Clowes Wilson Views
Wilson would probably concur. The jobless malcontent/accidental felon/Oakland resident at the center of Clowes' new book definitely isn't the alter ego of the author. Clowes, 49, has the casual graciousness and mild demeanor of a kindergarten teacher. Wilson is the type of guy whose brutal honesty makes people want to punch him in the face within two minutes of meeting him.
Certainly a lot of what he says is me if I had an unfiltered id, if I was able to speak without any self-censorship. Because I tend to be the type who is overly polite and sort of ingratiating to other people, Clowes explains. As my wife says, I'm Wilson's victim. I look like a good listener, I think, so people are always sitting down at my table, sort of unbidden, and telling me about their years of alcoholism.
When Dan Clowes went to Hollywood and started making movies with Scarlett Johansson and Steve Buscemi I wondered if he would ever do another serious graphic novel again. Its been a decade since David Boring came out in book form! But this week Drawn and Quarterly release the full length graphic novel Wilson. It was worth the wait. (click on images for larger size)
Wilson is an odd bird. He tries to befriend stranger after stranger in coffee shops and bars, and later in prison - but he really doesnr't like anybody. Mostly he just talks to himself. Its a sort of introspective misanthropy. Clowes draws Wilson in a variety of styles, but Wilson<'s awkwardness and our discomfort remains constant.
Clowes Wilson Images
