some comments I've made on the Comics Journal Message Board

In regards to the Comics Journal message board thread on female cartoonists, which became absurd in a hurry, I was inspired by this post:

This thread has really opened some eyes. We now understand that a proper list of the 15 greatest cartoonists of all time must include Shary Flenniken, Renee French, Dori Seda, Debbie Drechsler, Julie Doucet, Lynda Barry, Phoebe Gloeckner, Hilda Terry, Ramona Fradon, Marie Severin, Lee Marrs, Melinda Gebbie, Carel Moiseiwitsch, Mary Fleener, Carol Tyler, Marjane Satrapi, Kyoko Okazaki, Hanako Yamada, Moto Hagio, Carol Lay, Trina Robbins, Molly Kiely, Emily Kaplan, Gretchen Hasse, Janet Harvey, Claire Bretécher, Angi Shearstone, Penny Van Horn aka Penny Moran, Jessica Abel, Alison Bechdel, Gabrielle Bell, Vanessa Davis, Aline Kominsky, Diane Noomin, Ariel Schrag, Wendy Pini, Roberta Gregory, Elinore Norflus, Posy Simmonds, Lorna Miller, Roz Chaste, Benita Epstein, Kim Warp, Barbera Smaller, Elizabeth Murray, Jill Thompson, Linda Medley, Rumiko Takahashi, Genevieve Castree, Anke Feuchtenberger, Amanda Conner, Donna Barr, Liza Donnelly, Tarpe Mills, Erica Sakurazawa, Ariyoshi Kyoko, Ai Yazawa, Dale Messick, Nell Brinkley, Ellen Forney, Leah Moore, Lark Pien, Becky Cloonan, Danielle Corsetto, Jackie Ormes, Ann Nocenti, Carla Speed McNeill, Linda Medley, Lily Renee, Lynn Johnston, MK Brown, and of course, Rosa Parks.

I would add these names to the Canon of Fifteen: vagina-owning Cathy Guisewite, the incomparably female Barbara Brandon, Rosie O'Donnell (I believe she contributed a sketch once to a celebrity doodle auction), and Jeff Jones (after he got good).

to enter this post:

Don't worry... eventually we'll name every female cartoonist in existence. (Say... where's Jennifer Daydreamer?)

My guess is that the number of "great" female cartoonists is proportional to the number of "great" male cartoonists. The number of "good" female cartoonists is proportional to the number of "good" male cartoonists. The number of weak female cartoonists is proportional to the number of weak male cartoonists. The state of flux between the categories exists in perpetuity.

And while I suppose there are some good thoughts that come out accidentally through this thread, I can safely end it there and move on.

Other Comics Journal message boards comments: I posted the link to an interview with Bill Watterson's Mom... er?

I keep seeing referecnes to how "elusive" Bill Watterson is, as if he has shrouded his art into a cloak of mystery with which he will never discuss any matter whatsoever. I have the copy of The Comics Journal with the Bill Watterson interview from 1988, and honestly aside from maybe a few thoughts on ending the comic strip, most of what I wonder about Bill Watterson's thought processes and background and takes on things is right there.

Other than that... Milt Gross's "He Done Her Wrong" will be published by Fantagraphics shortly. I chimed in with a mildly approval note on Ted Rall's Mad work. And I wavered when I had the chance to point to Frank Doyle as a key creator in the early Josie stories in a thread about "auteurs" that mentioned Dan Decarlo's Josie comic book.