Comics and Conversation III
Last night's Boston Chamber Music Society concert last night snuck up on me, and I ended up staying in to read and write on the Big Blue Couch at Church Corner. Planning the itinerary for this weekend's Boston World Explorers' Foundation excursion, I had my hiptop near at hand to research sights and sites on the Web. In the midst of my research, I received an IM from Victor Cayro. Curious about my recent comments about his piece in Studygroup 12 #2, Cayro's IM query turned into a proper IM'erview about why he avoids the small press, how Jessica Abel got him into comics, and life in Dubuque, Iowa. Here's the transcript.

VICTORJULIOCAYRO: You don't really think that my strip was offensive and insensitive, do you?
h3athrow: Memory kicking in... The bathtub strip?
V: bathh tub?
h: I don't have that anthology right here, so id need to refresh what made me say that
V: not, rivalry among siblings
V: my baby
V: my baby brother
V: who is challenged
V: chair challenge
V: Pepsi Challenge
V: RETARDED
V: Study Group number 2
h: Ah. Lemme get it.
V: yes sir
h: yep, pretty insensitive
V: how so
V: immature?
V: poorly illustrated?
V: aww schucks
h: Your portrayal of the retarded guy and the violence inflicted on him. I didn't find the punchline a payoff...
h: Wasnt a funny piece
V: Jessica helped me write the script
V: Jessica Abel
h: Was that where the piece started? You wanted to get to "tard-get"?
V: no, I wanted something to drink
V: and my Brother was looking at me funny
V: because retards have a way of looking at things funny
V: and looking funny
V: it's nature's way really
h: Is your brother really retarded? And you don't think your piece is hurtful?
V: he loves it
V: I make photocopies of the strip for him
h: I suppose all is well, then
V: and colors them with crayolas
V: and defecation
V: NO, I don't have a baby brother
V: When I was 6 yrs old I was traumitized by a severe and profound individual
h: im sorry to hear about that
V: never gotten over it
V: still hurts
V: inside
h: How do you know the studygroup people?
V: Zackary Soto saw my piece in LEGAL action comics
V: and chatted about ghost stories
V: a connection was made
V: and unbreakable bond
V: never made out or anything, be is allot of fun
V: but he, I meant
V: are friends with some of those guys?
V: are you, I meant
V: ?
h: Hung out with souther and sammy a little at ape. A friend is publishing Marc Bell's book
V: I haven't any of those guys, and I never been to the APe before
V: you do the SPX?
h: Not yet
V: its a great show
V: like of big names were there this year
V: I've been doing that show since 99
V: Art Speigleman, Charles Burns, Eddie Campbell, one of those mexican soap opera comics dudes.....
h: How long you been doing comics?
V: Evan Dorkin
V: Dean Haspiel
V: Since I was 19
V: I think
V: so that'd be in 2000
V: but my first published work is GARBAGE
V: Big Book of the &0s
V: DC/VErigo
V: GARBAGE
h: Whatd you do for that?
V: money
V: and the idea of getting published sounded cool
h: Howd you get involved in that project?
V: it had always been my dream to a published comic artist
V: Jessica Abel told me that the place to get a good basic idea of the indie comic world was through a weekend at SPX
V: she was right
V: she introduced me to Jim Higgins
V: who was the editor for the Big Book series at that time
V: he like the stuff had
V: although my old stuff sucks
V: Jim Higgins left DC and published his own book, that I will recommend
V: NEW THING: Identity, you have that?
h: It sounds familiar
V: I have a sensitive 13 page story in there, and Tomer Hanuka of Bipolar has a good story in there
V: everyone in the book couldn't be more different, style wise
h: Sounds good. New Bipolar coming soon, i hear
V: Tomer is a machine
V: hes a decent guy
V: smokes Marlboro light 100's
V: oh yeah, makes good comics
h: You have other stuff out?
V: Legal Action Comics
V: New THing: Identity
V: I'm working on my story for Legal Action Comics 2
V: and just finished a story for a book entitled True POrn
V: that will feature comics by Kochalka, Robyn Chaopman, Ivan Brunettie
V: and a slew of others
V: it will be an adventure
V: Any minis of your own?
V: no, never done a mini
V: don't think I ever will
V: I only want to do things that will see large print run
V: or at more that 5o copies
V: or at least more than 50 copies I mean
V: I can barely type or think clearly right now, excuse the grammital errors and misspellings
h: No worries. Can i use some of this in media diet? First time someone im'd me bc of a review
V: sure, go for broke
h: Where do you live?
V: although that part about Jessica Abel co writing THE BEARD AND BABY BROTHER comic, that is completely false
V: a joke
V: I live in Dubuque Iowa
h: I thought so
V: ?
V: Why do you say that?
h: That the abel thing was a joke? Didn't seem like jessica...
V: looking me up on the net?
V: Yes, I know it doesn't sound like anything Jessica Abel would even look at(the strip), THAT IS THE JOKE
V: a very small and insignificant joke...
h: Nah, the joke was good
V: regardless, I didn't want her hearing of some website saying that he had anything to do with the creation of the said strip
V: no, why did you figure I lived in Dubuque?
h: I didn't. Our lines crossed.
h: Do you think your clarification of the abel thing is good enough, or do you want that cut entirely?
V: ok, where do you live?
V: If you think that it makes for good media diet, then blow nuts with it
V: it is sort of funny, in a funny way
V: God Bless Jessica Abel
V: you can run that...
V: sincerely though, without her, I wouldn't be in comics
h: I live in boston.
h: Id kinda like to put this up just as a chat transcript...
V: I'd having sex with white trash bitchs and drawing pictures of me jacking off at late night diners on yellowed computer paper and placemats, it would be some Caruso Clown crying cradlebreak type shit
h: Is there much of a comics crew in dubuque?
V: ZILCH
V: just me
V: not really a scene of anything
V: a small music scene, that I'm a part off
h: What do you do?
V: I do all the promotional flyers
V: and great drunk
h: Good bands there?
V: sure, for young kids
h: Are you drunk now?
V: no, I don't really drink that much
V: I used to have problem
V: have A problem
V: but I drink here and there
V: I limit myself to 3 times a month
V: because I am dedicated to my comics
h: Youre 23 now? What do you do in dubuque? (outside of comics)
V: my last girlfriend broke up with me because she though I loved comics more than her cunt
V: I'm 22
V: besides comics? talk to friends, frequent the movie theatre
V: I like Chinese action films
V: I make home videos
V: and NOT JACKASS rip off garbage
V: concerts
V: foot bag
V: cigarette tricks
V: making a difference in young child's life
V: having terrible luck with women
V: I'm sure I leaving something out
V: or something
V: or nothing
V: I don't know anymore
V: how old are you?
V: 26?
h: 29
h: You in school? Have a job?
V: what do you in boston to alleviate strss troubles?
V: I work in a grocery store, and live in a apt by myself
V: its pretty CRAZY!!!
V: you make the big boston bucks?
h: Not really. Work for a magazine, go to shows, sing in a punk band
V: whats you punk band's name?
V: you like Dillinger Four? Boris the Sprinkler? Toys that Kill?
V: Groovey Ghoulies?
V: The EUrchins?
V: those are some that I know
h: The anchormen
V: are MP3s available online?
h: Yep. Anchormen.com . Dillinger 4 and boris are awesome. Good midwestern stuff!
h: What are the best punk bands in iowa?
V: I like them quite a bit, one of my best friends(and neighbors) has played with them before, but I don't know if you have ever heard of them, HOT CARL?
V: I think they are good
V: geez
h: Do they have mp3s up?
V: NO NO NO!!!!
V: geez, as in, let me think geez
V: I can't say who best are
V: Hot Carl is the only one I know that is Iowa nativwe
V: although I did hear a good band not so long ago, but I forgot the name
h: Are you an iowa native?
V: Half Peruvian, born here.
h: Know anything about peruvian comics? I'd be curious...
V: I would be to, but I have never seen one
V: althought there is allot of artists there
V: I want to move there for a year or so
V: been there a couple of times
V: loved it
h: Well, i should go. Ill look for more of your stuff
V: 75 cents for a pack of Marlboros
V: It was nice chatting with you
V: have a great evening
h: Thanks for saying hey
V: any day

After finishing the IM'erview, I checked out his piece in Legal Action Comics. The story's theme and content is similar to that of "The Beard and Baby Brother" in terms of its shock value and language, but it's much better drawn than the Studygroup 12 story. Not quite my bag, but I'll keep my eyes peeled for future work by this iconoclastic Iowan.