Based out of the alternative publishing capital of Portland, Oregon, Sparkplug Books is regularly issuing some of the most exciting work being released in comics today. When he first launched the company, cartoonist Dylan Williams was seeking to expose unsigned talent, while keeping check to make sure that the publishing house largely adhered to his DIY roots.

To true to its mission statement, Sparkplug has occupied a happy medium between the world of self-published, photocopied zines and the kingpin indie publishers like Fantagraphics and Drawn & Quarterly.

In this final part of our interview with Williams we discuss the importance of being Portland, artist loyalty, and why the hell an indie comics publisher would be caught dead in the hall of the San Diego Comic Con.

[Part One] [Part Two]

How important is it that certain artists continue to put out their books with you?

For me, it’s not that important. I think that was one of the key tenets of my original five or 10 year plan. I wanted to encourage people to go to to bigger publishers. The problem is that, being such a small company, I’m not going to be able to support people to the degree that Fantagraphics or First Second can. So actually, it works out perfectly for me, because people are interested in their earlier work, so I sell a lot of those.

For example, Alvin Buenaventura has been publishing Injury Comics by Ted May. A long time ago, I published It Lives by Ted May, so that’s still selling. Alvin is also going to be publishing Eric Haven’s next book—he did Tales to Demolish, for me. Eric is someone I’ve been a fan of, since ’91, or something like that, so for me, it’s great that he’s going to get more press and more and more distribution. And it helps me out, business-wise, because I can then sell out of the books that I did publish by him.

You officially launched the company in 2002?

Yeah.

How important was the timing in the success of the company?

Huh. I don’t really know. I never really took that into consideration. I think it’s really awesome that there are so many people interested in comics. It’s certainly better that it was, 10 years ago or six years ago. For me, it wasn’t a big consideration. I’ve always really believed in comics, so it doesn’t really matter to me how many people are interested. It’s more that I’m eventually going to interest everyone around me in comics, because I won’t shut up about them. That’s what’s happened. So many people are like that—we don’t shut up about comics—we’ve all encouraged all of these non-comics readers to read comics, which is pretty awesome.

What about geography. You’re obviously in something of a hub, right now.

I think for me, it wasn’t a hub when we moved here. I’m trying to think of my original inspirations for publishing. They weren’t geographical. They weren’t even in my region. I think, Greg Means at Tugboat was kind of an inspiration, but he had just started around kind of the same time. I think it was mostly that I happened to be a part of the growth of comics in Portland. I think we originally moved here because my fiancée wanted to go to an interior design school here. It wasn’t comics related. We were actually living in Olympia, Washington. I just always end up knowing comics people, no matter where I go.

In Portland, more than anywhere else—perhaps with the exception of San Francisco—there seems to be a very symbiotic relationship between the zine and mini-comics worlds.

It’s a lot of the same people, and San Francisco is the same way now. There really isn’t that much of a difference, it’s just that mini-comics have more drawings, but it’s a lot of the same personal stories and a little more individual viewpoints than the bigger ones. But for me, the Portland Zine Symposium has just been endlessly inspiring. It’s always been one of my favorite shows to do.

After having done a couple of classical comics conventions, the last couple of months, I’ve really been looking forward to the Portland and then San Francisco zine shows. It’s less about celebrity and making money, and more about what’s good and what people are doing and what’s a fun read. That’s something that I really like being a part of. And actually, they limited their table sizes at the Portland Zine Symposium, this year. I could easily fill up four or five tables at a show now, but I decided that I really wanted to do the show, so I’m playing by the rules and doing one table, because they really have a valid reason for that. They want as much variety as possible and as many individuals doing stuff as possible and I think that now that I’m distributing a lot of mini-comics and zines, it can kind of be overwhelming to have too much stuff on the table.

It’s a nice metaphor for your business plan—not having too much stuff on the table at any one time. We’re in the midst of convention season. You recently did Heroes Con and San Diego is steadily approaching. Do you ever feel like doing those larger shows might not be worth the effort?

[Laughs] It just depends on the show. I think it’s really the way the show promoters and everybody treats you. San Diego is just really fun to do, and I would probably go on my own—well, I don’t know about that [laughs]. I would probably go for one or two days, like Greg Means does. It’s good to be there. What I think is interesting about San Diego is that, because there’s so many people there, and because it’s so focused on Hollwood,and the bigger comics companies, that a lot of people go there, looking for the calm in the storm.

I’ve had a really good time and have usually done pretty well there. I think that, Global Hobo, which was a partner business for Sparkplug for a while, did well there before, so there’s a lot of interest in mini-comics and zines at that show, for some reason. At Heroes Con, there wasn’t as much interest, but it’s the same idea. There were so many dealers and people walking around in costumes that there were a lot of indie kids that came over to the table and were amazed to find this stuff.

They were seeking refuge.

Yeah. It’s a completely different thing that what happens at a zine show. Tim Goodyear from Teenage Dinosaur and I are doing the San Francisco zine show and then we’re going to San Diego, so it’s going to be an interesting study in contrasts.

–Brian Heater

While it was the release of Jason Shiga’s Eisner-nominated Bookhunter that brought Sparkplug Books to the attention of cultural critics across the country, without an equally strong roster of subsequent releases, it would have been easy to write the Portland-based publisher’s single book success off as a fluke.

Much to his credit, however, founder Dylan Williams—himself a cartoonist—has continually demonstrated a keen eye for spotting some of the most exciting artists toiling away in the small press universe, a fact reflected by a recent string of intriguing new releases by artists like Chris Wright, Trevor Alixopolous, and Elijah Brubaker.

In this second of a three part interview, we discuss Williams’s editorial role in the creation of books, the importance of staying small, and answer that question that is no doubt weighing heavy on everyone’s mind: just what the hell is Jason Shiga up to, these days?

How important was this idea of a “house style” when you were putting together the roster of artists?

It’s weird, because when I started I first strated, I had these high-minded, self-righteous ideals about how I could help out these people who weren’t getting enough exposure, but after a couple of years, I realized that it’s actually more about my taste. I can’t help out everybody, and it really does have to do with my taste, but that’s sort of the goal for me. The thing I do that’s a little bit different is that my goal in publishing isn’t trying to make as much money as quickly as possible, it’s having a bunch of books by people who may not be as well known. The books are a little more eccentric, like Renee [French]’s Edison Steelhead is a little unusual for a comic.

Unlike everything else she does…

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And that’s the thing, I just want encourage people like her to do things like that, and she happens to be pretty well known, but some people who aren’t as well known, like Trevor Alixopolous’s new book is sort of an unconventional narrative. I read a lot of literature, so for me, that actually is just like a lot of other narratives, but it just happens to be that, as a comic, it’s very unconventional. I think I want to aim for that kind of thing.

So you’re playing some kind of an editorial role, before the book’s even conceived?

Yeah—well, with Trevor, I basically want to encourage him to do anything, because I think he’s really talented. It just depends on the people. Different artists need different kinds of support. Some artists don’t need any support at all. They’re just going to do it on their own. I treat each person differently. Each book is a different process. Jason Shiga comes to me with fully-formed ideas and says, “this is what I want to do,” and I say, “that’s great!” Other people say, “I don’t quite know what to do. What do you think of this?”

Renee’s book is a bit of a spinoff from another work [The Ticking]. Did you play any role in that one, early on?

Yeah. Early on, I guess the role I played was that she had been doing these pieces a while and had them in gallery shows—we’re friends, and I said, “these pieces are great. You should put them in a book.” And she said, “well, why don’t you do the book?” [laughs]. So I guess we were both involved in that. And then she just ran from there, and it was all her idea, the way it ties into The Ticking.

Does investing this time in the business side of things take away from your more creative pursuits?

Not really. No more than anything I’ve done in my life. I think, for me, I draw the same amount, no matter what. For the past year, I was actually a co-owner of a gallery in Oregon. I think part of the reason I got out of there is that I already have my own business. But I sort of think of it altogether. My business is pretty fun, so it doesn’t feel like a day job, in the traditional sense—but it is. It’s very time consuming, but it’s fun.

At what point did it actually become a day job?

About two years ago, and it’s always in danger of going back and not being a full-time job. But about two years ago, I quit working at the engineering company I was working at, and decided to just do that. The momentum kept me going.

There’s that classic battle between wanting to keep your business afloat and not wanting things to get out of hand. Does it feel like something of a self-defeating business practice to not want your company to become too big?

It’s interesting, because I’m actually really into small business theory and hippie economics, so it actually makes more sense for me to keep it small, as far as my values. It’s pretty much a given that it’s going to stay small for as long as I can keep it that way. I think, even right now there are a lot of books that are getting attention and it’s going really well, but it feels like I’ve been able to keep it focused and small and work with people who are interested in the same things. Shannon [O’Leary] and Austin [English] both share a lot of values with me, so it’s pretty easy to do that. Neither of them want to turn it into the next Marvel [laughs].

Do you ever have a negative reaction to press? Does it feel like you need to reign it in sometimes?

I’m actually always really flattered and amazed by it. With Book Hunter—which has probably been our most successful book—that’s just a testament to Jason Shiga’s awesomeness. I think it’s kind of amazing to see that happen, because I’ve known Jason since high school, and it was always really neat to see him get more and more attention, and people becoming more and more adjusted to his unique vision. It was neat to see that go from Fleep, which was a stabled mini-comic to being nominated for the Eisner award. And for me it’s really fun to be a part of it in some way, because we’re friends. I feel really proud of it. Actually, I get sad when the books don’t get enough attention.

Is Jason putting out another book with you?

We’re in discussions. His people are talking to my people, but he is working on a science fiction epic at the moment. He’s got a romance that will probably come out before that.

[Concluded in Part Three]

–Brian Heater

Bookhunter (Sparkplug Comics), Jason Shiga.

This book is pretty amazing, for a range of reasons (the cover is one of them). It seems like I say this for every second thing I read, but I wasn’t totally sold on Shiga’s art style – and I do remember reading Fleep a while back, so I knew what to expect. The whole geometric cartoonish -ness is a hard sell on me, but every other element of this book is so well crafted that you start to wonder how it would work if the art was any different. The thing I liked most about the art was the expression the main character, Agent Bay, wore through most of the book: this surly, unimpressed kind of squinting hard-ass glare, I loved it. I like to imagine that I look like that.

Bookhunter is the somewhat dramatised account of a 70’s library investigation into the theft and counterfeit of a valuable antique book. I know it sounds exciting, but really, it is. It’s like an 80’s action film, in book form.. about a book stolen from.. a library.. I’m astonished at how Jason Shiga manages to make this story so thrilling. But the characters are all so deadpan serious about everything, it’s hard not to get immersed in their world. If you’re at all interested in the making of books, and who isn’t, then you’re in for a ride.

As with Fleep, you can read Bookhunter online but Sparkplug have done a great job on the print copy (and Dylan is a real nice guy).

Ce billet est précédemment  paru en avril 2008 sur mon biblioblog professionnel : La mémoire de silence. Je rassemble mes billets sur la bande dessinée dorénavant sur Narration graphique.

En publiant le travail de Zeina Abirached, les récentes éditions Cambourakis nous ont habitué à la qualité. Elles renouvèlent cette habitude en publiant un livre disjoncté, signé Jason Shiga : Bookhunter. Littéralement, chasseur de livres…

Ce Jason Shiga, né en 1976, a travaillé un jour à la bibliothèque publique d’Oakland en Californie. Il en a tiré un polar haletant avec poursuites… c’est américain… avez-vous déjà vu un film américain sans poursuites ?… bon, si cela existe… donc… poursuites à bord du bibliobus ou avec un chariot de livres, étagères coulissantes permettant de coincer les voleurs… délirant mais précis sur nos métiers…

Bibliothécaires de Bibliothèques Départementales, ce livre est pour vous ! Pour les autres types de bibliothèques aussi…

L’histoire ? Dans la bibliothèque d’Oakland, les exemplaires existants de l’ouvrage Le lobby chinois en Amérique ont été volés. (En plus, c’est d’actualité !) Pour tenter de repérer le voleur, la police des bibliothèques, menée par l’agent Bay, a fait imprimer deux autres copies avec une encre radioactive. Par chance, cette précaution a permis, comme c’était souhaité, de localiser le voleur… Dans ce monde où chaque livre est reconnu comme étant un petit trésor, les « délinquants du livre » sont de plus en plus nombreux. Et déterminés. Mais la police des bibliothèques a été créée pour faire face à la menace qu’ils représentent et dotée de gros moyens.

Une uchronie ce livre ? Vous, vous faites comment pour récupérer vos livres que ces lecteurs chenapans ne vous ramènent pas ? Une banale lettre de rappel… Une amende… Pouah ! Jason Shiga propose sa solution… Drôlement efficace…

Bonne lecture,

Pensez à regarder les autres bouquins édités par les éditions Cambourakis… c’est frais, c’est nouveau… ça demande que l’on regarde de plus près…

SHIGA SHUPER !

Silence

Mise à jour du 3 décembre 2008 :

Fleep est la nouvelle bande dessinée de Jason Shiga publiée aux éditions Cambourakis

“Un personnage se réveille d’un évanouissement, bloqué dans une cabine téléphonique inexplicablement entourée de béton. Armé de sa seule intelligence – il est visiblement très doué en mathématiques – ainsi que des quelques objets plus ou moins mystérieux présents dans la cabine, il tente d’élaborer un plan pour se sortir de là. Mais tout d’abord, où se trouve-t-il donc ? Quelle étrange langue ses interlocuteurs parlent-ils ? Une fois encore Jason Shiga s’en donne à cœur joie, enchaînant déductions et calculs les plus fous, mariant humour et logique jusqu’à la surprenante conclusion de ce huis-clos . Un retournement de situation inattendu, qui imprime une forme de gravité à cet astucieux exercice de style.”

Fleep a reçu en 2004 l’Ignatz Award du meilleur scénario, a été nominé aux Eisner Awards en 2004 dans la catégorie meilleur album one-shot et a valu à son auteur d’être désigné comme talent le plus prometteur.

En publiant le travail de Zeina Abirached, les récentes éditions Cambourakis nous ont habitué à la qualité. Elles renouvèlent cette habitude en publiant un livre disjoncté, signé Jason Shiga : Bookhunter. Littéralement, chasseur de livres…

Ce Jason Shiga, né en 1976, a travaillé un jour à la bibliothèque publique d’Oakland en Californie. Il en a tiré un polar haletant avec poursuites… c’est américain… avez-vous déjà vu un film américain sans poursuites ?… bon, si cela existe… donc… poursuites à bord du bibliobus ou avec un chariot de livres, étagères coulissantes permettant de coincer les voleurs… délirant mais précis sur nos métiers…

Bibliothécaires de Bibliothèques Départementales, ce livre est pour vous ! Pour les autres types de bibliothèques aussi…

L’histoire ? Dans la bibliothèque d’Oakland, les exemplaires existants de l’ouvrage Le lobby chinois en Amérique ont été volés. (En plus, c’est d’actualité !) Pour tenter de repérer le voleur, la police des bibliothèques, menée par l’agent Bay, a fait imprimer deux autres copies avec une encre radioactive. Par chance, cette précaution a permis, comme c’était souhaité, de localiser le voleur… Dans ce monde où chaque livre est reconnu comme étant un petit trésor, les « délinquants du livre » sont de plus en plus nombreux. Et déterminés. Mais la police des bibliothèques a été créée pour faire face à la menace qu’ils représentent et dotée de gros moyens.

Une uchronie ce livre ? Vous, vous faites comment pour récupérer vos livres que ces lecteurs chenapans ne vous ramènent pas ? Une banale lettre de rappel… Une amende… Pouah ! Jason Shiga propose sa solution… Drôlement efficace…

Bonne lecture,

Pensez à regarder les autres bouquins édités par les éditions Cambourakis… c’est frais, c’est nouveau… ça demande que l’on regarde de plus près…

SHIGA SHUPER !

Silence

El còmic és un gènere al qual m’he acostat poc i a poc a poc. A part d’alguns que han esdevingut clàssics (com Blankets o Maus) o d’altres recomanats per amics (com la delirant i deliciosa sèrie de Bone), poques vegades vaig a buscar motu proprio un còmic per llegir. Però hom té certes debilitats, ja conegudes, i els lilbres en són una d’elles: per tant, era inevitable que davant d’una il·lustració com la que acompanya aquest text i un títol tan suggeridor, no acabés firant el llibre.

Som a l’any 1973. Algú ha robat un valuós llibre antic que estava exposat a la biblioteca pública d’Oakland i l’agent Bay, de la library police (els bookhunters), ha de trobar el llibre i el lladre abans que aquest vengui el botí. La investigació que porten a terme l’agent Bay i el seu equip és una barreja entre investigació de CSI i investigació de Mentes criminales —presentació del perfil del criminal inclosa—, amb experts en cadascuna de les àrees policials adients per a la investigació… i amb l’ajut inestimable dels mateixos bibliotecaris, com el cap de catalogació i la responsable de la base de dades de registres d’usuari.

Bookhunter comença amb una contundent actuació de la library police contra un delinqüent a manera de presentació dels personatges, i després passa a la història del robatori a la biblioteca. L’estructura és la que podríem trobar a les sèries esmentades: arribada a l’escenari del crim, anàlisi del lloc i recollida de proves, establiment del modus operandi i del perfil del lladre, un parell de persecucions i resolució del cas. El curiós és que en aquest cas el context és una biblioteca i, per tant, gran part del llenguatge emprat és el llenguatge que habitualment utilitzen els bibliotecaris. Fins i tot les persecucions s’adapten al context: els calaixets del fitxers manuals serveixen per entorpir el pas dels perseguidors, els compactes per intentar atura el fugitiu i els carros de guardar llibres substitueixen les vertiginoses persecucions automobilístiques a què ens té acostumats el cinema. El color, a més, li dóna un aire retro de pel·lícula de detectius «de les d’abans» i ajuda a situar-nos en una altra època.

Aquí us ho deixo. Recomanable sobretot per qualsevol frikitecari o amant de les biblioteques amb ganes de veure que les biblioteques no són sempre el lloc tranquil, plàcid i silenciós que la imatgeria popular ha consagrat.

Jason Shiga. Bookhunter. [Portland]: Sparkplugcomicbooks, 2007. [174] p. ISBN 978-0-9742715-6-9.

Technorati Tags: lectures — còmic — Jason Shiga — Bookhunter