Issue 4 - Down with the Brown

I have this friend. He is a big time indy comics fan. He's done a lot for the local indy comic scene. He even writes his own mini-comics. His name is Brandon Huigens. Brandon loves Jeffrey Brown. When I started to build inventory for the store I picked up a few of Jeffrey Brown's books. I read them and realized that Brandon and Jeffrey had a lot in common. The both wrote deeply personal autobiographical comic books. They both had a simplistic drawing style which was able to convey real emotion. They both write about their relationships with women. This can be a slippery slope. Jeffrey has become an indy comic book success with a dozen or so books published. His books are raw. Emotionally. Artisticly. Thematically. He lays it all out there for the world to see. Last year, I stopped by the Top Shelf to see who was signing. I stopped by to see Jeffrey. My librarian friend Rawdy Librarian was there to witness the dabauchery that my "I like your work" fanboy talk turned into. I started out telling him that "I like your work" and that I was amazed how vulnerable he allowed himself to be in his books. I explained that it felt like reading his personal diary. Then I said the thing that made Rowdy Librarian think "Ohhhhh no he didn't". I said, "I don't think that you will ever get a date again in your life. Anyone who dates you will feel like their personal moments will end up in a comic book." I didn't say it to be mean. It's just my reflection of his deeply personal work on display to the public. I don't think it is any different than Howard Stern talking about his home life, marriage, and divorce. I think that it might have gone over better that way. Instead, he had the "Ohhhh no he didn't" look on his face. I continued to talk with him for a little bit and walked away. Jeffrey, I'm sorry.