F.A.Q

  1. Where can I find books by Lynda Barry?

    While most of Lynda's books are out of print, the following books can be foundat or ordered from Amazon.com:

    One! Hundred! Demons!Click to view
    The! Greatest! of! Marlys!Click to view
    Cruddy PaperbackClick to view
    Cruddy HardcoverClick to view
    The Freddie StoriesClick to view
    The Good Times Are Killing MeClick to view
    The Lynda Barry Experience (on cassette)
    		Click to view

    In addition, Lynda's out of print books are also regularly auctioned at eBay.

    Also, you can purchase the play of 'The Good Times Are Killing Me' from Samuel French.

  2. Where can I get a Poodle with a Mohawk Poster (or T-shirt)?

    Sorry, the t-shirt and poster are long out of print andquite rare. Occasionally (very rarely) they appear on eBay butyou will have to be super patient! Meanwhile, email Danielbecause he is trying to convince Lynda to reprint it.

  3. How did Lynda come up with the name 'Marlys'?

    Lynda says:

    "To tell you the truth I can't remember where her name came from. Maybonne's name came from a phone book I stole from a motel room in Eunice, Louisiana. I have a habit of reading phone books when I travel. The one in Eunice was jam packed with good names. I originally thought I made up the name Marlys but soon enough I figured out I didn't once I began to meet people named Marlys.I am from Wisconsin and the name Marlys does seem to be around the Midwest so I probably heard it when I was a kid and it just came popping out one day. Naming characters is something I get very neurotic about, thus my life of crime in terms of stealing phone books."

  4. Just who or what is Ernie Pook?

    In the interview at www.blairmag.com, Lynda explains that "Ernie Pook" (rhymes with book) is a name her younger brother made up for allhis pets and belongings, using a number to distinguish them (Ernie Pook the 2nd etc). When Lyndastarted drawing comic strips at College, she used the name Ernie Pook thinking that her brother woulddig it. Sadly he had no memory of his former habit, but the name stuck.

  5. What's the deal with the Matt Groening / Lynda Barry thing?

    Lynda and Matt met at Evergreen State College. They both compliment eachother in the front of their books (eg. "Matt Groening is Funklord of U.S.A") and are good friends. Matt recently wrote about how they met:

    How Matt tells it

  6. How autobiographical are Lynda's stories?

    In an interview in 1989 Lynda said:

      "I'd say like 15 to 25 percent of the comic stripsmay have actually happened to me ..."

    So, some things are autobiographical and some aren't.

  7. Does Lynda have e-mail / fax or a mailing address?

    Lynda's preferred method of communication is (snail) mail. Her address is:

      Lynda Barry
      PO Box 447
      Footville, WI
      53537

  8. When is Lynda's birthday?

    Lynda was born on January 2nd, 1956.

  9. How do I pronounce 'Marlys'?

    Lynda pronounces it MAR-l'ss; "like a pedestrian is carless, and a Mormon town isbarless" [to quote Max]. Hear Sedge Thomson's correct example (requires RealAudio).