OSCAR STERN: I'm glad you didn't say "living" because that certainly isn't the case. I was trying to get into the business and wound up illustrating someone else's script for a small publisher. The story was slated to be published but unfortunately, the company went bankrupt. This left me with a story that I had no affinity for and would never be published. It occurred to me to struggle and fail with my own stories so I joined the zine/minicomic craze. I would put together some xeroxed abominations, entitled Wu Wei, and left them at record stores. After awhile, I started selling them at record stores, bookstores, art galleries, and comic shops. Everywhere I travelled to, I would leave behind my zine—NYC, Cleveland, Oregon, San Francisco, Germany, Holland, small towns in New York State, England. It was like a disease, I was spreading Wu Wei everywhere. I was getting written up in the zine community, and occasionally by the small press world. Eventually the logistics of trying to collect $5.00 from each store caught up with me. I was also seriously abusing the copier at my place of employment so it seemed the next logical step was to really publish, with real distribution.
THE PODIUM: What kind of formal training did you have that prepared you for this?
OSCAR STERN: During school, I would constantly doodle. I would mercilessly parody teachers with my early mini-comic efforts. Once I reached college, I studied fine art and design. I made an attempt to try everything. I nearly got a degree in English but I hadn't the patience or the cash.
THE PODIUM: Did any particular comic or writer inspire you to get into this business?
OSCAR STERN: A great inspiration was the whole zine movement and seeing Dave Sim, Steve Bissette, Stephen Murphy, and Michael Zulli, create and publish their own stuff. A lot of other artists were very encouraging too. I am amazed at the number of really great, unpretentious folks in the comic field..
THE PODIUM: Tell us a little about some of your comic work-what they're about and how you decided to create them.
OSCAR STERN: Wu Wei started as an anthology with the story "Testament" as a running serial. As my publishing schedule became more erratic, I decided to devoted the entirety of Wu Wei to "Testament" The story to "Testament" is basically about deaths and rebirths. Lately I've been using the term "psychospiritual noir" to describe "Testament". The plot is about a computer whiz turned madman (Michael Engel,) after he comes home to find his wife brutally murdered. Michael is hiding in plain sight from two washed-up thugs. One who is trapped by an obligation by the Federal Witness Protection Program and the other a leftover from the brutal Irish mafia known as "The Westies". Needless to say, the whole thing ends rather violently but out of the violence comes a rebirth. "Testament" is also about choices people make, the kind of choices that could change your life or alter destiny. My work owes more a debt to film rather than traditional comics and the artwork conveys that. I'm also obsessed with light and use that as a metaphor in "Testament" As far as storytelling goes, I'm revealing the story of "Testament" rather than telling you. I'll show you and let YOU decide what's happening. This places a burden upon the reader but makes for a richer story since the reader fills in the open spots and hopefully puts themselves into the story. I want my work to stick in your head and haunt you. I know that's egotistical and I know I'm asking a lot from the reader, but I'm looking to transcend the medium as entertainment and create art.
THE PODIUM: Where do you find you get most of your story ideas from?
OSCAR STERN: I get tons of story ideas and I keep the ones that stick inside my head. I mentally play them over and over until it seems clear and worth doing. Luckily, I live in New York City so everyday is story fodder. The stuff I see...Most people are always trying to shut out the barrage of stimuli but just keeping my eyes open contributes greatly to my stories.
THE PODIUM: What do you read in your spare time? What comics are you into?
OSCAR STERN: The last few books I've read: Photocopies by John Berger, The Dubliners by James Joyce, The Grammar of Film by Spottiswoode, Harry Wu: Troublemaker by Harry Wu. The last few comics I've read are Stray Bullets, Cerebus, Oracle, Minimum Wage, Purty plotte, Meat Cake Acme Novelty Library, Rayne.
THE PODIUM: Tell us about WU-WEI. Being a self-published book, what are the joys of doing it and the pitfalls.
OSCAR STERN: The joy of self-publishing is complete control, the pure vision. The pitfall is having to do everything and having no money.
THE PODIUM: What is your average work day like? How long, on average, does it take you to write an issue? OSCAR STERN: I try to fit my comic work schedule around my day job and family, which means working nights and weekends. I start with a loose story and write it out while I'm on the subway going to work. With all of my obligations, I wind up releasing an issue per year. I'm working on increasing my output without affecting the quality.
THE PODIUM: How do you go, specifically, about creating an issue? The steps involved. Plot, script, pencils, etc. OSCAR STERN: I draw tiny thumbnails for layout and pencil in dialog in the margins. Then I shoot the reference for the entire issue using models. Drawing is the easy part once the reference is in place. Depending upon the page, it could take me anywhere from 2 hours to 5 hours to pencil a page. I get the greatest joy form inking as that's when I get to make great lines. Really! The biggest amount of time is applying the stippled background. I cut masks with frisket film and then do each panel with a toothbrush. Sometimes the frisket pulls up the artwork and I have to go fix it. I don't know what I was thinking when I started doing that, it's all so labor intensive.
THE PODIUM: Did you find it difficult breaking into the business of comics?
OSCAR STERN: I found it easy to start self-publishing, but staying in and doing the work is difficult. I'm amazed that Dave Sim can keep it up like clock work.
THE PODIUM: What was you first comic work published?
OSCAR STERN: My first work was a humor piece for Caliber Press called "Stubs" which was a parody of the TV show Studs.
THE PODIUM: What peers in this industry do you look at and find yourself being VERY IMPRESSED with? (i.e. "gee, I wish I'D done that?")
OSCAR STERN: Chris Ware totally blows me away. He is absolutely amazing AND a nice guy too. Al Columbia has a very unique if disturbing vision. Dave Sim is the master of storytelling and pacing bar none. Neil Gaiman is an excellent storyteller, especially if he is teemed up with Dave McKean. Of course Dave McKean's work is drop dead gorgeous. Bryan Talbot's Luther Arkwright and The Tale of One Bad Rat are both wonderful. Oh, and I wish I could write like James Joyce. He could write a dinner menu and it would be pure poetry.
THE PODIUM: How long do you think it will be before a politician stands up and declares "Guns don't kill people...comics do?"
OSCAR STERN: The minute a politician thinks it'll get him votes.
THE PODIUM: Doing shows? How do you like that? Has your work been well received?
OSCAR STERN: Generally I enjoy doing shows. I don't do them often due to lack of time. Some shows have been frustrating. I was at one show next to a "bad Girl" set up. I sold maybe 3 copies of Wu Wei, talked to as many people and watched as the bad girl set-up raked in the cash. Then I hear people complaining that there is nothing new and different. I will be at the Small Press Expo in Bethesda MD Sept. 22. I had attended it last year and that was an excellent show renewing my optimism for independent comics. I do tend to find most folks pretty cliqueish as shows, though.
THE PODIUM: If you were stuck on a desert island, with plenty of food and water, what two things would you need to survive and why?
OSCAR STERN: If I wanted to be practical, I'd want a Leatherman Personal Pocket Tool and a lighter. If I was really and artist, I'd want to have pens and a sketchbook. What I'd really want would be my wife and son with me, though I'm not sure they'd appreciate being stuck with me on a deserted island.
THE PODIUM: Future plans: what are you working on now?
OSCAR STERN: There are plans to have a story out of Wu Wei published in a Japanese anthology. I also want to wrap up the "Testament" storyline. It should come to a conclusion by Wu Wei #11 or #12. I'm already hard at work on #8 which will hopefully come out early spring. I have tons of stories to tell. The next possible major story for Wu WEi is titled "To Die Young".I'm also dabbling in film. I have one very short film in the works which will be a parody of David Chronenberg's film Crash. In the planning stages is another short film "Super Gun Karate".
THE PODIUM: How do you feel about the comics industry in general?
OSCAR STERN: I'm not really optimistic about comics in general. It's going to be a slow fade, especially in the youth market. You can barely GIVE comics away. In the more mature arena, it's a matter of too many titles for your average store to deal with. Try following Minimum Wage or Cerebus, many stores are lucky to keep these titles stocked. Which is strange because these same stores have gobs of unsold Image titles. So it makes it hard on your fans to keep up with your title. After finishing up "testament", I'm going to take a long hard look at the viability of Wu Wei.
THE PODIUM: Do you see a continued rise in self-publishing and a decrease in the mainstream? Or has the self publishing boom died out? OSCAR STERN: It's an overall decrease in comics and publishing in general.
THE PODIUM: If one of the big companies(specifically Marvel, DC or Image) was looking to publish your work, would you jump at the chance?
OSCAR STERN: I would certainly jump at it but I would absolutely have to have complete control. This is not necessarily conducive to the corporate mindset.
THE PODIUM: In regards to your life and your craft, where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
OSCAR STERN: I'll either be working on Wu Wei or hopefully getting into film.
THE PODIUM: What do your friends and family think of you "making a living" in comics? And how supportive have they been?
OSCAR STERN: My family has been pretty supportive though I doubt they "understand" what I'm trying to do. I'm lucky to be surrounded by many creative friends, and this includes my wife. Not only have I tortured them by using them as models, but many have contributed their own time for nothing.
THE PODIUM: What words of advice would you give to someone who wants to make a living out of this business?
OSCAR STERN: If you are going to start publishing your own work, publish your stories in arcs, say 6 issues at a time. Work far into the future too, it's important to build momentum. Stick to your guns and if all else fails, try publishing your work as a graphic novel.
THE PODIUM: Any last words of wisdom...or anything I might have left out?
OSCAR STERN: If you are looking to get rich, there are plenty of ways to do that. If
you are looking to do comics, you can never be too good so practice and
work from the heart.