Mitch Clem
Encyclopedia
Mitch Andrew Clem is an American
cartoonist
best known for his web comics Nothing Nice To Say
, San Antonio Rock City, and My Stupid Life.
, on September 15, 1982. He moved around through various locations in Minnesota
, including Coon Rapids
, Brooklyn Park
, Andover
, Melrose
, Duluth
, and St. Cloud
. He says that this is a result of his "rampant inability to sit still for more than six months at a time."
Clem became interested in comic strips as a child, reading the newspaper strips. He cites Calvin and Hobbes
and The Far Side
as the most influential on him in those days. He also credits Looney Toons as being a childhood influence on his interest in cartooning.
In the later part of elementary school
, he began developing an interest in superhero
comics Batman
and the Flash
. In high school, his interest in comic books grew to include what he calls "really weird indie books," The Tick
, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
, Sandman
, Milk & Cheese
, and the crime works of Brian Michael Bendis
. He had no interest in superheroes at that time, until he read Watchmen
, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
, and Daredevil: Guardian Devil
. He is now an avid fan of DC Comics
characters, which he references frequently in his blog and in his autobiographical comic, My Stupid Life.
.
, which follows Minneapolis punks Blake and Fletcher.
The comic has survived many hiatuses (the lengthiest lasting from August 14, 2004, to January 31, 2005) and much artistic evolution (probably the most drastic change being a switch from full-color to black and white comics, a decision Clem credits partially to discovering his being partially colorblind), but it remains, to this day, one of the longest lasting comics on the internet. The strip is updated on an arbitrary basis.
Dark Horse Comics
published an anthology of his Nothing Nice To Say "Volume 2" comic strip in October, 2008.
, created by Zach Miller for November 7, 2004. He later guest authored the strip for the entire month of January, 2005, claiming that he lost a bet to Miller. His month on Joe and Monkey led directly into a return from his longest hiatus from Nothing Nice to Say to-date. Clem would return to guest author Joe and Monkey two more times, once by himself and once in collaboration with Penny Arcade
writer Jerry Holkins
.
On January 22, 2006, Clem launched his first autobiographical comic series San Antonio Rock City, which centered on him and his then-girlfriend Victoria after moving to San Antonio, TX
from Minnesota
. The strip generally followed a four-panel format arranged in a square with using the first for the title panel showing Clem and Victoria, parodying American Gothic
. Occasionally, there are a few six-strip comics. San Antonio Rock City was his main focus for a while until he canceled it due to his split with his girlfriend Victoria. The entire series will be collected in the upcoming book My Stupid Life, Vol. 1 from New Reliable Press
.
On April 15, 2009, Clem announced on his blog that he would be releasing a new book, My Stupid Life: Volume One, through New Reliable Press
in the Fall of 2009. The book would collect the current run of My Stupid Life, as well as the complete San Antonio Rock City series, Clem's first foray into autobiographical comics
, Andrew WK, The Steinways, Shang-A-Lang, Bomb the Music Industry!
, Something Fierce, and others. He also created the art for every record in Vinyl Collective's Under the Influence series, featuring Lemuria
, Off With Their Heads
, Drag the River
, Fake Problems
, These Arms Are Snakes
, and more.
His artwork is commissioned regularly for Razorcake
magazine and the Kansas City Pitch. He also authors Punk Matters, a monthly column about punk music in the San Antonio Current
.
On June 25, 2007, Clem’s blog Rain of Bastards was selected by the editors of PC World
magazine for their article "100 Blogs We Love," under the "Arts and Culture" section.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
best known for his web comics Nothing Nice To Say
Nothing Nice To Say
Nothing Nice to Say is a webcomic, touted as "The world's FIRST online punk comic", created by artist Mitch Clem. It is sometimes abbreviated as Nothing Nice, NNTS or NN2S.- Synopsis :...
, San Antonio Rock City, and My Stupid Life.
Early life
Clem was born in MinneapolisMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, on September 15, 1982. He moved around through various locations in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, including Coon Rapids
Coon Rapids, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 61,627 people, 22,578 households, and 16,572 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,718.1 people per square mile . There were 22,828 housing units at an average density of 1,007.2 per square mile...
, Brooklyn Park
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
According to the 2010 census, there were 75,781 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 52% White, 24% African American, 1% Native American, 15% Asian, 42 residents identifying themselves as Pacific Islander, 4% from other races, and 4% from two or more races...
, Andover
Andover, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,588 people, 8,107 households, and 7,150 families residing in the city. The population density was 779.6 people per square mile . There were 8,205 housing units at an average density of 240.6 per square mile...
, Melrose
Melrose, Minnesota
Melrose is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,598 at the 2010 census. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
, and St. Cloud
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...
. He says that this is a result of his "rampant inability to sit still for more than six months at a time."
Clem became interested in comic strips as a child, reading the newspaper strips. He cites Calvin and Hobbes
Calvin and Hobbes
Calvin and Hobbes is a syndicated daily comic strip that was written and illustrated by American cartoonist Bill Watterson, and syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. It follows the humorous antics of Calvin, a precocious and adventurous six-year-old boy, and Hobbes, his...
and The Far Side
The Far Side
The Far Side is a popular single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from January 1, 1980, to January 1, 1995. Its surrealistic humor is often based on uncomfortable social situations, improbable events, an anthropomorphic view of the world,...
as the most influential on him in those days. He also credits Looney Toons as being a childhood influence on his interest in cartooning.
In the later part of elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, he began developing an interest in superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comics Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and the Flash
Flash (comics)
The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
. In high school, his interest in comic books grew to include what he calls "really weird indie books," The Tick
The Tick
The Tick is a fictional character created by cartoonist Ben Edlund in 1986 as a newsletter mascot for the New England Comics chain of Boston area comic stores. He is an absurdist spoof of comic book superheroes. After its creation, the character spun off into an independent comic book series in...
, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac is the first comic book by Jhonen Vasquez. A black comedy and comedy horror, the series tells the story of a fictional serial killer named Johnny C. as he explores the psychological and possibly supernatural forces which compel him to commit a string of murders...
, Sandman
Sandman (Vertigo)
The Sandman is a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. Beginning with issue #47, it was placed under the imprint Vertigo. It chronicles the adventures of Dream , who rules over the world of dreams. It ran for 75 issues from January 1989 until March 1996...
, Milk & Cheese
Milk & Cheese
Fun with Milk & Cheese is a comic book by Evan Dorkin and was published by Slave Labor Graphics. It follows the adventures of an anthropomorphic, misanthropic carton of milk and a wedge of cheese...
, and the crime works of Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work, and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics, with his books selling consistently highly for over a...
. He had no interest in superheroes at that time, until he read Watchmen
Watchmen
Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colourist John Higgins. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987, and has been subsequently reprinted in collected form...
, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is a four-issue comic book limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller, originally published by DC Comics under the title Batman: The Dark Knight in 1986. When the issues were released in a collected edition later that year, the story title for the first issue...
, and Daredevil: Guardian Devil
Daredevil: Guardian Devil
"Guardian Devil" is an eight-issue Daredevil story arc originally published by Marvel Comics in Daredevil #1-#8. It features the hero suddenly caring for an infant that may be either the Messiah or the Antichrist. The issues were written by filmmaker Kevin Smith and illustrated by Joe Quesada...
. He is now an avid fan of DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
characters, which he references frequently in his blog and in his autobiographical comic, My Stupid Life.
Present
In the summer of 2005, Clem moved from Minneapolis to San Antonio, where he resided with his then girlfriend Victoria. He worked full time as a cartoonist and freelance illustrator.Summer's Over
Mitch Clem's career as a cartoonist and writer first took published form in the late 1990s with his zine, Summer's Over, of which he published ten issues. He put out his last issue in 2001, when he switched his focus from print to webcomics with the launch of Nothing Nice to SayNothing Nice To Say
Nothing Nice to Say is a webcomic, touted as "The world's FIRST online punk comic", created by artist Mitch Clem. It is sometimes abbreviated as Nothing Nice, NNTS or NN2S.- Synopsis :...
.
Nothing Nice to Say
On February 25, 2002, Clem first published the strip for which he is best known, Nothing Nice To SayNothing Nice To Say
Nothing Nice to Say is a webcomic, touted as "The world's FIRST online punk comic", created by artist Mitch Clem. It is sometimes abbreviated as Nothing Nice, NNTS or NN2S.- Synopsis :...
, which follows Minneapolis punks Blake and Fletcher.
The comic has survived many hiatuses (the lengthiest lasting from August 14, 2004, to January 31, 2005) and much artistic evolution (probably the most drastic change being a switch from full-color to black and white comics, a decision Clem credits partially to discovering his being partially colorblind), but it remains, to this day, one of the longest lasting comics on the internet. The strip is updated on an arbitrary basis.
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
published an anthology of his Nothing Nice To Say "Volume 2" comic strip in October, 2008.
Barrett's Lament
While living in Minnesota, Clem started working on a superhero web comic called Barrett's Lament with his friend Matt Lind. The series ran between February and May 2004, lasting 19 issues before stopped, never completing the first story arc, "Lo, There Shall Come a Robot." Lind explained on the site that Mitch was no longer involved after having moved to Texas.The Coffee Achievers
While working on Nothing Nice, Clem also teamed up with fellow web comic artist Joe Dunn, of Joe Loves Crappy Movies. Together they worked on the short series The Coffee Achievers, which totaled nine chapters. Achievers ran from February 1, 2005 to February 10, 2006.Joe and Monkey
While he was on hiatus from Nothing Nice in 2005, Clem guest authored the web comic Joe and MonkeyJoe and Monkey
Joe and Monkey is a webcomic written and illustrated by Zach Miller. It debuted on July 27, 2004. New comic strips were posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. However, the comic has not updated regularly since mid-2008...
, created by Zach Miller for November 7, 2004. He later guest authored the strip for the entire month of January, 2005, claiming that he lost a bet to Miller. His month on Joe and Monkey led directly into a return from his longest hiatus from Nothing Nice to Say to-date. Clem would return to guest author Joe and Monkey two more times, once by himself and once in collaboration with Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade (webcomic)
Penny Arcade is a webcomic focused on video games and video game culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website loonygames.com. Since then, Holkins and Krahulik have established their own site, which is typically updated with a new comic...
writer Jerry Holkins
Jerry Holkins
Keith Gerald "Jerry" Holkins né Parkinson is the writer of the webcomic Penny Arcade and co-founder of Child's Play, a multimillion dollar charity that organizes toy drives for children's hospitals...
.
San Antonio Rock City
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The strip generally followed a four-panel format arranged in a square with using the first for the title panel showing Clem and Victoria, parodying American Gothic
American Gothic
American Gothic is a painting by Grant Wood, in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood's inspiration came from a cottage designed in the Gothic Revival style with a distinctive upper window and a decision to paint the house along with "the kind of people I fancied should live in that...
. Occasionally, there are a few six-strip comics. San Antonio Rock City was his main focus for a while until he canceled it due to his split with his girlfriend Victoria. The entire series will be collected in the upcoming book My Stupid Life, Vol. 1 from New Reliable Press
New Reliable Press
New Reliable Press is a Canadian based comic book and graphic novel publishing company, owned and operated by Ed Brisson.New Reliable Press is probably best known for publishing the anthology series You Ain't No Dancer, which has contained the work of well known indie artists like Jeffrey Brown,...
.
Kittens!
Clem began a new strip called Kittens! The Comic on September 6, 2006. The strip has no dialogue and features a small kitten being curious and playful about the world around it. Kittens ran every Wednesday for six weeks, when on October 19, 2006, Clem announced in his blog that Kittens was on a break for the week, would return the following week and that "surprises are in store for all." To date, there have been no more issues nor surprises.My Stupid Life
On January 16, 2008 Clem began his newest series, My Stupid Life. As the name implies, the strip is autobiographical, in a style reminiscent of San Antonio Rock City. The comic also co-stars his fiancé, Amanda (Nation of Amanda). Amanda sometimes colors the strips in watercolors.On April 15, 2009, Clem announced on his blog that he would be releasing a new book, My Stupid Life: Volume One, through New Reliable Press
New Reliable Press
New Reliable Press is a Canadian based comic book and graphic novel publishing company, owned and operated by Ed Brisson.New Reliable Press is probably best known for publishing the anthology series You Ain't No Dancer, which has contained the work of well known indie artists like Jeffrey Brown,...
in the Fall of 2009. The book would collect the current run of My Stupid Life, as well as the complete San Antonio Rock City series, Clem's first foray into autobiographical comics
Other work
Clem regularly makes concert flyers and album covers for punk rock bands. He has also made album covers for the bands The Ergs!The Ergs!
The Ergs! were an American punk rock band formed in 2000 in South Amboy, New Jersey, by three high school friends: drummer/lead vocalist Mikey Erg , guitarist/vocalist Jeff Erg , and bassist Joey Erg...
, Andrew WK, The Steinways, Shang-A-Lang, Bomb the Music Industry!
Bomb The Music Industry!
Bomb the Music Industry! is band from Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. They write, produce, record, and distribute all of their music under the leadership of songwriter and producer Jeff Rosenstock....
, Something Fierce, and others. He also created the art for every record in Vinyl Collective's Under the Influence series, featuring Lemuria
Lemuria (band)
Lemuria is an indie/punk rock band from Buffalo, New York formed in 2004. Lemuria has recently released their "The First Collection" EP compilation and the LP, "Get Better"...
, Off With Their Heads
Off With Their Heads (band)
Off with Their Heads is a punk rock band formed in 2002 from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since their formation, they have often featured a rotating line-up of tour players, due to their members' other commitments and Off With Their Head's own full-time touring schedule...
, Drag the River
Drag The River (Colorado band)
Drag the River is an alt-country band hailing from Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. The band formed in 1996 when members Chad Price and Jon Snodgrass recorded 20 or so songs which were released as demos in 2000. All the members of the band come from a punk rock background. Price and ex-member...
, Fake Problems
Fake Problems
Fake Problems is a four-piece American rock band from Naples, Florida. They released their first album Spurs and Spokes. They released their second album, How Far Our Bodies Go, on Sabot Productions on April 27, 2007. Their third record, It's Great to Be Alive, was released through Side One Dummy...
, These Arms Are Snakes
These Arms Are Snakes
These Arms Are Snakes was an American post-hardcore band that formed in 2002 and featured former members of Botch and Kill Sadie. The band was known for their intense live shows, which often feature vocalist Steve Snere crowd surfing and spending a large portion of the live performance in the...
, and more.
His artwork is commissioned regularly for Razorcake
Razorcake
Razorcake is a 501 non-profit organization that publishes the Razorcake fanzine, a DIY punk rock fanzine published bi-monthly out of Los Angeles, California...
magazine and the Kansas City Pitch. He also authors Punk Matters, a monthly column about punk music in the San Antonio Current
San Antonio Current
The San Antonio Current is a free weekly alternative newspaper in San Antonio, Texas. The Current focuses on investigative journalism, political analysis, and critical coverage of local music and culture. It also contains extensive and up-to-date event listings for San Antonio. A member of the...
.
On June 25, 2007, Clem’s blog Rain of Bastards was selected by the editors of PC World
PC World (magazine)
PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services...
magazine for their article "100 Blogs We Love," under the "Arts and Culture" section.
Collections
- Nothing Nice to Say (2008, Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
) - My Stupid Life, Vol. 1 (2009, New Reliable PressNew Reliable PressNew Reliable Press is a Canadian based comic book and graphic novel publishing company, owned and operated by Ed Brisson.New Reliable Press is probably best known for publishing the anthology series You Ain't No Dancer, which has contained the work of well known indie artists like Jeffrey Brown,...
)
Anthologies
- You Ain't No Dancer, Vol. 2 (2006, New Reliable PressNew Reliable PressNew Reliable Press is a Canadian based comic book and graphic novel publishing company, owned and operated by Ed Brisson.New Reliable Press is probably best known for publishing the anthology series You Ain't No Dancer, which has contained the work of well known indie artists like Jeffrey Brown,...
) - You Ain't No Dancer, Vol. 3 (2008, New Reliable PressNew Reliable PressNew Reliable Press is a Canadian based comic book and graphic novel publishing company, owned and operated by Ed Brisson.New Reliable Press is probably best known for publishing the anthology series You Ain't No Dancer, which has contained the work of well known indie artists like Jeffrey Brown,...
) - Side B: The Music Lover's Comic Anthology (2009, Poseur InkPoseur InkPoseur Ink is a company that was started in 2001 by comic artist Rachel Dukes. Based in San Diego, California the company specializes in independent comics, zines, buttons, and novelty t-shirts....
)