When I met Matt Groening...

Ok, dear followers, dear interested people, let me tell you something; When I was but a very insecure, little teenager who hesitantly told people that she wanted to become a cartoonist (but wasn't quite sure of that herself), I was on a trip with a group of other teenagers at the east coast and found Matt Groening's older comics "Life in Hell" and "Love is Hell" in a dusty comic book store. In it, irritated, depressed characters like Akbar and Akbar, Binky the rabbit and his son, one-eared Bongo had to fight the stupidity of society every day or were personally involved in being a part of it.

After reading the major anthologies, I literally drew like Matt Groening for about 2 years. Even my topics were very similar. I adored the man. I admired him. I wanted to write him a letter and tell him how much his work had influenced me. I think I gave up on the idea of a letter after a while. Maybe I didn't expect him to answer, ever.
However, nowadays I think I can claim I have developed my own style, but I have always kept the Matt Groening "Simpsons-eyes" and the classic "Simpsons mouth with the round teeth". But I'm pretty sure I can say that Groening's work was significant in me being what I am today.
When I accidentally bumped into him at The Brooklyn Comics and Graphic Festival last weekend, it was a very meaningful moment for me.

The story behind it:
I was wandering between the tables with my comic con buddy Tim. For some reason I had to think about the "Life in Hell" comics by Groening. I told Tim;" Did I ever tell you how much Groening's comics have influenced me when I was a teenager?". He told me:" Yes you did - by the way, did you know he was HERE last year. He might be here this year." I couldn't quite believe that Groening would travel all the way to the East Coast for a tiny comic festival. I looked around. I saw a man standing two tables away who might have been him, but I wasn't sure. Tim googled his picture with his I-Phone. After a second of comparing we realized: It was indeed HIM.

I approached him, and told him what I just told you: That his work played an important role in my cartoonist-life. I think he appreciated that, he gave me a little finished drawing and a "stalker business card". He even asked me if I had work with me, but I didn't, I only had my business card - and he was a little distracted by a girl trying to make him read her scripts (?) or something. I politely waited for a photo opportunity. I am the happiest girl in the world in this picture.
(Below: It's Binky the rabbit from the "Life in Hell" series. I think he gave me this because he appreciated that I knew his old comics and not just the Simpsons and Futurama.)