Cartoonists in conversation at UIC
Allison Funk
Issue date: 11/9/09 Section: News
Media Credit: Photo courtesy of Allison FunkThe creator of "The Simpsons" at UIC
The UIC Forum hosted cartoonists Matt Groening and Lynda Barry last week as part of the 20th annual Chicago Humanities Festival. The event was called, "Cartoonists in Conversation." Groening, well-known for creating "The Simpsons" and "Futurama," as well as the weekly comic "Life in Hell," spoke with fellow cartoonist Lynda Barry, known for the comic "Ernie Pook's Comeek" and her book "The Good Times Are Killing Me," about their careers as cartoonists and their long-term friendship.
Though Groening was the main attraction for the event, Barry took center stage in the conversation with her cartoon-like impressions and voices. The discussion began with Groening sharing his personal mantra: "Don't just do it. Overdo it," a saying he first heard from his father, Homer, who was the inspiration for the now historic Simpsons character. Barry humorously responded to this with a statement she often heard from her own father: "There's never any problem that's too big to run away from." The conversation continued in this manner for the rest of the hour as Barry went into descriptions of her college life, her nude-modeling experiences, and her history with Groening.
The two attributed much of their success to the rise of alternative papers earlier in their careers. Groening also shared his experience working at a copy shop pre-Simpsons, describing his boss' mantra as "The customer is always wrong." Groening worked at the copy-shop during his early days in L.A., the same days that inspired the title for the comic "Life in Hell."
Though they never found fame working together, the two have had plenty of success individually. Barry discussed the moment when she realized she had made it with a more serious tone,. "I realized I was exactly where I wanted to be and I did it by drawing a picture." A short montage of Groening's favorite clips from his show The Simpsons followed a short PowerPoint of Barry's introduction to her book "The Best American Comics of 2008."
Barry wrapped up the hour with a joke, then ending with her belief that jokes belong to no one but "human beings and their thirst for hunger." The event was free for UIC students.
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Though Groening was the main attraction for the event, Barry took center stage in the conversation with her cartoon-like impressions and voices. The discussion began with Groening sharing his personal mantra: "Don't just do it. Overdo it," a saying he first heard from his father, Homer, who was the inspiration for the now historic Simpsons character. Barry humorously responded to this with a statement she often heard from her own father: "There's never any problem that's too big to run away from." The conversation continued in this manner for the rest of the hour as Barry went into descriptions of her college life, her nude-modeling experiences, and her history with Groening.
The two attributed much of their success to the rise of alternative papers earlier in their careers. Groening also shared his experience working at a copy shop pre-Simpsons, describing his boss' mantra as "The customer is always wrong." Groening worked at the copy-shop during his early days in L.A., the same days that inspired the title for the comic "Life in Hell."
Though they never found fame working together, the two have had plenty of success individually. Barry discussed the moment when she realized she had made it with a more serious tone,. "I realized I was exactly where I wanted to be and I did it by drawing a picture." A short montage of Groening's favorite clips from his show The Simpsons followed a short PowerPoint of Barry's introduction to her book "The Best American Comics of 2008."
Barry wrapped up the hour with a joke, then ending with her belief that jokes belong to no one but "human beings and their thirst for hunger." The event was free for UIC students.
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