I’m a huge fan of Jeff Smith and his comic/graphic novel, Bone . I had the pleasure and honour of meeting him a few years ago at the Silver Snail here in Toronto and his autographed issue 3 of Bone is one of my treasured items (see left).
Jeff was friendly and genuinely interested and happy to meet and chat with his fans. I remember telling him how strange it was that it feels as though I was about to also meet the Bone characters as well. Jeff replied that he had the same feeling when he met with Walt Kelly’s daughter.
Caleb posted a fantastic summary of an interview with Jeff Smith by none other than Scott McCloud at Ohio State University. Reading it makes me feel like I was there!
During the interview, Jeff explained he wrote Bone for himself, "and perhaps other ‘cartoon head adults;’ adults who grew up digging and still dug Chuck Jones and Carl Barks. ‘It was the book I wanted to see since I was a kid.’"
That pretty much sums up Bone . I’d also add Peanuts and Calvin & Hobbes. It’s a fantastic work.
An exhibit of Jeff’s work before and after Bone is on at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio. I am soooo itching to go!