By VOICE-TRIBUNE
One of the films that stood out at this year’s Flyover Film Festival, Married to Comics, is not just a documentary about two influential artists in the world of autobiographical comics—it’s a raw and earnest documentation of how life and art intertwine in ways that are both painful and profoundly beautiful. This film looks into the lives of Justin Green and Carol Tyler, two artists who helped shape the autobiographical comic genre. By laying bare the most intimate and turbulent moments of their relationship, Married to Comics stands out in its storytelling, brilliantly displays the complexities of marriage, and captures the resilience required to both create art and share it with the world.
Directed by John Kinhart, the film begins at the height of the Underground Comix movement in 1970s San Francisco and finds the very first autobiographical comic, Binky Brown Meets The Holy Virgin Mary, created by Justin Green. With Binky Brown in 1972, Justin established the autobiographical genre and went on to inspire some of the most successful comics of all time. “I still pursue art and I still pursue documentary and I’m constantly mingling those two interests. I explored autobiographical comics myself after having read some, and I immediately became like a disciple of autobiographical comics. After learning about Justin and Carol I just felt this incredible debt to tell their story because their story is obscure, and yet, the influence is huge.” Kinhart said, “I saw making the film as an opportunity to tell a story that hadn’t been told.” In Binky Brown Meets The Holy Virgin Mary, Justin illustrates his experience of growing up in a Catholic/Jewish family while grappling with his mental health and OCD. His vulnerability, humor, and willingness to confront deeply personal topics caught the attention of future comics legends like Art Spiegelman and Robert Crumb, who credit Justin’s work with influencing their own art.
But Married to Comics doesn’t end with Justin’s artistic legacy. It also takes a poignant look at Carol Tyler’s journey, both as an artist and as Justin’s wife. In the 70s, Carol began her career as a painter, but after reading Binky Brown, she became infatuated with both the culture of autobiographical comics and Justin himself, sparking a romance that led to their nearly 40-year marriage.“It was not a career thing anymore. From the beginning, it became an overwhelming attraction for both of us and within two years, we were married in San Francisco,” Carol shared. Yet, their relationship was fraught with challenges, as Carol tried to make her own impact in the world of comics, working tirelessly to distinguish herself while dealing with the pressures of new motherhood alongside a partner with OCD.
When their relationship hit its tipping point, Carol channeled her pain into creating comics of significance, like “The Hannah Story”, about the tragic death of her sister, and the graphic novel “Soldier’s Heart,” which examines both the damaging effects of her father’s long unrecognized PTSD from World War II and her difficult life with Justin. These and other works cemented Carol’s place as a groundbreaking artist in her own right. The documentary beautifully captures the tension between their personal and artistic lives—how their work was not just a reflection of their inner battles but also a way to navigate and cope with them.
Married to Comics is a gorgeously directed exploration of what it means to be vulnerable, both in love and in art. It shows us that, like the art they created, Justin and Carol’s relationship was full of complexity, honesty, and heart—and that it is that authenticity that makes their story, and their art, so relatable and enduring.
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