In life, there are those that make things happen, and those that follow suit. Uncle Gil is an individual of the former type.
After doing distribution for Dexter Cockburn in Quebec, Uncle Gil endeavoured in the creation of Spread Love Comix, an underground comics anthology. As of writing these lines, we can count 29 core issues, four collected essentials, and countless collaborations with artists such as Dexter Cockburn, of course, but also Carlos Carcassa, Cam Hayden, Adam Brown and so many more. Since its inception in 2021, Spread Love Comix has become an essential member of the underground comix community and market, a decisive showcase for upcoming and established artists alike.
Uncle Gil has also done a great deal of interviews with industry icons. Today, it is time to turn the tables and interview him!
Q: Slice of Life has a story illustrated by Dexter Cockburn It recounts how you first began distributing Cockburn’s work in comic book shops. Often, people wouldn’t want any of it for two reasons: it’s too graphic and it’s not mainstream enough. Is distributing your anthology nowadays as hard as it was distributing Cockburn’s work back then?
Let’s say that what’s most difficult is anything erotic or too graphic. Many of the comic shops here are more family-oriented, so they prefer not showcasing anything that might drive away parents shopping with their kids. Fortunately, there are still other places.
Q: Can you name some of those places? Just so readers know which libraries or comic book shops constitute essential landmarks to visit when they come to our wonderful province!
I don’t know them all, to be honest. I could be wrong, but I do know that Comic Hunter has an impressive collection of old underground comics, Eros Comix, and lots of other adult publications, both local and international. Otherwise, I’m a big fan of Planète BD. If you're looking for new releases in more of a graphic novel format, they’re great. They also have a nice indie section.
Q: Correct me if I’m wrong, but the first issue of Spread Love Comix began as a crowdfunding project.
Could you bring us back to this timeframe? What were you doing in life and what pushed you to jump into the underground arena as an editor?
I hope you don’t mind if I correct you a little! I’ve always funded everything on my own. I started the Spread Love project in 2020. I absolutely wanted to create my own collective comic because I’ve always loved group projects.
It was mostly a desire to check something off my bucket list. Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing but Dexter Cockburn and Robin Bougie (The Comix Company) inspired me to do it. I didn’t even think I could sell five copies, that’s why the first issue was number zero!
The original idea was to mix generations, the newcomers, the legends and also to give a platform to those who don’t have one, or who simply don’t have the energy to create one themselves.
Luckily, I had one or two interesting contacts who added credibility to the project, and I was surprised to sell 50 copies. That was in 2021. At the time, I was in adult school 30 hours a week and working at a retro game shop 20 hours a week. I quickly became more and more invested and passionate about it.
It's crazy to think that I've been lucky enough to work with my favorite artists like Peter Bagge, Joe Matt, Denis Kitchen, Dave Cooper and many others. I'm truly grateful.
You don't make comics to get rich! I've sacrificed a lot of time and even money on unsuccessful projects, but I did it for the love of art, as cliché as it may be.
Q: I read number zero a while ago and what surprised me is how little the core spirit of Spread Love Comix changed from then to the 29th issue. It really always has been about cartooning and spreading the love. Do you also feel that way when you go back and read your first issues or do you feel you could have done differently?
It means a lot to hear you say that. Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. I made a few mistakes since I had no experience at all when I started, but I wouldn’t change anything. I’ve always done this out of passion as a fan first and I hope that still comes through. Sometimes I feel like trying out different styles, but I don’t limit myself.
Q: There are many artists who have consistently followed you through the years, but I want to focus on exactly two: Dexter Cockburn and Lustful Toons. Where did your relationship with those artists originate?
I wish I had a more interesting answer, but I’ve been a fan of Dexter for a long time. Honestly, I don’t even remember how it all started. What’s certain is that I’m a fan first and foremost.
Lustful Toons is a really cool guy. Being a huge Ren & Stimpy fan, I immediately appreciated his style. If I remember correctly, I traded him a Ripping Friends DVD for the first illustration. Shoutout to them!
Q: Two years ago, Spread Love Comix published Shallow Pocket Zine, your first all-female publication. It published works by Sophie Crumb, Cecilia Varhed, Carrie Q. Contrary, J. Webster Shap, and many more. Tell us how this anthology came to life.
Following several conversations with artist friends, we thought that women in underground comix deserved more attention and I humbly wanted to do my part to do something about it. My goal was to make a kind of "Tits and Clits" or "Wimmens Comix". Someone told me that being a man it was not legitimate to do this project, but I did it with good intentions.
Hannibal Gerald came up with this amazing title and gave me a hand. You didn't mention her but Mary Fleener was also part of this project and it’s one of my greatest prides. Obviously I consider her a legend, but she's also one of the nicest people in this business. Every time I get a message from her it's filled with kindness but also good energy.
Q: In the last two decades, we have observed a significant rise in public and institutional interest for zines. We can think of the Expozine fair that began in the early 2000s and is now so popular that their current venue is often overcrowded; a section of the Salon du livre de Montréal reserved for zines; and the countless independent libraries that are now distributing zines.
Has this trend positively affected your publication? Spread Love Comix being a mostly one-man operation and containing graphic content, I suppose you have to pick your events carefully.
Definitely! It’s becoming more and more trendy and mainstream, which is great. There are so many events now, it’s hard to keep up with all of them. The scene is thriving, and there’s something for everyone. Of course, the type of publications I’m interested in might be a bit less mainstream, and conventions where superheroes dominate tend to be the least profitable for me.
Q: Honestly I can only think of Bloody Gore Comix, maybe some of the queer zinesters too that don’t shy away from graphic content, like Sarah from Queer.mtl, although it’s usually not gratuitous. Off the top of your head, any graphic Quebec artist you can recommend?
There are a ton of artists who would fit really well with Spread Love, especially since (as you know) it’s not just an erotic comic. It’s mostly a 'rebel' comic. A comic that doesn’t set any limits for the artists. They can go wild in Spread Love.
What I’ve noticed over the years is that A LOT of artists have hidden 'trash' comics or drawings at home, but no one wants to publish them. I really like including a bit of variety in the themes. Some of the pages are almost all-ages.
But to answer your question more directly. no, I don’t know any Quebec Dexter Cockburns or Carrie Q. Contrarys! But I like a lot of styles. I’d be just as happy publishing Alex Lévesque as I would Walter Scott.
Q: Speaking of graphic art, we lost Pus Zine a few years ago. That was something else! How did you feel the first time you read one of those books? Do you think Spread Love Comix will ever go that far in terms of visual depictions or should it remain strictly cartooning?
Dick did a great job. Putting together anthologies isn’t easy. It’s a shame it came to an end. PUS was on a whole other level of trash comix (haha). We had a lot of artists in common and I was a fan, but I really try to mix different worlds together.
I’ve always looked up to anthologies like Zero Zero, Weirdo, and others like that. They were a mix of raw comics, humor, sincerity,impressive illustrations, sometimes sad, sometimes trashy all in the same issue. PUS was 110% trash!
Q: At the last Montreal Comic Arts Festival, there was a little bit of trouble when artists learned that tables couldn’t be shared. Some independent artists choose to host their own event, called OfffBDM. Since you attended it as a vendor, how was your experience?
Honestly, the initiative is amazing. Shoutout to Charlotte and Izabeau! Great atmosphere, wonderful people, and so much passion.
Q: As an editor, could you share what a regular working day looks like? Do you try to spare a few hours per day or do you simply work whenever you have free time?
This definitely isn’t a full-time job for me. I work a 40-hour-a-week job to support my family — from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. After that, my family is the priority. Once everyone’s asleep, that’s when I find time to work on my projects. Otherwise, I try to use my breaks, lunch hours, and weekends. You really have to be passionate to keep it going.
Q: You used to do music composition and you have skills as a graphical designer. Are these skills self taught and do you still employ those in some capacity?
Yes, I learned everything by jumping in and doing it. Even when you're self-taught, I believe we still owe some of our skills to outside influences even if they’re not directly involved.
Graphic design definitely helped me a lot in making my comics, and it continues to be a very useful tool. I’ve always admired Lloyd Kaufman (director and creator of The Toxic Avenger, who also helped launch the careers of the South Park creators and James Gunn). He really values creative independence and the DIY spirit, which I connect with deeply.
I’ve had the chance to collaborate with him on some music projects, and in the first issue of Spread Love Comix. I even included an interview with him so I feel like it’s all connected.
Q: You’re a creative person, and even though you claim you can’t draw shit, you can definitely write some funny stories. Do you write often and do you have favorite topics and genres?
Thanks man, I appreciate it! I draw a lot of inspiration from real events, but I really like gag strips. It's hard to make people laugh in comics, and I really like this challenge. Sometimes I find it self-centered to talk about myself, so I make jokes.
Q: We can’t pass up your recent collaboration with Steph Dumais, editor of Bloody Gore Comix. I think you and Steph go way back. How come it took so long for the both of you to start working together?
Strangely enough, we haven’t actually known each other that long but it definitely feels like we have. We crossed paths a lot at various events, and often we were the two ‘aliens’ in the room haha. I think we’re doing this for the same reasons.
I believe the real conversation about me joining Bloody Gore Comix started when we were both invited guests at Marc Tessier’s launch party at Le Petit Cheval Blanc. It was kind of a surprise for both of us. And even though Spread Love and BGC are different projects, they have a very similar approach.
I’m really happy to be working with Steph. It gave me the push I needed to release my first French-language fanzine about cinema, Cinéma Gore, which I created with my friend Kev Boivin. I’m very proud to be published by BGC and to be co-editor of Bloody Gore Comix Vol. 3. There are many more projects in the works!
Q: Cinéma Gore, indeed, was a rare French publication for both BGC and SLC. Why did you make that decision?
I really wanted to create something just for myself, without worrying about being profitable or trying to please anyone. French is my first language, so it was easier for me to express myself that way. I’m really passionate about cinema, and once again, this is a passion project.
Q: In some way, you are the new Marc Tessier for Quebec’s underground scene, and I’m saying that in the kindest way possible since Tessier is still very much active over at Moelle Graphik and has done some wonderful work himself in recent years.
What is your relationship with this legendary icon? Are the two of you just good friends with similar interests, or has he been able to mentor you in some way?
Wow, what can I even say! I have a lot of admiration for Marc, for everything he’s done and continues to do for the alternative comics scene in Quebec. I have to give him his flowers while he can still smell them and I'm not scared to do it.
We are not super close friends but I can say he’s done so much to support artists and the scene here over the past 40 years, and people don’t always realize it.
He's the kind of person who pushes others forward. He’s given me a few small boosts that really made a difference for me, and I’m truly grateful for that. I still have a lot I want to accomplish.
Q: In 2016, Safarir attempted to crowdfund its 300th issue. It failed, only fulfilling 8% of its $55k goal. Croc and Safarir most likely died out because of drastic market evolutions with exorbitant publication costs. But it’s not the talent that’s missing, far from it. If you were approached with a proposal to launch another issue of Safarir or Croc, would you do it? What would be your dream francophone artist lineup?
That’s sad! I honestly don’t feel like I have the skills to create something that big and iconic all by myself. I just don’t have the resources! I also think I might not have the right artistic vision or direction for something like that.
One thing’s for sure, though: if I ever had to do it, I’d definitely call on Serge Gaboury and Mario Malouin. I’m a big fan of their work.
Q: What’s on the editor’s bedside table nowadays?
Lately I read Doing Time by Kazuichi Hanawa; a true biographical masterpiece. And right now I’m reading Dream of the Bat by Josh Simmons. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this interested in Batman.
Q: Any last word?
Yes!. Go look out on instagram for Dexter Cockburn, Robin Bougie, Cam Hayden, Steph Dumais, Lustful Toons, Blouk, Adam Brown, Carlos Carcassa, Rahel Suesskind, Rob Mirsky, Paul Kortjohn, Kelly Campanil, Ben Boley, Zaponator, J. Webster Sharp and everybody on my IG! Buy some comix and Vive les artistes indépendants!
Spread Love Comix Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/spreadlovezine/
Spread Love Comix webstore: https://www.spreadlovezine.com/
