View source for Chester Brown

{{Short description|Canadian cartoonist (born 1960)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox person
|name        = Chester Brown
|image       = Chester Brown WoS.jpg
|alt         = Photo of a bald, middle-aged man wearing glasses
|caption     = Chester Brown, at the 2009 Toronto [[The Word on the Street (literary festival)|Word on the Street]] festival
|birth_name  = Chester William David Brown
|birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1960|5|16}}
|birth_place = {{not a typo|[[Montreal]]}}, [[Quebec]], Canada<!--grew up in Chateuguay, but was born in Montreal proper -->
|party       = [[Libertarian Party of Canada|Libertarian]]
|other_names = CWDB
|occupation  = {{Flatlist|
* Cartoonist
* politician
}}
|awards      = [[Inkpot Award]] (2011)<ref>[https://www.comic-con.org/awards/inkpot Inkpot Award]</ref>
}}

'''Chester William David Brown''' (born 16 May 1960) is a Canadian cartoonist. Brown has gone through several stylistic and thematic periods. He gained notice in [[alternative comics]] circles in the 1980s for the surreal, scatological ''[[Ed the Happy Clown]]'' serial.  After bringing ''Ed'' to an abrupt end, he [[Chester Brown's autobiographical comics|delved into confessional autobiographical comics]] in the early 1990s and was strongly associated with fellow Toronto-based cartoonists [[Joe Matt]] and [[Seth (cartoonist)|Seth]], and the [[autobiographical comics]] trend.  Two graphic novels came from this period: ''[[The Playboy]]'' (1992) and ''[[I Never Liked You]]'' (1994).  Surprise mainstream success in the 2000s came with ''[[Louis Riel (comics)|Louis Riel]]'' (2003), a historical-biographical graphic novel about rebel [[Métis people (Canada)|Métis]] leader [[Louis Riel]].  ''[[Paying for It]]'' (2011) drew controversy as a polemic in support of decriminalizing prostitution, a theme he explored further with ''[[Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus]]'' (2016), a book of adaptations of stories from the Bible that Brown believes promote pro-prostitution attitudes among early Christians.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

Brown draws from a range of influences, including monster and superhero comic books, [[underground comix]], and comic strips such as [[Harold Gray]]'s ''[[Little Orphan Annie]]''. His later works employ a sparse drawing style and flat dialogue.  Rather than the traditional method of drawing complete pages, Brown draws individual panels without regard for page composition and assembles them into pages after completion.  Since the late 1990s Brown has had a penchant for providing detailed annotations for his work and extensively altering and reformatting older works.

Brown at first [[self-publishing|self-published]] his work as a [[minicomic]] called ''[[Yummy Fur (comics)|Yummy Fur]]'' beginning in 1983; Toronto publisher [[Vortex Comics]] began publishing the series as a comic book in 1986.  The content tended towards controversial themes: a distributor and a printer dropped it in the late 1980s, and it has been held up at the [[Canada–United States border]].  Since 1991, Brown has associated himself with [[Montreal]] publisher [[Drawn & Quarterly]].  Following ''Louis Riel'' Brown ceased serializing his work to publish graphic novels directly.  He has received grants from the [[Canada Council]] to complete ''Louis Riel'' and ''Paying for It''.

==Life and career==

===Early life===
Chester William David Brown was born on 16 May 1960 at the [[Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal|Royal Victoria Hospital]] in Montreal, [[Quebec]], Canada.{{sfn|Epp|2002}}  He grew up in [[Châteauguay]], a Montreal suburb with a large English-speaking minority.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=144}}  His grandfather was history professor Chester New, after whom Chester New Hall is named at [[McMaster University]] in [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]], Ontario.{{sfnm|1a1=Epp|1y=2002|2a1=Bell|2y=2006|2p=164}}  He has a brother, Gordon, who is two years his junior. His mother had [[schizophrenia]],{{sfn|Brown|2002|p=191}} and died in 1976{{sfn|Grace|Hoffman|2013b|p=xxxii}} after falling down the stairs while in the [[Montreal General Hospital]].{{sfn|Brown|2002|p=191}}

Though he grew up in a predominantly French-speaking [[Provinces and territories of Canada|province]] and had his first mainstream success with [[Louis Riel (comics)|his biography]] of French-speaking [[Métis]] rebel leader [[Louis Riel]], Brown says he does not speak French.  He said he had little contact with francophone culture when he was growing up, and the French speakers he had contact with spoke with him in English.<ref name="GettingRiel1" />

Brown described himself as a "[[nerd]]y teenager" attracted to comic books from a young age, especially ones about [[superhero]]es and monsters. He aimed at a career in [[superhero comics]], and after graduating from high school in 1977 headed to New York City, where he had unsuccessful but encouraging interviews with [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and [[DC Comics]].{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=144}} He moved to Montreal where he attended [[Dawson College]]. The program did not aim at a comics career, and he [[dropping out|dropped out]] after a little more than a year.{{sfn|Juno|1997|p=132}} He tried to find work in New York, but was rejected again. He discovered the [[alternative comics]] scene that was developing in the early 1980s, and grasped its feeling freedom to produce what he wanted.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=146}} At 19 he moved to [[Toronto]],{{sfn|Weisblott|2008}} where he got a job in a photography lab and lived frugally in [[Boarding house|rooming houses]].

===Toronto (1979–1986)===
At around twenty, Brown's interests moved away from superhero and monster comic books towards the work of [[Robert Crumb]] and other [[Underground comix|underground cartoonists]], ''[[Heavy Metal (magazine)|Heavy Metal]]'' magazine, and [[Will Eisner]]'s graphic novel ''[[A Contract with God]]'' (1978).{{sfn|Juno|1997|p=132}}  He started drawing in an underground-inspired style,{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=144}} and submitted his work to publishers [[Fantagraphics Books]] and [[Last Gasp (publisher)|Last Gasp]];{{sfn|Grace|Hoffman|2013b|p=xxxii}} he got an encouraging rejection when he submitted to [[Art Spiegelman]] and [[Françoise Mouly]]'s ''[[Raw (comics magazine)|Raw]]'' magazine.  He became friends with film archivist [[Reg Hartt]], and the two unsuccessfully planned to put out a comics anthology called ''Beans and Wieners'' as a showcase for local Toronto talent.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=144}}

In 1983 Brown's girlfriend Kris Nakamura introduced him to the small-press publisher John&nbsp;W. Curry (or "jwcurry"), whose example inspired the local small-press community.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=144}}  Nakamura convinced Brown that summer to print his unpublished work as [[minicomic]]s,{{sfn|Juno|1997|p=131}} which he did under his Tortured Canoe imprint.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=144}}  The sporadically self-published ''[[Yummy Fur (comics)|Yummy Fur]]'' lasted seven issues as a [[Minicomics|minicomic]]. Brown soon found himself at the centre of Toronto's small-press scene.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=144}}  While he found it difficult at first, Brown managed to get the title into independent bookstores, the emerging [[comic shop]]s, and other countercultural retailers, and also sold it through the growing North American [[zine]] network.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=144}}  ''Yummy Fur'' had respectable sales through several reprintings and repackaging.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=145}}

Brown and a number of other cartoonists featured in a show called Kromalaffing at the Grunwald Art Gallery in early 1984.  He had become a part of Toronto's avant-garde community, along with other artists, musicians and writers, centred around [[Queen Street West]].{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=145}}  In 1986, at the urging of Brown's future friend [[Seth (cartoonist)|Seth]], [[Vortex Comics]] publisher [[Bill Marks]] picked up ''Yummy Fur'' as a regular, initially bimonthly comic book. Brown quit his day job to work full-time on ''Yummy Fur''.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=146}}

===Vortex and ''Ed the Happy Clown'' (1986–1989)===

Starting publication in December 1986,{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=146}} the first three issues of ''Yummy Fur'' reprinted the contents of the seven issues of the earlier minicomic, and Brown quit his job at the copy shop.{{sfn|Juno|1997|p=135}}  Brown began to weave together some of the earlier unrelated strips{{sfn|Wolk|2007|p=149}} into an ongoing surreal [[black comedy]] called ''[[Ed the Happy Clown]]''.  The bizarre misfortunes of the title character include being inundated in the faeces of a man unable to stop defaecating, being chased by cannibalistic pygmies, befriending a vengeful vampire, and having the head of his penis replaced by the head of a miniature [[Ronald Reagan]] from another dimension.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=154}}

A counterpoint to the at-times [[Blasphemy|blasphemous]] ''Ed'' serial, Brown also began to run [[Chester Brown's Gospel adaptations|straight adaptation of the Gospels]], beginning with the [[Gospel of Mark]] in a subdued style.  What appeared a natural target of satire for the author of ''Ed'' was instead a continuing attempt of Brown's to find what he really believed, having been raised a Christian [[Baptist]].  The adaptations later continued with the [[Gospel of Matthew]] and the [[apocrypha]]l "The Twin" from the [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] text ''[[Pistis Sophia]]'',{{sfn|Grace|Hoffman|2013a|pp=xvi–xvii}} and Brown went through periods of agnosticism and [[Gnosticism]].

The offensive content of ''Ed'' caused it to be dropped by one printer,{{sfn|Mackay|2005}}<ref name="D+QEd-5-notes1" /> and is suspected to be behind [[Diamond Comic Distributors]]' decision to stop distributing ''Yummy Fur'' starting with issue #9.{{sfn|Davis|1989}}  After ''The Comics Journal'' announced they would be investigating the issue, Diamond started distributing it again.<ref name="D+QEd-8-notes2" />

In 1989 the first ''Ed'' collection appeared, collecting the ''Ed'' stories from the first twelve issues of ''Yummy Fur'' with an introduction by ''[[American Splendor]]'' writer [[Harvey Pekar]] and drawn by Brown.  At this point, Brown had grown to lose interest in the ''Ed'' story{{sfn|Levin|1993|p=47}} as he gravitated toward the autobiographical approach of Pekar, [[Joe Matt]], and [[Julie Doucet]],{{sfn|Grace|Hoffman|2013a|p=xvi}} and the simpler artwork of [[Seth (cartoonist)|Seth]].{{sfn|Køhlert|2012|p=381}}  He brought ''Ed'' to an abrupt end in ''Yummy Fur'' #18 to turn to autobiography.

===Autobio and ''Drawn & Quarterly'' (1990–1992)===

The 19th issue of ''Yummy Fur''{{sfn|Pustz|1999|p=92}} began his autobiographical period.  First came the strip "Helder", about a violent tenant in Brown's boarding house, followed by "Showing 'Helder'", about the creation of "Helder" and the reactions of Brown's friends to the work-in-progress.{{sfn|Grace|Hoffman|2013a|p=xviii}}  With "Showing 'Helder'" Brown breaks from his earlier syle by giving the panels no borders and arranging them organically on the page—a style that was to characterize his work of this period.{{sfn|Grace|Hoffman|2013a|pp=xviii–xix}}  He found his friends were uncomfortable with his writing about their lives, and soon turned to his adolescence for source material.{{sfn|Grace|Hoffman|2013a|p=xix}}

Brown began the first installment of what was to become the graphic novel ''[[The Playboy]]'' in ''Yummy Fur'' #21, under the title ''Disgust''.  The revealing, confessional story tells of the teenage Brown's feelings of guilt over his obsessive masturbating over the [[Playboy Playmate|Playmates]] of ''[[Playboy]]'' magazine, and the difficulties he had relating to women even into adulthood.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=154}}  Critical and fan reception was strong, though it drew some criticism from those who saw it glorifying pornography.  ''Playboy''{{'}}s publisher [[Hugh Hefner]] wrote Brown a letter of concern that Brown could feel such guilt in a post-[[sexual revolution]] world.{{sfn|Grace|Hoffman|2013a|p=xx}}  It appeared in a collected edition titled ''The Playboy'' in 1992.{{sfn|Grace|Hoffman|2013a|p=xx}}

Around this time, Brown had become friends with the cartoonists Seth and [[Joe Matt]]. The three became noted for doing confessional autobio comics in the early 1990s, and for depicting each other in their works. In 1993, they did an interview together in ''The Comics Journal''{{'}}s autobiographical comics issue. Seth had joined the new Montreal-based comics publisher [[Drawn & Quarterly]], which had also started publishing Julie Doucet. D&Q's [[Chris Oliveros]] had been courting Brown to join as well, but Brown had felt loyal to Bill Marks for giving him his first break. When his contract came up in 1991, however, Oliveros offered Brown nearly double the royalty he was getting from Vortex. Brown moved to D&Q starting with ''Yummy Fur'' #25.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=150}}

===Vancouver and ''Underwater'' (1992–1997)===
[[File:ChesterBrownUnderwater4page1panel2.jpg|thumb|alt=|The dialogue in ''[[Underwater (comics)|Underwater]]'' gradually becomes comprehensible as its protagonist acquires language.]]

In 1992, Brown began a relationship with musician [[Sook-Yin Lee]], and in 1993 moved to Vancouver to be with her.  He stayed there with her until 1995, when Lee began as [[VJ (media personality)|VJ]] at [[MuchMusic]] in Toronto, and the two moved back there together.

Brown moved away from autobio after the conclusion of ''[[I Never Liked You|Fuck]]'', and for his next major project, Chris Oliveros convinced him to change the title, believing the title ''Yummy Fur'' was no longer a fitting one for the direction that Brown's work had taken, and that the title made the book harder to sell.  His next work, ''[[Underwater (comics)|Underwater]]'', would appear under its own title, while continuing the Gospel of Matthew adaptation as a backup feature.

''Underwater'' was an ambitious work.  Its lead character, Kupifam, was an infant who was surrounded by an encoded{{efn|"It's really just a code.  Simple letter substitution." – Brown in 2008{{sfn|Verstappen|2008}} }} gibberish-like language, which she comes to understand in bits and pieces.  Fans and critics gave the series a lukewarm reception, with its glacial pacing and obscure narrative.  Eventually, Brown came to feel he had gotten in over his head with the scope of the project.  In early 1998, he decided to leave it in an unfinished state.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=158}}

Partway through the series, in 1996, Brown and Lee broke up.  They continued to live with each other, and have continued to be close friends.  Brown came to decide that he no longer wanted to have exclusive relations with women, but also realized he lacked the social skills to pick up girls for casual sex.{{sfnm|1a1=Brown|1y=2011|1p=15|2a1=Brown|2y=2011|2pp=262–264}}  He spent the next few years celibate.

===Louis Riel and frequenting of prostitutes (1998–2003)===

Brown's father died in 1998<ref name=":0" /> as he was putting together his collection of short strips, ''[[The Little Man (comics)|The Little Man]]''.  He lost interest in ''Underwater'', and had been reading about Métis resistance leader Louis Riel, and decided he wanted to do a biography on him.  He wanted to do it as an original graphic novel, but Chris Oliveros convinced him to serialize it first.<ref name="PulseInterview2004" /> Drawn & Quarterly put out the ten issues of ''[[Louis Riel (comics)|Louis Riel]]'' from 1999 until 2003, and with help from a [[Canadian dollar|CAD]]$16,000{{sfn|Weisblott|2008}} grant from the [[Canada Council|Canadian Council for the Arts]],<ref name="CanadaCouncil2001Grants" /> the finished annotated collection appeared in 2003, to much acclaim and healthy sales.  In Canada it became a bestseller,{{sfn|Baker|Atkinson|2004}} a first for a Canadian graphic novel.{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=166}}

In 1999, after three years of celibacy, Brown decided he would start frequenting prostitutes.  His open nature prevented him from hiding this fact from his friends, and the fact soon became widely known.  After completing ''Louis Riel'', he embarked upon another autobiographical graphic novel that would detail his experiences as a [[john (prostitution)|john]].  This time, the work would not be serialized, and would wait until 2011 to be published as ''[[Paying for It]]''.

In the early 2000s, Brown moved out from the place he shared with Lee and got himself a [[Condominium (living space)|condominium]], where he lived by himself, and was free to bring prostitutes home.  Around this time, Joe Matt moved back to the US, and Seth moved to [[Guelph, Ontario]], breaking up the "Toronto Three".

===Libertarianism and ''Paying for It'' (2004–present)===

While reading up on issues surrounding Louis Riel, Brown became increasingly interested in [[Property rights (economics)|property rights]].  His reading eventually took him to believe that countries with strong [[Property|property rights]] prospered, while those without them did not.  This path gradually led him to espouse the ideology of [[libertarianism]].  He joined the [[Libertarian Party of Canada]] and ran as the party's candidate in the [[Electoral district (Canada)|riding]] of [[Trinity—Spadina (federal electoral district)|Trinity—Spadina]] in Toronto in the [[2008 Canadian federal election|2008]] and [[2011 Canadian federal election|2011]] federal elections.<ref name="WestAnnexNews" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Chester Brown's electoral history at parl.gc.ca|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/FederalRidingsHistory/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cres&canName=chester+brown&canParty=0&ridProvince=0&ridName=&submit1=Search}}</ref>

During the long wait between ''Louis Riel'' and ''Paying for It'', Brown allowed Drawn & Quarterly to reprint ''Ed the Happy Clown'' as a serial comic book, with explanatory notes{{sfn|Wolk|2007|p=148}} that were becoming both more common and more detailed in Brown's work.{{sfn|Park|2011}}  In 2007 Brown provided six weeks worth of strips to Toronto's ''[[Now (newspaper)|NOW]]'' magazine as part of the "Live With Culture" ad campaign.  The strip features a male [[zombie]] and a living human girl participating in various cultural activities, culminating in the two going to a movie theatre to watch [[Bruce McDonald (director)|Bruce McDonald]]'s yet-unmade ''Yummy Fur'' adaptation.<ref name="ZombiesTakeToronto" />

Brown's next graphic novel, ''Paying for It'', came out during the 2011 election, in which he was running.{{sfn|Wagner|2011}}  Again he finished with the help of a Canada Council grant.{{sfn|Weisblott|2011}}<ref name="CanadaCouncil2005Grants" />  It was a [[polemic]] promoting the [[Prostitution law|decriminalization of prostitution]], and attracted praise for its artistry and bare-all honesty,{{sfnm|1a1=Mackay|1y=2011|2a1=Heer|2y=2011}} and criticism for its subject matter and Brown's perceived naïveté as he brushes aside concerns about [[human trafficking]]{{sfnm|1a1=Kohler|1y=2011|2a1=Garner|2y=2011|2p=2}} and dismisses [[Substance dependence|drug addiction]] as a myth.{{sfnm|1a1=Randle|1y=2011|2a1=Brown|2y=2011|2pp=250–251|3a1=Mautner|3y=2011}}  At about this time, Brown finally stated he didn't intend to finish his Gospel of Matthew, which had been on hiatus since 1997.{{sfn|Rogers|2011|loc=part 3}}

In 2016 Brown followed up ''Paying for It'' with ''[[Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus]]'', made up of adaptations of stories from the Bible that Brown believes promote pro-prostitution attitudes among early Christians, and argues for the decriminalization of prostitution.{{sfn|Donachie|2016}}  Brown declared his research determined that [[Mary, mother of Jesus]], was a prostitute, that early Christians practised prostitution, and that Jesus' [[parable of the talents or minas|Parable of the Talents]] should be read in a pro-prostitution light.  Brown describes himself as a Christian who is "not at all concerned with imposing 'moral' values or religious laws on others" and believes that Biblical figures such as [[Cain and Abel|Abel]] and [[Job (biblical figure)|Job]] "find favour with God because they oppose his will or challenge him in some way".{{sfn|Lehoczky|2016}}

==Personal life==

===Religion===

Brown was brought up in a Baptist household,{{sfnm|1a1=Juno|1y=1997|1p=143|2a1=Hwang|2y=1998}}  and in his early twenties he began adapting the Gospels.{{sfn|Juno|1997|p=143}} Brown later said that this "was a matter of trying to figure out whether {{interp|he|orig=I}} even believed the Christian claims—whether or not Jesus was divine".{{sfn|Epp|2002}} During this time, Brown went through periods where he considered himself an [[agnostic]] then a [[gnostic]]. Since then, Brown has consistently described himself as religious, but has alternated between periods of identifying as a Christian and simply believing in God.{{sfn|Hwang|1998}}<ref name="SethInterview" />{{sfn|Walker|2011}} As of 2016, Brown describes himself as a Christian.{{sfn|Lehoczky|2016}}

===Politics===

In the 1980s Brown expressed sympathy for [[left-wing politics]], although he has stated his understanding of politics was not deep.{{sfn|Weisblott|2008}} He considered himself an anarchist until, while researching ''Louis Riel'',<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Chester Brown: Conversations|last1=Brown|first1=Chester|last2=Grace|first2=Dominick|last3=Hoffman|first3=Eric|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|year=2013|isbn=9781621039693|location=Jackson, Mississippi|pages=xxii}}</ref> he became interested in issues of property rights, especially influenced by his reading of [[Tom Bethell]]'s ''The Noblest Triumph'', a book which argues that the West owes its prosperity to having established strong property rights.<ref name=":0" />  Brown thus gained an interest in [[libertarianism]]—a belief that government should protect property rights (although, he says, not [[copyright]]s), and otherwise should mostly keep out of people's lives.  After attending a few meetings of the [[Libertarian Party of Canada]], he was asked to run for [[Parliament of Canada|Parliament]], and collected the 100 signatures necessary to appear on the ballot.{{sfn|Weisblott|2008}}

Brown ran as the Libertarian Party's candidate for the [[Electoral district (Canada)|riding]] (or constituency) of [[Trinity—Spadina (federal electoral district)|Trinity—Spadina]] in the [[2008 Canadian federal election|2008 federal election]].{{sfn|Weisblott|2008}}  He came in fifth out of seven candidates.  He stood in the same riding for the same party in the [[2011 Canadian federal election]],<ref name="Gleaner" /> coming in fifth out of six candidates.<ref name="WestAnnex2011ElectionResults" />  The 2011 election coincided with the release of ''[[Paying for It]]'', in which Brown talks about his frequenting prostitutes.  He was worried his promotion of that topic in the media would make the Libertarian Party uncomfortable with having him run, but his official Party agent and the Ontario representative assured him that, as libertarians, they believed in individual freedom, and would continue to support his candidacy.{{sfn|Rogers|2011|loc=part 5}}

===Personal relations===

A longtime friend of fellow cartoonists [[Joe Matt]] and [[Seth (cartoonist)|Seth]], Brown has been regularly featured in their [[autobiographical comics]] over the years, and collaborated with them on various projects.  The three were often mentioned together, and have been called "[[the Three Musketeers]] of [[alternative comics]]"<ref name="HembeckDateline" /> and the "Toronto Three",<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/artists-honoured-for-comics-hailing-nostalgia-everyday-life-1.683885|title=Artists honoured for comics hailing nostalgia, everyday life|work=CBC News|access-date=2018-01-30|language=en}}</ref> forming "a kind of gutter [[rat pack]] trying to make it through their [[drawing board]]s in 1990s [[Toronto]]".{{sfn|Weisblott|2008}}  Brown dedicated ''[[The Playboy: A Comic Book|The Playboy]]'' to Seth, and ''Paying for It'' to Matt. Seth [[Dedication (publishing)|dedicated]] his [[graphic novel]] ''[[George Sprott]]'' to Brown ("Best Cartoonist, Best Friend").

Brown had a long-term relationship with the musician, actress and media personality [[Sook-Yin Lee]] from 1992 until 1996.  She is depicted in several of his comics. He moved to Vancouver for two years to be with her, and moved back to Toronto with her when she became a [[Video jockey|VJ]] for [[MuchMusic]]. He also drew the cover for her 1996 [[solo album]] ''[[Wigs 'n Guns]]''.  Brown's relationship with Lee is the last [[boyfriend]]/[[girlfriend]] relationship he had, as he explains in ''[[Paying for It]]''.  They remain good friends, and Brown has contributed artwork to her productions as recently as 2009's ''[[Year of the Carnivore]]''.

==Work==

===Thematic subjects===

Throughout his early years as a cartoonist he mostly experimented with drawing on the darker side of his [[subconscious]], basing his comedy on free-form association, much like the [[surrealist]] technique [[Surrealist automatism|Automatism]]. An example of such methods in Brown's work can be found in short one-pagers where he randomly selects comic panels from other sources and then mixes them up, often altering the dialogue. This produced an experimental, [[absurdism|absurdist]] effect in his early strips.

Brown first discusses mental illness in his strip "My Mother Was A Schizophrenic". In it, he puts forward the [[anti-psychiatry|anti-psychiatric]] idea that what we call "[[schizophrenia]]" isn't a real disease at all, but instead a tool our society uses to deal with people who display socially unacceptable beliefs and behaviour. Inspired by the evangelical tracts of [[Jack T. Chick]], Brown left [[photocopier|Xeroxes]] of these strips at bus stops and phone booths around [[Toronto]] so its message would reach a wider audience.  It first appeared in ''[[Underwater (comics)|Underwater]]'' #4, and is also reprinted in the collection ''[[The Little Man (comics)|The Little Man]]''.

Brown's Louis Riel book was inspired by the alleged mental instability of [[Louis Riel|Riel]], and Brown's own [[anarchism|anarchist]] politics, and he began his research for the book in 1998. Over the course of researching for the book, he shifted his politics over the course of several years until he was a [[Libertarianism|libertarian]].{{efn|"I was an anarchist when I began the strip and I knew the story would make the government look bad.&nbsp;... But in doing all the research for this book [''[[Louis Riel (comics)|Louis Riel]]''], I learned a lot about general political theory. I came to realize that anarchy is completely unworkable, which I sort of suspected all along." – Brown in 2004{{sfn|Matheson|2004}} }}  Regarding anarchy, Brown has said, "I'm still an anarchist to the degree that I think we should be aiming towards an anarchist society but I don't think we can actually get there. We probably do need some degree of government."<ref name="ChroniclingTheRevolutionary" />

===Art style===

Brown's drawing style has evolved and changed a lot throughout his career.  He's been known to switch between using [[Rapidograph]] pens, [[dip pen]]s, brushes, [[pencils]]{{sfn|Grammel|1990|p=35}} and [[Marker pen|markers]]<ref name="D+QEd-5-notes1" /> for his black-and-white cartooning, and has used paints for some colour covers (notably in ''[[Underwater (comics)|Underwater]]'').

====Working method====

Brown does not follow the tradition of drawing his comics by the page – he draws them one [[Panel (comics)|panel]] at a time, and then arranges them on the page.{{sfn|Tousley|2005}}  In the case of his acclaimed [[graphic novel]]s ''[[The Playboy: A Comic Book|The Playboy]]'' and ''[[I Never Liked You]]'', this allowed him to rearrange the panels on the page as he saw fit.  In the case of ''I Never Liked You'', this resulted in a different page count in the book collection than was in the ''[[Yummy Fur (comics)|Yummy Fur]]'' serialization.  The panels were slightly rearranged again when the ''"New Definitive Edition"'' of ''I Never Liked You'' was released in 2002.  Brown depicted himself making comics in this way in the story ''Showing Helder'' in ''Yummy Fur'' #20 (also collected in ''[[The Little Man (comics)|The Little Man]]'').  Despite drawing his panels individually, he says his "brain doesn't tend to think in terms of one image at a time", so that he has difficulty coming up with one-image covers.{{sfn|Rogers|2011|loc=part 2}}

He has used a number of different drawing tools, including [[Rapidograph]] technical pens, [[Marker pen|markers]],<ref name="D+QEd-5-notes1" /> [[dip pen|crowquill pens]] and [[ink brush]]es, the latter of which he has called his favourite tool,{{sfn|Grammel|1990|p=35}} for its "fluid grace".<ref name="D+QEd-5-notes1" /> For much of ''Ed the Happy Clown'', he had artwork printed from [[Photocopier|photocopies]] of his [[Pencilling|pencils]], which was faster for him than [[inker|inking]] the work, and produced a more spontaneous feel,{{sfn|Grammel|1990|p=35}} but in the end he turned away from this method, feeling it was "too raw".<ref name="D+QEd-5-notes1" />

====Drawing influences====

In an interview with [[Seth (cartoonist)|Seth]], Brown says his earliest childhood cartoon was an imitation of [[Doug Wright (cartoonist)|Doug Wright]]'s ''Little Nipper''.<ref name="SethInterview" /> He frequently mentions [[Steve Gerber]] as amongst his foremost influences of his teenage years. From about the age of 20, Brown discovered the work of [[Robert Crumb]] and other [[Underground comix|underground]] artists, as well as class comic strip artists such as [[Harold Gray]], whose influence is most evident in Brown's ''[[Louis Riel (comics)|Louis Riel]]''.

Brown often talks of contemporaries [[Seth (cartoonist)|Seth]], [[Joe Matt]] and [[Julie Doucet]]'s influence on his work, especially during his [[Chester Brown's autobiographical comics|autobiographical]] period.  He also had been reading the ''[[Little Lulu Library]]'' around this time, and credit's the cartooning of ''Little Lulu''{{'s}} [[John Stanley (comics)|John Stanley]] and Seth with his desire to simplify his style during this period.{{sfn|Juno|1997|p=136}}

The stiff, stylized look of [[Fletcher Hanks]]' comics, reprints from [[Fantagraphics Books|Fantagraphics]] of which Brown had been reading around the time, was the primary influence on the style Brown used in ''[[Paying for It]]''.{{sfn|Rogers|2011|loc=part 1}}

==Bibliography==

===Series===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Comic book series by Chester Brown
|-
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Date
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Publisher
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Issues
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
|-
! scope="row"|''[[Yummy Fur (comic)|Yummy Fur]]''&nbsp;([[mini-comic]])
|1983–1986
|self-published
|style="text-align:center;"|7<ref>inside front cover of ''[[Yummy Fur (comics)|Yummy Fur]]'' #1. [[Vortex Comics]] (1986)</ref>
| #1–6 compiled in one volume in February 1987 with an extra one-page strip{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=147}}
|-
! scope="row"|''[[Yummy Fur (comic)|Yummy Fur]]''
|1986–1995
|[[Vortex Comics]]&nbsp;(#1–24)<br />[[Drawn & Quarterly]]&nbsp;(#25–32)
|style="text-align:center;"|32
| <!-- no notes -->
|-
! scope="row"|''[[Underwater (comics)|Underwater]]''
|1995–1998
|[[Drawn & Quarterly]]
|style="text-align:center;"|11
|Left incomplete
|-
! scope="row"|''[[Louis Riel (comics)|Louis Riel]]''
|1999–2003
|[[Drawn & Quarterly]]
|style="text-align:center;"|10
| <!-- no notes -->
|-
! scope="row"|''[[Ed the Happy Clown]]''
|2004–2006
|[[Drawn & Quarterly]]
|style="text-align:center;"|9
|Reprinted material from ''[[Yummy Fur (comics)|Yummy Fur]]'' with extra background information
|}

===Books===

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Books by Chester Brown
|-
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Publisher
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | ISBN
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Ed the Happy Clown|Ed the Happy Clown: A Yummy Fur Book]]''
|1989
|[[Vortex Comics]]
|{{ISBNT|978-0-921451-04-4}}
|
*foreword by [[Harvey Pekar]]
*incomplete
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Ed the Happy Clown|Ed the Happy Clown: The Definitive Ed Book]]''
|1992
|Vortex Comics
|{{ISBNT|978-0-921451-08-2}}
|
*abridged
*altered ending
|-
! scope="row" |''[[The Playboy]]''
|1992
|[[Drawn & Quarterly]]
|{{ISBNT|978-0-9696701-1-7}}
| <!-- no note -->
|-
! scope="row" |''[[I Never Liked You]]''
|1994
|Drawn & Quarterly
|{{ISBNT|978-0-9696701-6-2}}
| <!-- no note -->
|-
! scope="row" |''[[The Little Man (comics)|The Little Man: Short Strips 1980–1995]]''
|1998
|Drawn & Quarterly
|{{ISBNT|978-1-896597-13-3}}
| <!-- no note -->
|-
! scope="row" |''[[I Never Liked You|I Never Liked You (Second Edition)]]''
|2002
|Drawn & Quarterly
|{{ISBNT|978-1-896597-14-0}}
|
*black page backgrounds changed to white
*annotations
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Louis Riel (comics)|Louis Riel]]''
|2004
|Drawn & Quarterly
|{{ISBNT|978-1-894937-89-4}}
| <!-- no note -->
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Paying for It]]''
|2011
|Drawn & Quarterly
|{{ISBNT|978-1-77046-048-5}}
|
*introduction by [[Robert Crumb]]
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Ed the Happy Clown|Ed the Happy Clown: A Graphic Novel]]''
|2012
|Drawn & Quarterly
|{{ISBNT|978-1-77046-075-1}}
|
*annotated
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Mary Wept Over the Feet of Jesus]]''
|2016
|Drawn & Quarterly
|{{ISBNT|978-1-77046-234-2}}
| <!-- no note -->
|-
|}

===Title changes===

Many of his books have undergone title changes, sometimes at the behest of his publisher, sometimes without his permission.  ''Ed the Happy Clown: the Definitive Ed Book'' was given the ''Definitive'' title, despite the fact that he "didn't want to put that as the subtitle of the second edition. Vortex did it for marketing reasons."{{sfn|Arnold|2004}}  ''The Playboy'' was originally titled ''Disgust'' and then ''The Playboy Stories'', and ''I Never Liked You'' was called ''Fuck'' (the German translation retains that title<ref>[[:de:Reprodukt|Reprodukt]] product page for ''[http://www.reprodukt.com/product_info.php?products_id=308 Fuck] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001033015/http://www.reprodukt.com/product_info.php?products_id=308 |date=1 October 2011 }}''</ref>). ''Underwater'' was originally intended to appear in ''Yummy Fur'', but Brown's new publisher felt they could attract more readers with a different title. ''Paying for It'' carries the sense of a [[double entendre]] that Brown dislikes{{efn|"It suggests that not only am I paying for sex but I'm also paying for being a john in some non-monetary way. Many would think that there's an emotional cost – that johns are sad and lonely&nbsp;... I haven't been 'paying for it' in any of those ways. I'm very far from being sad or lonely, I haven't caught an [[Sexually transmitted disease|S-T-D]], I haven't been arrested, I haven't lost my career, and my friends and family haven't rejected me." – Brown in 2011{{sfn|Brown|2011|p=259}} }}–he would have preferred to call the book ''I Pay for Sex''.{{sfn|Wagner|2011}}

===Illustration===

Brown has also done a certain amount of illustration work. In 1998, he did the cover to Sphinx Productions' ''Comic Book Confidential #1'';<ref name="LadyChatterly" /> in 2005 he did the cover to ''True Porn 2'' from [[Alternative Comics (publisher)|Alternative Comics]]; and he illustrated the cover for [[Penguin Books]]' Deluxe Classics edition of ''[[Lady Chatterley's Lover]]'' by [[D.&nbsp;H. Lawrence]].<ref>Penguin Books' [http://www.penguinclassics.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780143039617,00.html?Lady_Chatterley%27s_Lover_D._H._Lawrence product page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110103230009/http://www.penguinclassics.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780143039617,00.html?Lady_Chatterley%27s_Lover_D._H._Lawrence |date=3 January 2011 }} for ''Lady Chatterley's Lover'' (Deluxe Classics edition, 2007). {{ISBN|978-0-14-303961-7}}</ref>  Brown illustrated the cover to the 11 July 2004, issue of ''[[The New York Times Magazine]]'', an issue whose theme was [[graphic novel]]s.<ref name="ICv2" /><ref name="InappropriateLaughter" />  He has done the cover for [[Sook-Yin Lee]]'s 1996 [[solo album]] ''[[Wigs 'n' Guns]]'' (to which he also contributed lyrics for one song),{{sfn|Carruthers}} and the poster for her film, ''[[Year of the Carnivore]]''.{{sfn|Balkissoon|2010}}

===Collaborations===
Brown provided the illustrations for the story "A Tribute to [[Bill Marks]]" in [[Harvey Pekar]]'s ''[[American Splendor]]'' #15 in 1990, and "How This Forward Got Written" in ''The New American Splendor Anthology'' in 1991.

He [[inker|inked]] [[Seth (cartoonist)|Seth]]'s [[penciller|pencils]] for the story "Them Changes" in [[Dennis Eichhorn]]'s ''[[Real Stuff]]'' #6 in 1992, and shared artwork duties with [[Sook-Yin Lee]] on the story "The Not So Great Escape" in ''Real Stuff'' #16 in 1993.

He also [[inker|inked]] [[Steve Bissette]]'s [[penciller|pencils]] for the story "It Came From&nbsp;... Higher Space!" in [[Alan Moore]]'s ''[[1963 (comics)|1963]]'' #3 in 1993.<ref name="1963Annotations" />

A [[Comic jam|jam]] piece with [[Dave Sim]] was included in the ''[[Cerebus the Aardvark|Cerebus]] World Tour Book'' in 1995.<ref name="CerebusWorldTourBook" />

==Recognition==

Over the years, Brown has received four [[Harvey Award]]s and numerous Harvey and [[Ignatz Award|Ignatz award]] nominations. [[Chester Brown's autobiographical comics|The autobiographical comics from ''Yummy Fur'']] placed {{Numero|38}} on the ''[[Comics Journal]]''{{'}}s list of the [[Comics Journal#Top 100 Comics list|100 best comics of the century]].  Brown was inducted into the [[Joe Shuster Award#Hall of Fame Inductees|Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame]], on 18 June 2011, at the [[Joe Shuster Awards]] in Calgary, [[Alberta]], Canada.<ref name="2011 Shuster Awards" /> Brown was one of the cartoonists to appear in the first volume of [[Fantagraphics]]' two-volume ''The Best Comics of the Decade'' (1990. {{ISBN|978-1-56097-036-1}}).

===Awards===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Awards won by Chester Brown
|-
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Organization
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Award for
! scope="col" style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Award
|-
|1990
|[[Harvey Award]]s
|Chester Brown
|Best Cartoonist<ref name="Harveys1990" />
|-
|1990
|Harvey Awards
|''[[Ed the Happy Clown]]''
|Best Graphic Album<ref name="Harveys1990" /><br /><small>for the first edition</small>
|-
|1990
|U.K. Comic Art Award
|''Ed the Happy Clown''
|Best Graphic Novel/Collection{{sfn|Bell|2006|p=150}}<br /><small>for the first edition</small>
|-
|1999
|[[Urhunden Prizes]]
|''Ed the Happy Clown''
|Foreign Album{{sfnm|1a1=Hammarlund|1y=2009|2a1=Hahn|2y=2006}}
|-
|2004
|Harvey Awards
|''[[Louis Riel (comics)|Louis Riel]]''
|Best Writer<ref name="Harveys2004" />
|-
|2004
|Harvey Awards
|''Louis Riel''
|Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work<ref name="Harveys2004" />
|}

===Nominations===

{| class="wikitable"
!colspan="4"|Award Nominations
|-
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Organization
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Award for
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Award
|-
|rowspan="4"|1989
|rowspan="10"|[[Harvey Award]]s<ref name="HarveysWebsite" />
|rowspan="4"|''[[Yummy Fur (comic)|Yummy Fur]]''
|'''Best Writer'''
|-
|'''Best Cartoonist'''
|-
|'''Best Continuing or Limited Series'''
|-
|'''Special Achievement in Humor'''
|-
|1990
|Chester Brown
|'''Special Award for Humor'''
|-
|rowspan="3"|1991
|''[[Yummy Fur (comic)|Yummy Fur]]''
|'''Best Continuing or Limited Series'''
|-
|''"[[The Playboy: A Comic Book|The Playboy]] Stories" in [[Yummy Fur (comics)|Yummy Fur]] #21–23''
|'''Best Single Issue or Story'''
|-
|rowspan="2"|''[[Yummy Fur (comic)|Yummy Fur]]''
|'''Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)'''
|-
|1992
|'''Best Cartoonist'''
|-
|1993
|''[[The Playboy: A Comic Book|The Playboy]]''
|'''Best Graphic Album of Previously Released Material'''
|-
|1998
|[[Ignatz Award]]s<ref name="IgnatzWebsite" />
|rowspan="3"|''[[The Little Man (comics)|The Little Man]]''
|'''Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection'''
|-
|1999
|rowspan="3"|[[Harvey Award]]s<ref name="HarveysWebsite" />
|'''Special Award for Excellence in Presentation'''
|-
|1999
|'''Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work'''
|-
|2000
|rowspan="2"|''[[Louis Riel (comics)|Louis Riel]]''
|'''Best New Series'''
|-
|2002
|[[Ignatz Award]]s<ref name="IgnatzWebsite" />
|'''Outstanding Artist'''
|-
|rowspan="2"|2003
|rowspan="2"|[[Harvey Award]]s<ref name="HarveysWebsite" />
|Chester Brown
|'''Best Cartoonist'''
|-
|rowspan="3"|''[[Louis Riel (comics)|Louis Riel]]''
|'''Best Continuing or Limited Series'''
|-
|rowspan="2"|2004
|rowspan="2"|[[Ignatz Award]]s<ref name="IgnatzWebsite" />
|'''Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection'''
|-
|'''Outstanding Artist'''
|}

== See also ==
* [[Alternative comics]]
* [[The Beguiling]]
* ''[[It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken]]''

{{Portal bar|Biography|Comics|Libertarianism}}

==References==

{{Reflist|colwidth=25em|refs=<ref name="HarveysWebsite">{{Official website|http://www.harveyawards.org|name=Harvey Awards official website}}</ref><ref name="IgnatzWebsite">{{Official website|http://www.spxpo.com/ignatz-awards|name=Ignatz Awards official website}}</ref><ref name="ZombiesTakeToronto">[http://www.walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2008/09/22/chester-browns-zombie-romance/ Review] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121211070010/http://walrusmagazine.com/blogs/2008/09/22/chester-browns-zombie-romance/ |date=11 December 2012 }} of ''Zombies Take Toronto'' at walrusmagazine.com. Retrieved 2011-04-10</ref><ref name="SethInterview">[http://sequential.spiltink.org/dw2006/S&CatDW2.mp3 Seth Interviews Chester Brown] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719024130/http://sequential.spiltink.org/dw2006/S%26CatDW2.mp3 |date=19 July 2011 }}, hosted at [http://sequential.spiltink.org/ sequential.spiltink.org]. retrieved 2011-05-15</ref><ref name="CerebusWorldTourBook">[[Dave Sim|Sim, Dave]] et al. ''Cerebus World Tour Book 1995'', pages 47–65. [[Aardvark-Vanaheim]], 1995. ISSN 0712-7774</ref><ref name="LadyChatterly">{{cite web
|date       = 25 January 2010
|url        = http://www.progressiveruin.com/2010/01/25/comic-book-confidential-1-sphinx-productions-1988/
|title      = COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL #1 (SPHINX PRODUCTIONS, 1988).
|last       = Sterling
|first      = Mike
|publisher  = Mike Sterling's Progressive Ruin
|access-date = 2011-04-10}}</ref><ref name="1963Annotations">{{Cite web
|url        = http://www.enjolrasworld.com/Annotations/Alan%20Moore/1963%20Annotations.htm
|title      = Annotated 1963 Annotations
|access-date = 2011-05-19}}</ref><ref name="InappropriateLaughter">{{Cite web
|title      = Chester Brown on the NY Times Magazine Cover
|url      = http://tjaxckson.tumblr.com/post/344143570/chester-brown-on-the-ny-times-magazine-cover-via
|date      = 20 January 2010
|publisher      = Inappropriate Laughter
|access-date      = 2011-05-26
|url-status      = dead
|archive-url      = https://web.archive.org/web/20110831060104/http://tjaxckson.tumblr.com/post/344143570/chester-brown-on-the-ny-times-magazine-cover-via
|archive-date      = 31 August 2011
|df      = dmy-all
}}</ref><ref name="ICv2">{{Cite web
|title      = Cover Story on Graphic Novels in N.Y. Times Magazine: Will They Replace Traditional Novels?
|url        = http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/5300.html
|date       = 13 July 2004
|publisher  = ICv2
|access-date = 2011-05-26}}</ref><ref name="Harveys1990">{{Cite web
|url        = http://www.harveyawards.org/awards_1990win.html
|title        = 1990 Harvey Award Winners
|access-date        = 2011-11-16
|publisher        = The Harvey Awards official website
|url-status        = dead
|archive-url        = https://web.archive.org/web/20110928211952/http://www.harveyawards.org/awards_1990win.html
|archive-date        = 28 September 2011
|df        = dmy-all
}}</ref><ref name="Harveys2004">{{Cite web
 |url=http://www.harveyawards.org/awards_2004win.html 
 |title=2004 Harvey Award Winners 
 |access-date=2011-11-16 
 |publisher=The Harvey Awards official website 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907201600/http://www.harveyawards.org/awards_2004win.html 
 |archive-date=7 September 2011 
}}</ref><ref name="HembeckDateline">{{cite web
|url        = http://www.sparehed.com/2007/01/10/fred-hembecks-dateline/
|title      = Fred Hembeck's Dateline
|date = 11 January 2007
|publisher  = The Ephemerist}}</ref><ref name="D+QEd-5-notes1">Brown, ''Ed the Happy Clown'' #5, notes page 1</ref><ref name="D+QEd-8-notes2">Brown, ''Ed the Happy Clown'' #8, notes page 2</ref><ref name="GettingRiel1">Interview with [[Dave Sim]] [http://www.cerebusfangirl.com/artists/louisriel1.php Part 1]</ref><ref name="CanadaCouncil2001Grants">[http://www.canadacouncil.ca/NR/rdonlyres/4F61691F-EBE6-41D0-906D-F57B96EEA0F3/0/on0102.pdf Provincial Profiles, 2001–2002: Grants to Ontario] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401151159/http://www.canadacouncil.ca/NR/rdonlyres/4F61691F-EBE6-41D0-906D-F57B96EEA0F3/0/on0102.pdf |date=1 April 2012 }}. [[Canada Council for the Arts]], August 2002. page 29</ref><ref name="CanadaCouncil2005Grants">[http://www.canadacouncil.ca/NR/rdonlyres/4F61691F-EBE6-41D0-906D-F57B96EEA0F3/0/on0102.pdf Provincial and Territorial Profiles, 2005–2006: Grants to Ontario] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401151159/http://www.canadacouncil.ca/NR/rdonlyres/4F61691F-EBE6-41D0-906D-F57B96EEA0F3/0/on0102.pdf |date=1 April 2012 }}. [[Canada Council for the Arts]], August 2006. page 30</ref><ref name="PulseInterview2004">[http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=28828&Number=328254#Post328254 Interview] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924093320/http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=28828&Number=328254 |date=24 September 2010 }} with [[Heidi MacDonald]] in [[The Pulse (comics news)|The Pulse]].  2004-04-20. retrieved 2011-04-10</ref><ref name="WestAnnexNews">{{cite web
|url        = http://westannexnews.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/trinity-spadina-2011-federal-election-results-chow-crushes-opposition/
|title      = Trinity-Spadina 2011 federal election results: Chow crushes opposition
|publisher  = West Annex News
|date       = 1 May 2011
|access-date = 2011-05-05}}</ref><ref name="Gleaner" >{{cite web
|url        = http://gleanernews.ca/index.php/2011/04/04/time-to-ask-your-federal-reps-in-trinity-spadina-some-questions/
|title      = Time to ask your west-downtown Toronto federal candidates some questions
|date       = 4 April 2011
|access-date = 2011-04-13
|publisher  = Gleaner Community Newspapers}}</ref><ref name="WestAnnex2011ElectionResults">{{cite web
|url        = http://westannexnews.wordpress.com/2011/05/03/trinity-spadina-2011-federal-election-results-chow-crushes-opposition/
|title      = Trinity-Spadina 2011 federal election results: Chow crushes opposition
|date       = 3 May 2011
|publisher  = West Annex News
|access-date = 2012-03-03}}</ref><ref name="ChroniclingTheRevolutionary">{{Cite web |url=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=7360 |title=Chronicling the revolutionary:Chester Brown on Louis Riel |author=Daniel Epstein }}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="2011 Shuster Awards">{{cite web
|url   = http://joeshusterawards.com/awards/about/2011-nominees/
|title = Nominations for the 2011 Joe Shuster Awards| date=February 2011 }}</ref>

<!-- end {{Reflist}} -->}}

===Notes===
{{notelist}}

===Works cited===

{{Refbegin|colwidth=40em}}
* {{cite web
 |title        = Keeping It 'Riel'
 |url          = http://www.time.com/time/columnist/arnold/article/0,9565,609686,00.html
 |publisher    = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] magazine
 |first        = Andrew D.
 |last         = Arnold
 |date         = 12 April 2004
 |access-date  = 2011-05-01
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110513234646/http://www.time.com/time/columnist/arnold/article/0,9565,609686,00.html
 |archive-date = 13 May 2011
 |df           = dmy-all
}}
* {{cite journal
 |url         = http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20040517/33215-the-world-needs-more-canada-.html
 |access-date = 2012-02-15
 |title       = The World Needs More Canada
 |journal     = [[Publishers Weekly]]
 |date        = 17 May 2004
 |volume      = 251
 |issue       = 20
 |first1      = John F.
 |last1       = Baker
 |first2      = Nathalie
 |last2       = Atkinson
}}
* {{cite web
 |url         = https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/822672--sook-yin-lee-candid-with-the-camera-except-for-one-thing
 |title       = Sook-Yin Lee: Candid with the camera — except for one thing
 |first       = Denise
 |last        = Balkissoon
 |date        = 11 June 2010
 |publisher   = [[The Toronto Star]]
 |access-date = 2011-05-25
}}
* {{cite book
 |author-link = John Bell (historian)
 |last        = Bell
 |first       = John
 |title       = Invaders from the North: How Canada Conquered the Comic Book Universe
 |publisher   = [[Dundurn Group|Dundurn Press Ltd.]]
 |year        = 2006
 |isbn        = 978-1-55002-659-7
 |url         = https://archive.org/details/invadersfromnort0000bell
}}
* {{cite book
|last      = Brown
|first     = Chester
|title     = [[I Never Liked You]]
|edition   = 2nd
|publisher = [[Drawn & Quarterly]]
|year      = 2002
|isbn      = 978-1-896597-14-0}}
: Brown, Chester.  ''Ed the Happy Clown''.  Drawn & Quarterly.  Nine issues (February 2005 – September 2006)<br />(notes pages unnumbered, counted from first page of notes)
* {{cite book
|last      = Brown
|first     = Chester
|title     = [[Paying For It]]
|publisher = [[Drawn & Quarterly]]
|year      = 2011
|isbn      = 978-1-77046-048-5}}
* {{Cite web
 |url         = http://www.allmusic.com/album/r498184
 |title       = Wigs 'n' Guns
 |first       = Sean
 |last        = Carruthers
 |website     = [[AllMusic]]
 |access-date = 2011-05-19
}}
* {{cite journal
 |last        = Davis
 |first       = Erik
 |date        = January 1989
 |url         = https://books.google.com/books?id=gJX3jzxQYbMC&pg=PA1
 |title       = Ed's Big Boy
 |journal     = [[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]
 |volume      = 4
 |issue       = 10
 |page        = 13
 |access-date = 2011-04-07
}}
* {{cite web
 |last         = Donachie
 |first        = Mike
 |title        = ''Mary Wept Over The Feet of Jesus'': Chester Brown tackles prostitution in Biblical times
 |date         = 2016-04-14
 |work         = Metro News
 |publisher    = [[Metro International]]
 |url          = http://www.metronews.ca/entertainment/books/2016/04/13/chester-brown-mary-wept-over-the-feet-of-jesus.html
 |access-date  = 2016-04-30
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20160502014640/http://www.metronews.ca/entertainment/books/2016/04/13/chester-brown-mary-wept-over-the-feet-of-jesus.html
 |archive-date = 2016-05-02
}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.twohandedman.com/Interviews/Chester/Index.html |title=Two-Handed Man interviews cartoonist Chester Brown |access-date=2011-04-23 |date=29 January 2002 |first=Darell |last=Epp |publisher=twohandedman.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509104034/http://www.twohandedman.com/Interviews/Chester/Index.html |archive-date=9 May 2008 |df=dmy }}
* {{cite news
 |first       = Dwight
 |last        = Garner
 |title       = A Graphic Memoir That Earns the Designation
 |url         = https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/books/paying-for-it-is-chester-browns-memoir-of-prostitutes.html
 |date        = 24 May 2011
 |work        = [[The New York Times]]
 |access-date = 2012-04-28
}}
* {{cite book
 |last1         = Grace
 |first1        = Dominick
 |last2         = Hoffman
 |first2        = Eric
 |editor1-last  = Grace
 |editor1-first = Dominick
 |editor2-last  = Hoffman
 |editor2-first = Eric
 |title         = Chester Brown: Conversations
 |url           = https://books.google.com/books?id=3ZnyAAAAQBAJ
 |year          = 2013a
 |publisher     = [[University Press of Mississippi]]
 |isbn          = 978-1-61703-868-6
 |pages         = vii–xxxi
 |chapter       = Introduction
}}
* {{cite book
 |last1         = Grace
 |first1        = Dominick
 |last2         = Hoffman
 |first2        = Eric
 |editor1-last  = Grace
 |editor1-first = Dominick
 |editor2-last  = Hoffman
 |editor2-first = Eric
 |title         = Chester Brown: Conversations
 |url           = https://books.google.com/books?id=3ZnyAAAAQBAJ
 |year          = 2013b
 |publisher     = [[University Press of Mississippi]]
 |isbn          = 978-1-61703-868-6
 |pages         = xxxii–xxxiv
 |chapter       = Chronology
}}
* {{cite journal
|first      = Scott
|last       = Grammel
|date=April 1990
|title      = Chester Brown (interview)
|journal    = [[The Comics Journal]]
|issue      = 135
|pages      = 66–90
|publisher  = [[Fantagraphics Books]]}}
* {{Cite web
 |url         = http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/urhunden.php
 |title       = Urhunden Prize
 |access-date = 2011-05-02
 |year        = 2006
 |first       = Joel
 |last        = Hahn
 |publisher   = Comic Book Awards Almanac
}}
* {{Cite web 
 |url=http://www.serieframjandet.se/912/seriepris-till-joakim-pirinen-och-jan-loeoef 
 |title=Seriepris until Joakim Pirinen och Jan Lööf 
 |access-date=2011-05-02 
 |date=20 September 2009 
 |first=Ova 
 |last=Hammarlund 
 |publisher=www.serieframjandet.se Seriefrämjandet 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111122161958/http://www.serieframjandet.se/912/seriepris-till-joakim-pirinen-och-jan-loeoef 
 |archive-date=22 November 2011 
 }} (in [[Swedish language|Swedish]])
* {{cite journal
 |last        = Heer
 |first       = Jeet
 |title       = A Chester Brown Notebook
 |url         = http://www.tcj.com/a-chester-brown-notebook-2/
 |journal     = [[The Comics Journal]]
 |date        = 19 May 2011
 |access-date = 2012-04-29
}}
* {{cite web
 |last         = Hwang
 |first        = Francis
 |title        = Graven Images
 |date         = 23 December 1998
 |url          = http://www.citypages.com/1998-12-23/feature/graven-images/
 |access-date  = 2014-04-01
 |publisher    = [[City Pages]]
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20121004231803/http://www.citypages.com/1998-12-23/feature/graven-images/
 |archive-date = 2012-10-04
}}
* {{cite book
|last      = Juno
|first     = Andrea
|title     = Dangerous Drawings
|chapter   = Interview with Chester Brown
|publisher = Juno Books
|year      = 1997
|pages     = 130–147
|isbn      = 0-9651042-8-1
}}
* {{cite web
|last        = Kohler
|first        = Nicholas
|title        = Romantic love is the last thing he wants
|date        = 2 May 2011
|work        = [[Maclean's]]
|url        = http://www.macleans.ca/2011/05/02/romantic-love-is-the-last-thing-he-wants/
|access-date        = 2011-05-03
}}
* {{cite book
|last          = Køhlert
|first         = Frederik Byrn
|chapter       = I Never Liked You: A Comic-Strip Narrative
|title         = Critical Survey of Graphic Novels: Independent and Underground Classics
|editor1-last  = Beaty
|editor1-first = Bart H.
|editor2-last  = Weiner
|editor2-first = Stephen
|publisher     = Salem Press
|year          = 2012
|pages         = 378–381
|isbn          = 978-1-58765-950-8
}}
* {{cite web
 |last         = Lehoczky
 |first        = Etelka
 |title        = God And Sex Workers — Plus Cartoons — In 'Mary Wept'
 |date         = 2016-04-16
 |website      = [[NPR]]
 |url          = https://www.npr.org/2016/04/16/471621997/god-and-sex-workers-plus-cartoons-in-mary-wept
 |access-date  = 2016-05-02
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20160417093004/http://www.npr.org/2016/04/16/471621997/god-and-sex-workers-plus-cartoons-in-mary-wept
 |archive-date = 2016-04-17
}}
* {{cite journal
|last       = Levin
|first      = Bob
|title      = Chester Brown
|date       = October 1993
|journal    = [[The Comics Journal]]
|issue      = 162
|pages      = 45–49
}}
* {{Cite web
 |last         = Mackay
 |first        = Brad
 |title        = Special Ed
 |publisher    = [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]
 |date         = 18 July 2005
 |url          = http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/edclown.html
 |access-date  = 2011-11-14
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20050908202103/http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/edclown.html
 |archive-date = 2005-09-08
}}
* {{Cite web
 |last         = Mackay
 |first        = Brad
 |title        = Sex and the single cartoonist
 |publisher    = [[The Globe and Mail]]
 |date         = 30 April 2011
 |url          = https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/books/paying-for-it-by-chester-brown/article2003879/
 |access-date  = 2011-05-01
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110508083859/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/books/paying-for-it-by-chester-brown/article2003879/
 |archive-date = 2011-05-08
}}
* {{cite web
 |last        = Matheson
 |first       = Emmet
 |title       = Chester Brown
 |year        = 2004
 |work        = Riel: a comic-book hero
 |publisher   = CBC Digital Archives
 |url         = http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/arts-entertainment/visual-arts/the-comics-in-canada-an-illustrated-history/a-riel-comic-book-hero.html
 |access-date = 2008-06-18
}}
* {{cite web
 |last         = Mautner
 |first        = Chris
 |date         = 8 April 2011
 |title        = Robot Reviews: ''Paying for It''
 |publisher    = [[Comic Book Resources]]
 |url          = http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2011/04/robot-reviews-paying-for-it/
 |access-date  = 2011-04-11
 |archive-date = 11 November 2011
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20111111231200/http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2011/04/robot-reviews-paying-for-it/
 |url-status   = dead
}}
* {{cite web
 |last        = Park
 |first       = Ed
 |title       = Text Appeal
 |publisher   = Toronto Standard
 |date        = 2 May 2011
 |url         = http://www.torontostandard.com/culture-design/text-appeal-some-notes-on-the-notes-of-chester-brown
 |access-date = 2011-05-05
}} (followup at [[The Comics Journal]], ''[http://www.tcj.com/notes-to-a-note-on-the-notes-of-chester-brown/ Notes to a Note on the Notes of Chester Brown]'')
* {{cite book
|last      = Pustz
|first     = Matthew J.
|title     = Comic Book Culture: Fanboys and True Believers
|publisher = [[University Press of Mississippi]]
|year      = 1999
|isbn      = 978-1-57806-201-0
}}
* {{cite web
 |last         = Randle
 |first        = Chris
 |title        = Book Review: Paying For It, by Chester Brown
 |date         = 6 May 2011
 |publisher    = [[The National Post]]
 |url          = http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/05/06/book-review-paying-for-it-by-chester-brown/
 |access-date  = 2011-05-07
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-url  = https://archive.today/20130130015108/http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/05/06/book-review-paying-for-it-by-chester-brown/
 |archive-date = 30 January 2013
}}
* {{cite journal
 |last        = Rogers
 |first       = Sean
 |title       = A John's Gospel: The Chester Brown Interview
 |journal     = [[The Comics Journal]]
 |date        = 9 May 2011
 |url         = http://www.tcj.com/a-johns-gospel-the-chester-brown-interview/
 |access-date = 2014-04-01
}} part [http://www.tcj.com/a-johns-gospel-the-chester-brown-interview/2/ 2] [http://www.tcj.com/a-johns-gospel-the-chester-brown-interview/3/ 3] [http://www.tcj.com/a-johns-gospel-the-chester-brown-interview/4/ 4] [http://www.tcj.com/a-johns-gospel-the-chester-brown-interview/5/ 5] [http://www.tcj.com/a-johns-gospel-the-chester-brown-interview/6/ 6] [http://www.tcj.com/a-johns-gospel-the-chester-brown-interview/7/ 7] [http://www.tcj.com/a-johns-gospel-the-chester-brown-interview/8/ 8].
* {{cite journal
|author-link = Dave Sim
|last       = Sim
|first      = Dave
|title      = Getting Riel (''interview'')
|journal    = [[Cerebus the Aardvark|Cerebus]]
|issue      = 295–297
|publisher  = [[Aardvark-Vanaheim]]
|year       = 2003}} Also available online: parts [http://www.cerebusfangirl.com/artists/louisriel1.php 1] [http://www.cerebusfangirl.com/artists/louisriel2.php 2] and [http://www.cerebusfangirl.com/artists/louisriel3.php 3].
* {{cite web
 |last         = Tousley
 |first        = Nancy
 |title        = Interview: Chester Brown: Louis Riel's comic-strip biographer
 |url          = http://www.canadianart.ca/art/features/2005/03/01/298/
 |access-date  = 2012-04-19
 |date         = 1 March 2005
 |publisher    = Canadian Art
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120321204723/http://www.canadianart.ca/art/features/2005/03/01/298/
 |archive-date = 21 March 2012
}}
* {{cite web
 |last        = Verstappen
 |first       = Nicolas
 |title       = Chester Brown
 |publisher   = du9.org
 |date        = August 2008
 |url         = http://www.du9.org/en/entretien/chester-brown1030/
 |access-date = 2014-04-01
}}
* {{Cite web
 |last        = Wagner
 |first       = Vit
 |title       = ''Paying for It: A Comic-Strip Memoir About Being a John'' by Chester Brown
 |publisher   = [[The Toronto Star]]
 |date        = 29 April 2011
 |url         = https://www.thestar.com/news/books/article/982927--paying-for-it-a-comic-strip-memoir-about-being-a-john-by-chester-brown
 |access-date = 2011-05-01
}}
* {{Cite interview
|last       = Walker
|first       = Benjamen
|title       = The Difference Between Giving and Taking (a conversation with Chester Brown)
|url       = https://soundcloud.com/bwalker/the-difference-between-giving
<!--|subject    = Chester Brown-->
|type       = Interview: Audio
|date       = 17 May 2011
|access-date       = 2011-05-23
}}
* {{cite web
|last       = Weisblott
|first      = Marc
|title      = Chester the Libertarian 
|date       = 17 September 2008 
|url        = http://archives.eyeweekly.com/blog/post/39716--chester-the-libertarian
|access-date = 2011-05-05
}}{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
* {{Cite web
 |last        = Weisblott
 |first       = Marc
 |title       = Federal election candidate publishes comic book memoir about prostitutes
 |publisher   = [[Yahoo!]] News
 |date        = 14 April 2011
 |url         = http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/federal-election-candidate-publishes-comic-book-memoir-prostitutes-20110414-130003-613.html
 |access-date = 2011-05-01
}}
* {{cite book
 |last        = Wolk
 |first       = Douglas
 |author-link = Douglas Wolk
 |chapter     = Chester Brown: The Outsider
 |title       = Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean
 |pages       = [https://archive.org/details/readingcomicshow00wolk/page/147 147–155]
 |publisher   = [[Da Capo Press]]
 |year        = 2007
 |isbn        = 978-0-306-81509-6
 |chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/readingcomicshow00wolk/page/147
}}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
*''Chester Brown: Conversations'' by Dominick Grace and Eric Hoffman, with notes by Chester Brown, University Press of Mississippi, 2013

==External links==
{{External links|section|date=July 2019}}
* {{gcdb|type=credit|search=Chester+Brown|title=Chester Brown}}
* {{comicbookdb|type=creator|id=5607|title=Chester Brown}}
* [http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/newsList.php?st=art&art=a3dff7dd51fc01 News Briefs featuring Chester Brown] at [[Drawn & Quarterly]]'s [http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/ website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110804222008/http://www.time.com/time/columnist/arnold/article/0%2C9565%2C609686%2C00.html Time.com interview with Chester Brown]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/edclown.html CBC Arts Online article about Chester Brown's Ed The Happy Clown series]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/arts/walkoffame/chesterbrown.html Chester Brown induction into CBC Arts Online's Alternative Canadian Walk of Fame]
* [http://sequential.spiltink.org/dw2006/S&CatDW2.mp3 Audio interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719024130/http://sequential.spiltink.org/dw2006/S%26CatDW2.mp3 |date=19 July 2011 }} of Brown by [[Gregory Gallant|Seth]]

{{Chester Brown|state=expanded}}
{{Drawn & Quarterly}}
{{Canadian cartoonists}}
{{Inkpot Award 2010s}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Chester}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Canadian album-cover and concert-poster artists]]
[[Category:Alternative cartoonists]]
[[Category:Anglophone Quebec people]]
[[Category:Anti-psychiatry]]
[[Category:Canadian Christians]]
[[Category:Canadian comic strip cartoonists]]
[[Category:Canadian comics artists]]
[[Category:Canadian graphic novelists]]
[[Category:Canadian libertarians]]
[[Category:Christian writers]]
[[Category:Film poster artists]]
[[Category:Former Baptists]]
[[Category:Harvey Award winners for Best Cartoonist]]
[[Category:Harvey Award winners for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work]]
[[Category:Harvey Award winners for Best Graphic Album]]
[[Category:Harvey Award winners for Best Writer]]
[[Category:Inkpot Award winners]]
[[Category:Libertarian Party of Canada candidates in the 2008 Canadian federal election]]
[[Category:Libertarian Party of Canada candidates in the 2011 Canadian federal election]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Obscenity controversies in comics]]
[[Category:People from Châteauguay]]
[[Category:Underground cartoonists]]