Ben Snakepit has been drawing his daily comic strip for over two decades now. Chronicling day-to-day activities (work, chores, reading, spending time with his girlfriend, walking his dog, playing music, etc.) that anyone can relate to, Snakepit is infinitely charming and one of the best examples of how much can be captured in three panels. With the strip’s 25th birthday hitting this year, I reached out to Ben to ask him a few questions. Check it out below and then make sure you order the latest Snakepit volume!
Monkeys Fighting Robots: Ben, what’s your comics origin? How did you get into comics?
Ben Snakepit: I was into like X-Men and stuff as a kid, and loved Peanuts, but I didn’t really get into or learn about indie comics until the mid-90s when I discovered John Porcellino and James Kochalka
MFR: When did you decide you wanted to create your own comics?
BS: I’ve always done zines and stuff since I was in middle school, the specific idea for Snakepit came when I discovered Jim’s Journal in a Waldenbooks in 1999 or 2000.
MFR: What comics or creators would you say had the biggest influence on you?
BS: Definitely the ones mentioned above: Jim’s Journal (Scott Dikkers), John Porcellino, James Kochalka. Also, Janelle Hessig, Julia Wertz, and Marissa Paternoster.
MFR: What’s the story behind the ‘Snakepit’ moniker?
BS: It was the name of the punk house I lived in when I started drawing the comic. The original idea was for it to be about everyone living in the house, but we all got evicted like a month after I started the comic, so it ended up just being about me.
MFR: Daily strips are few and far between. What attracted you to this particular format?
BS: I really dug newspaper comics like Peanuts, I liked that it was a little thing you read every day, you just spend a few seconds reading it, and that’s it til the next day. It’s a huge reason why my comics are shitty, I don’t really put that much work into them because the point is to only spend a few seconds reading each one.
MFR: Have you ever thought about a long-form book, or even something fictional?
BS: Nah, I’ve never had the desire to create fiction, it’s just not interesting to me. I like reading it, but have no interest in creating it. The longest thing I ever did was a little one-shot comic in like 2005 called “Pills” about getting divorced when I was in my early 20s. It might’ve been like 20 pages. It’s long out of print.
MFR: Your comics are so personal and relatable, they make me feel like I know you in a way. What’s it like sharing so much about your life with the world?
BS: I hear that a lot, but the thing to keep in mind is that you only know the stuff about me that I choose to share in the comic. There’s lots and lots of stuff I don’t put in there, haha.
MFR: One of my fascinations is the intersection of comics and punk rock. Why do you think so many punks are into comics or creating comics?
BS: Because it’s a simple, direct way to communicate. You don’t need any formal training or fancy equipment, just a pen and paper or a shitty guitar.
MFR: Each of your strips uses a song as the title. How do you decide on the song of the day?
BS: Sometimes it’s what I’m listening to when I draw it, sometimes it’s a song that is relevant to the day, sometimes it’s just the random song stuck in my head from being at the supermarket. I don’t put much thought into it, usually.
MFR: What’s the song for today?
BS: Neon Lights by Kraftwerk
MFR: What’s the origin of your iconic skull t-shirt?
BS: It’s supposed to represent just a generic punk/metal shirt, kinda the way Beavis’ shirt just says the word “skull” on it.
MFR: I’m a dog lover, and I love seeing Frankie pop up so much. What’s that little dude doing today?
BS: Right now, he’s just sleeping on the floor with our other dog, Jasper.
MFR: Recently, to celebrate your 25th anniversary of Snakepit, Cart Press released a ‘zine collecting your very first Snakepit strips. When you started this, did you have such a long-term goal?
BS: No, not at all. The first zine was called “A Summer in the Snake Pit,” and I didn’t even really intend to draw any more after that, but a lot of people told me they liked it, so I kept going.
Photo courtesy of Microcosm Publishing
MFR: In the intro to the book, you mention that you started doing some digital work and using digital tools. How did this change your approach? Did you discover anything new?
BS: Yes, it was really really awesome switching to an iPad. It suddenly made drawing fun again! You can do so many things that are just not possible on paper.
MFR: You show yourself reading comics pretty often. What’s your favorite comic ever? What comics are you currently reading?
BS: Honestly, I don’t read comics much at all. I think the strips you saw, I was re-reading the Chris Claremont X-Men run, which is some of the best superhero comics I’ve ever read. But other than that, I like Peanuts and Family Circus or whatever.
MFR: What bands or records have you been listening to? Can you give us some recommendations?
BS: Busy Weather from Asheville is fucking great, Pinkish from VA.
MFR: What’s next for you? Anything you wanna plug or mention?
BS: My band Carnivorous Flower has a new LP coming out this month on Dead Broke Records, as well as a track on a 4-way split LP with Amusement, Feversleep, and Errth, It’s a split label release from Protagonist Music and Creep Records. Comics-wise, my newest book, Return to the Snakepit, is out and available from Microcosm Publishing, and I had a special 25th anniversary reprint zine come out this month, available from Cart Press. I’ll be tabling at Richmond ‘Zine Fest on October 11th, and Carnivorous Flower is playing at The Fest in Gainesville, FL on October 26.
MFR: Any final words for our readers?
