I've known Kurt Busiek for a zillion years. We're not in touch regularly but he's one of those friends with whom you can pick up the thread any time you talk.
In addition to being a prolific writer, he's also a great idea man (he came up with the rationale for Jean Gray's rebirth), critic (he was the first person to bust Alan Moore for his "homage" to the novel Super Folks in "Whatever Happened to the Man of Steel") and keen observer of the scene. He's also a fanboy, which is how we met; in a couple of apas together, back in the Jurrasic Era, I think.
I shouldn't have been surprised that Tom Spurgeon chose to interview him (though I was). Check it out!
I'll be at the Fair this weekend, shmoozing and cruising, and introducing three comics-GN panels; Saturday at 2:30, it's David Hajdu and Francoise Mouly; at 4 pm, David Heatley, Ariel Schrag, Jessica Abel and Matt Madden. On Sunday at 2 pm, it's Jim Morin, the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist of The Miami Herald.
If you're around, stop by and say hey.
Here's a music video David Heatley did to promote his new book.
Uh, yeah. That's what my mother called 'em when I was a kid, as in, "Richy, straighten up those joke books." Or "Time to get rid of some of those joke books."