RGFS.NET: Who were the main influences artistically (writers, illustrators, music) on your work growing up as a young artist? In Steve Bissette's TABOO introduction of your story "Akimbo", he wrote that he saw in your work, influences the likes of Alfred Jarry, Samuel Beckett, Mark Beyer, Jim Woodring, and Max Ernst. Vintage John Waters films, Captain Beefheart lyrics, and the Three Stooges were all mentioned at some point also. Were any of these an influence on your writing and artwork in some way?

GRIMES: "If I had to boil it down, it would be the rasp and clang and anvil chorus of the freakishly coiffed Three Stooges. The perpetual background of 'Warner Bros', Terrytoons and (ooh... it's just) Popeyes. Jay Ward's Bullwinkle (and followup characters); and their imitative, less funny brethren, the 'Total TV' crowd (King Leonardo, Underdog, Tennessee Tuxedo). Dr. Seuss, probably more than I realize. Walt Kelly and Chester Gould most definitely. Some Carl Barks and more often the less 'thoughty' Paul Murry (Mickey and Goofy stories). None of us knew their names back then. The early Hanna-Barbera TV 'stable' was always fun to look at (tho' never hilarious), until they 'ran out of animals' and abandoned their old crew for self imitation and endless teenagers-with-hound dogs gurge. Their Hollywood derived 'J. Evil Scientist'. The subsequent TV Munsters and Addams Family, casts, settings and all. And their cartoon reflections Milton the Monster and Gold Key Comics' Little Monsters. The forgotten Virgil Partch. Basil Wolverton in a class all his own, and no doubt Ed Roth's Rat Fink and the Odd Rods craze.

Fifties and Sixties B movie 'horrors', Corman, Castle, Larry Buchanan and such ilk.

Gilligan (Gilligan's Island), Get Smart and Gomer (Gomer Pyle). Paul Henning's crossover world of Hillbillies - the indomitable vitality and 'frightening charm' of the stupid. Especially, most all of Green Acres, the epitome of cornball surrealism.

That's just part of the flood, folks.

And I hope it doesn't disillusion any of my fellow, but 'differently-challenged', obsessives who think I dropped out of some eyre of insanity not of this beleaguered earth, and prefer mystique. But, that was it. The secret's out. I'm just another media baby.

However, I refuse to take the 'blame by association'. All of that stuff was already here for years before I got here or/and came along/later throo dint of effort of many others not only as goofy but probably goofier than I. Earth, or America anyway, does that to you.

So, whatever the particular passing landmarks in the flood of others' works, I defy anyone not to have that fecundity coming out of their ears in pleasing piles of myriad mind-manure.

To continue: Some of the more readily available surrealists - Dali, Magritte, Ernst.

Sergio Leone. Eraserhead. Herbie. Many others, large and small. It could even be any number of things impossible to track down.

In writing: Dr. Seuss and Walt Kelly, again. Frank Jacobs' song parodies in Mad Magazine. W.C. Fields' domestic scenarios.

Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) records freed me to speak of things, things themselves.

A little later, Robbie-Grillet, especially In The Labyrinth and Jealousy, The House of Rendezvous and his book of essays on other writers. His comments on other writers. His comments on Raymond Roussel and examples of his method.

Beckett, of course, took it all to the limits, and I did read him.

Harry Crews brings you back to earth with the anthonic humour of his Southern-fried freaks. Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood.

Vonnegut and Brautigan showed you can have a complete story, a full book, using brevity, personal nuance and humour. Some Donald Barthelme.

---

Am aware of the others you quoted - whatever's been available to touch, glance at or wallow in probably lurks or shines somewhere, too - you have little raps on when, what, & how much. Is there anything that doesn't influence you? I don't think that the nature of it is, in general, even understood. Probably never to be. Plus other people and places - the whole of one's life, which can't be remembered entirely.

Everyone has phases too. I had a Peanuts phase as a kid. Kept drawing the characters. A Crumb phase as a teenager drawing, ('twenties' style), cats and dogs. But, how much of that can you see in my stuff now?

Or other things, particularly later in your life, only reaffirm your direction or fill in some area of created worlds and approaches you almost went to; or never conceived of 'til you saw someone else's work.

You may know you'll never go there. Like in dreams where you see this great style or page that may be signed by some weird name. But, you wake up and realize it could have been your style, had you laboured for that, or been a tad or a slew more capable.

You've dreamed artwork that can never, may never quite be. Yet you saw it as if real in a different niche or continuum of artistic influences.

Again, another 'last point': as you develop you realize a direction isn't quite you and you sort of reject it. You must still love it and respect that artist, writer, or performer but you just don't go there as much for inspiration. Maybe for escape and entertainment! A lot of things I love but have not mentioned because I just don't see the effect on my art." -- (December 22nd, 2008).

-- All images public domain: Jay Ward, Theodor Seuss Geisel, The Three Stooges, Eraserhead, Don Van Vliet, and Harry Crews.