Uploaded October 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Conversation begins at 12:05
With his new graphic novel/memoir, UNENDED (Uncivilized Books, bookshop.org/a/4669/9781941250563), cartoonist Josh Bayer (http://joshbayer.com) explores family trauma, memory, art, and more. We get into how Josh spent five years trying to adapt his late father's unfinished play into a comic, the ways it did & didn't help him come to terms with his father's life and his mother's death, and why he blurs out his character's face on the page. We talk about the punk rock inspiration in his writing and art, the systems he uses to pull him out of storytelling morasses and how he learned to teach them to his students, learning to cope with his ADD (and wondering whether I have it too), studying at SVA in his 30s, and why he pursued comics over fine art. We also discuss mental health and treatment and how we deal with our father-issues, Josh's recent stint working at Carol Tyler's Ink Farm (tcj.com/the-ink-farm-jam-comic-day-1/), the impact of the Masters of 20th Century Comics exhibition on his career, why it's tough to be Rollins, the question of whether he's forgiven his dad, and a lot more. Follow Josh on Facebook (facebook.com/joshbayer) and Instagram (instagram.com/joshmbayer/) • More info at chimeraobscura.com/vm/episode-561-josh-bayer • Support The Virtual Memories Show via patreon.com/vmspod and via our newsletter, https://buttondown.email/vmspod
Conversation begins at 12:05
With his new graphic novel/memoir, UNENDED (Uncivilized Books, bookshop.org/a/4669/9781941250563), cartoonist Josh Bayer (http://joshbayer.com) explores family trauma, memory, art, and more. We get into how Josh spent five years trying to adapt his late father's unfinished play into a comic, the ways it did & didn't help him come to terms with his father's life and his mother's death, and why he blurs out his character's face on the page. We talk about the punk rock inspiration in his writing and art, the systems he uses to pull him out of storytelling morasses and how he learned to teach them to his students, learning to cope with his ADD (and wondering whether I have it too), studying at SVA in his 30s, and why he pursued comics over fine art. We also discuss mental health and treatment and how we deal with our father-issues, Josh's recent stint working at Carol Tyler's Ink Farm (tcj.com/the-ink-farm-jam-comic-day-1/), the impact of the Masters of 20th Century Comics exhibition on his career, why it's tough to be Rollins, the question of whether he's forgiven his dad, and a lot more. Follow Josh on Facebook (facebook.com/joshbayer) and Instagram (instagram.com/joshmbayer/) • More info at chimeraobscura.com/vm/episode-561-josh-bayer • Support The Virtual Memories Show via patreon.com/vmspod and via our newsletter, https://buttondown.email/vmspod
