Adrian Tomine’s (drawn) Shortcomings

Modern Minorities

English - August 07, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - ★★★★★ - 130 ratings
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“I wasn't thinking about an audience. It was a pure outpouring of just whatever came to me. I was rebelliously and ambitiously not giving them the book they were looking for.”
Adrian Tomine is an American cartoonist who we’ve admired** for years. Adrian is the creator and writer of the 2007 graphic novel SHORTCOMINGS, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the year. SHORTCOMINGS was also recently turned into the film of the same name*, which happens to be the directorial debut of Randall Park. Shortcomings premiered at the 2023 Sundance film festival. This is a book and film you need to see. Adrian’s been creating comics since he was SIXTEEN - and since then he’s become known for not just his comics, but also his infamous New Yorker covers (since 1999!). His artwork and stories have a wry, thoughtful candor about them. From comics like Optic Nerve, Sleepwalk, Killing and Dying, all published from Drawn & Quarterly. Adrian also created graphic memoirs like Scenes From an Impending Marriage, and The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist. Adrian’s comics have been anthologized in publications such as McSweeney’s, Best American Comics, and Best American Nonrequired Reading. In 2022, Adrian’s short stories were adapted into the film Paris, 13th District directed by Jacques Audiard, with a screenplay by Céline Sciamma and Léa Mysius. As you’ll find in this candid conversation, Adrian Tomine is many things - a cartoonist, filmmaker, husband, father, and reluctant Taylor Swift fan. More importantly, his work will make you think, wonder, and sometimes smile, smirk, wonder, and most importantly feel.

*NOTE: This conversation was booked independently through Adrian’s book publisher - Drawn & Quarterly, not the film studio, out of respect for the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strike. Huge thanks to the team at Drawn & Quarterly for arranging this interview with a creator whose work we’ve loved for so long.

**Extra special thanks to Quarantined Comics co-host Ryan Joe for jumping to join Raman Sharon while she was out saving cinematic orphans from the evils of avarice and artificial intelligence.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ADRIAN

adrian-tomine.com

instagram.com/adriantomine

FILM / TRAILER: Shortcomings (2023): imdb.com/title/tt14483774

BOOK: Shortcomings (2007): drawnandquarterly.com/books/shortcomings

MENTIONS

BOOK: Love & Rockets - wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_and_Rockets_(comics)

PERSON: Richard Sala - wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Sala

PERSON: Daniel Clowe - wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Clowes

PERSON: Charles Schultz - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_M._Schulz

SHOW: Curb Your Enthusiasm Pilot Episode - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0218388/

Band Cut Worms - allmusic.com/artist/cut-worms-mn0003661980

PERSON: Larry David - wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_David

FILMMAKER: Céline Sciamma - imdb.com/name/nm1780037

FILM: Paris, 13th District - imdb.com/title/tt12708658

FILMMAKER: Ari Aster - imdb.com/name/nm4170048

FILM: Beau Is Afraid - imdb.com/title/tt13521006

FILMMAKERS: Coen Brothers - wikipedia.org/wiki/Coen_brothers

FILMMAKER: Alexander Payne - imdb.com/name/nm0668247

FILM: Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett) - imdb.com/title/tt0076263

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“I wasn't thinking about an audience. It was a pure outpouring of just whatever came to me. I was rebelliously and ambitiously not giving them the book they were looking for.”

Adrian Tomine is an American cartoonist who we’ve admired** for years. Adrian is the creator and writer of the 2007 graphic novel SHORTCOMINGS, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the year. SHORTCOMINGS was also recently turned into the film of the same name*, which happens to be the directorial debut of Randall Park. Shortcomings premiered at the 2023 Sundance film festival. This is a book and film you need to see. Adrian’s been creating comics since he was SIXTEEN - and since then he’s become known for not just his comics, but also his infamous New Yorker covers (since 1999!). His artwork and stories have a wry, thoughtful candor about them. From comics like Optic Nerve, Sleepwalk, Killing and Dying, all published from Drawn & Quarterly. Adrian also created graphic memoirs like Scenes From an Impending Marriage, and The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist. Adrian’s comics have been anthologized in publications such as McSweeney’s, Best American Comics, and Best American Nonrequired Reading. In 2022, Adrian’s short stories were adapted into the film Paris, 13th District directed by Jacques Audiard, with a screenplay by Céline Sciamma and Léa Mysius. As you’ll find in this candid conversation, Adrian Tomine is many things - a cartoonist, filmmaker, husband, father, and reluctant Taylor Swift fan. More importantly, his work will make you think, wonder, and sometimes smile, smirk, wonder, and most importantly feel.