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Suidicegirls is not only good for youknowwhat but don't forget their interviews. Just catched up with Adrian Tomine, who's done the wonderful Summer Blonde and last year released his Scrapbook: Uncollected Work 1990-2004.

It's a nice chat, with an interesting bit on autobiographical work and some funny comments on Joe Matt.

DRE: It seems like the work you do that’s not strictly autobiographical can often seem more autobiographical.

AT: That’s a pretty good assessment. If you’re someone like Joe Matt, who in my mind is one of the best autobiographical cartoonists ever because he really has shed his inhibitions and almost takes delight in showing his worst qualities and almost daring his readership to hate him. I think when I was starting out I was much more vain than that so I was trying to do these autobiographical stories but I would get impeded by how I would come off to the public. As a result I ended up telling these very bland generic nothing stories where I’m a likeable schmuck or something. At a certain point I realized I couldn’t keep doing this stuff forever because I want to address some more interesting aspects of my personality. Once I started doing thinly veiled autobiography I was able to open up a lot. It’s almost like a conceit where I give my character a different name or give them a different appearance but even that is enough for me to allow myself to get into personal stuff.

DRE: Are you of Asian descent?

AT: Yes both of my parents are Asian which I’m sure is fascinating information for SuicideGirls [laughs].

DRE: Do you meet women that know of your work?

AT: I tried that for a little while. There was a period when my comics started to get widely read that I thought it would be a smart thing to do but I soon realized it was not such a great idea.

DRE: Why is that?

AT: Lets just say that I don’t think that is a healthy way to begin a serious relationship. It has kind of a pseudo celebrity/fan dynamic which is kind of creepy.

DRE: That’s how Joe Matt meets his girlfriends.

AT: At the stage he is at his life he’s just taking any chance he can get.