(interview conducted by threeeyeswurm!)
Threeeyeswurm: Hey!
Hyena: Yay, it works! I feel like I'm living in the 21st century, or something.
Threeeyeswurm: Haha, yea so you ready?
Hyena: Yeah, let's do this thing!
Threeeyeswurm: Sweet. One second, I wrote out a list of stuff. I felt like a stalker for the past few days because you actually wrote a lot about yourself all over DD.
Hyena: Heh. Yeah, I'm pathologically verbose.
Threeeyeswurm: Although you’ve told us quite a bit of yourself throughout your commentaries, you’ve never mentioned what you do for a living is or how old you are, what you are up to these days… you know normal descriptions for a person. Would you let us know some of this type of… mundane information about you?
Hyena: Well, I'm 27 years old. I've got a BFA in printmaking from Tulane University in New Orleans. I'm currently (and disgruntledly) living in North Carolina. My job description falls somewhere in the spaces between “educator”, “con-artist”, and “dancing bear”- I kind of live hand-to-mouth as far as getting work goes. As Jello Biafra says, “I'm too damn weird to hold no straight job”. Right now I've got an upcoming gig teaching a couple printmaking classes at an art center a couple towns over. I collect hats and religious memorabilia. I live with my partner of 7 years; he's a sculptor. We have 2 Chihuahuas that pretty much run our lives for us.
Threeeyeswurm: Oh, wow, dancing bear… I would totally pay to see that.
Hyena: I'm very jingly. You can hear me coming from miles away.
Threeeyeswurm: That…. is so difficult to imagine, perhaps you need to provide visual aid for this part of the interview.
Hyena: I shall send you a picture of me with all my… adornments. I seriously wear more… accessories than a normal person should.
Threeeyeswurm: That would be AMAZING. Can't wait.
So, what else do you have planned as a printmaker artist? Are there any other projects we should know about?
Hyena: I've got a couple lithographs I've been working on for way too long. Hopefully I'll get those finished up soon! I've also got a huge, multi-block, reduction lino-cut that I'm doing. The problem with printmaking for me right now is that paper is expensive. One of the reasons I finally started “The Hub” was because I couldn't afford to do much besides draw.
Threeeyeswurm: What plans do you have for the Hub? Is it more for fun or is there a bigger plan for it?
Hyena: I've wanted to make comics professionally for about 15 years now. Comics actually inspired me to get into printmaking- I love the idea of mass-produced “art” that's easily accessible to regular folk. Don't get me wrong- I love making prints, and always will. But even those are very cartoony and narrative; and drawing/storytelling will always be my first love. As far as “The Hub”, I want to eventually publish (I make zine-style, xerox copies of “The Hub” now, but that doesn't count). But I think it's a bit too early in the comic's life to think about that. Right now I just want to make the best work I can, and see where it takes me.
Threeeyeswurm: Then what exactly is your relationship with comics? What made you want to do it professionally?
Hyena: Relationship? Hoo, boy. I'll give a brief history of my torrid love affair with comics: I started making them before I could read - my babysitter would write down the words for me. I also had a foul mouth back then, too. She'd get mad and refuse to write words like “poop” and “pee”. Then my Dad got me into “The Far Side” probably well before it was appropriate- 1st or 2nd grade. He'd sit down with me every day and explain the jokes if I didn't get them. I was into Marvel stuff later, but the early 90's cross-over madness turned me off for a couple years. Then I discovered Sandman, and realised there were comic books out there that weren't the traditional “superhero” stuff that I'd ceased to relate to.
I have no idea why I started wanting to make comics professionally. I suppose it's ‘cause I can’t think of anything else I'd want to do more.
Threeeyeswurm: That's the best answer I can think of as well.
What/who are the major influences and inspirations for you in terms of art and in terms of story?
Hyena: As far as art goes- Crumb, Coop, Jim Mahfood… I could go into printmakers/fine art but I'll leave it with comics/illustrators. Probably more than anyone else, the late Drew Hayes of “Poison Elves” fame. Not just in terms of style (cross-hatching, anyone?) but as an inspiration to keep making the comics (and art) that I want to make, the way I want to make them, and the hell with what anyone else says. As far as comic writers, I'd have to say Warren Ellis. I'm probably more influenced by guys like Vonnegut, Heller, Hunter S. Thompson- the way they throw in these impertinent and absurd details that really help flesh out a character or give a certain mood to a story.
Threeeyeswurm: Interesting… I haven't heard of a lot of those people so I will definitely check them out. Now I am going to go more into the Hub itself.
To me, your commentaries read as if they were part of the comic because they help to contextualize the comic within your experience and our world. It is as if to show that the alternative reality you created is simply part of our reality. Was it your intention to have the commentaries to be read this way or was it coincidental?
Hyena: I do see the commentaries as an extension of the comic, in a way. You might notice the way I write in the author's notes is a bit different than the way I'm speaking here. It's my persona that exists in relation to the comic's world. I have a lot of crazy, post-modern ideas about performative identity. I think that how one speaks, or acts, or writes, or relates to their surroundings can be a form of art in and of itself. Switching these things up to relate to different contexts, or to suit different purposes, or just to mess with people's heads is something I enjoy playing with. Maybe that's just means I'm a sociopath, though.
As far as the bit about reality: I guess I have this idea that everyone has stories and alternate realities and other selves within them; and I believe that these “realities” influence a person's personality or identity as much as our “real life” experiences.
Wait, did that last part answer the question? Or relate tot he question in any way?
Threeeyeswurm: oh absolutely. Now, have you thought of an ending for the Hub yet?
Hyena: Yes. There's a definite ending. I constructed “The Hub” to be more episodic than epic; it's comprised of a lot of short story-arcs that run at most for 2 chapters. Mostly the “episodes” are pretty self-contained; but there are some kind of subtle ongoing stories that'll help build towards the end. I started thinking about “The Hub” about 7 years ago, so I've had time to create kind of a stockpile of these “episodes”. I figure I'll include as many of those as I can before I feel like it's ready to end.
Threeeyeswurm: The reason I asked is because you've said that your experience with Katrina is a huge influence (at least subconsciously) on the Hub and that Victor's story is very much parallel to your own… So I always wondered how that would affect the ending of the story… Is your experience with Katrina directly relevant to the ending? Have you found some closure or… conclusion with Katrina?
Hyena: I'll start with a kind of unrelated note: the New Orleans that Victor came from exists in an alternate reality itself- one where Katrina didn't happen. I chose not to include anything about the hurricane in the story, because I thought it would create way too much baggage, both for me and for him.
Anyhow, as far as me and Katrina- I guess the best way to put it is that I feel like Katrina is still happening to me. I've yet to get completely back to being in control of my life. Maybe some of that's my fault, or the fact that I can't get past it. Maybe a lot of what I'm saying is better suited for my shrink. Heh.
As of now, I know what's going to happen to Vic; that may or may not change, and that change may or may not be related to what happens to me. I'm not saying any more because I don't want to hint at the ending.
Threeeyeswurm: Currently, the Hub is quite humorous and light-hearted, yet in the past you have said you want to deal with how people deal with being displaced and losing their identity. What direction do you have planned for it? Will it continue to stay this way or will you take the characters down a more serious and darker path?
Hyena: I really want to try and avoid making the overall tone of the story serious, at any point in time. Like, ever. I'm challenging myself as a writer to be able to create a subtext beneath the humor that will address these kinds of things. I guess I think of it as mirroring “bar culture”- on the surface, you're joking and taking the piss out of one another, and no one takes anything too seriously. But if you take a second to think about it- you're spending all your time in a bar, man. You've got serious issues, and your life is pretty messed up. Sure, there's darkness to most of the characters. They're all pretty messed up.
But for the comic to take a “serious” path, they would have to have enough maturity and self-awareness to admit that they're messed up. I doubt that will happen.
Threeeyeswurm: Were you, at any point in your life, indeed the couch surfer you were referring to in your commentary?
Hyena: Ha. I just got back from a week's worth of couch-surfing and living out of my car. Mostly I take advantage of people's kind offers to let me stay with them when I'm traveling; I've spent a good amount of time overstaying my welcome all over the country! But for most of that time I did have a proper home to return to; I'm not a gutterpunk- I just look like one.
Threeeyeswurm: Whoa that's pretty amazing. I admire people who can travel like that
If you ever make it to Vancouver, let me know.
Hyena: Ha. It gets more extreme than that- I've no problem sleeping on streets or in train stations, etc. It's all one big adventure, right? I might end up on your couch for two weeks!
Threeeyeswurm: Haha! That would be awesome.
Now, you’ve posted a picture of yourself on DD, showing only half of your face. I feel obligated to your fans to ask this question, since I have this one chance. Are you as cute and attractive as that half of your face appears to be?
Hyena: I am old, ugly, and mean! My visage inspires disgust and fear! Children flee my presence! Any insinuations otherwise are pure slander!
Threeeyeswurm: Hahaha, I will confirm it when you send me the pictures!
Hyena: Haha!
Threeeyeswurm: Well, that's it for the interview! It's been fun and very, very insightful.
Hyena: Yay! That was a lot of fun! So I will send you the “laden with jewelry” pic, a couple print pictures, too.
Threeeyeswurm: I just hope the young'uns will appreciate the interview too.
Hyena: Ha. In my interview with Drasnus, he was way more articulate and thoughtful than I was. And the dude's 15.
Threeeyeswurm: whoa.
Hyena: Anyway, thanks so much for the great interview! Hopefully you can clean up my typos and hide my shame! I have to go smoke a cigarette stat, though. It's been 2 hours. That might be a record.
Threeeyeswurm: Oh man I should mention you smoke in the interview so that everyone will rag on you for it (EVERYONE RAG ON HER FOR IT!). Everyone will be like you can't die before you finish The Hub! Stop smoking!
Hyena: Ha! Do so. Tell them I smoke 2 packs a day, and will never quit. Ever. Until I am dead.
Threeeyeswurm: I will send you prank fan mails threatening you that I will kill you so that cigarettes won't… Okay that might be too much.
Hyena: Haha! On that note… I'm off to hasten that inevitable death of mine!
Here is a picture of the Hyena with her smooth-smokin'-bay-ah-d self.
Yes fans, I have answered your question. She is indeed beautiful.
Here are some of her amazing and beautiful work.
Title: “Goblins Done Stoled My Head!”
Going for sale around $120.
An unfinished piece (Rag on her to finish it!!)
