Below is the latest The Pain -- When Will It End?
Updated 2/27/02
Artist's Statement
(by Jim)
Tim like William Shakespeare is an artist. I, on the other hand am just a hack illustrator. Sure, my work is funnier then Tim’s and my drawing has more creativity in it. But Tim! Tim commands his audience to pay attention. Tim has an agenda when he creates and he wants you to be slave to that agenda under him. Yes, fanatics of THE PAIN you are slaves and Tim is your master.
Like Prospero in Shakespeare’s The Tempest Tim commands you and manipulates you to do his bidding through the magic web of comedy he weaves, for Tim is the right Duke of Milan or in this case the crowned prince of Pain. All of you as slaves suffer some of Tim’s pain so that the burden will not be too much on him. You also have begun to reflect some of Tim’s ideals in your own life. How many of you have sent a Pain Greeting card to a loved one?(1) These are Tim’s feelings really, not yours. You see Tim runs your life, when you break someone’s heart or tell someone you love him or her it is Tim who says he is "sorry" or "hey your kinda cute you wanna come over my place and fool around". Tim, your master, is just one step away from sleeping with your wives, husbands, girlfriends or boyfriends.(2) I bet you have even considered Tim’s thought on political events as good enough to call your own. Again, another example of your master bending your will to suit his own, beware all you Caliban's and Ariel's, Tim will ruin your life.(3)
A final thought the next time you go and purchase a Pain comic book or someday when you purchase the "coming soon, huge compilation book"(4) we have all been hearing about for so fucking long but haven’t seen, remember you are putting another dollar in the hand of your oppressor.(5) See *.
1 Please purchase more of these, I get a cut and that cheap punk Tim owes me big time.
2 Though I don’t think Tim is into guys yet, our friend Boyd seems to think this is a possibility.
3 There are studies being done as you read this to discover how much effect The Pain had on the last presidential election.
4 By the way, Tim is not including my birthday cartoons in that book, for that matter I haven’t been included in any of his books. If this pisses you off write Tim and tell him.
5 Note: Buying a greeting card is not the same thing, please do not confuse the two issues.
* This artist statement was a warm up activity for what will most likely be the most important piece of work ever written about William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.