I think I just got my first bit of Henry & Glenn Forever inspired hatemail. This was left in my comments inbox, but I thought I'd post it here and respond. From someone named Ravenscar:
"I cant think of whats more pathetic: the irony in the truth that, Tom IS a typical internet loser phile with no life or LASTING legacy like Henry or Glenn-despite the many obvious and predictable detractions one could rip them apart with, and which countless nobodys do every second of everyday about those who more popular than them (hint, hint) or the fact that their contribution to the arts is a mediocre piece whose artwork is unoriginal, and rips off the longstanding underground greats poking at a longtime, long lasting comraderie of two people responsible for setting off an entirely new genre of music, as *assumes butthead tone* uh, huh-huh, those two are gaybags...I laughed at your piece then moved on...enjoy your 15 seconds of fame"
Thanks for your comment. I haven't been around long enough to have any "lasting legacy." Time will tell. And if I do end up with any legacy as an artist, I hope it's for my many other works of art and comics which i take much more seriously: The Blot, Your Disease Spread Quick, Brilliantly Ham-fisted, my forthcoming book The Wolf, or any of the other pieces of art that I've worked very hard at over the years, and will continue to work at for the rest of my life. Art is my life. And though the Henry & Glenn book may be the most popular and successful thing I've done so far, I consider it a very small part of my body of work. You took the time to find my website and comment on my blog, why don't you take a look at all of the other things I've done?
The "15 seconds of fame" I've received for Henry & Glenn has, in my view, unfortunately overshadowed everything else I've done as an artist. I think Henry & Glenn is a fun book, and I enjoyed making it with my friends (there were three other talented artists involved), and people really seem to love it. It's popularity has far surpassed my expectations. But as I've said in many interviews recently, it's just a dumb joke book that we thought up over a night of too many beers. There's no need to take it so seriously and get upset about it. It's funny that you quote Butthead... Beavis and Butthead essentially did the same thing, making fun of bands, and nearly 20 years later people still laugh with them and quote them. That's a lasting legacy.
As for me being a "typical internet loser phile" well, at least I try to create art, rather than just leaving hateful and badly written comments on blogs while hiding behind a pseudonym.
I have the utmost respect for the legacies of both Rollins and Danzig (I also love Hall and Oates, but their portrayal doesn't seem to bother you). Even though we poke fun at them with our little book, it is done with great appreciation for their contribution to the music world. I have most of their albums and still listen to them regularly. The first time I heard the Misfits, way back in the 6th grade, it blew my mind and opened me up to a new world of music and I have continued to search for new and interesting udnerground punk, metal and other forms of music my entire life. I'm also a self-publishing DIY artist and find great inspiration from the history of bands like the Misfits and Black Flag who adhered strongly to the DIY ethic in their early careers.
It has been said that parody is the greatest form of flattery, and I think that's true. If I didn't love these two great musicians, I wouldn't have devoted this much time and energy to making a book about them. I think it's unfortunate that Danzig and many of his fans, including you, are unable to see that in our work. It's unfortunate that you don't have a sense of humor about these things. But oh well... Have a nice life.
Read More...
Summary only...
"It’s an affectionate send-up of the testosterone-soaked images of both singers by real fans, replete with lyrics-as-dialogue and all of the familiar iconography for both men. It’s less a poke at them than it is a parody of romance comics, overly-sensitive emo indy comics, and self-obsessed diary strips."
"Neely took the idea of identical Popeyes battling each other from an old issue of his comic and turned it into a visceral examination of the ways in which our own id can lead to self-negating behavior."
