VBS.TV has a 4-parts-plus-a-bonus video series with designer/painter/comic arts legend Gary Panter, and every one of its 20-odd minutes is worth watching. I’d never seen him before and always imagined he’d look something like Henry Rollins; instead he more resembles a cross between John Malkovich and Norman Mailer. (Which isn’t a bad thing, mind you.) Here’s a link to the first part; the other four are accessible via the scrollbar at the right.

Oh, and: don’t be too put off by the weird zombie raver muppet videos at the front of each one. I saw more details with every replay.

VBS.TV says:

Gary Panter has been up to so much shit over the past three decades it is literally crazy. He’s painted, played and recorded music, made puppets, drawn for magazines—all of this stuff extremely good by the way—and was one of the main designers for Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the show that single-handedly warped an entire generation’s mind for the better. And this isn’t even what he’s known for, which is comics. Do you know how long it takes to make comics? Unless you’re just plopping them out like Sam Henderson it takes for-ever. Somehow, amid his bazillions of side-projects Gary made time to create the Jimbo and Dal Tokyo comics and flesh them out to insane, philosophical proportions, either of which series would have been enough to seal his reputation for all time. Oh yeah, and he also teaches college and puts on 60s-acid-test-style light shows with Josh White, one of the originators of the form. Fuck’s sake, right?

Picturebox just put out a huge two-volume monograph of his work, which you can get here. Be prepared to feel pretty unmotivated though, unless you’re Billy Childish or something.

By the way, VBS.TV appears to be nothing short of amazing. Check out their mission statement. Their creative director is Spike Jonze. Say no more.

This whole story comes to you courtesy of this post on the Juxtapoz blog.