Crimes Against Art
Neil Swaab is an illustrator, fine artist, writer, professor at Parsons School of Design, and the creator of the disturbingly humorous comic strip Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles. Mr. Wiggles is the tale of a depraved bear and his socially challenge roommate (who is loosely based on Neil himself). Mr. Wiggles can be read in several publications of ill repute across the country including The NY Press, Terminal City, New Times Broward-Palm Beach, and Real Detroit Weekly. Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles Vol. 1 collects the first 140 strips and is currently available for purchase. You can read the entire collection of Mr. Wiggles comics online at www.neilswaab.com, as well as check some of his other comics, illustrations, and writing. Neil currently resides in Astoria, NY.
CAA: First off, how does it feel to be a superstar in the comic strip industry?
NS: I really wouldn't know. Am I one? I don't really feel like one. Wouldn't a superstar have tons of money and an endless line of bitches and ho's camping out at his doorstep?
CAA: Do you get a lot of hate mail?
NS: Not really. It's all about the love here at neilswaab.com.
CAA: What were people’s first reactions to the Mr. Wiggles comic when you started publishing it in the student paper at Syracuse University?
NS: Riots. Endless riots. You might have seen it on the news at the time. They called it the Wiggles Riots of '99. 20 dead. 247 injured. 3 conceived. And 1 career born (the career was mine, duh).
CAA: Your comic was published in the Czech republic for a period of time, how did that come about, and what kind of a reaction did it get?
NS: The editor used to work at the NY Press and moved to Prague and ended up editing a paper out there. So he e-mailed me and asked if I wanted to do it. I said "of course!" I think it was received well. I never really heard.
CAA: I really love the non-Mr. Wiggles comics. I particularly loved “Toy Gun” and “I Got Pregnant off a Pity Fuck and Now My Baby Looks Like Jerry Springer?” Do you have more work like this planned for the future?
NS: Yes! I've been thinking a lot about the next self-published book I want to do and have a pretty good idea. I have no clue when I'll do it, but would like to be able to start working on it within a year.
CAA: Has the success of Mr. Wiggles allowed you more freedom in the illustration projects that you take on?
NS: Not really. Wiggles doesn't really bring in that much money. I actually make a lot more off of the illustration work than I do the comics. I pretty much do any illustration offered to me if it pays enough and the deadline's not too bad.
CAA: You self published the collection “Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles: Vol. 1”. Was this out of necessity or your own personal preference?
NS: Necessity and curiosity. I never self-published before and really wanted to try it, so when it got rejected by all the publishers I sent it to, I decided it would be a great opportunity to learn on.
CAA: What is your impression of the underground comics industry in general?
NS: Like everything else: there's a lot of crap and some really great stuff that shines above it. You've really got a full spectrum there.
CAA: The comic book scene has a tendency to create a sort of fanatical obsession from fan-boy types, where people want to know about the most obscure details of your creations. Have you seen any of that type of attention?
NS: Not really. I've only had fairly "normal" interactions with my fans. Although they're always welcome to turn all Single White Female on me, and start stalking me, and trying to imitate me. That'd be cool.
CAA: I saw that you are teaching at Parsons starting this fall. What are you teaching?
NS: I'm teaching a Senior level class called Digital Presentation in the Fall and one called Digital Portfolio in the Spring.
CAA: I assume classes have just recently started, how is it going so far?
NS: My first class was on Wednesday and they seem like a good group of students. I'm really excited about it and hope that they like the class and that I do well teaching it. I really want to do a good job.
CAA: Do you plan on passing on any of Mr. Wiggles philosophies to your students?
NS: Sadly, no. I'm trying not to influence the students too much with my own work and philosophies and let them explore their own with my guidance.
CAA: I read that you are an indie rock fan. Our site is dedicated to art and music. Have you heard anything recently that you would recommend?
NS: My girlfriend just made me a mix CD with some excellent stuff: Bic Runga, The Magnetic Fields, Guv'ner, Blonde Redhead and a bunch of others. I'm going to see Hayden tomorrow in concert and I'm psyched about that. He's awesome.
CAA: What’s the stupidest most irritating thing that people are always asking you about Mr. Wiggles, or have I already asked it?
NS: I hate when they talk about him like he's an actual person. Like if I go somewhere and someone asks, "So, what's Mr. Wiggles doing tonight?" or something like that. It's not horrible or anything, but it makes me wince, and people do it a lot. And all that wincing hurts your head.
CAA: Anything else you would like to mention, promote, etc.?
NS: Buy my book! Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles: Vol. 1 at neilswaab.com. Also, be on the lookout for the next volume, which is being published by NBM in Spring '05.
CAA: Thanks so much for taking the time to do this. I really appreciate it.
NS: You're welcome.