Since 1975, JIM MAHFOOD has been making the world a sexier place. Not long after, he began drawing what the Egyptians call "hieroglyphics," and what we Americans call "comic books." He began self-publishing his own comics with the "Grrl Scouts" and has continued writing and drawing his own books as well as collaborating with such illustrious writers as Kevin Smith and Brian Michael Bendis, to name exactly two. For the first (and possibly last) footnote interview, our own D.J. KIRKBRIDE sat down at his computer and emailed the second sexiest "Jim" in comics (word to Valentino!) some random questions. All this, plus you get a Dave Crosland illustration to bring it all together!

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DJ: Why the hell would you draw comic books for a living? Why not become a lawyer or a doctor or a lawyer?

JIM: I ask myself that same question everyday. I really wanted to be a rock star or a musician of some sort when I was a kid. But I have no real musical talent so I just kept drawing and drawing. I really do love the medium of comics, though. I like to write and draw my own stories, period. Comics is the one medium that allows me to stay at home alone, listen to loud music, and write and draw whatever I want.

DJ: You've been in the "biz" for a while now. How do you feel about it at this point? Are comics doomed to go the way of freedom of speech and drug-free happiness? Or is there hope for this medium?

JIM: Well, I try not to get too depressed about the current state of the medium. About 95% of the stuff that the mainstream companies put out is repetitive, unoriginal garbage. There's great shit going on in the indy underground scene, but unfortunately, most of it goes ignored by comic shops and the general public. I've just tried hard to carve out a little niche for myself and amass a small cult following of loyal fans.

DJ: I first discovered your work with the Clerks comic you did with Kevin Smith. How was that experience? Did it open some doors for you? Make tons of money?

JIM: It was a cool experience and came at a perfect time for me. My "professional" artistic career was just beginning to take shape and this book really helped blow the doors open for me in many ways. There wasn't really any huge money involved or anything like that, but the exposure and connections I made from it were great.

DJ: Your art style's really evolved over the years, as evident in your early work (many examples currently collected in the Classic 40 OZ: Tales From the Brownbag tpb on stands now -- PLUG), to the aforementioned Clerks comics, to now. Has it been a conscious change, or just a natural progression?

JIM: Thanks for the plug. The change has been both a conscious one and a natural progression thing. The more you draw, the more you do this stuff, the better you get. It just comes with time. On top of that, I have added or subtracted elements to my art style in a very conscious way, trying to bump it up to the next level. For example, in the late 90's I was all about the thick line graf style. Then everybody started doing this shit so I eventually abandoned it.

DJ: Which is the better fighting technique: karate or ka-razy?

JIM: According to the James Brown Funky Soul Brother School of Martial Arts and Hair Care, it would most certainly be ka-razy.

DJ: Who influenced you artistically when getting into comics? As a reader? As an artist? As a lover?

JIM: As a reader, Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Robert Crumb, the Hernandez Brothers, Evan Dorkin, etc. As an artist, Jamie Hewlett, Mike Mignola, Kyle Baker, the Hernandez Bros, Bill Sienkiewicz, and so on and so on. As a lover, Dave Crosland's mom.

DJ: Besides your own stuff, what comics are you into now?

JIM: I pick up 100 Bullets every month, Street Angel whenever it comes out, my buddy Ben's mini-comic Snakepit, Amazing Joy Buzzards, and Pop Bot.

DJ: Is your Marvel superhero parody special with Brian Michael Bendis, Wha Huh?!, real? Or is it all a lie created to confuse fandom?

JIM: It's real and Bendis has assured me that it is definitely coming out. It was pushed back for legal reasons, but is being resolicited and will be out in July. It's a fun book. I think people are really going to dig it when it finally drops.

DJ: Do you prefer working with other writers or doing your own stuff? Are there different perks to both?

JIM: I prefer just writing and drawing my own stuff cause it's easy. That way I get to draw whatever I want and it's easier for me to think of the whole thing as one united piece of work. Working with the right writer is always fun, though. Working with all the guys on Wha Huh?!: Bendis, Mark Millar, Brian K. Vaughan, Ed Brubaker, Mark Waid, and Stan Lee was a blast. They all turned in killer stuff, and I just went nuts on it and added my own spice. Same thing with Bad Ideas. Wayne Chinsang delivered an insanely fun script and Crosland and I just went buck wild on it.

DJ: You're also into live art (painting to music at live shows). How did you get into that? Does it flex different artistic muscles than the comics?

JIM: I got into it when I lived in Arizona and I met a couple kids doing it. They were doing one big painting over the course of the night and I figured if I had a chance to do it, I could rock out 8-10 pieces in a night. Bombshelter DJs (Z-Trip, Radar, and Emile) had a weekly event at the time and they invited me to come down every week and paint live onstage with them, which was killer. The process is completely different than comics for me. It is unplanned and spontaneous. I don't know what I'm going to draw or paint until I get on stage and the music kicks in. With comics, everything is scripted and planned out ahead of time. I like that contrast between the two different ways of working.

DJ: You've mentioned listening to music while working. Who/what do you listen to most often?

JIM: In the morning it's jazz or reggae. In the afternoon hip-hop, rock, or punk, and at night it's usually dub, jazz, or more mellow shit. My favorites have always been anything by Madlib, Fishbone, Bad Brains, James Brown, Miles, Coltrane, De La, Tribe Called Quest, DJ Shadow, Parliament, anything from the Stones Throw label, most of the Rhymesayers and Def Jux shit, Murs, Atmosphere, MF Doom, Herbie Hancock, and the list goes on and on into infinity...

DJ: Cereal: with or without milk?

JIM: With milk for sure. I prefer the vanilla soymilk.

DJ: You've done some freelance work in animation. How is that different from your comics work? Are you able to maintain any creative control?

JIM: It's fun but it's a lot more bullshit and politics to deal with. It's less freedom. You have to deal with meetings and people in development positions who don't have a clue what they're talking about.

DJ: Are there any questions I haven't asked but should have? If so, answer them. Or, if you want to ask me something, now's the time. You will never get another chance.

JIM: When's the next season of America's Next Top Model coming on? My life is one empty, incomplete void without it. [It's back that day after this issue of "the footnote" hits, March 2nd on UPN! -- D.J.]

DJ: Got any new shit to pimp? Pimp it!

JIM: My new book FELT: True Tales of Underground Hip Hop hits stores on May 4th. Please go out and bug the shit out of your comics retailer and tell him to order it. Or preorder a copy yourself through Diamond previews. I'll be at some cons this summer with the new book, new shirts, and some other cool goodies. I'm doing the Wizard LA Show (March 18-20), APE (April 9-10), Toronto Con (May 27-29), Mocca in NY (June 11-12), San Diego (July 14-17), and Chicago Wizard (Aug 5-7). Check out www.40ozcomics.com for more updates and stuff.