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ME: How did the 9/11 graphic adaptation came on ? Did you instantly agree on doing it or did you have any doubts on its relevance ?
ERNIE: I had problems reading the report--so many
names, so many takeoff times for each plane. I gave up and called my pal Sid
Jacobson (who was the editor at Harvey) I told him we were in the business of
making things clear and suggested the GN format. He said "holy shit!" told me
to hang on. He ran down some hallway, presented the idea to a film producer
who told him to get me drawing immediately--he would fund the project.
It was the fastest trip from idea to production I ever
experienced.
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The After 9/11 GN, even if sold as a kinf of « sequel » to the 9/11 report is quite different in its approach. 9/11 was a straight graphic adaptation, but After 9/11 is more like a journalist work, picking news reports, ordering them. Was it more difficult ? (you seemed kind of burned out on the last 30 pages, with lots of « live-pictured » headshots)
After 9/11 was not a good idea and badly
realized. If we had offered a point of view, or imbued it with an opinion, or
a critical approach, it would have been a much better book. It was a dud--and
deserved to be.
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Wasn't there supposed to be a 3rd book, Going Home, on the soldiers return to US ?
"Coming Home" was intended for homecoming
veterans. It tried to address their problems of adjustment. We're very proud
of that book. It's been distributed to more than 400 thousand service people
and we've gotten great mail from them and from officers.
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Projects like the 9/11 report and the Anne Frank graphic biography tend to produce more extreme feedback reactions. How do you deal with it and have you been surprised by some reactions to both those GN ?
Anne has had unanimous support. We're very happy
about that. 9/11 got great support from schools. Students who would not have
read the report, read our book with enthusiasm--which pleased the teachers, of
course.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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