Last year I read this interview with animation legend Ralph Bakshi (Wizards, Heavy Traffic, Mighty Mouse). I love the last paragraph the most –- a wonderful look at being thankful for the the life of a cartoonist -- so I’ll share it here:
How would you like to be remembered as an artist?
Ralph Bakshi: You do something because you love it, and you do it with everything you’ve got. And then you die. What you leave behind doesn’t matter. How much money you make doesn’t matter. What people think of you doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is how you spend every fucking day of your life, how you feel about yourself—and not in the narcissistic, egotistical way. It doesn’t matter how I’m remembered, because I’ll remember everything myself. I’ve drawn every day of my life since high school and that’s a pure victory. I’m able to eat. I have hot dogs and I’m not starving. I live in a decent home on top of a mountain. I give my thanks, and I’m not angry anymore. The only person I’m angry with is Robert Crumb. He’s been on my back for too long. Tell him to get off it.
Bakshi's Book:
And more wisdom from Ralph Bakshi:
