I hate having my picture taken. I mean really, truly HATE it. That's one. 

I have Photoshop and know exactly how much mischief one can make with a simple web-captured image. That's two.

But most importantly, I think our society's fixation with the concept of celebrity is dangerous, and I don't want to participate in it. It's an image-based obsession, so the best way I've thought of so far to combat it is to try to limit the exposure my "image" gets. Every time I do an interview, I ask if we can use artwork from the comics instead of photos of me -- most of the time they say yes, and when they say no, I grin (literally) and bear it, just like I do at conventions when fans ask to take photos. But on my site, my rules. 

I suppose that it's a little suspect to get up on an anti-celebrity soapbox on the FAQ page of a site named after and entirely devoted to me. I get that, and I assure you that I'm laughing at myself for it as I write this. But CarolAnn and I have tried to make this site a celebration of my work rather than of my personality or image. I've shared a little about myself in my biography because I think the details I discuss had impact on my career and vocation as a writer. There's more self-reflection than you can shake a stick at in the interviews and I do understand the pull of human curiosity -- we like to see each other. But I have very little to do with my physical appearance, especially when compared to the images you will see on this site, all of which were painstakingly created by artists bringing their full creative intention to bear (and all of whom our brilliant and considerate webmistress has worked diligently to credit). I would really much rather we all concentrated on those images -- the concentrated on those images -- the characters, the concepts, the content.

Along those same lines, I have chosen not to include my email address, a message board, or even a guest book -- this site is meant to disseminate information and honor some of the characters I've come to so dearly love while working in the comic industry. That's all. 

Or, as one of my buddies just put it after clarifying that I was, indeed, sitting at my computer writing a long-winded response to this question, "why don't you just say, "it's about my work, who cares what I look like?'" 

::Laughing sheepishly:: Um, I guess because I am in love with the sound of my fingers hitting the keyboard even though I hate the way I photograph? ;-)

Oh, and hey, did I mention that I hate having my picture taken? 
 

-Devin Grayson

Close Window...