Jeffrey Brown Quotes

Don't be happy at me.

Only 10 percent of people who go to art school will still be making art in 10 years. To some extent, you have to want to do it. It's hard. It is something you really have to stick with for it to work.

I usually balance out autobiography with goofy, amusing stuff to help keep the humour in my more serious work.

I keep up with James Kochalka's online strip, and if I see a link somewhere or someone tells me about something, I'll look at it, but I don't usually keep up with any sites other than the 'American Elf.' I always have this feeling that there's not enough space in the screen, like everything's always getting cut off.

When you're looking for a sketchbook, you've got to find the right paper for the pens you like to use. I like to draw on both sides of the page.

Theirs was a forbidden love.

Use the Force! But use the bathroom first if you need to.

-Some guy stopped by to see you.
-Who was it?
-I don't know.
-You don't know? Was he cute? Did you fall in love with him?

Just about everything put out by Top Shelf and Drawn & Quarterly and Fantagraphics is what I keep up with. And once in a while, I'll read the more mainstream comics - I like Grant Morrison's writing and some of Warren Ellis' stuff, although maybe they're more on the fringe of the mainstream.

Generally, I don't pencil, especially with the autobiographical comics, although I've usually planed out composition in my head during the scripting stage. I like to work directly in ink, to keep the spontaneity and expression conveyed by a less worked over line.

Clarity Cliche--polished package
that wraps the unwrappable
Here it is, your day

from "Nightly News" in The News: Poems

I think I've been able to build up a wide range of styles in storytelling, using comics in different ways from project to project. I think my art has become more accomplished, although I try to keep it from becoming slick or superficial.

...and then I said, "I love you" and all he said back was, "I know". "I know"... what does that mean?!

I always try to write from memory, and I always try to use memory as an editor. So when I'm thinking of something like a relationship or whatever, then I'm letting my memory tell me what the important things were.

I think comfort, stability, and love are the things that really let me be happy. Deep down inside I'm a little boring, I guess.

I was always most interested in drawing - most of my childhood drawings are black-and-white line work. And when I kind of abandoned comics, through college and art school, I was doing a lot of painting. But once I started doing comics again, everything else just fell by the wayside.

I like the way you touch me."
"I like to touch you... That works out for us, huh?

I've never written a book with the intention of winning someone back or getting back at someone or anything like that. It's always just been about thinking about life and how relationships fit in to what life means.