Cartoonist Grant Snider, whose panels appear in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, among others, began drawing the Web comics Incidental Comics in 2009 as an exploration of art, literature, and the creative process. An orthodontist by day, he draws from his life for his creative pursuits. Last year, a collection of his comics, The Shape of Ideas: An Illustrated Exploration of Creativity (Abrams ComicArts), was published, which The Los Angeles Review of Books reviewed as “something unique: a synthesis of comics, philosophy, and poetry: a thoughtful new way of packaging eternal ideas in cartoon boxes.” In an email interview, Kansas, US-based Snider talks about the artists who inspire him, mixing philosophy and humour, and balancing the visual with the written. Edited excerpts: What’s the golden means to balance the visual and the written, and which one sets the ball rolling for a new comic strip? Usually, the visual idea for the strip comes first. If the concept is strong, the words will fall into place. Both are equally important to me in the process, though the visuals usually do the heavy lifting in the comic. I think the golden balance occurs when the drawing illuminates the text but does not illustrate it, and vice versa. The words and pictures should be doing slightly different things, with the reader filling the gap between the two. The pieces in your comic strip tie up beautifully in the end. How much of this is premeditated? I’ve found the best endings are the ones that I didn’t know were coming. I think the reader can sense the artist’s state of mind during the creative process — a playful, energised, and inquisitive process is reflected in the final comic. Unfortunately, an overworked drawing or script will show through as well. When I get bogged down in the process like this, I keep trying to force an ending, and am often disappointed with the result. So, I try to remind myself — if something’s not working, hide the sketch away in a cool, dark place for days, weeks, or months. When I look at it later, it will be obvious what to do: either trash it completely, or pull the perfect solution from my subconscious and drastically improve the strip. Philosophy runs through your work. Not the existential dread, but rather, a playful, even jovial variety. Is it an attempt to philosophise the everyday? The philosophy in my comics is me constantly evaluating and adjusting the relationship between my thoughts and the world. I’m sometimes a negative, grumbling person, so I try to transcend this by striving for openness, curiosity, and wonder in my art. It’s an idealised way of looking at the world, sure, and it risks sentimentality. But I hope it’s a way to avoid cynicism in the face of the occasional bleakness of everyday life. Also, whenever I try a comic that takes a negative or ironic view of the world, it seems to fall flat. So, I’m stuck with joviality. Writers and the writing process feature regularly in your work. And you are a literature buff and writer with an eye for the visual art. Well, I think people forget that cartooning is writing. A form of writing where pictures often stand in for words. But, to me, it’s the same mental process, the same feeling. So, when I’m portraying the writer’s life, that is a self-portrait. To define ‘writer’ as only a novelist, essayist, or short-story writer is to vastly limit its scope. But I still claim an outsider’s perspective, as writing is not currently my day job. I think this helps me see it in a more humorous light. It’s a strange hobby that somehow grew into a lifestyle. What do books mean for Grant Snider? Inspiration, escape, leisure, self-education, and a testament to what is possible in my own work. They are a reminder that if I can harness the patience, luck, and energy necessary, I might one day create something that lives up to my favourite books. In no particular order, what important influences have shaped your work? Cartoonists: the scratchy line and unique personality of Roz Chast, the literary wit and precision of Tom Gauld, the elegant people and buildings of JJ Sempe, the rebellious wonder of Matt Groening. Picture books: the imaginative landscapes of Dr Seuss, the charming collages of Beatrice Alemagna, the floating frogs of David Wiesner, the explorative mind of Bruno Munari. Your comics Dada Day ‘celebrates the art of childish nonsense.’ And yet, the comic strip ends with the stirring call ‘we’ll free them from their confining rules’. Do artists have the responsibility of holding a mirror to their times? I don’t think so. I think they only have to show a mirror to themselves. Hopefully, their times will show through also. Chaos and order seem to be in a constant tussle in your work. One sees a man trying to gather his wits but submitting finally to the order-disorder. What’s the reason for these Zen-like endings? I want some resolution in each ending, but also the sense that this personal revelation or resolution leaves a whole lot more questions unanswered. More material for future comics. It’s also a reflection of my creative process: I summon all my resources and ability to make the best possible comic strip, but somewhere reality sets in and the end result is not quite what I expected. But I accept it and move on to the next piece. Grant Snider ‘began drawing and writing before he knew what he was doing. Soon it was too late.’ This is almost like your comic character, who reflects a state of awe and pleasant bewilderment. As a person, how similar are you to your character? Like my character, I am tall and skinny, with long spaghetti arms and a slightly hunched posture. I like to read, drink coffee, go to museums, and wander around outdoors with a sketchbook, making small discoveries. I frequently take naps under a tree. Unlike my character, I work as an orthodontist, have a happy marriage and three (soon to be four) children, and often succumb to boredom, frustration, and other less-than-transcendental emotions. I like my comic character because it’s a piece of the most philosophical, wonder-seeking part of myself. Saad Razi Shaikh is a Delhi-based writer.
