Neil Gaiman -- writer, genius, rock star of speculative fiction -- has a new movie opening in limited release on September 30: Mirrormask isn’t based on one of his books or graphic novels but was written directly for the screen. (My review coming soon to FlickFilosopher.com.) As if that weren’t cool enough, his new book, Anansi Boys, just hit stores. (Gaiman signed a copy of the book for me; I’ll be giving it away to a micropatron supporter of FlickFilosopher.com soon.)
I sat down with Neil recently (along with journalists Hal Johnson from Midtown Comics/Buzzscope.com and Valerie Reupert from Jim Hanley’s Universe) to talk about art, literature, and being a geek. Neil claims he isn’t a geek, though his description of himself pretty much aligns with the positive image of geekiness I’m trying to promulgate: the geek as smart, creative, and in touch with the world, not the stereotypical clueless nerd locked in his room with his Xbox.
(This interview was transcribed by Reupert, and also appears on Newsarama.com.)
MAJ: Do you consider yourself a geek?
NG: Well, no. I have a son who is a geek and I know he's a geek because he is very proud of his geekdom. He wears glasses even though he doesn't have to. He likes the fact that he figures he looks less like a 6'2’ blue-eyed kid who used to play hockey when he wears glasses. He is a self-proclaimed geek. To me the idea of geekdom came along too late in life. People say, "Were you a geek or a nerd when you were at school?" I said, "Well, neither. I went to school in England. We didn't have those kinds of divisions then."
