DANCING WITH MYSELF, or FEINTING WITH DAMN PRAISE (JT LINDROOS)

JT Lindroos interviewed by Billy Idle

So what makes you think you're so special?

Uh…

I mean, you ran a couple of publishing imprints into the ground and then ran away with your tail between your legs to do, boo-hoo, cover 'art'?

Well we did publish…

Yeah, I know, you published the first novels by Al Guthrie, Dave Zeltserman, Duane Swierczynski, Donna Moore and a bunch of bigwigs like Willeford and Sallis -- whooptedoo. Guthrie did most of the work for you anyway, didn't he?

Well, yeah, absolutely, he was…

HA! I knew it! So the only thing you did was -- and I'm stretching the definition of 'did' here -- acquire that brilliant book of Guthrie's and slapped some computer art on the cover, right?

I did some...

HA! Key word some. Confession time: I'm going to get every last drop of truth out of you if it kills me. So, now you've inveigled your way into doing cover art for Blasted Heath and Down & Out Books and some other people who should know better…

OK, listen…

No, you listen! I know what you do. You're doing with covers exactly what you did with Guthrie's book. You take someone else's work and drop some junk on top and then charge big bucks for this, right?

I'm really cheap…

I bet you are, you bastard. I notice you're undercutting every honest, hardworking graphic artist out there trying to make a living by selling your own leftover garbage for $10 on twitter!? Are you kidding me? You should be ashamed of yourself!

No, it's a bit more…

Complicated? I bet it is. How dare you...

Listen, you little…

NO! YOU listen, you LITTLE WEIRDO! I'm telling YOU that I'VE had enough of your goddamn nonsense. I'm telling YOU that… w.. w... w-what's that? Now wait. Nononono. There's no need. Please put that down…. Honest, I'm just…. this is all in good fun… listen, hey, come on. This is all streaming live to the internet, just

pleazzzzzzzzzbbbbbbbbbbbbbbrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggg .

JT Lindroos bio:

JT was born in Finland in 1971, moved to the US in 2000. Married. Used to run Wit's End Publishing and Point Blank Press with his lovely wife Kathleen.

Still occasionally did publishing, like Charles Willeford poetry for Kindle and most recently published SCI-FI SAVANT by Emmy-nominee and Rondo winner Glenn Erickson, but was mostly an eBook cover designer through 2011.

Wrote reviews on comics, pop culture and forteana for Bookgasm. Designed awards, trophies and lobby installations for a living. Watched art house films and monster movies for fun. After the disappearance of Mr. Idle, whereabouts unknown.

old portfolio: http://jtlindroos.carbonmade.com/

rarely blogging at: http://jtlindroos.tumblr.com/

occasionally twittering at: http://twitter.com/jtlindroos

Kathleen's blog: http://kat330.tumblr.com/