More Than Marley

Sandy Jimenez isn’t just the author/artist of Marley Davidson: Bronx Exorcist. He’s also the creator of the Shit House Poet series and more.

Can you tell us about Shit House Poet and World War 3 Illustrated? These are two titles I've seen associated with you.

The Shit House Poet is a series of comic book episodes that I began writing while I was in art school. It's my longest running series and the one most closely identified with me as a comic book artist. The stories are about the lives of a group of friends in the South Bronx and New York City told through a nameless narrator who is my stand in. 

Although largely taken from my life experience, I don't want to ever be referred to as a memoirist or someone who does autobiography (because that implies it's more about recording and having led an eventful life than it is about the act of writing.)  

In the 1980s there was no outlet for comic books at The Cooper Union, so those of us who worked on narratives did it outside of class time. World War 3 Illustrated, a comic book anthology magazine that was started in 1980 by Seth Tobocman and Peter Kuper  was the first publication to accept my work. They've published my work since 1991, and continue to do so to this day. 

A new issue has just debuted, gathering stories on the subject of death, and survival, and grieving from many talented artists. There is a Shit House Poet story in that one, I suppose this marks that series 23rd year in print since the first story debuted in 1991.

What other work (comics or otherwise) are you developing?

This year, there is a 15-page glam rock/new wave/new romantics-themed adaptation of Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea that I painted for Seven Stories Press latest Graphic Canon collection.

{Ed. note: SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE this sounds SO fun! Here’s another link to the Graphic Canon Collection. I do believe I’m about to make a purchase!}

Aside from that, Marley Davidson will finally return with a new issue in 2014 (I'm very late with that,) and another project I wrote called "The Innertube Mothership Connection" is hopefully going to get going for a 2015 finish. 

{Even more ed. note: but, but.... I want it NOW. Also too "The Innertube Mothership Connection?" LOVE this title. For some reason, I now have Embryonic Journey -- with the mas brill Jorma Kaukonen-- from Surrealistic Pillow spinning on the old internal turntable. Fabulous!}

Sandy’s work can be seen now at a show on the graphic novel down at The Camden Center for the Arts at Rutgers University.
What of your work is featured in Compulsive Narratives: Stories That Must Be Told?

It's a show of original raw art pages from the latest Shit House Poet stories and other excerpts from a story I did called Skips. Cheryl Harper curated the show, and there is some great work in there by other artists like Robert Crumb, Art Spiegelman, and Chris Ware.

----------------------------
Sadly, I was unable to make the opening reception (which would’ve been way cool) but the show is up through April 26.

ROAD TRIP!