cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron ''Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes. The book follows a fantastic and paranoid plot, differing in tone from the stark realism of Clowes' later more widely known '' Ghost World''. It contains ...

David Boring ''David Boring'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes. It was serialized in issues #19–21 of Clowes's comic book '' Eightball'' and appeared in collected form from Pantheon Books in 2000. The book depicts the misadventures ...

Patience (or forbearance) is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding in disrespect/anger; or forbearance when under strain, especially when faced ...

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

Terry Zwigoff Terry Zwigoff (born May 18, 1949) is an American filmmaker whose work often deals with misfits, antiheroes, and themes of alienation. He first garnered attention for his work in documentary filmmaking with ''Louie Bluie'' (1985) and '' Crumb'' (1 ...

Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...

Eisner Awards The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

University of Chicago Laboratory Schools The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (also known as Lab or Lab Schools and abbreviated as UCLS though the high school is nicknamed U-High) is a Private school, private, co-educational Day school, day Early childhood education, Pre-K and K� ...

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was ...

Rick Altergott Rick Altergott (born 1961)"Artists,"
''Raw, Boiled, and Cooked: Comics on the Verge'', edited by Paul Candler (Last Gasp, 2004), p. 86. According to Clowes scholar, Ken Parille, the cartoonist had an early response to a "graphic" comic when, at age four, he burst into tears and began hitting his head against a wall after seeing a cover of a '' Strange Adventures'' comic book that depicted a family dying of heat. Later, he received "piles of 1950s and 1960s classic titles like '' Archie'' and ''

The Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the fir ...

''" from his older brother, who also introduced him to the work of legendary cartoonist R. Crumb. Clowes's first professional work appeared in 1985 in ''

Cracked Cracked may refer to: Television * ''Cracked'' (British TV series), a 2008 British comedy-drama television series that aired on STV * ''Cracked'' (Canadian TV series), a 2013 Canadian crime drama series that aired on CBC * "Cracked", a Season 8 ( ...

'', and he contributed to the magazine until 1989, working under a variety of pseudonyms, most prominently "Stosh Gillespie", and, toward the end of his tenure, under his own name. Clowes and writer Mort Todd co-created a recurring ''Cracked'' feature titled ''The Uggly Family''. In 1985, Clowes drew the first comic to feature his character

Lloyd Llewellyn ''Lloyd Llewellyn'' (sometimes abbreviated ''LLLL'') is a comic book by Daniel Clowes. The black-and-white series, published by Fantagraphics Books, ran for six issues from April 1986 to June 1987. A final "special" issue was published in December ...

. He sent the story to

Fantagraphics Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint. History Founding Fantagraphics was found ...

'

Gary Groth Gary Groth (born September 18, 1954) is an American comic book editor, publisher and critic. He is editor-in-chief of ''The Comics Journal'', a co-founder of Fantagraphics Books, and founder of the Harvey Awards. Early life Groth is the son of ...

, and his work soon appeared in the

Hernandez brothers The Hernandez brothers, also known as Los Bros Hernandez, are the three American cartoonist brothers Mario (b. 1953), Gilbert (b. 1957), and Jaime Hernandez (b. 1959). The three were born in a Mexican-American family and grew up i ...

' '' Love and Rockets'' #13. Fantagraphics published six magazine-sized, black and white issues of ''Lloyd Llewellyn'' in 1986 and 1987, another story was published as a Back-up story in the reprint book Doomsday Squad (1986) and ''The All-New Lloyd Llewellyn'', the final Llewellyn comic book, appeared in 1988.

''Eightball'', 1989–2004

In 1989, Fantagraphics published the first issue of Clowes's comic book '' Eightball.'' On issue #1's masthead, Clowes described the anthology as "An Orgy of Spite, Vengeance, Hopelessness, Despair, and Sexual Perversiona". ''Eightball'' lasted twenty three issues, ending in 2004. One of the most widely acclaimed American alternative comics, it won over two dozen awards, and all of Clowes's ''Eightball'' serials have been collected and released as graphic novels. From #1 to #18, an ''Eightball'' issue typically contained short pieces that ranged in genre from comical rant and Freudian analysis to fairy tale and cultural criticism. These issues also featured a chapter of a serial that Clowes later collected as a graphic novel: ''

Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron ''Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes. The book follows a fantastic and paranoid plot, differing in tone from the stark realism of Clowes' later more widely known '' Ghost World''. It contains ...

'' (1993), ''

Pussey! ''Pussey!'' is a comics serial and graphic novel by Daniel Clowes. It was originally serialized across nine non-consecutive issues of Clowes's alternative comic book '' Eightball'', and was later collected by Fantagraphics Books. ''Pussey!'' tell ...

'' (1995), and '' Ghost World'' (1997). With #19, Clowes abandoned the anthology format. The oversized black and white issues #19–21 each contained a single act of Clowes's three-act ''

David Boring ''David Boring'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes. It was serialized in issues #19–21 of Clowes's comic book '' Eightball'' and appeared in collected form from Pantheon Books in 2000. The book depicts the misadventures ...

'', which was released as a graphic novel in 2000. Clowes again changed format with #22. The first full-color ''Eightball'', #22 included a single graphic novel-length story ''Ice Haven.'' The final issue, #23 was a full-color, single-story comic ''The Death-Ray'' released in 2004. During the early 1990s, Clowes was associated with Seattle label

Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...

, creating artwork for recordings by

Thee Headcoats Thee Headcoats was a band formed in Chatham, Kent, England in 1989, that was well known for its garage rock sound, explicitly sticking to this style on almost all of their albums. The band's signature sound as well as their prolific writing has ...

,

The Supersuckers The Supersuckers are an American rock band, formed in 1988, whose music ranges from alternative rock to country rock to cowpunk. AllMusic describes the band as "the bastard sons of Foghat, AC/DC, and ZZ Top after being weaned on punk rock, una ...

, The John Peel Sessions, and The Sub Pop Video Program collection. He designed the label's mascot, Punky, who appeared on T-shirts, paddle-balls, watches, and other merchandise. In 1994, Clowes created art for the

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...

video "I Don't Want to Grow Up".

Post-''Eightball,'' 2005–2016

After ''Eightball'' ended in 2004, Clowes began to release full-color graphic novels, beginning in 2005 with ''

Ice Haven ''Ice Haven'' is a 2005 graphic novel by Daniel Clowes. The book's contents were originally published as the comic book '' Eightball'' #22 and were subsequently reformatted to make the hardcover ''Ice Haven'' book. ''Ice Haven'' takes the form o ...

,'' a revised version of the comic that appeared in ''Eightball'' #22. In 2010 Drawn and Quarterly published '' Wilson,'' Clowes's first graphic novel that had not been serialized in ''Eightball.'' The next year, Pantheon released '' Mister Wonderful,'' a revised and reformatted version of a narrative serialized weekly in 2007 and 2008 in '' The Sunday New York Times Magazine'', a story Clowes described as a "romance." 2011 also saw the Drawn and Quarterly hardcover release of ''

The Death-Ray ''The Death Ray'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes that first appeared in issue 23 of Clowes's comic book ''Eightball (comics), Eightball'' in 2004, and then as a standalone book in 2011. Plot The story, which flashes back ...

'', which first appeared in ''Eightball'' #23. During this period, Clowes drew the first of several ''New Yorker'' covers and contributed comics to

Zadie Smith Zadie Smith FRSL (born Sadie; 25 October 1975) is an English novelist, essayist, and short-story writer. Her debut novel, ''White Teeth'' (2000), immediately became a best-seller and won a number of awards. She has been a tenured professor ...

's ''

The Book of Other People ''The Book of Other People'' is a collection of short stories, published in 2008 by Penguin Books. Selected and edited by Zadie Smith, it contains 23 short stories by 23 different authors, among them Nick Hornby, David Mitchell, Colm Tóibín, ...

'' (2008) and the influential art comics anthology ''

Kramers Ergot ''Kramers Ergot'' is a series of anthology-style books of comic art edited by Sammy Harkham. Publication history ''Kramers Ergot'' started as a mini-comic self-published by Sammy Harkham under the imprint Avodah Books. Issues 4 and 5 were publishe ...

'' (#7, 2008). In 2006, after a health crisis, Clowes underwent open-heart surgery. His longest graphic novel ''

Patience (or forbearance) is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding in disrespect/anger; or forbearance when under strain, especially when faced ...

'' was released in the US in March 2016. Clowes lives in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, with his wife Erika and son Charlie.

Cultural contexts

Clowes's work emerged from the late-1980s and early-’90s American alternative comics scene and played an important role in comics achieving a new level of respect from reviewers, academics, and readers. ''Ghost World'' was among the earliest American "literary" comics to be marketed and sold through conventional book stores as a

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

. (Clowes has been critical of the terms "literary comics" and "graphic novel.") It was presented in serial form within '' Eightball'' #11‐#18 (1993‐1997). Some of his most popular stories, such as ''Ghost World'' and "The Party", are associated with

Generation X Generation X (or Gen X for short) is the Western world, Western demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort following the baby boomers and preceding the millennials. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1960s as starting birth years a ...

("The Party" was reprinted in Douglas Rushkoff's 1994 ''GenX Reader''). This movement's investment in post-adolescent aimlessness was one of Clowes's main themes during the 1990s. The cartoonist led the way for comic artists like

Adrian Tomine Adrian Tomine (; born May 31, 1974) is an American cartoonist. He is best known for his ongoing comic book series ''Optic Nerve'' and his illustrations in '' The New Yorker''. Early life Adrian Tomine was born May 31, 1974, in Sacramento, Cal ...

and

Craig Thompson Craig Matthew Thompson (born September 21, 1975) is an American graphic novelist best known for his books '' Good-bye, Chunky Rice'' (1999), '' Blankets'' (2003), '' Carnet de Voyage'' (2004), '' Habibi'' (2011), and '' Space Dumplins'' (2015). T ...

, who also focused on the angst of post-adolescent characters. Like filmmaker

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

, Clowes is known for mixing elements of

kitsch Kitsch ( ; loanword from German) is a term applied to art and design that is perceived as naïve imitation, overly-eccentric, gratuitous, or of banal taste. The avant-garde opposed kitsch as melodramatic and superficial affiliation with ...

and the

grotesque Since at least the 18th century (in French and German as well as English), grotesque has come to be used as a general adjective for the strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting, and thus ...

. Reflecting the cartoonist's interest in 1950s and 1960s TV, film, mainstream and

underground comics Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, ...

, and '' Mad'' magazine, these elements surface in Clowes's 1990s work, especially his graphic novel ''

Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron ''Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes. The book follows a fantastic and paranoid plot, differing in tone from the stark realism of Clowes' later more widely known '' Ghost World''. It contains ...

.'' During the 1990s, the juxtaposition of kitsch and horror became something of a zeitgeist in visual art, independent film, and post-underground comics. Clowes's post-2000 graphic novels marked a shift in subject matter and form. ''Ice Haven'', ''The Death-Ray'', ''Wilson'', and ''Mister Wonderful'' featured older protagonists and explored issues of masculinity and aging. Like the work of his fellow cartoonists

Chris Ware Franklin Christenson "Chris" Ware (born December 28, 1967) is an American cartoonist known for his ''Acme Novelty Library'' series (begun 1994) and the graphic novels ''Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth'' (2000), ''Building Stories'' (2012 ...

and

Art Spiegelman Art Spiegelman (; born Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev Spiegelman on February 15, 1948) is an American cartoonist, editor, and comics advocate best known for his graphic novel ''Maus''. His work as co-editor on the comics magazines ''Arcade (comics maga ...

, these comics displayed an interest in American comic-strip history, using layouts, coloring, and drawing styles reminiscent of newspaper cartoons, especially the large early- and mid-twentieth-century Sunday comic strips.

Awards

Clowes has received dozens of awards and nominations for his comics and film work. In 2002 he was nominated for several awards for the ''Ghost World'' film, including an Academy Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Published, an AFI Award for Screenwriter of the Year, a Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay, and others. For his comics, Clowes has won many

Harvey Award The Harvey Awards are given for achievement in comic books. Named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman, the Harvey Awards were founded by Gary Groth in 1988, president of the publisher Fantagraphics, to be the successor to the Kirby Awards that were ...

s, including Best Writer in 1997 and 2005; Best Series in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1997; Best Letter in 1991 and 1997; Best Single Issue or Story in 1990, 1991, 1998 and 2005; and Best Cartoonist in 2002. He has won numerous

Eisner Awards The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

, including Best Writer/Artist: Drama in 2000 and 2002; Best Single Issue/Single Story in 2002 and 2005; Best Short Story in 2008; Best New Graphic Album in 2011. In 2011, he won a Pen Award for Outstanding Body of Work in Graphic Literature. Clowes was awarded the

Inkpot Award The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at CCI's annual c ...

in 2006.

Exhibitions

Clowes's original art has appeared in American group shows as well as exhibitions in Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, and elsewhere. His first solo show was held at Los Angeles's Richard Heller Gallery in 2003. In 2012, Susan Miller curated his first museum retrospective, ''Modern Cartoonist: The Art of Daniel Clowes'' at the

Oakland Museum of California The Oakland Museum of California or OMCA (formerly the Oakland Museum) is an interdisciplinary museum dedicated to the art, history, and natural science of California, located adjacent to Oak Street, 10th Street, and 11th Street in Oakland, Cali ...

. It featured 100 works, including pencil and ink drawings, color pencil illustrations, and gouache art, with covers for ''The New Yorker,'' ''Eightball'' issues, and Clowes's graphic novels. The show traveled to the

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago is a contemporary art museum near Water Tower Place in downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The museum, which was established in 1967, is one of the world's largest contemporary ...

in 2013, and is at the

Wexner Center The Wexner Center for the Arts is the Ohio State University's "multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art". The Wexner Center opened in November 1989, named in honor of the father of Limite ...

in Columbus, Ohio, in mid-2014. It may continue on to Europe and Asia.

Screenwriting

In the late 1990s, Clowes began a career as a screenwriter. His first film was 2001's '' Ghost World''. Based on Clowes's comic of the same name and written with director

Terry Zwigoff Terry Zwigoff (born May 18, 1949) is an American filmmaker whose work often deals with misfits, antiheroes, and themes of alienation. He first garnered attention for his work in documentary filmmaking with ''Louie Bluie'' (1985) and '' Crumb'' (1 ...

, the film is set in a nondescript American town and follows the misadventures of two best friends, Enid (

Thora Birch Thora Birch (born March 11, 1982) is an American actress and producer. She made her feature film debut in 1988 with a starring role in ''Purple People Eater'', for which she received a Young Artist Award for "Best Young Actress Under Nine Years ...

) and Rebecca (

Scarlett Johansson Scarlett Ingrid Johansson (; born November 22, 1984) is an American actress. The world's highest-paid actress in 2018 and 2019, she has featured multiple times on the ''Forbes'' Celebrity 100 list. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 100 ...

), who detest most of their high school classmates. After graduation they plan on moving in together and avoiding college, but they grow apart as adult pressures take their toll. The girls play a prank on a nerdy record collector named Seymour ( Steve Buscemi), who quickly becomes Enid's unlikely friend and confidante, as her relationship with Rebecca deteriorates. Nominated for a host of awards, most notably a 2002

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Adapted Screenplay, the movie appeared on many 2001 "Best of" lists. In 2001, Fantagraphics published ''Ghost Word: A Screenplay. '' Clowes's second film '' Art School Confidential'' was based on the cartoonist's experiences at Pratt Institute in the early 1980s. (Clowes's four-page comic " Art School Confidential" covered some of the same experiences.) Directed by Zwigoff with a script by Clowes, the film follows Jerome (

Max Minghella Max Giorgio Choa Minghella (born 16 September 1985) is an English actor, film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is known for his roles in the films ''Syriana'' (2005), ''Art School Confidential'' (2006), ''Elvis and Anabelle'' (2007), '' ...

), an art student who dreams of becoming the world's greatest artist. The film was not as well received as ''Ghost World''. In 2006, Fantagraphics published ''Art School Confidential: A Screenplay''. A third adaptation of a Clowes graphic novel, '' Wilson'', directed by Craig Johnson, starring

Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor and playwright. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

, and with Clowes writing the screenplay, was released in 2017. At least four other film projects have been discussed or partially developed, with one being abandoned and two remaining in limbo for over seven years. Clowes and director

Michel Gondry Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scène. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one of the writers ...

discussed making a film based on

Rudy Rucker Rudolf von Bitter Rucker (; born March 22, 1946) is an American mathematician, computer scientist, science fiction author, and one of the founders of the cyberpunk literary movement. The author of both fiction and non-fiction, he is best known f ...

’s novel '' Master of Space and Time'', with Clowes writing and Gondry directing, but the project never advanced beyond this stage; of the film Clowes said, "I actually announced that that wasn't going to be made at the 2006 San Diego omicCon." In 2006, Clowes began writing a script based on his comic ''The Death-Ray'' for a movie to be produced by

Jack Black Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), ''Shallow Hal'' (2001), ''Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ''E ...

's Black and White Productions. Clowes also wrote a screenplay based on the true story of three boys who, over the course of seven years, filmed a shot-for-shot remake of ''

Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronal ...

''. , neither ''The Death-Ray'' nor the ''Raiders'' project has been greenlit. In 2016, it was announced Clowes will adapt his graphic novel ''Patience'' for

Focus Features Focus Features LLC is an American film production and distribution company, owned by Comcast as part of Universal Pictures, a division of its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal. Focus Features distributes independent and foreign films in th ...

. the project remains in development.

Plagiarism by Shia LaBeouf

In December 2013,

Shia LaBeouf Shia Saide LaBeouf (; born June 11, 1986) is an American actor, performance artist, and filmmaker. He played Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series ''Even Stevens'', a role for which he received Young Artist Award nominations in 2001 and ...

's short film '' Howard Cantour.com'' became available online. Soon thereafter, those familiar with indie comics noticed its remarkable resemblance to "Justin M. Damiano," a comic Clowes contributed to the 2008 charity anthology ''

The Book of Other People ''The Book of Other People'' is a collection of short stories, published in 2008 by Penguin Books. Selected and edited by Zadie Smith, it contains 23 short stories by 23 different authors, among them Nick Hornby, David Mitchell, Colm Tóibín, ...

''. The short film was then removed by LaBeouf, who claimed that he was not "copying" Clowes, but rather was "inspired" by him and "got lost in the creative process." LaBeouf later issued several apologies on

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

, writing, "In my excitement and naiveté as an amateur filmmaker, I got lost in the creative process and neglected to follow proper accreditation", and "I deeply regret the manner in which these events have unfolded and want @danielclowes to know that I have a great respect for his work." Clowes responded by saying "The first I ever heard of the film was this morning when someone sent me a link. I've never spoken to or met Mr. LaBeouf ... I actually can't imagine what was going through his mind." Legal representatives of Clowes also sent a

cease-and-desist letter A cease and desist letter is a document sent to an individual or business to stop alleged illegal activity. The phrase "cease and desist" is a legal doublet, made up of two near-synonyms. The letter may warn that, if the recipient does not dis ...

to LaBeouf concerning another tweet stating he intended to make a second film plagiarizing Clowes.

OK Soda

In 1993 and 1994, Clowes created artwork for Coca-Cola's

Generation X Generation X (or Gen X for short) is the Western world, Western demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort following the baby boomers and preceding the millennials. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1960s as starting birth years a ...

-inspired beverage

OK Soda OK Soda is a discontinued soft drink created by The Coca-Cola Company in 1993 that courted the American Generation X demographic with unusual advertising tactics, including neo-noir design, chain letters and deliberately negative publicity. Aft ...

, which was test-marketed in select American cities in 1994 and 1995 and then discontinued. His art appeared on cans, bottles, twelve-pack cases, posters, vending machines, and other merchandise, along with point-of sale display items. Clowes's art appears on two cans/bottles (the face of a young man looking forward; the face of a young woman looking forward), though he is often incorrectly credited for other OK can art.

Illustrations

*Clowes has illustrated over 25 LP, EP, and CD covers, including ''Everything Looks Better in the Dark'' (1987) by

Frank French Frank French is an American rock drummer from Sacramento, California. He is a former member of the bands True West, Thin White Rope, the inversions, and Cake Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, ...

and Kevn Kinney,

Thee Headcoats Thee Headcoats was a band formed in Chatham, Kent, England in 1989, that was well known for its garage rock sound, explicitly sticking to this style on almost all of their albums. The band's signature sound as well as their prolific writing has ...

' ''Heavens to Murgatroyd, Even! It’s Thee Headcoats! (Already)'', and the Supersuckers album ''

The Smoke of Hell ''The Smoke of Hell'' is the debut studio album by the American rock and roll band The Supersuckers. It was released on September 1, 1992, on Sub Pop records. The cover art was by the comic book artist Daniel Clowes Daniel Gillespie Clowes ( ...

'' (1992). *His art appeared on a

skateboard A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. They are usually made of a specially designed 7-8 ply maple plywood deck and polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks. The skateboarde ...

deck for

Santa Cruz Skateboards NHS, Inc. is a United States sports equipment distribution company based in Santa Cruz, California.(May 21–27, 1998."Extreme Success - A hedonist work ethic leads to big bucks for SC entrepreneurial slacker"fro''Metro Santa Cruz'' published by ...

(1991 – it was reissued in black and white in 2006). *His artwork can be seen in the

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...

video for their

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

"I Don't Want to Grow Up" (1994). *An

OK Soda OK Soda is a discontinued soft drink created by The Coca-Cola Company in 1993 that courted the American Generation X demographic with unusual advertising tactics, including neo-noir design, chain letters and deliberately negative publicity. Aft ...

vending machine with Clowes art appears in several shots in Christopher Guest's mockumentary ''

Waiting for Guffman ''Waiting for Guffman'' is a 1996 American mockumentary comedy film written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy, and directed by Guest. The film's ensemble cast includes Guest, Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard, and Parker Posey. The film's ...

'' (1997). *He created the movie poster for

Todd Solondz Todd Solondz (; born October 15, 1959) is an American filmmaker and playwright known for his style of dark, socially conscious satire. Solondz's work has received critical acclaim for its commentary on the "dark underbelly of middle class America ...

's film ''

Happiness Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...

'' (1998). *He drew the cover for ''Encounter Briefs'', a fictional comic book featured in

Greg Mottola Gregory J. Mottola (born July 11, 1964) is an American film director, screenwriter, and television director. Life and career Mottola grew up in Dix Hills, New York, in a Catholic family of Italian and Irish descent. He received his BFA in art f ...

's film ''

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

'' (2011). *He drew covers and booklet art for the

Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scholars, cinep ...

's releases of

Samuel Fuller Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and World War II veteran known for directing low-budget B movie, genre movies with controversial themes, often ...

's films '' Shock Corridor'' and ''

The Naked Kiss ''The Naked Kiss'' is a 1964 American neo-noir melodrama film, written and directed by Samuel Fuller and starring Constance Towers, Anthony Eisley, Michael Dante, and Virginia Grey. The film follows a former prostitute who attempts to assimil ...

'' (2011). *He drew the key art for Season 4 of the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

series ''

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo County ...

'' (2017).

Selected works

Comic books

* ''

Lloyd Llewellyn ''Lloyd Llewellyn'' (sometimes abbreviated ''LLLL'') is a comic book by Daniel Clowes. The black-and-white series, published by Fantagraphics Books, ran for six issues from April 1986 to June 1987. A final "special" issue was published in December ...

'' #1–6 (1986–1987) and a special (1988). * '' Eightball'' #1–23 (1989–2004).

Graphic novels

* ''

Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron ''Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes. The book follows a fantastic and paranoid plot, differing in tone from the stark realism of Clowes' later more widely known '' Ghost World''. It contains ...

'' (Fantagraphics, 1993). Clowes's first graphic novel, this volume collects ten chapters serialized in ''Eightball'' #1–10. A surreal narrative partially based on Clowes's dreams, it tells the story of Clay Loudermilk, an alienated young man who searches for his ex-wife after seeing her in a fetish film. * '' Pussey!: The Complete Saga of Young Dan Pussey'' (Fantagraphics, 1995). This collection features Dan Pussey stories that first appeared in ''Eightball''. A satire of the superhero comics industry, it chronicles the life of the title character from his boyhood dreams of being a famous comic-book artist, to success drawing superhero stories, and finally to a rapid fall into obscurity. * '' Ghost World'' (Fantagraphics, 1997). This graphic novel collects the ''Ghost World'' chapters from ''Eightball'' #11–18. On the first paperback edition's back cover, Clowes includes a brief synopsis: "''Ghost World'' is the story of Enid and Rebecca, teenage friends facing the unwelcome prospect of adulthood and the uncertain future of their complicated relationship." The cartoonist's breakthrough and best-selling work, it has been translated into seventeen languages. * ''

David Boring ''David Boring'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes. It was serialized in issues #19–21 of Clowes's comic book '' Eightball'' and appeared in collected form from Pantheon Books in 2000. The book depicts the misadventures ...

'' (Pantheon Books, 2000). This volume collects ''David Boring'' Acts 1–3 from ''Eightball'' #19–21. The comic's elaborately plotted narrative explores the title character's search for the perfect woman and his effort to learn about his missing father. * ''

Ice Haven ''Ice Haven'' is a 2005 graphic novel by Daniel Clowes. The book's contents were originally published as the comic book '' Eightball'' #22 and were subsequently reformatted to make the hardcover ''Ice Haven'' book. ''Ice Haven'' takes the form o ...

'' (Pantheon, 2005). First appearing in ''Eightball'' #22, ''Ice Haven'' was revised and reformatted for the 2005 collection, with new chapters and redrawn art. Featuring a fictional Midwestern town and a large cast of main characters, the story centers on David Goldberg's kidnapping and the strained interactions of the town's inhabitants. *'' Wilson'' (Drawn and Quarterly, 2010). ''Wilson'' is Clowes's first non-serialized graphic novel. Set in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, it tells the story of Wilson, a confrontational misanthrope who desires a deep connection with other people, but whose aggressive interpersonal style thwarts such relationships. *'' Mister Wonderful'' (Pantheon Books, 2011). Called "a midlife romance" by Clowes, this volume is an expanded and reformatted collection of a story first serialized in ''

The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine Supplement (publishing), supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted man ...

'' in 2007 and 2008. It won a 2008

Eisner Award for Best Short Story The Eisner Award for Best Short Story is an award for "creative achievement" in American comic books that has been awarded every year since its creation in 1993. The Eisner Award rules state that "A short story must be within an anthology of bigg ...

for the serialized version. *''

The Death-Ray ''The Death Ray'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes that first appeared in issue 23 of Clowes's comic book ''Eightball (comics), Eightball'' in 2004, and then as a standalone book in 2011. Plot The story, which flashes back ...

'' (Drawn and Quarterly, 2011). Clowes's long-form superhero story, ''The Death-Ray'' first appeared in ''Eightball'' #23. A formally complex narrative, it recounts the story of Andy, who acquires super-powers and a death ray that he uses, according to the back cover, "in defense of the righteous". * ''

Patience (or forbearance) is the ability to endure difficult circumstances. Patience may involve perseverance in the face of delay; tolerance of provocation without responding in disrespect/anger; or forbearance when under strain, especially when faced ...

'' (Fantagraphics, 2016). Clowes's longest graphic novel, the book is described by the publisher as "a psychedelic science-fiction love story, veering with uncanny precision from violent destruction to deeply personal tenderness in a way that is both quintessentially 'Clowesian' and utterly unique in the author’s body of work."

Anthologies

* ''#$@&!: The Official Lloyd Llewellyn Collection'' (Fantagraphics, 1989). Clowes's first anthology, this paperback volume collects thirteen stories from the seven ''Lloyd Llewellyn'' comics. * '' Lout Rampage!'' (Fantagraphics, 1991). This paperback includes stories from ''Eightball'' #1–6, along with strips Clowes created for alternative comics anthologies ''Blab''!, ''Young Lust'', and ''Weirdo''. * ''The Manly World of Lloyd Llewellyn: A Golden Treasury of His Complete Works'' (Fantagraphics, 1994). Clowes's only hardcover anthology, this volume collects all of the Llewellyn stories from the seven ''Lloyd Llewellyn'' comics, early ''Eightball'' issues, ''Love & Rockets'' #13, and elsewhere. * ''Orgy Bound'' (Fantagraphics, 1996). This anthology collects stories from ''Eightball'' #7–16, along with one-page strips from ''Details'' magazine and ''National Lampoon''. * ''

Caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, a ...

'' (Fantagraphics, 1998). Subtitled "Nine Stories", ''Caricature'' collects comics from ''Eightball'' #13–18, along with "Green Eyeliner", the first comic to appear in ''Esquire''s annual fiction issue, commissioned by editor

Dave Eggers Dave Eggers (born March 12, 1970) is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He wrote the 2000 best-selling memoir ''A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius''. Eggers is also the founder of ''Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern'', a lite ...

. * ''

Twentieth Century Eightball ''Twentieth Century Eightball'' is a book collection of comics by Daniel Clowes published by Fantagraphics Books in 2002. It consists of numerous short pieces originally published in Clowes's ''Eightball'' comic book and other venues. Most of t ...

'' (Fantagraphics, 2002). Focusing on short humor comics, this collection reprints some of the cartoonist's most well-known work, such as "Art School Confidential" and "Ugly Girls". It won a Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work in 2003. * ''Ghost World: Special Edition'' (Fantagraphics, 2008). This hardcover collects the ''Ghost World'' graphic novel and screenplay, along with other related material. * ''The Complete Eightball, #1–#18'' (Fantagraphics, 2015). This two-volume hardcover set reprints the first eighteen issues of Clowes's comic-book series.

Other appearances

*"Justin M. Damiano" in ''

The Book of Other People ''The Book of Other People'' is a collection of short stories, published in 2008 by Penguin Books. Selected and edited by Zadie Smith, it contains 23 short stories by 23 different authors, among them Nick Hornby, David Mitchell, Colm Tóibín, ...

'' (2008)

Movies

* '' Ghost World'' (2001) * '' Art School Confidential'' (2006) * '' Wilson'' (2017)

Miscellaneous

* ''

Cracked Cracked may refer to: Television * ''Cracked'' (British TV series), a 2008 British comedy-drama television series that aired on STV * ''Cracked'' (Canadian TV series), a 2013 Canadian crime drama series that aired on CBC * "Cracked", a Season 8 ( ...

'' – recurring strip "The Uggly Family" (1986–1989) *

Thee Headcoats Thee Headcoats was a band formed in Chatham, Kent, England in 1989, that was well known for its garage rock sound, explicitly sticking to this style on almost all of their albums. The band's signature sound as well as their prolific writing has ...

– ''Heavens To Murgatroyd, Even! It's Thee Headcoats! (Already)'' cover (1990) * Santa Cruz Skateboards – Corey O'Brien full-color deck (1991 – reissued in 2006 in black and white) * '' National Lampoon'' – series of one-page strips (1991) *

Urge Overkill Urge Overkill is an American alternative rock band, formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States, consisting of Nathan Kaatrud, who took the stage name Nash Kato (vocals/guitar), and Eddie "King" Roeser (vocals/guitar/bass guitar). They are widely ...

– ''

The Supersonic Storybook ''The Supersonic Storybook'' is the third album by American alternative rock group Urge Overkill. It was released on March 15, 1991 on Touch and Go Records, and was produced by Steve Albini, a former roommate of the band. The album was named by Mat ...

'' cover (1991) *

The Supersuckers The Supersuckers are an American rock band, formed in 1988, whose music ranges from alternative rock to country rock to cowpunk. AllMusic describes the band as "the bastard sons of Foghat, AC/DC, and ZZ Top after being weaned on punk rock, una ...

– ''

The Smoke of Hell ''The Smoke of Hell'' is the debut studio album by the American rock and roll band The Supersuckers. It was released on September 1, 1992, on Sub Pop records. The cover art was by the comic book artist Daniel Clowes Daniel Gillespie Clowes ( ...

'' cover (1992) * ''Eightball'' postcard set (1993) * "Boredom" – a mock board game (1994) * ''The

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...

Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...

Sessions'' cover (1994) * ''Ghost World: A Screenplay'' (2001) * Little Enid Doll (2001–2002) – five versions * Enid & Rebecca Cloth Dolls (2002) *

Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo (YLT; Spanish for "I have her") is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley (drums, piano, vocals), and James M ...

– ''Merry Christmas from Yo La Tengo'' cover (2002) * Enid Hi-Fashion Glamour Doll (2004) * Pogeybait Doll (2006) * ''Art School Confidential: A Screenplay'' (2006) * ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'' cover (May 24, 2010) * ''

Dan DeBono Daniel DeBono (born November 13, 1964 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American writer and novelist. Early life Daniel DeBono grew up in Chesterfield, Michigan. He graduated from L'anse Creuse High School North and attended Wayne State University, In ...

's Indy'' – created original cover and interviewed

Commercial work

*

OK Soda OK Soda is a discontinued soft drink created by The Coca-Cola Company in 1993 that courted the American Generation X demographic with unusual advertising tactics, including neo-noir design, chain letters and deliberately negative publicity. Aft ...

– Clowes was one of the main illustrators for OK Soda cans and print materials, along with fellow

Fantagraphics Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint. History Founding Fantagraphics was found ...

artist Charles Burns.Mother Jones: Clowes Encounter: An Interview With Daniel Clowes
/ref>

References

External links

*
Daniel Clowes Bibliography
The most detailed site on the web for information on Clowes and his work by Ken Parille.

The publisher's page with biography.

Biography & discussion of Clowes's comics and characters.
BBC Collective
Interview and ''Ice Haven'' screensaver. *

' – ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', November 3, 2001: Interview with Clowes around the release of the '' Ghost World'' movie.
2011 radio interview
at

The Bat Segundo Show ''The Bat Segundo Show'' was a podcast based in New York City run by writer and literary critic Edward Champion between 2004 and 2012. It was revived in mid-2013. The program features comprehensive interviews with prominent figures in arts and ...

rcn.com Comic Book Awards Almanac

Guide to the Daniel Clowes Archive 2000-2014
at th
University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clowes, Daniel 1961 births Alternative cartoonists American cartoonists American comics artists American comics writers American graphic novelists Comic book letterers Eisner Award winners for Best Writer/Artist Harvey Award winners for Best Writer Harvey Award winners for Best Cartoonist Independent Spirit Award winners Inkpot Award winners Living people The New Yorker cartoonists The New Yorker people Pratt Institute alumni University of Chicago Laboratory Schools alumni Writers from Chicago Writers from the San Francisco Bay Area Artists from the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish American artists Jewish American writers American male novelists Novelists from Illinois Writers who illustrated their own writing

Early life and career, 1961–1988

''Eightball'', 1989–2004

Post-''Eightball,'' 2005–2016

Cultural contexts

Awards

Exhibitions

Screenwriting

Plagiarism by Shia LaBeouf

OK Soda

Illustrations

Selected works

Comic books

Graphic novels

Anthologies

Other appearances

Movies

Miscellaneous

Commercial work

References

External links