An Interview with Keiler Roberts
We first got to know Keiler Roberts through her 2021 release My Begging Chart, which we reviewed here. Her work is deceptively casual, relatable yet unique. We are excited to feature an interview with the creator here, just as two new works of Roberts are in the world: The Joy of Quitting and Creepy.
Describe your comics journey--how did you get into making comics?
I was sort of struck by lightning when I was a kid. I think that must’ve made me inclined to make comics.
How did you develop your voice/unique comics style?Â
I tried not to do anything that wasn’t instinctual and unconscious. I wanted my comics to seem like my handwriting, like something I developed without any decisions or deliberate stylization. I like houses that are never deliberately decorated all at once. Furnishings come from all different times and styles and the result is warm, homey and cohesive without being planned. That’s what I want my voice to be.Â
What are some of the joys and challenges of making nonfiction comics?
Well, the joy comes mainly from quitting (ha ha). The challenge is to have a strong sense of direction that isn’t influenced by external factors. It’s also hard to gather the motivation and will-power to sit and get the work done. The joy comes from the act of working. It doesn’t feel happy and fun, but it feels really good to be able to concentrate and create. The joy also comes from looking at the finished work and being happy that it exists.
What would you want people to know about The Joy of Quitting?
It’s a collection of comics from my out-of-print Koyama Press books and some from my self-published books, so everything takes place before My Begging Chart. The people who like my comics find them funny and relaxing to read. Some people see themselves in them. My biggest fans are men in my dad’s cribbage group and the 7-12-year-old kids of my friends. People who don’t like my books don’t have my sense of humor and are probably annoyed by my avoidance of conventional narrative structure. There isn’t anything in particular I want people to know about The Joy of Quitting. I always wanted to make comics that anyone could jump into without any context or specific knowledge.
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Keiler Roberts makes autobiographical comics. She is the recipient of the Cartoonist Studio Prize and the Ignatz Award. She has taught comics at The School of The Art Institute in Chicago. Early in her career, Roberts self-published Powdered Milk, Happy Happy Baby Baby, and Miseryland. Koyama Press published Chlorine Gardens, Rat Time, and Sunburning which was translated into Spanish as Isolada. The Joy of Quitting is her second book for Drawn & Quarterly, following My Begging Chart which was translated into Spanish as Mi Tabla De Súplicas.