Comix creator Derf Backderf was born and raised in Richfield, Ohio, a
small farm town south of Cleveland.
After a brief stint at art school, he dropped out and worked on the back
of a garbage truck, an experience that was the basis for his ongoing comix
project, TRASHED (SLG Publishing, 2002), a webcomic in 2010 and 2011 and
an upcoming graphic novel from Abrams Comicarts, slated for 2015).
Backderf’s second graphic novel, PUNK ROCK & TRAILER PARKS (SLG
Publishing, 2009), was cited by Booklist as “one of the stand-out graphic
novels of the year.” It was picked for inclusion in BEST AMERICAN COMICS
2010. A sampling of his freeform weekly comic strip, THE CITY was also
selected for the 2008 edition.
Derf’s latest graphic novel is MY FRIEND DAHMER (Abrams Comicarts, 2012),
the haunting account of his teenage friendship with the future serial
killer. It has been hailed as one of the finest graphic novels in recent
memory by Slate, The Plain Dealer, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Kirkus
Reviews and many more. Time Magazine listed it as one of the five best
non-fiction books of the year. It received an Alex Award from the American
Library Association, one of only ten books honored, and was named one of
the best graphic novels of the year by the same organization. It was
awarded an Angoulême Prize, one of the most coveted honors in the
industry, at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in France. MY
FRIEND DAHMER has been translated into French, German and Spanish. It is
currently in its 6th US printing and is in development as a film project.
MY FRIEND DAHMER was selected for BEST AMERICAN COMICS 2012.
Backderf has been nominated for two Eisner Awards, an Ignatz Award, a
Harvey Award and a Reuben Award. He has received a host of honors for his
newspaper comics, including a prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Award in 2006
for the political satire in THE CITY. The Derf Collection, comprised of 30
years of original art and papers, was established in The Billy Ireland
Cartoon Museum at Ohio State University, his alma mater, in 2009.
Derf lives in bucolic Cleveland, for reasons he can’t remember, with his
wife and their two children. www.derfcity.com/
1. Favorite place to stop and just decompress after a hard day?
Well, I sit and draw all day, so I don’t need to decompress, I need to get
off my ass and stretch my legs. I usually walk around somewhere in the
Heights with the dog. Shaker Lakes Park is a good spot. Sometimes if I
really need a mental health break, I’ll drive down to Peninsula and walk
along the Towpath in the National Park for a couple hours.
2. You’re with a group of friends on a Saturday night and no one can
agree on where to go, you take control and suggest?
The Charles Stewart Parnell on Lee Rd. It’s been my pub of choice for 20
years. I think they’ve got a pipe that runs under the Atlantic straight to
the Irish breweries, because the beer that comes out of those taps tastes
better than anywhere else in town.
3. A friend who’s never been to Cleveland comes to town and wants to see the sights, what’s the first place you want to show them?
I usually give them a tour of the Industrial Pit. Head down 77 to Fleet,
turn right and drive right down into the heart of the mills. Not quite as
spectacular now that they scrapped the old giant blast furnaces, but if
you drive through it at night there’s still fire spewing everywhere. It’s
horrifying and beautiful at the same time.
On a nice day, I’d probably take them on a stroll through Lakeview
Cemetery and show them Elliot Ness’ grave. That always blows people’s
minds.
4. What event, development, idea, trend, etc. that should come to
fruition in the next 12 months excites you the most?
The Genghis Con indy comix fest at the Beachland in November. This will be
our fourth year and it gets a little bigger and better with each one.
Cleveland has produced so much comix talent over the years, but the scene
here has always been fractured and frustrating. Columbus has ten times the
scene, and that’s just not right. But good things are happening now and
the Genghis Con is one of the most promising.
5. Best place to see live music and why?
Oh, the Beachland. It’s the best venue this town has ever had, going back
to the old Agora. Great sound, great room, great bands.
6. What about Cleveland is not getting enough press, is underrated?
The Lit scene. I don’t think many people in or outside of Cleveland
realize how much A-list talent is here. I run into any one of four or five
bestselling authors at Zagara’s grocery store!
7. If you could have dinner here in Cleveland with any historical figure
who would it be, where would you go and what would you order?
I’d take Lester Bangs to the Al’s Diner on Larchmere, get the breakfast
special with a heap of corned beef hash, and shoot the shit for hours.
8. You have just been anointed King of Cleveland with an unlimited
budget and all encompassing powers, but you only have one day to rule, what do you do? What do you change, build, tear down, re-envision?
I’d end public subsidies to all the sports teams and instead funnel that
money to the arts scene— the galleries and music venues, the indy
bookstores, record stores and comix shops. Give all those guys a $1
million subsidy every year with the stipulation they have to spend it not
just pocket it, and see what they could do with that money. It’d be a hell
of lot more civic benefit than we get out of our crappy sports teams,
that’s for sure. This town would fucking explode with activity.
On Tap Cleveland 