Daniel Clowes on ComingSoon.net

Daniel Clowes is making the rounds lately promoting the new movie Art School Confidential based on one of his short stories. While out promoting he sat down with Comingsoon.net/SuperHeroHype and jawed with them a little about the film, working with Terry Zwigoff, and what makes his characters so appealing.

CS/SHH: Why do you think the strange characters you create are so appealing to certain people?

Clowes: I see certain characters absolutely click with a fairly big audience, and other ones they cross some line. I think that's what I'm always trying to do, kind of approach this line of like "where does my thing end and the public thing's begin?" Where is there a crossover where the public will understand what I'm trying to do, and where is that crossover to the point where only 5 people understand it? I've done comics that certainly cross the line where everybody goes, "Yeah, what was that all about?"

CS/SHH: So, you're not trying to cross the line?

Clowes: No, I just kinda want to see where it is. I'm looking for the edge. Because crossing the line, you end up doing triangle paintings like Professor Sandiford, where nobody's interested.