Rick Geary was born in 1946 in Kansas City and grew up in Wichita. After getting a degree in art and film, the West beckoned. San Diego became his new home in 1975. Rick established himself through Heavy Metal, Epic, the Copely News Service, and especially National Lampoon where he cartooned the stranger aspects of The Great American Way of life with his inimitable straight-faced sense of the absurd. This has been collected in his book Housebound with Rick Geary. He has also done a lot of whimsical comics for Dark Horse and their magazine Dark Horse Presents. He lived in New York City for 4 years where he provided illustrations for The New York Times but sunny San Diego proved too hard to stay away from.

Biographical info reprinted from the dust jacket of The Borden Tragedy, NBM Pub., 1987, by permission of the author.

Visit Rick Geary's web site by clicking here.

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This interview with Mr. Geary was conducted by Susan Magliaro, exclusively for the Lizzie Borden Virtual Museum and Library. Three cheers to Susan!

LBVML: What artist or artists have inspired or influenced your work over the years?

There are several cartoonists and illustrators (too numerous to list) whom I've admired over the years, though their work may bear little resemblance to my own. As far as an overall influence is concerned, I'd have to say the late Edward Gorey holds the top place. His simple yet dense linework and his twisted and playful Victorian-Edwardian sensibility have affected me since I first saw his mini-books in the early 70s.

LBVML: How did you become interested in the Borden murders?

I've been a True Crime aficionado for as long as I can remember, with a special interest in unsolved cases. I first got into the Borden case about 30 years ago, when I read Victoria Lincoln's "A Private Disgrace." Years later, after finishing my graphic novel about Jack the Ripper, Lizzie seemed like the logical next project.

LBVML: Have you ever been to Fall River, Massachusetts? Did you visit the Borden house on Second Street or Lizzie's house, Maplecroft? If yes to these questions, do you normally make it a point to visit an area that you are going to do a graphic novel about?

No, unfortunately, I never visited Fall River in preparation for my book, though it would undoubtedly have been helpful for a sense of scale and atmosphere. Whether or not I'm able to visit actual locations, I always make it a point to research the locale as thoroughly as possible, using maps and old photos and engravings, and whetever else I can find.

LBVML: In The Borden Tragedy book, you list an extensive bibliography; did you rely upon or find one book more inspiring or informative than any of the others?

I can't say that I relied on any book on my bibliography over any other, since I try to include every theory and point of view, no matter how unlikely. But probably the most inspiring source was David Kent's "Forty Whacks," a spirited defense of Lizzie.

LBVML: Did you encounter any obstacles or problems in the creation of this work?

I encountered no obstacles or problems that I can think of. My publisher is a very indulgent guy who lets me pretty much go my own way. The main challenge that I set myself is to go for accuracy and clarity above all.

LBVML: Do you have a personal theory of the Borden crime? Whodunnit?

I have to say I have no theory of my own. I'm quite satisfied with the mystery remaining a mystery. In fact, I think that what draws me to these classic unsolved crimes like Jack and Lizzie and Mary Rogers is their essential unknowability. I've always been struck by the fact that there's no real direct evidence against Lizzie, yet the psychology of the family dynamic certainly suggests that she did it.

LBVML: If you could write and illustrate a different ending to the life story of Lizzie Borden, what would it be?

I'm not sure that I would want a different ending to Lizzie's life story. She certainly lived out her days as she wanted to, and lacked for nothing.

LBVML: Are you currently at work on any new graphic crime novels or other projects that we should be on the lookout for in the near future?

I'm currently finishing up work on my latest graphic novel in the Victorian Murder series: "The Beast of Chicago," the story of the serial killer H. H. Holmes, who ran a small hotel during the 1893 World's Fair and probably killed dozens of people. It's a pretty juicy tale.