Graphic Novelists - Day 29

Art Spiegelman is someone I've always wanted to photograph, so I was thrilled when he agreed to be a part of my new project. We had been shooting on Art's Soho roof deck for a little while when he grabbed a piece of chalk and began drawing on the side of a neighboring building. As soon as he was done and sat under it, I knew immediately it was THE shot.
I first read Art's Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel, Maus back when I was in college, in the early 90's, and since then my copy's been passed around to just about every member of my family. Also great are The Wild Party: The Lost Classic by Joseph Moncure March and In the Shadow of No Towers.

Christina Minasian

I recently did a shoot with Christina Minasian, creative director of the fashion line, Pensey. The line is NY-based and was started by Christina, a celebrity stylist and former buyer.

Graphic Novelists - Day 28

Yesterday, I shot Christine Norrie - my 30th subject for the project! After reading Christine's books Cheat and Breaking Up, it occurred to me that she's doing a modern-day take on romance comics. Inspired by her work, and by classic romance comic imagery, I set-up the photo seen below.
Christine gave me a preview of an upcoming project she's illustrating for DC Comics, and it looks really great.

Graphic Novelists - Day 27

It's easy to tell from reading Peter Kuper's latest book, Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz, that the Crysler Building is his favorite NYC structure. I met Peter in Grand Central Station this afternoon and we scouted the area until finding the angle seen in the photo below.
Aside from co-founding World War 3 Illustrated in 1980, and doing Spy Vs. Spy for Mad Magazine for the past 11 years, Peter has put out a number of great books, including; Speechless, The Metamorphosis and The System.

Graphic Novelists - Day 26

I arrived extremely sweaty at Dash Shaw's Bed Sty home on Sunday morning. At only 24, Dash is certainly the youngest creator in my book. Check out his beautifully designed 720 page graphic novel Bottomless Belly Button, and preview his next book, Body World online at his site.

Graphic Novelists - Day 25

I spent Friday morning at the Park Slope home of cartoonist Mike Dawson. His book, Freddie & Me, made my recent flight to San Diego almost seem to breeze by. Mike has crafted a comix memoir about his how his love of Freddie Mercury and Queen ties into the seminal moments of his life.
The concept for the photo below came easily.

Morgan Spurlock

My portrait of director Morgan Spurlock is in the current issue of YRB Magazine. The image below is the one that ran, rather than the one I posted a few weeks back.

Graphic Novelists - Day 24

After returning Monday night from five days in San Diego on a bachelor party trip, I woke up exhausted but excited the next morning, because I had a shoot scheduled with Paul Pope.
Paul had the very cool idea to do the shoot at the Slipper Room and have his girlfriend and subject, Harvest Moon performing in the background.
Check out Paul's wonderful coffee table book, Pulp Hope, and follow up your viewing of The Dark Knight with Batman: Year One Hundred. Also, Heavy Liquid is coming back into print this fall.




Thanks to Veronica for taking the behind-the-scenes photos. Great job!


I'd aso like to take this opportunity to officially welcome aboard Christoper Irving (right) to the project. Chris will be writing all the text for the book. His work has been published in Comic Book Artist Magazine, and in his books, The Blue Beetle: His Many Lives from 1939 to Today, and Comics Introspective: Peter Bagge.We've been talking for months, but we didn't meet until right before the Pope shoot. Chris lives in Virginia, but was in town to conduct a bunch of interviews for the book.

Jonathan Groff

Check out the current issue of Time Out New York to see my portrait of stage actor Jonathan Groff. Jonathan starred in Spring Awakening on Broadway, and was nominated for a Tony for it. He's about to open in Hair at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

The image on the left is the one used in the magazine. The right one is a piece I put together to play of his being in Hair, and inspired by 60's psychadelica and most specifically by Richard Avedon's portraits of the Beatles. It was originally supposed to run, until it was decided by the editors that the other better fit the layout.

Graphic Novelists - Day 23

After reading Alex Robinson's fantasitc new book, Too Cool to be Forgotten, I knew I had to photograph him in a high school classrooom. Read the book and you'll see what I mean. Also check out Alex's previous books, Box Office Poison and Tricked.
A point of interest - the classroom where Alex is sitting is the very same where I slept through Bio in the 10th grade.
Thanks to Carlos Molina for getting us into my old h.s to shoot.

Graphic Novelists - Day 22

I met up with fellow Bay Ridge resident Becky Cloonan this morning.
Becky's Eisner nominated collaboration with Brian Wood, DEMO, was just republished by Vertigo Comics. Volume 2 will hit this fall.
Beck showed me pages from her soon to be released self-published book, Pixu. It looks beautiful and can only be purchased at khepri.com or from Becky herself at one of her upcoming con appearances.