36 Lynda Barry Quotes for You to Enjoy

Lynda Barry

American Cartoonist

Born: Jan 2, 1956

About Me People Think Work You

Related authors: Bil Keane Bill Watterson Caroll Spinney Charles M. Schulz Gary Larson Matt Groening Scott Adams Walt Disney

It's one thing to have a relationship, to lay your hands on it, and another to make it continue and last. That's something I haven't talked about much in my comic strips, and it's certainly something I'm interested in. Lynda Barry

I think of images as an immune system and a transit system. Lynda Barry

Think System Immune Transit Images

For 'Picture This,' I wanted it to be a drawing book that didn't have any instructions about drawing, beyond the real simple stuff you'd find like in a Bazooka bubblegum wrapper, or in 'Highlights' magazine. I just wanted it to be feelings about looking and seeing and pictures. Lynda Barry

'What It Is' was based on this class I've been teaching for 10 years - I wanted to write a book about writing that didn't mention stuff like story structure, protagonists, and all those things that we know about only because they already exist in stories. Lynda Barry

Class Book Writing Those About Structure Only Mention Write Stuff Like Know Protagonists Because Been Years Exist Wanted Stories Story Teaching Based Things

When you learn about stories in school, you get it backward. You start to think 'Oh, the reason these things are in stories is because a book said I need to put these things in there.' You need a death, as my husband says, and you need a little sidekick with a saying like 'Skivel-dee-doo!' Lynda Barry

Death Saying You Book School Husband Think Sidekick Says Backward About Put Like Learn Because Said Get Oh Stories Little Reason Things Start Need

When I work on a book, I usually start with a question. And I don't sit around and go 'I need to write a book. What's a good question?' It will be a question that's just clanging around in my head. So for 'What It Is,' it was this idea of 'What is an image?' Lynda Barry

Work Good Book Will Sit Write Head Idea Around Go Question Just Image Start Need

In my writing class, we never, ever talk about the writing - ever. We never address a story that's been read. I also won't let anyone look at the person who's reading. No eye contact; everybody has to draw a spiral. And I would like to do a drawing class where we could talk about anything except for the drawing. No one could even mention it. Lynda Barry

Class Writing Reading Everybody Address Draw Drawing Eye Eye Contact Would Spiral About Mention Except Could Never No-One Contact Like Look Talk Also Read Been Person Where Anyone Anything Story Even Ever

The thing that really struck me when I went to junior high was class. I grew up on a pretty poor street, but the school district I was in included some fine neighborhoods - so I got to know a couple of the kids from those places and went to their houses and experienced such culture shock. Lynda Barry

Me Class Culture School Those Neighborhoods Kids High Fine District Some Pretty Struck Know Couple Houses Got Up Shock Junior Junior High Experienced Grew Places Poor Really Included Street Thing

My strips are not always funny, and they can be pretty grim at times, and I know I lose readers because of it, but I can't do anything about it - my work is very much connected to something I need to do in order to feel stable. Lynda Barry

Remember when you were in school and the teacher would put a picture under an overhead projector so you could see it on the wall? God, I loved that. Tellya the truth, I used to look at that beam of light and think it was God. Lynda Barry

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