Nate Waggoner--Has He Illustrated Your Richmond Missed Connection?

You might have seen his comic, "Slippin' in the Tub," which was done in collaboration with Jonathan Scheer in The Commonwealth Times during the 2008-2009 school year. Or maybe you spent an English class with him, giggling and guffawing at his witty remarks and noting his stodgy, professorial sweaters. It's also possible that you spotted him at the former Richmond.com office on West Main, adjusting his Southwestern-style bolo as he wrote fake but hilarious horoscopes. This humorous man of mystery's name is Nate Waggoner and he's a senior English major and Creative Writing at VCU who will participate in the third annual Richmond 'Zine Fest on November 6, 2009. Curious about what he's drawn up and written this year? Never fear, a transcribed interrogation is here! Here are Nate's words on his brief history with the "zine scene" and his longer experience with comics--as well as tasty clues for how you can get a hold on his work:

*Here's my first string of questions: Who are you and what got you into 'zine culture? Why do you make 'zines? Why are you participating in the Richmond 'zine fest? How do you think the event will affect you as a 'zinester?

I'm Nate Waggoner and I got into 'zine culture when my friend Katherine allowed me to share her table at Zinefest last year and sell these comic books I had made. A 'zine is traditionally defined as a fan-published single-issue magazine, and so I make 'zines because I want to self-publish little books of cartoons about myself, Richmond, unrequited love, etc., in case maybe someone else likes them. What I make are more just like self-published comics, but so are a number of 'zines that were featured at the 'Fest, and I think that the definition of a 'zine should remain broadly defined. One reason I'm going to participate in the Zinefest is a terrible fear that if I don't "put my name out there," or something, whatever that means, I'll end up starving to death because I'm too unskilled and socially unacceptable to succeed in the real world. The other reason is because I had such a fun time last year. 'Zine culture, if it can be called that, is so amorphous that it never gets really annoying in the way that, say, pot culture does. As a whole, the culture can not be single-minded about 'zines, because each person is too busy thinking about the thing that their 'zine is about. So you have a group of select literary- and artistic-minded people who are nerds or punks or Wiccans or whatever, all talking to each other about like the creative process, and that engenders a feeling of genuine togetherness, which is rare but important. I'm also excited because this year the Zinefest starts on First Friday, when I'm tabling, and will take place at Gallery 5. I think that more people will see my embarrassingly personal little cartoons as a result of this occasion. I probably won't break even because of the way I price things and because of how much I usually f* up at Kinko's, and because tablers like to trade 'zines with each other, but making money is very much beside the point, especially when you're an entitled little trust-fund b$st$rd like myself.

*Alright, here's my second string of questions: What is your favorite 'zine of yours? Why do you like it and what inspired you to write/illustrate it? How long it took you to make it? What was the process it took to make it? Why you think (or hope) it's a worthwhile read?

Well, I hope my favorite 'zine becomes the new one I've started working on. I hope it's not just a pale sequel for the one that I'll go ahead and describe as being my favorite, which is the first autobiographical cartoon that I've ever gotten serious about making and showing to a lot of people. It's called "A Lifetime of Fee Haircuts," issue #1, and it depicts some of my friends and I in a series of humorous/uncomfortable/poignant situations. There's also a bird metaphor. I was inspired by comic book artists like Harvey Pekar and R. Crumb who really put themselves out there for the amusement of the reader and make characters of themselves. Larry David, too. It took me a few weeks to make it, I guess-all I did was recollect things that happened to me and put them in panel form. I'm kind of a crappy artist, so some things took a few tries. Then I went to the copy place and made a scene because my credit card got stuck in the machine. I always sit on my wallet and my cards end up bent and broken. I hope that it's a fun read because I made it to amuse myself, and the most compelling thing possible for me to see is myself failing at things or having bizarre interactions. So if you think you're like me, or that I'm a funny guy, then you'll like this comic.

*Of course, that's not all you've drawn and illustrated. Could you describe some of the other 'zines you will sell at the 'zine fest? I'd like the skinny on titles and descriptions.

The 'zines that I will be selling are "Missed Connections," "Son of Missed Connections," and "A Lifetime of Free Haircuts," issue #1 and at press time I hope #2. The first two are collections of missed connections I found on Craigslist for Richmond. You might see yourself in there! After I made them, "I Saw You" came out, which is a book where a bunch of comic book artists that are better than me illustrated missed connections. That's okay, you should buy my comics too, because I have no need to be, like, "the missed connections guy." Anyone who thinks they're "the ____ guy" is out of control. Also I think my missed connections comic says a pretty good deal about Richmond.

*For those who can't make the 'zine fest, where can they get your work? Do you sell/trade outside of 'zine fests?

If people miss the Fest they can go to my website (www.natewaggoner.com) or email me at NateWaggoner87@gmail.com and request something. Or they can see me on the street or call me if they know me.

*Any last words?

"Lady, you shot me!" -Sam Cooke