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The Final Strip
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by Emma Renda
June 26 – July 2, 2008 |
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If Don McLean read comic books, he'd probably write a song
about today.
Horst Weltschmerz, Canada’s favourite environmentally–
conscious, politically–cynical comic strip character, has run out of
rants.
To be fair, creator Gareth Lind is comfortable with his
decision to dry the ink (not the levee) on Weltschmerz for the
time being. But there is no doubt that the void left in the absence
of Lind and his progressive protagonist will be a difficult one to
fill.
“I think every comic strip has its life and I think I’ve just sort
of come to the end of this one,” Lind says. “And I still have ideas
but it feels like it’s the right time to end it.”
Lind launched Weltschmerz in 1994, making the comic 14
years old. He has freelanced it to alternative papers across
Canada, like Toronto’s Metropolis and Eye Weekly, View
Magazine, Pulse Niagara, and of course, Echo Weekly.
Weltschmerz meshed effortlessly with the alternative fare the
papers enlisted each week and became its own kind of news
source, book–ending his critiques of current events with sardonic
punchlines.
Lind used his comic as a soap–box for the characters within
its panels to speak about issues as broad as global warming and
same–sex (also known as “same–socks”) marriage to the narrow
focus of the Millennium Bug and Spongebob Squarepants’ exile
from Canadian television stations.
“The problem with satire is that you need a real–world mirror
to do a satire on,” Lind explains. He elaborates on his recent
series about the 100–Litre Diet where Cosmo, the tech–fiend,
tries to consume only so much biofuel in a year as would fill the
tank of one SUV. “I’ve been aware of biofuel issues for a couple of
years, so now that it’s in the media I am able to do a satire on it.”
But Lind also says using a comic strip for educational
purposes is close to impossible, because with limited text there
can only be so much room for fact. And there is always the issue
of appeal and accessibility.
“It’s ironic because we have graphic novels being very trendy,
but at the same time the comic strip as a whole is kind of going
downhill,” Lind explains.
“They’re relegated to themes which kids can read, very family
oriented, but I think kids can read more than they’re allowed to
read on the comic page.”
In an effort to explain himself beyond his illustrations, Lind
decided to start a blog that would contextualize Weltschmerz
each week. In doing so, Lind is chalking his name on the tally of
forward–thinking comic artists like Garry Trudeau of Doonesbury
fame and Joe Stacco who is a new type of foreign correspondent,
reporting with comics as his medium.
Browsing his recent posts, Lind’s passions – or perhaps
concerns – are quite clear.
“My two favourite topics are technology and environment,
and they’re kind of related,” Lind says. “Technology is kind of
responsible for the predicament we’re in and also perhaps part of
the solution.”
Lind is true to his own gospel, powering his home through a
wind energy company in Toronto and participating in a car co–op
so he can ride his bike to his office (where he works under the
guise of Lindesign, a graphic design company). Even his comic
book, Weltschmerz: Attack of the Same Sex Sleeper Cells, was
published on recycled paper and processed chlorine–free.
All this awareness was bound to work its way into his work
somehow and Lind says he has plans to take the theme even
further.
“The ideas that I have for a comic strip are less political and
more environmental. There is no environmental comic strip, but
there are some that touch on it,” Lind says, raising his eyebrows
at the thought of pioneering such a comic.
Although he doesn’t reveal even a tentative plan for a new
strip or the resurrection of Weltschmerz, he’s not shy about the
fact that his life will be a lonely place without Horst and company.
“My life has really been sort of tied to cartooning right now,
and I’ll probably fall flat and get depressed for a bit after the
initial, ‘Wee! I have all this time!’” laughs Lind.
And rightfully so, as he has been cartooning since he was ten
years old.
“I was always letting loose really bad jokes, and finally my
dad said, ‘Why don’t you go draw some cartoons or something
instead of plaguing us with the jokes?’ So I went to my room and I
came up with a whole bunch of comic strips and that was sort of
my beginning,” Lind says.
Things have changed quite a bit since Lind started colouring
in his bedroom – after all, half of the ozone layer has depleted.
But the nub and thrust of his strips are essentially timeless.
“Weltschmerz” means ‘world pain’ in German, and while some
faithful readers may call this ‘the day Weltschmerz died,’ there is
plenty more where that came from. And so long as there is more
to come, Lind will have something to draw about.
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