"120 Minutes: The Interview Sketches Vol. II" by Derek Marks

Details: Volume II of artist Derek Marks' delightful take on music pop culture of the late 80s into the '90s. Sketches featuring bands or artists that were interviewed on MTV's "120 Minutes." Brilliant.

Description: From Derek Marks: "More quotes and caricatures from the beloved bygone era of MTV's 120 Minutes. Featuring: Henry Rollins, Pulp, Kate Bush, Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Lush, Cocteau Twins, Suede, The Ramones... and more!" Measures 4.25" x 5.5" (20 pages on ivory in black and red ink).

From the author and illustrator Derek Marks: "After barely escaping Miami, a tragic gay teen goth, Derek Marks lived in the mountains of North Carolina, Albuquerque, and Seattle until settling in NYC. While studying illustration at FIT (Fine Arts Institute of Technology) and dabbling as a singer/synth player in a darkwave parody band, he got his first illustration commission from Clarkson Potter. He lives in New York City and spends his free time pretending he exists in the 1970's adjacent to glamorous hilarity."

From a feature that appeared in Rolling Stone: "Growing up in Miami, Derek Marks was obsessed with MTV and his favorite show was 120 Minutes, the midnight video block that brought college rock to cable and premiered the clip for "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Creator Dave Kendall often played the role of VJ, but he also stepped aside for guest hosts like Thurston Moore, Lou Reed, Juliana Hatfield, and Michael Stipe.

"It was on too late, so, me or one of my friends would set the timer on the VCR and come over and watch it," Marks remembers. "That's how we discovered a lot of people."

More than two decades later, the cartoonist and photo agent began sketching some of his favorite musicians, and when he looked for old interviews, his favorites were always from 120 Minutes. This led him deeper into its unofficial YouTube archives. "They all were really candid back then," he continues. "The show got really great stuff out of people. They got their real personalities — at least as real as you could know."

The time-killing project eventually led to 120 Minutes: The Interview Sketches, a new zine compiling black-and-red illustrations inspired by his days in front of the TV set. Marks hopes to someday produce three volumes and 120 drawings, but here you can see highlights from the first edition."