Heroes, Pt. 1: "Moz"

If you were a hip, moody teenager in the mid-1980's, you had at least one paisley shirt and one Smiths album. I had one paisley shirt and every Smiths album, including every 12" import single I could find. I saw The Smiths twice, once for the Meat is Murder tour and once for The Queen is Dead. Yes, I was straight and still am. I was, like Morrissey, celibate in 1985, but not by choice. I didn't necessarily understand my own tastes, but I liked anything and anyone that wasn't Ronald Reagan or Bruce Springsteen (even though I now understand "Born in the USA" is not jingoistic garbage, the adoption of the tune by both Reagan's second campaign and every jock fuck I hated in high school nearly ruined all Springsteen for me forever).

While I haven't really kept up with Morrissey's solo career since 1988's Viva Hate, I honestly think he should be inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - not that he would accept - if for no other reason than that "Moz" has always done exactly what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it. He's the most unlikely rock star - incredibly fey, bookish, and given to writing lyrics in traditional forms loaded with literary references. But here he is, nearly 30 years after The Smiths' first album, defiantly doing his thing and still loved by his fans. One thing I admire most about him is his absolute control of his own image. He is a master at cultivating and perpetuating his own mystique and doing it with a sense of humor. Case in point - the above album cover. Freakin' genius.

When asked about influences, most comics will cite the usual list of comedy heavyweights - Bruce, Carlin, Pryor, Hicks - maybe Stephen Wright, Hedberg. I'm a fan of them as well, of course, but I'm always interested in what influences artists have outside their particular genre. If I had to compile a list of artistic heroes, a few comics I would add to the list are Joe Rogan, Doug Stanhope, and Jim Norton, not because I want to be like any of them but because they're all smart, original, and most importantly - honest. But the list of non-comic influences is probably larger and includes musicians, writers, and artists - from John Lydon to Kurt Vonnegut to Alex Grey to Emily Dickinson to The Ramones to David Lynch. And yeah, Morrissey. I don't know in what way my admiration for these folks influences the way I write, but it's something I'm going to start giving some thought to, and probably here on this blog. I do know they all have something in common: a commitment to their ideas and an incredible amount of will.

I'd be interested to hear from comics about who your non-comedy influences are. If you could be the comedy version of some other artist, who would it be? Do comment. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to pre-order a copy of Years of Refusal - on vinyl so I can frame it.