Rik Livingston: Interview
This interview was conducted by Kelly of DiscoCow.com and appeared on that web site during 2001-2002.

DC: Who Are You? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Rik Livingston, Photo by Kirsten Hepburn

Rik: I was born in a really small Kansas town. Think Superboy's Smallville, or Andy Griffith's Mayberry.
Actually, I look a lot like Don Knotts, the actor who played Deputy Fife on that show. Except I'm more slender and my eyes stick out more.

Say, you ever wonder what would happen if Barney Fife and Gilligan got into a fight, like on WWF Wrestling? Whatta match, eh? Another thing about me is that I have a short attention span. What was the question?

Oh yeah, fast forward many years: I had to beat off the girls, of course, since I looked so much like a famous movie star. Eventually, I wound up in San Francisco, where I got a Master's Degree from "the oldest art school west of the Mississippi", the San Francisco Art Institute. I'm very proud of this fact because when ever anyone questions the strange stuff I draw or paint, I can say, "Hey, Philistine, I hava piece o' paper here, from a very established institution, SEZ I know esthetics!" Let's me get away with almost anything: You wouldn't believe all the galleries I've tricked into hanging what is essentially junk and trash that I screwed together and painted on! And those scribbles I call cartoons! Hah! Got those published, too! And despite all the affronts to cultured people everywhere, the Art Institute STILL hasta say, "Yeah, (sigh) we gave him that Artistic License..."

DC: Why do you draw Cartoons?

Rik: You'll probably be sorry you asked this question. I could talk for hours on this subject, and HAVE when I've taught Comic Book Illustration courses at the Academy of Art college and elsewhere. To put it in layman's terms: Comics are like making a tv show or movie without having to water down your dream by committee.You can use technology to view it, but you don't HAVE to have a machine to enjoy it because it can just be printed on paper and then you can carry this movie around with you ANYWHERE, on the bus, in the john, sneak it inside of your textbook - read it over and over and only pay for it once! Try doing that at the movie theatre - they'll throw you out! If you do use technology to view it, it's relatively cheap to make a TV 'toon, especially if it's something where you'd otherwise be paying for elaborate sets or special effects. (Of course, with TV you DO start getting into the whole committee-mind thing.) Or if it's on the web, most of the files can be made to download fast. You CAN use Flash or Shockwave to animate it, and we'll be seeing a lot more of that, but you don't HAVE to, because the human mind is hardwired to make the pictures "move" - we can even "hear" sounds and dialogue!

But mostly I make comics because, darn it!, I'm a good *American*! Yes, comics are one of the few truly indigenous *American* art forms! Sure, we've treated it like a big-eared, bow-legged, bastard child but it's inner, pure light has come shining through, not just from sea to shining sea, but beyond - to Japan where they call it "Magna" and venerate it by drawing lots of panels with half naked pubescent girls - to France, where they draw such good comics that it makes us look bad, but they just do that because they're French and LIKE to offend! And all over the world...um, what was the question?

DC: What kind of people do you think look at your cartoon?

Rik: Y'know, used ta be, when I was a hip, young anarchist toolin' around SOMA on the Frankencycle (A Kawasaki kept alive from the dead parts of other motorcycles, lamps, trophy pieces, leather stitching, etc.). I never payed to get into clubs 'cuz I did the posters for them, or had my art hanging there, or knew the DJ, or I was just so plain COOL! Back then, I used to think that the only persons who would understand my art was other bad-@$& trend setters such as my own righteous self.

But let me tell you a story: A couple of years ago, I made one of my assemblage, "Urban Fetish Figures", wall sculptures (you can still check out a few of these on the ZONO Site) called "El Diablo Es Muy Grande, Baby!". It was a devil made outta found lumber and other objects, including a chair leg placed so that ol' Scratch looked "very well endowed". Now, I knew when I made it that one of those hip, young, bohemian punks would just havta part with the bread to have this monument to controversiality nailed to the wall of the loft that his daddy's trust fund payed for! It was a given.

Nope. Little old school teacher (semi retired) bought dear "Diablo" (and has bought other pieces of mine since!) She had travel to Africa and Oceania and had other artwork around her apartment that was, how should I say, much better hung, if you know what I mean, and if you've ever seen any of that African art, I think you do. I've learned, from that and other instances, that #1. I'm not quite as radical as I thought. And #2. I shouldn't limit my audience because there's more appreciation for "what-I-do" out there than I thought.

I've decided that I'm kinda like the Ralph Nader of Art and Cartooning: When ever they're polled, the general publik agrees with 95% of what he says, but no one thinks he's electable. Likewise, when people see my cartoons, I usually get good comments and letters and my art sells pretty well when ever it's shown, thank you. My biggest problem is getting the middle men to let me run on equal footing with the more boring artists!

DC: What inspires you; what other comics do you look at?

Rik: As you may have guessed, there's very few main stream cartoonists doing strips that interest me greatly.  Those that I like and come closest to main stream are Bizarro, Kaz, Dangle, Tom Tomorrow, Tom the Dancing Bug, etc. I read a lot of comikz material, though, besides syndicated strips. I've got a huge library of comic books ("Corporate companies", alternative, and Underground), comic strip collections, art books, picture books, etc. Current comic book creators I groove on are: Ware, Allred, "Ribs" Weisman, Sala, "Howdy Pardner". There's a LOT of, unfortunately underdistributed, but very good stuff out there. TOP SHELF does some. ROBOT does some. LAST GASP.COM is a distributor of a lot of it. They still have my BAD CAT books for sale there. Check 'em all out!

DC: Your cartoons, feel politically motivated!  What are your views?

Rik: No, no, naw. I'm NOT a political cartoonist. In fact, I'm not even very political. Politikz makez me very depressed when I'm around them for too long. I do vote, EVERY TIME, but I actually see very little difference between DemoFarts and RepubliNixons so, as you might have guessed, I often vote third party or write in the names of cartoon characters like "Bugs Bunny" or "Dr, Strange", that are much better suited for public office than the candidates listed. My political party is "Surrealists". (Yes, I know André Breton was actually involved in politics, but he was French so he was just trying to piss people off). I'm more motivated by concern for those around me. Anything that looks political in my comikz is really just me noting some absurd situation in which folks have been placed.

DC: What's your take on the Columbine shooting?

Rik: Yeeeesh! You expect me to have a funny thought about THAT? Yeah, gee! let's put a REAL up-beat note in this interview! Mass child KILLINGS! THAT should be funny! I will say that I don't think it was video games, rock music, black trenchcoats, or even guns that caused it - there's been alienated young men since Billy the Kid, and certainly before. In the past, and still in some countries, they've made GREAT soldiers. In France they start getting their bad attitude about then. They've all got more "combustible chemicals" zippin' through those adolescent bods and brains than they've got experience. Here's a funny thought (knew I'd get to one!) maybe we should respect what they're going through and help them out?

DC: Have you ever sniffed glue?

Rik: You're supposed to sniff it? All this time I've been taking it orally! (Sticks to the ribs).

DC: Where do you think your comics need the most improvement?

Rik: Where? In Kansas. Seriously, it's my old home state and the one paper that carried ZONO Comikz shut down. It'd be an improvement for my comics to be published in my original friggin' home state. And it'd be an improvement for Kansas, 'cuz they REALLY need something like ZONO. (Remember this is the state where Bob Dole was elected over and over.)

DC: Actually,  I mean in what area, like artistic, humour, etc.!

Rik: OK, OK, I'm a cartoonist - I'm SUPPOSED to make jokes! But, really, I DID answer you: I need the most improvement in the areas of distribution and marketing! I'm always trying to improve my writing and art in every way, but it's the business side of things that gives me fits!!

DC: What's your favorite animal?

Rik: The Bison. (That's Kansas' state animal. I figured if I said somethin' nice about Kansas, they might publish me again.)

DC: Monica Lewinsky or Slick Willy?

Rik: Aaaarghh! ANOTHER one of these trick questions! Are you asking my sexual preference? 'Cuz when you put it like that, neither choice really appeals to me.

You know, I really want my money back on that whole thang. American taxpayers spent a kazillion bucks on that drag-on investigation and all we really got out of it was a lame tabloid affair and another spokeswoman for Weight Watchers! We coulda bought a lotta good funny books for that kind of $$$! Sometimes I just don't understand our priorities. It makes me want to move to France...

DC: What's your obsession with France?

Rik: France? Never been there; why do you ask?

DC: Any advice you want to leave the readers of this wonderful interview?

Rik: Really, if they've made it through this long interview, they've gotten more than just my 2¢ worth! Like I've said, I'm not really a political cartoonist, and I'm not trying to preach to anyone, just trying to tell the truth, as I see it. If I inspire any others to stay solid and do the same, and that makes things a little better, then, no punch line here - I'm happy!!