I came quite late to the Shannon Wheeler party. It was 2004 or 2005, and I was browsing the Alternative Magazines section at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. I spied an odd magazine called Too Much Coffee Man that looked like it came out of someone’s circa-1985 basement. I opened it up and instantly fell in love. I had yet to see a cartoonist so effectively skewer the Iraq War while showing such deep empathy for the soldiers fighting it. I became a loyal fan on the spot.

If you aren’t a fan already, there are all kinds of ways to fall under the spell of Too Much Coffee Man‘s creator. Shannon Wheeler launched his famous character in the early 1990s, and Dark Horse has published five volumes of the collected strips. Dark Horse has also collected Postage Stamp Funnies, Wheeler’s weekly strip for The Onion. Wheeler began publishing cartoons in The New Yorker last year, and his collection of New Yorker rejects, I Thought You Would Be Funnier, will be available later this year. Currently, Wheeler is writing How to Be Happy, published in Mykl Sivak’s Nib-Lit, and posted to Daryl Cagyl’s Political Cartoonists Index.

I recommend browsing Wheeler’s website, distinguished by its entertaining search features. Dropdown menus allow you to narrow your search of Wheeler’s extensive database of cartoons and strips using conventional tags like “politics,” “consumerism” and “death.” But since you’re entering the world of a highly talented cartoonist, the conventional approach to searching breaks down quickly. You can also choose from such nutty tags as “Too Much German White Chocolate Woman With Almonds,” “ugly island,” and “you need a smaller brain.”

I’ve always thought of Wheeler as one of the good guys, if not one of the best, and felt a giddy sense of delight when he agreed to be interviewed. You won’t see a lot of biographical detail on Wheeler posted to the web, and you won’t find enough interviews. So I feel proud of this — it’s a high point over here at ITCH!

What was your first comic strip/cartoon/comic?

I first drew some comics for my grandmother when I was 7 or 8. They were goofy gags - Mad magazine type things.

What are you reading right now?

Lost Girls. I’m a big fan of Alan Moore and I finally got ahold of a copy.

What is your guilty pleasure? At least, the one that really answers an ITCH!

A guilty pleasure in comics? That would have to be What’s Michael. I love that book.

Who was the first cartoonist/animator you met?

Sam Hurt was the first professional cartoonist I met. I bought his first book on a trip to Austin when I was a kid. His humor and art was a genuine inspiration. Meeting him only added to my positive impression.

A Sam Hurt sample:

Which dead cartoonist/animator would you most like to meet?

Edward Gorey…. Shultz… Alan Moore (he’s not dead - but I’m afraid he’ll die before I meet him).

What would you say?

“I… uh…. um…. love your work.” I’m sure I’d be a total idiot.

What has been the highlight of your career to date?

I’ve had a lot of bright spots. Having the New Yorker run some of my comics has been incredible. Bob Dorough doing a Too Much Coffee Man song still blows my mind. Seeing a Too Much Coffee Man opera blew my mind.

Please tell us a little about your latest project.

I have three projects. The first is a graphic novel about the the oil spill in the Gulf. I’m also doing gags for a rewrite of the Bible, and I’m just finishing up a kids book called Grandpa Won’t Wake Up.

Which old-time cartoon character do you most identify with?

Sometimes I feel like Little Nemo in Slumberland… one weird adventure after another.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I’d like to get my work done faster (and with less emotional trauma).

Over here at ITCH, one gets the feeling that Wheeler is in the middle of a creative explosion, especially with these three new projects in the works. It’s routinely amazing to read his blog, and to get sneak previews and insights into his creative process. Nearly 20 years in the business, and he remains a cartoonist to watch. That’s stupendous!

And as always, thanks Shannon!