[Groop] APE 2012

[Eric Chun]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=41664
APE 2012: Sergio Aragones Looks Back on his Life & CareerTue, October 16, 2012 at 12:28pm PDTSteven Sautter, Contributing Writer

Famed cartoonist Sergio Aragonés, the fastest pen in the West,held court to a steadily increasing crowd during his AlternativePress Expo spotlight panel in San Francisco, CA. Walking witha cane due to a recent operation, he joked about his physicaltherapist before diving straight into an overview of his career.In 1954, Aragonés' first cartoons debuted in his high schoolnewspaper in Mexico. One of his editors took his work to amagazine called "Ja Ja," selling them without his knowledge."I had a weekly page in 'Manana' and made some money incartooning, but not professional cartooning. It was more likewindow displays and that sort of thing," Aragonés said.
In 1962, Aragonés jumped on a bus to New York where he"recited poetry in the Flamingo Bar." After being told numeroustimes to submit to "MAD Magazine," he finally worked up thenerve to speak with "Spy vs. Spy" artist, Antonio Prohías.Prohías introduced him to the editors who quickly gave him anassignment -- "A MAD Look at the U.S. Space Program," "andthey really liked it," Aragonés said. The next morning, he wentback to the "MAD" offices before they opened with his nextassignment and kept going back day after day with art. "Theygave me a one hundred dollar check. I was wealthy! I wasn'tgoing anywhere."
Aragonés visited Europe for two years, where he "learned thetrade from European pantomime cartoons. I wanted to meetthe artists." He learned most of the European cartoonists hadowned the rights to their work and this inspired him to seek thesame compensation.
"There were funny comics and kids comics, but no humor comics.When the underground scene came out, finally there was a market."Aragonés scored a break at Pacific Comics for his most famouscreation, "Groo.""Pacific went out of business because they wentinto distribution rather than printing. One issue at Eclipse Comics,another with Marvel Comics and then there were 120 issues, nevermissing a month or being late," Aragonés said.
He mentioned his latest "Groo" project at Dark Horse Comics, "Groovs. Conan." "Tom Yates is drawing Conan in a realistic style and I'mdoing Groo," Aragonés said. Although slightly delayed because of hishealth issues, Aragonés is finishing issue three right now and said theseries should be out by 2013.
The popular trend of self-publishing is appealing to Aragonés. "I've beenwondering about self-publishing. All these companies I work with haveright of first refusal. So I show them my work and they take it, but I couldtriple my income! It's a great era, and I wish I was younger so I could turncompanies on their heads. All my ideas relate to comics and cartoons -- Idon't have any grand plans. I want to do 'Don Quixote,' but my way, withme in it and making it intellectually correct."
Offering advice to the artists in the audience, Aragonés said, "Don't workfor free. I know you love it and I'm very glad, but you don't go to a doctor,architect or a fine artist and expect them to work for free. If you respectme, you want to pay for my work -- even though it's what we love to do.The reality is gas is now $5 a gallon and we have to live."
Aragonés fielded questions from the audience, beginning with if he had everconsidered teaching art to others. "My problem with teaching is I've neverlearned. My style is so nuts -- I can correct and tell what direction to take,but I can't teach. I recommend learning literature. Read how to write, and ifyou're good at writing, take an art class. For me to teach? I wouldn't knowhow and I don't understand it."
Aragonés admitted his workday has evolved over time, the hustle and bustleof self-promoting his art and getting his name out there no longer takingprecedence to time spent creating. "Now I get up, sit by the pool and getideas. I have lunch, then go to my studio and work. I see a woman at fivein the morning asking me when I'm coming to bed because I get so engrossed.It's great to do something you love."
He went on to discuss the process of creating his "MAD" marginals, whichappeared throughout the magazine. "It's funny because of the size andquickness of it -- the marginals are vignettes to complement the subject.The one I'm doing now is a 'MAD Look at Alternative Medicine.' I spendweeks just thinking about gags, which sometimes my family doesn'tunderstand. Then I write them down on little strips of paper, going from A-Z,and they choose three or four pages worth. Now I have enough material fora whole book! Many of my gags from Bongo Comics' 'Funnies' came fromstuff 'MAD' didn't take."
Aragonés announced he's working on a "MAD" animated show on CartoonNetwork, saying, "I do the original art and they scan it in and animate it.We've tried to do 'Groo' as a movie, but everyone wants a piece of it -- theywant to own it and no one wants me there. I want to collaborate with them,but I don't want an accountant telling me how to write a gag."
In writing satire, Aragonés admitted a joke he may have taken too far and feelsregret about is "a series of books called 'Fanny Hillman: Memoirs of a JewishMadame.' They were popular, but..."
To close the panel, Aragonés says he'll leave the prospect of an autobiographyto the publishers. "I've thought about it. In every issue of 'Funnies' I have abiographical story -- #8's is how I fled from Spain to Mexico. I have plenty ofstories to tell and I'm 75 right now, maybe I'll hit 90. I only tell the funny stories --the other ones are boring. You'll have them all eventually."
 		 	   		  
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