Bob Fingerman

Bob Fingerman (born August 25, 1964) is an American comic book writer/artist born in Queens, New York.

Best known for his comic series "Minimum Wage" (Fantagraphics Books), Fingerman’s contributions to the world of comic books have been many and varied.

In 1984, while still a student at New York’s School of Visual Arts, he produced work for Harvey Kurtzman (creator of "Mad magazine" and Playboy’s “Little Annie Fanny”) on the short-lived young readers anthology "NUTS!" At the same time Fingerman also signed a contract to produce a series of comical parodies of the Italian comic series, "RanXerox", exclusively for the European market, which ran in such magazines as France’s "L'Écho des savanes" and "Comics USA", and Spain’s infamous "El Vibora".

Fingerman toiled in the disparate realms of children's satire, pornography, sci-fi and illustration, producing work regularly for "Cracked" magazine ("Mad"’s most venerable knock-off), Al Goldstein’s infamous tabloid, "Screw", "Penthouse", "Hot Talk", "Heavy metal", "National Lampoon", and "High Times". He also worked as an illustrator for the "Village Voice", "Video Review", "Business Week", "Guitar World", and many other periodicals.

In 1990 he decided to focus on doing comics. He did a yearlong stint on "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", as well as several titles for the Eros Comix line of adult comics. Among those were "Skinheads in Love" (which drew praise from "The Village Voice Literary Supplement") and "Bloodsucker", a collaboration with punk icon Lydia Lunch. He also created covers and short stories for Dark Horse Comics, and DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint.

In 1993 Fingerman wrote and drew his first graphic novel, "White Like She", a sci-fi social satire about a middle-aged black man whose brain is transplanted into a white teenage girl’s head.

Upon completion of this purely fictional work, Fingerman decided to turn his attention inward and mine his own life for source material. The result was the semi-autobiographical series, "Minimum Wage" (Fantagraphics Books), which in 2003 was collected and extensively reworked as the Fantagraphics graphic novel, "Beg the Question" (and which was nominated for an Ignatz Award).

Fingerman has broadened his palette, turning to prose, and continuing to work in comics. His most recent offerings are the humor collection "You Deserved It", "", the zombie graphic novel, "Recess Pieces" (described on Fangoria's website as "The Little Rascals" meets "Dawn of the Dead"), and his debut prose novel, "Bottomfeeder".

Fingerman currently lives in New York City with his wife, Michele.

Bibliography

Comics

* "Beg The Question" graphic novel
* "You Deserved It" graphic novel
* "Zombie World: Winter's Degs & Other Stories" graphic novel
* "White Like She"
* "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"
* "2099 Unlimited" #2, #10 (1994, 1996)
* "Skinheads in Love"
* "Bloodsucker" with Lydia Lunch
* "Minimum Wage" miniseries
* "Recess Pieces" graphic novel (2006)

Novels

* "Bottomfeeder"

External links

* [http://www.bobfingerman.com/ Personal Website]
* [http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/36/t/006083.html Bob Fingerman interview at THE PULSE]
* [http://www.fantagraphics.com/artist/fingerman/fingerman.html Fantagraphics profile]
* [http://www.bookslut.com/comicbookslut/2003_07_000131.php Bookslut feature]
* [http://suicidegirls.com/words/Bob+Fingerman/ SuicideGirls interview]
* [http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6339183.html?text=recess+pieces "PW Comics Week" interview]
* [http://thedailycrosshatch.com/2007/02/26/recess-pieces-by-bob-fingerman/ A review of Fingerman's "Recess Pieces"] at The Daily Cross Hatch, from February 26, 2007