Tom Beland launched his True Story Swear to God series as a comic strip in his local California newspaper in 1995. Twelve years later, it has evolved into an ongoing comic series, with three volumes of collected work from his self-publishing days and a just-released fourth volume from his new publisher, Image Comics. Beland has become known for his heartfelt recollections of his life with his wife, Lily. Shamelessly romantic, the series tells the evolving story of his relationship with the Puerto Rican DJ he met at a bus stop at Disneyland and how she persuaded him to move from his native California to her homeland. Quite simply, it's a romance as told from a guy's point of view.

The newest volume is simply titled True Story Swear to God and collects the first six issues published by Image; an omnibus collection of the three previous volumes is tentatively scheduled for this fall. In an e-mail interview, Beland discussed the nature of autobiographical work, his career as a standup comic and what his wife has to say about his portrayal of her.

PW Comics Week

: What led you to tell your story to the masses and do it in comics?

Tom Beland: I've always been attracted to autobio works. It started with Keith Knight's K. Chronicles (if you folks aren't reading this online strip, shame on you). This strip pulled me into it like no other comic strip I'd ever read before. To be able to take a look into another person's life was fascinating, to say the least.

Before his strip, I did standup comedy for a couple of years in San Francisco back in the early '80s. Instead of writing jokes, I would talk about my life and my family. So, between the comedy work and this intro to autobio comics, I felt this pull to get into it.

I think it's part of being a performer in general. The best form of comedy, in my opinion, is the type where the audience gets a look at themselves in the act. Things they can all relate to in some way... even the embarrassing shit they'd never admit to in a billion years. When you expose something in your life that's embarrassing—and the audience can relate to it, and laugh—that's an amazing feeling. You get the same look on your face as you did when you cracked jokes in the classroom.

PWCW

: Have there been any awkward moments in your life that happened as a result of documenting true events with your family or friends?

TB: One thing that's cool/sad is this. Every now and then, at a convention, it never fails to happen. A guy will come up to our table and tell us he and his girlfriend/wife/significant other were huge fans. Then there's a pause and he says, "We split up a few months ago," and then he'll tell us how [his] ex took all the True Story Swear to God comics. Now, it's sad that they split up... but it's pretty flattering that they were actually fighting over who got our comics! We now give what we call the "Heartbreak Special," which is half-off on the collection.

The weirdest moment had to be when Lily and I split up last year and there were all these blogs and message board threads filled with people just bumming over the news. It was kind of cathartic, in a way, to know that they felt the same way we felt. When we reunited, we were at Joe Field's Flying Colors Comics store in Concord [Calif.] and we made a little YouTube video for the store and announced that we were back together.

Joe received over 3,000 hits on that video. That was the coolest experience so far. To have that many people as happy as Lily and I were. Amazing.

PWCW: What's your wife Lily's opinion on your story, and hers, in comics?

TB: I'm going to let Lily answer this one, since she's sitting here next to me.

Lily Garcia: My opinion? I love it! I've been a public person in the media in public relations for nearly 20 years, yet I could have never imagined my life being in a comic book (or hooking up with a comic book artist for that matter). He gives me great hair and a small waist—what else does a girl need! Although in the first issues of the comic, I noticed he always drew me with the same clothes on. It made me think of poor Olive [from Popeye] who wore the same dress for over 40 years. After I made my fashion statement, Tom's real nightmare began because now I have to keep on feeding him women's clothing catalogues so he can keep up with fashion.

On a more serious note, I believe in taking chances and our relationship has been an example of that. If Tom's art and beautiful writing can inspire others to open up to possibilities and focus on what people have in common instead of what makes them different, then I think this comic is in some way a motivational tool. And as a motivational speaker, I find great value in that. (By the way, everything he writes about my mom is true, although she insists in denying it.)

TB: See... the difference here is that I was going to say she digs the comic, but she's much better with words than I am.