MoCCA '26, Part 2: On the Ground with Brad Neely

Talking absurdism, the power of love, and a little girl who gave One Thumb Down.

So, initially, this was going to be a short video project for my comics course in uni. My professor thought it would be nice, considering I'm a film major, to forgo the creator research essay and instead get right in there and rub some elbows. He also didn't know if he could stand me talking about Akatsuka over the 2k word maximum, but I digress. If you're reading this, Professor, please keep it OTL ("on the low"...no comments, no reposts, no associations, and no university award submissions), as anonymity is something I wish to keep. Thanks!

If you'd like to read the last entry, an interview/walk-and-talk with Caroline Cash of Nancy, click here.

Moving back inside from the last talk, Caroline Cash (current artist of Nancy and Eisner-winning cartoonist) was stopped at the door due to a misplaced wristband. Doorman didn't buy it when I showed him my bag with her Nancy art on it, but I made sure to stop by later and pick up some zines from her, as well as a print. Overall, maybe one of the best experiences I've ever had talking with a cartoonist.

Next in the queue was someone who I was decently familiar with through his [adult swim] series China, IL. It's a show that I had caught briefly in my early [as] viewing years, watching a few episodes, but never outright finishing it. After talking with its creator, I'd owe myself to revisiting what I do and don't remember from the show, and giving myself a pat on the back for the school I go to being much better than UoC, IL.

Neely was part of the lineup of comedic artists in the prior-discussed panel, and as he'd mentioned, his philosophy to making comics was different: "a story can be told in one image". Of course, it doesn't matter much if the stories make sense or are grounded in any reality, but as long as you can get the joke or place yourself in that environment of the comic, it has served its purpose.

I caught Neely at his booth, signing copies of his new book, a collection of his one-panel series Creased Comics. The art in Creased was unmistakable: each line jointed perfectly yet haphazard to create these stories of a skewed universe that only Neely could exist in.

"How long have you been doing comics?" said I, still quite nervous.

"Oh, well, since I was a kid, really," Neely replied, "I just started copying my favorites. Then, when I was about 18 or so, I morphed into this exact style I've been drawing ever since."

"What would those favorites be?"

"X-Men and the Hulk...I didn't grow up reading the kinds of comics that so many of the people here are so immersed in," said Neely, looking to the zine, indie, and underground culture of MoCCA Fest, "it seems like a world that I'm facing."

It was perfectly understandable to me, someone who grew up with cape books, meandered to newspaper strips, and settled in a "whatever's weirdest" motivation. Perhaps in the manner of Neely's strips, the weirdness is certainly the star player in this metaphorical sports game of artistic balance.

Outside of the spheres of personal influence, I dove into the realm of his TV work for [adult swim]. "Had they ever put them out on physical at all?"

"No, I had two shows on [as] (China, IL and Brad Neely's Harg-Nallin' Sclopio Peepio) and they never put them out on physical. They're occasionally on the streamers."

"I'd heard on HBO Max, they'd taken down most of the [as] stuff. It's all back up on their website."

"Oh, really?" I'd seen this sort of feeling in creators before, not just in Neely's response.

"They're getting rid of most of the [as] stuff on there, not just your shows."

"That's about right," he continued, mournfully, "I mean, [as] is a powerhouse in today's era of streaming, it seems like kind of a different era."

And he's right, especially since he was working for them at the time when Lazzo and Crofford headed the block through Williams Street. Those two specifically, as producers, were responsible for much of the diversity in programming, willing to take many more risks and just shoot anything up to the satellites like Aqua Teen Hunger Force (a show well-known for its small budget yet dedicated fanbase) and The Venture Bros. (an homage to Hanna-Barbera action cartoons of the 60s-70s that eventually turned into its own kind of show)

With a series like China, IL., underrepresented voices in comedy, animation, and comics were given places to tell tales of America's worst college by any means necessary in a way that made sense to them. I recommend you read up on the show's production process, it's kinda chaotic if you're familiar with how most adult animated series are done, but the results are lightning in a bottle.

"I don't wanna blame HBO Max or anything, but they started out really good. Huge lineup of stuff. Then, once COVID hit, I was like, 'is this everything?'" I thought, "and now it's getting really bad, I feel."

"I feel sad about it too, but don't lose hope." Neely commented. That struck me. Streaming isn't doing too hot, but like everything, things can always get better. Like that Howard Jones song. "I feel these sorts of things can dip in bad eras and good eras...it goes back and forth. There's always good people moving forward."

"I mean, hey," I mustered, "at least they got Looney Tunes on Tubi and it's always making the top 10 every week."

"Maybe they should listen to that, Tubi is rockin'."

The crowds at the event were somewhat bulky. Everywhere you turned was someone with a giant book stack of hardcovers, zines, and other published goodies. Some had stickers, enamel pins, canvas bags...all this merchandise that one would be hard-pressed to find at a general "nerdcon" for anything less than $100 each. The personality of MoCCA Fest was winning me over, and the intimacy of having one-on-one talks with big people in the industry, whether publishers, artists, people who know how to work a risograph...I found people who loved the world of this subculture and made it their life. It's easy to respect that, I think.

"You got any new stuff comin' out?"

"Well, there are some secret things, but probably more of [the published] format," Neely shuffled his stack of Creased Comics volumes, "It's got the fans running in for it, and I'm eager to get back to Los Angeles and do a bit of drawing."

"Wish I could be home right now..." I was in thought.

"Where's home for you?"

"Michigan. My professor said, 'go out and do something', so here I am talking with comics people instead of my final. I'm a giant comics nut, so I'd thought I might as well talk to the people who matter."

"What kind of creators do you like?"

"I like Fujio Akatsuka." The next minute of discussion has been omitted for brevity. "Any particular artists besides who you grew up with that really hit you?"

"I have a lot of fine art and cinematic [influences], and I kinda smash them all together."

"Since I'm a film major, I might as well ask what kind of directors you like."

Detail from Neely's
Creased Comics

"I like all sorts," he began, "I like people like David Lynch, obviously. But also people like Rob Reiner. Somewhere in the middle is where I land."

We then talked a little about the airport situation: much of the TSA staff on duty had come on their own volition, as the Trump administration halted payments until the week after my trip. My mother wanted us to leave early to beat the rush, so we were leaving early tomorrow, with this being my only day I could attend the festival.

"So, you're a dad. What is it like balancing dadhood and comics?"

"Luckily, my kid is a great lover of drawing."

"Those are the best kinds of kids," I complimented.

"Much faster and better than I was at her age. Always has been. I'm just kinda been there for support. Well, if she needs it. Most of the time she doesn't, but it gives us something to talk about. It's pretty easy when you have someone [you love] that great around."

"I mean, I'm dating someone who really loves comics, so I hope we have a comics-loving child. One way or another, that's gonna seep in, whether on mom's side, dad's side, or just yellin' at 'em," I joked, "'watch my Superman movie! Your mommy loved this as a kid, so why don't you?'"

"I've said those very words," Neely continued, chuckling, "but don't rush it, parenthood. The surprising thing is that I've shown her things I love, but most of the time she's just...'meh'. Thumbs down."

"We've got one half of Siskel and Ebert in the house," I joked, "yelling with her about Baby's Day Out."

Neely laughed heartily at the idea, "Oh, god..."

"She was terrified. She felt for that baby, she didn't care if it was a cartoon pastiche," I continued, "'Siskel and Baby', thumbs down. Not enough flashing colors."

Neely composed himself, then we finished up. He said something along the lines of, "when you're finished up in school for film, I hope you end up somewhere good." Words like these from creatives are super great, even in some pretty dire times like now. Pushing on is a bit of a motif of the MoCCA Fest show, and it's one of the best things you could do in this day and age.

In the third part...

A soldier, huh?