ONE ON ONE | Chris Yambar Youngstown artist draws on his imagination

When did you get interested in art?
I was always interested in art. My mom says they could put me in an empty room and I would amuse myself for hours. Imagination has always been a fuel for me.
Are you an only child?
No. I have a brother and two sisters -- I'm the head of the class. I was the test run.
A teacher said you don't work well with others; is that still true?
I did have a teacher who said that. At that point, she was probably correct. Now, the best work I do is done with other people. When I write for Bongo Comics, I write the script then I work with the artist, editor ...
Are you supporting your art or is your art supporting you?
The art is supporting me, which is really nice. I have a lot of irons in a lot of different fires, and I'm blessed because I can juggle well.
What is the most memorable experience of your life?
Somebody gave me a Bible in a parking lot in 1978 and I gave my life to Jesus Christ right then and there. I took the Bible home and I threw out anything anybody ever told me about religion and I sat down and actually read it for myself, and that changed my life.
Is Youngstown a good place for you to work?
When I started writing for [Bart] Simpson [comics], people automatically assumed I was leaving Youngstown. "Oh, you'll be moving to California," is what they said. My answer was always a firm "no." They were in disbelief. They'd say, "Why do you want to stay here?"
Why wouldn't I want to stay here? I'm an hour from the airport so I could be in California in eight hours. The cost of living is great. There are wonderful opportunities for younger people to buy property and take charge of the community. I love Youngstown.
What about your favorite color?
Black.
Why?
It's all the colors together at the same exact time. It's also an absolute. It has density, gravity.
My other favorite color is white. I like it for its purity. Every painting I've done started out in my mind as a piece of black and white art. Once the composition is right, and the absolutes, the blacks and whites are in place, then the rest, you can do anything with that. Color is the right to celebrate the proper order of a painting or design.
You collect toys. What are some of your favorites?
Bubble bath containers shaped like cartoon characters. I love those. I love comics from the turn of the century up to '69 or '70. Children's spoons -- cartoon spoons.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
Staying married for 20 years in the midst of it all. Maureen and I are coming up on 20 years, and she's not an art person! I know people who have sacrificed a good, solid relationship for pipe dreams. I throw my pipe dreams away and I hang on to the one I love.
What does your wife do?
She works at Youngstown State University's payroll department.
What do you still have to do?
I've never written an issue of Batman and I've never written an issue of Casper. So for comics, I'm close. There's a lot I have to do as a painter. I've never had a solo show in New York City. I've shown my work in galleries all over the United States, Canada and Mexico. I've never shown in New York. As a pop artist, I'm going toe-to-toe with the ghost of Andy Warhol.
Can I go round after round with a ghost and the history of pop art in New York? I'm not sure yet.
You're from a blue-collar family. Was it difficult for them to accept your dream to work as an artist?
My mom didn't pretend to understand everything I wanted to do, but she was supportive. My dad was born and raised in the mills. That was how you made your money. My dad got me into the mill. He knew I wanted to go to art school, which I never did, but I think in his heart he wanted me to become a mill man.
A few years ago, my dad thanked me for following my dream rather than following the social norm of the area.
What do you do for fun?
I shop at the antique malls. I'm always looking for some oddity. I've also become an e-Bay surfer.
What are your pet peeves?
People who stop two feet from the well. I don't understand people who are satisfied with failure.