INDEPENDENT, BORN AND RAISED
For the past two years, Maryland senior Josh Eiserike has been a mainstay of the University community with his daily comic strip Liberal Crap, which has been consistently run in The Diamondback, and Really Liberal Crap, which has appeared in the first two issues of The Terrapin Times. As he prepares to graduate and move on to greener pastures, The Terrapin Times took a moment to take a closer look at Josh- his influences, interests and experience with “The Diamondcrap.” Many people know the name behind the popular comic strips on campus, but who really knows the man, the myth, the legend? Here’s our exclusive interview with Josh Eiserike.
The Terrapin Times: To start things off, how old are you and where are you originally from?
Josh Eiserike: I’m 21 and from Olney, Maryland.
TTT: What's your major, and how do you plan to use it once you graduate?
JE: I’m majoring in American Studies, with a citation in Comparative Literature. I probably won’t do anything with it-- I hope to get a job as an editorial cartoonist, and if that doesn't work, I am headed to either Northwestern or Missouri for a Masters in Journalism
TTT: How useful has your writing been so far in seeking either employment or admissions for graduate studies?
JE: It hasn’t made a big difference in admissions, but I'm actively seeking employment as an editorial cartoonist and that really helps. Also, Liberal Crap just won third place in the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists' annual John Locher Memorial Award competition, which recognizes the most outstanding college editorial cartoonists in North America. It's pretty competitive, so that's going to help as well.
TTT: Congratulations. Since Liberal Crap has seen such success, think back to the beginning of it all- what inspired you to first write Liberal Crap?
JE: Originally, I was trying to do something apolitical, situational, in the vein of a Calvin & Hobbes, but then I became interested in politics with the 2000 election and the David Horowitz advertisement on reparations. Added to that, I took a class that had a really painful "sensitivity training" section, which was thinly guised political indoctrination. I called it "Liberal Crap," and decided that a strip doesn't really have to be about anything-- it should be about everything-- from musical numbers to guest stars, a dating service, and a quasi-real political campaign, so long as it's entertaining. Keep in mind at this time I very much considered myself a campus liberal, so the title was tongue-in-cheek.
TTT: Oh, so it's the Seinfeld of comics?
JE: Actually, Mel Brooks is definitely my inspiration. I've always found Jerry Seinfeld slightly annoying.
TTT: Prior to beginning what was to be Liberal Crap, did you do any drawing or other artwork on a regular basis?
JE: Yeah, I've been doing graphics for the Diamondback since I was a freshman, as well as being involved with founding the Campus Cartoonist Coalition-- we published one book called "Comic Strippers" which, thanks to an Andrew Kudlick cartoon called "Grandpa," was mad funny.
TTT: Recently, The Diamondback came under some criticism for allegedly offensive content, and some of your comic strips were singled out. What's your opinion of the matter, and when writing a comic strip, do you ever consider that some people may view certain sarcastic or satirical remarks to be offensive?
JE: People find anything offensive, and that's fine. It's perfectly legitimate to be offended by something and voice your opinion. However, the problem comes when these people, who seem to be the same kids-- protesting The Diamondback, war, IMF and even the thesaurus (as a friend of mine on the Women's Circle listserv told me)- tell other people what is or isn't offensive.
For example, this "Diamondcrap" group, who is doing a great job of remaining anonymous, lists strips on their webpage that they find offensive, but they go beyond that. The problem here is, how in the world do they know what's offensive to Catholics and Christians, or any other particular group of people? Even if they are Catholics themselves, the only way to make this kind of claim is with solid evidence, which they clearly do not provide. There was no scientific survey or anything like that. Besides, that strip was just a reference to the movie “Election,” which is a favorite of mine. Also, their whole agenda is to censor The Diamondback. One kid wrote a letter to the editor today (May 5th) suggesting The Diamondback needs to have sensitivity training. I suggest these kids need "first amendment" and "reality" training. Even I find a lot of my strips offensive, but there's a fine line, and humor sort of dances that line.
TTT: When writing a comic strip designed to be both political and humorous, do you give more effort to humor or to sending some sort of message?
JE: The main objective always is to be entertaining. However, there are definite political overtones, but the goal is still to be entertaining, and if I get someone to laugh, that’s an added bonus.
TTT: Who are some of your main artistic influences?
JE: One is Jim Mahfood; he's to the left of Stalin, but funny as hell. There’s a definite hip-hop style in his artwork, it’s almost graffiti-like in some cases. Another influence is Aaron McGruder. He writes “The Boondocks,” and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. Also, there’s Chris Bachalo, a comic book artist, he’s fantastic and does some really crazy things.
TTT: Your comics frequently reference Ben Folds, what's your favorite song of his?
JE: Depending on the day of the week, either “Where’s Summer B?” maybe “Best Imitation of Myself” or “Hiro’s Song.” I also like listening to They Might Be Giants, Fountains of Wayne and The Flaming Lips.
TTT: How would you best characterize your experience at the University of Maryland, not only with Liberal Crap, but academically, socially and otherwise?
JE: I wish I could be a 21 year old senior forever, it’s been a lot of fun and I’m really glad that I came to Maryland. There have been great experiences, great people, and I’m really going to miss it.
TTT: To conclude, what would your advice be for an aspiring comic strip artist?
JE: The first thing is to make friends with Photoshop fast. My first semester’s strips [were] horrendous artistically, but with Photoshop I was gradually able to bring it together. Also, learn the structure of a comic strip; that took me a long time to figure out. I organized, over April Fool’s Day, a giant cross-country comic swap and got to read a lot of college comic strips. I noticed how many writers don’t understand how a strip works- the punch line and the basic structure. Also, learn to listen and take advice. I worked with Frank Cho, who wrote UNIVERSITY2 for The Diamondback and now writes Liberty Meadows. When he first read Liberal Crap, he tore it apart, but he’s a professional and his input definitely helped. When you get something going, don’t be discouraged, The Diamondback is notorious for making it hard to get a strip, so stick with it. One more thing: do not be afraid of what other people think-- good or bad. Don't be afraid to go out on a limb or on some crazy tangent that might "offend." The bottom line is that you're getting to draw comics, so have fun with it!
TTT: Thanks, Josh. We really appreciate your insight, and The Terrapin Times staff thanks you for your contributions and wishes you the best of luck in the future.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW JOSH EISERIKE'S COMIC FROM THE LAST ISSUE
ALSO CHECKOUT THIS ISSUE'S EISERIKE CARTOON
