ideas for subtraction art we should watch out for?

I've been wracking my brains for another subtraction premise since G-G took off and I've found nothing I've been happy with. There's a particular dynamic between Jon and Garfield that lends itself to the "minus" approach perfectly. Having said that I'd love to see that Seinfeld premise in action.

Why the heck was my post about you so popular?

G-G was insanely popular for a while. I mean crazy popular. My stats company dropped the site because it was screwing up their server and they couldn't keep up with the traffic. Since then it's calmed down. But I guess your review appeared on the radar at just the right time.

---
Check out the Garfield Minus Garfield archive here. Walsh also dropped a hint about a "development" of some sort regarding the strip to be announced soon, so stay tuned! What could it be? Will the Garfield balloon in the Macy's Parade be replaced by, er, the absence of a balloon?






Comments

 

RECENT COMMENTS

First "Best of 2008" Album List Very Wrong, Very White (1)
dusty wrote: Take a good listen to "Elephant Revival" from Colorado. Th... [more]

These Men Are From Hell, not Mars (1)
earledj wrote: Kay Hymowitz appeared...understanding..of the men she wrot... [more]

Your Friday "Awwwww" (1)
Busty Dilettante wrote: Thanks for the smile, DD. And ditto on the bubbe envy.;-)... [more]

The Christmas Wars MMVIII: Attack of the Atheists (12)
Lightning Joe wrote: I say "Merry Christmas" too -- but I don't believe in Gawd... [more]

Paul McCartney Announces Unreleased Beatles Track (1)
Moskowitz wrote: Release every musical doodle. That's my vote. Apparently, ... [more]

Never-Nudes Rejoice: Arrested Development Movie In the Works? (2)
TimJ wrote: If they need financing, there's always money in the banana... [more]

TV on the Radio and Portishead Battle It Out for Album of the Year (1)
jesse wrote: Are you kidding? Granted, I haven't heard Dear Science. Bu... [more]

Melissa Etheridge Says "You Can Forget My Taxes" (1)
Derik wrote: As a former Californian and heterosexual I would be honore... [more]

Bush Appoints Lee Greenwood to National Arts Council (1)
smitisan wrote: And you were worried about SCOTUS. Is impeachment still of... [more]

The Hidden Cameras' Anti-Marriage Sentiments Way Ahead of Their Time (4)
hjpowell wrote: CHICAGO - Coretta Scott King, speaking four days before th... [more]

XML RSS Feed

Powered by
Movable Type 3.33

Jail.org - Inmate Search
Criminal records, instant public records & people search & current court records. www.jail.org

U.S. Public Records Search
Search County & State Court Records, Criminal records, Vital and Adoption Records www.PublicRecordsInfo.com

Records.com - People Search
Public Records and Background Checks. Instantly Search Criminal Records, Addresses and Court Records www.Records.com

Court Records & County Records
Find Instant Public Records, Criminal Records as Well as County Property Records Search. www.PublicRecordsIndex.com

Real Viagra, Cialis Levitra Deal
Dare to compare our competitive prices. Free overnight delivery to new patients in the US. No catch 22!

Bob's Red Mill Organic Flaxseed Meal
In addition to its great nutty flavor, our flaxseed meal is high in fiber and packed with essential Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

PEACEFUL HOLIDAY GIFTS
Items featuring the 1958 peace symbol shirts, buttons, hoodys, signs, stickers, pins...more.
union made • detroit peacebuttons.info

End the genocide in Darfur
Every day, Darfuris face rape, murder, and starvation. Be a Voice for Darfur: tell Obama to end the suffering.


















Chart of the Day - 11.22.2008

Citigroup's Collapse

Battery Woes 2....The Empire Strikes Back

Obama's Cabinet


More MoJo voices...



bookIN PRINT

CLICK HERE
for more great reading

headphones IN TUNE
New music every issue

CLICK TO LISTEN

Advertise Liberally

This article has been made possible by the Foundation for National Progress, the Investigative Fund of Mother Jones, and gifts from generous readers like you.

© 2008 The Foundation for National Progress

About Us   Support Us   Advertise   Ad Policy   Privacy Policy   Contact Us   Subscribe   RSS