Though Piskor has been an active and prolific professional cartoonist for many years, I only stumbled across him during the pandemic, through his podcast/YouTube channel, Cartoonist Kayfabe, produced with his partner and fellow cartoonist Jim Rugg. I didn't think I'd cotton to what initially felt like a "bro vibe" on the show, but I soon came to appreciate their deep and broad knowledge, love and respect for comics and cartooning history and a wide array of comics genres and styles, from Robert Crumb, to Image, to Moebius/Jean Girard, Dick Tracy and more. Their podcasts were diverse, ranging from appreciations and overviews of specific comics and magazines, comics history and of cartoonists and characters. They also conducted interviews of many great figures from comics, such as Todd McFarlane and Gary Groth. While Rugg seemed the more genial and diplomatic of the two (and a family man), Piskor came off as more of a blue collar bad boy/rebel with a strong Hip Hop vibe. But though it was certainly part of his authentic and genuine self, his enthusiasm and passion always came through, and even when citing work he didn't necessarily like, he never came off as rude or mean-spirited. They were very prolific podcasters—although I didn't listen to them religiously, their channel was a go-to when I was looking for something to listen to and watch while drawing.
What I partly admired about the show was what started as an exercise for the two friends and fellow pros to talk about comics as they no doubt did all the time in private, it clearly turned into a great promotional tool. Their subscriber base was very devoted and they were successful in mobilizing them to support and order their comics through traditional comic book stores and online. More power to them! In fact, in 2023, I even sent both a sample of my comics to put me on their radar.
At left: When I visited the Fantagraphics Comics bookstore back in October 2023, I took this photo of a bookshelf that featured Piskor's work.
When news emerged of the allegations of misconduct and grooming came to light, I was saddened and disappointed. But, of course, not having any personal connection or familiarity with Piskor or the situation, I felt no need to weigh in or express an opinion and, like I would with any developing news story, waited to see how it would play out as more information emerged.
On April 1, when I first heard news of his death, my initial thought was that it might be some kind of sick April Fool's joke. But quick verification proved it was not.
Regardless of the truth, of course, Piskor and no one else deserved this kind of end or the kind of social media (and traditional media) pressure he received. I do agree that, ultimately, it was Piskor's decision and actions that led to his passing...but it may also have been a reflection of personal mental health issues as well as the fact that his self-identity was so wrapped up and defined by his profession.
In recent days, just by chance, some of their shows looking at the work of French cartoonist Moebius popped up on my feed recently, which I watched. Listening to them express their appreciation of Moebius was a joy and informative—though not much of what they observed was new to me, they helped me look at the work with fresh eyes, with a level of admiration and enthusiasm that was infectious. It's not clear whether Rugg plans to continue the channel in some way on his own, but Piskor, and his chemistry with Piskor, will be greatly missed.
Below: A sample of their show.
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