Fri 11/4 @ 5-9PM
Northeast Ohio native John “Derf” Backderf made a name for himself more than a quarter of a century ago as the creator of the nationally syndicated comix The City.
For the last half decade, the Richfield native and Cleveland resident has been concentrating on his critically acclaimed graphic novels, which include Punk Rock and Trailer Parks, My Friend Dahmer and Trashed. Now the award-winning and internationally renowned author is back with his webcomix and new book The Baron of Prospect Avenue.
As part of the monthly Walk All Over Waterloo, Waterloo Arts will be presenting a brand new Derf Backderf: The Baron of Prospect Ave. Comix Project exhibit, with an opening reception scheduled Fri 11/4 @ 5-9PM.
CoolCleveland talked to Backderf about his memories of downtown Cleveland, his latest project and why he walks around with a smile on his face.
Congrats on The Baron of Prospect Avenue. How did the project come about?
I got the arts grant [CPAC Creative Workforce Grant] for that. It’s a continuation of my first book, a kind of a fun project to do after I finished my last book, which was Punk Rock and Trailer Parks. So I’m in between books, and I just thought I’d do this to keep my hand loose and keep my mind thinking. I applied for the CPAC [Community Partnership for Arts and Culture] grant almost on a lark really, and I’ll be damned if they didn’t give it to me. Then I had to produce something. [laughs] This is what I produced. It’s just a labor of love, a fun project.
How does the new book relate to Punk Rock and Trailer Parks?
It’s the same cast of characters. That was set in Akron in the punk rock scene around the punk club the Bank, a legendary place that’s long gone. My protagonist gets stranded in downtown Cleveland when his car gets stolen. He gets hired at Kay’s Books to run the basement stockroom. It’s kind of this glimpse into downtown Cleveland that a lot of people have forgotten before it was all yuppies moving back into town, sports bars and all of that crap. It was a real functioning downtown. It’s just something that was lost, and I like recreating this stuff because there’s not a record of it.
You’re sort of like a historian.
Yeah, a visual historian. It’s really fun to draw Kay’s again. It’s pretty complex because it’s very difficult scenes to draw but it’s a lot of fun to do.
What role does Kay’s Books play in The Baron of Prospect Avenue?
The book is set in early ’80s in downtown Cleveland, particularly Kay’s Book Store, which was legendary and kind of a counterculture headquarters of the era. There were always crazy characters coming in and out, and a real glimpse of downtown during the default era. It’s a time that is long gone, and I thought it would be a great setting for the story. I used to make journeys up there when I was in junior high. I had to hop a bus from Brecksville, get off on Prospect Avenue, which was like parachuting into a Blaxploitation set. I’d go to Kay’s and get a bag of books. I’d go to Record Rendezvous and get a bag of records. And then I’d hop on a bus and come back home. It was like a holy pilgrimage. It was a glimpse into a world outside. It was just an amazing place.
Regarding your upcoming exhibit at Waterloo Arts, how did that come about?
I don’t do many gallery shows. It’s not my bag. I do books but it’s kind of a fun thing to do. I approached them. They were my first choice. When you’re up there at the Beachland, you see the gallery, which always has cool stuff in it. It’s a nice space, and I thought that would be a great place to have it. The whole Waterloo scene is quintessentially Cleveland, and that’s what my work is too. I just thought it would be a great fit and it’s close to the music scene. This book has a lot to do with music. So it just seemed to come together.
Considering the exhibit is based around The Baron of Prospect Avenue, what can we expect?
It will be the original pages on the wall, it will be some original pencil pages too and then there will be some reference photos that I scrounged up. A lot came from the Cleveland Press archives. I think it will be a fun show. And all my books will be for sale, blah, blah, blah.
Finally, what’s the next mountain you want to climb?
I’m doing it. The books have made me this international best-selling author. I just want to try to keep it going and make good work for as much time as I have left. That’s basically it: Work until you die. I’m just enjoying the ride. Everything that happens is a pleasant surprise, and I just walk around with a smile on my face.
Cleveland, OH 44110