Quote 19
“One reason I became an artist was that he thought it was impractical – just a waste of time…it was an area where I wouldn’t have to compete with him.” (I.5.99)
Ironically, it is his father’s story that inspires one of his most successful and critically acclaimed books.
Quote 20
“It appeared in an obscure underground comic book. I never thought Vladek would see it.” (I.5.101)
Up to this point, Art has created art that he knows his father will never read; comics are a way for him to gain some independence from his father.
Quote 21
“At least fifteen foreign editions are coming out. I’ve gotten 4 serious offers to turn my book into a TV special or a movie.” (II.2.31)
Art resists adaptations of his work into more popular forms, and he’s ambivalent about the success of the book. The concern that he might be exploiting the Holocaust in any way is constantly on his mind.