Splendid: So I was listening to "Story of an Artist" before I called you up, and it's so sad. It's all about making art and music and not being appreciated. Do you feel that way about your work and your life?

Daniel Johnston: No, I'm doing pretty well with recognition and I'm making a living and things are so great, actually. I really feel a lot better about everything. I really don't feel down and out about things going on, and things have been really very great.

Splendid: Good... because there's another song on the tribute album, "My Life Is Starting Over Again", which is a very happy song. Maybe that's more about what you're going through now?

Daniel Johnston: Yeah, that kind of thing happens with every album. I'll have a down and out, but then when the album comes out, I'll feel better about it.

Splendid: So you've had all these really great people who have become interested in your work -- I know Kurt Cobain was a fan and Yo La Tengo and all these artists that are on the new tribute album. You must have had an interesting time meeting some of these people. Who are some of the ones you've become friends with?

Daniel Johnston: Well, I met Yo La Tengo. I never met David Bowie or Kurt Cobain. I really very rarely meet famous people. I met a lot of the people... the Butthole Surfers, Sonic Youth... that's been a lot of fun.

Splendid: Most of your songs are just you singing and playing either the piano or the guitar. It's really simple and sort of bare. And a lot of the covers on the tribute are a lot more elaborate. I was wondering how you feel about your songs. Do you feel like they sound better when they're really simple or do they gain something when people put all kinds of stuff on them.

Daniel Johnston: I think people that do interpretations of my songs are welcome to sing them as they like, and they sound all right to me. The songs on the album sound pretty good. It's just fine with me.

Splendid: Would you like to have the opportunity to put more instruments and things on your songs when you record them? Like trumpets and strings and...

Daniel Johnston: Oh, yeah, I always wanted to play trumpet. I did once before. I would like to put more instruments into my songs, for sure. I would like to do a bit of that for sure.

Splendid: I know you've worked with some of the people who are on this tribute album before, like Mark Linkous and Jad Fair, but some of the others might have been sort of new to you, weren't they?

Daniel Johnston: Yeah, a lot of the bands I'd never heard of, but they all did really well.

Splendid: What are some of the covers that you like the best?

Daniel Johnston: I like the Sparklehorse. I like Tom Waits.

Splendid: Yeah, that one's amazing.

Daniel Johnston: I like Jad Fair. I like the "Impossible Love" song. And I like "Dream Scream".

Splendid: How do you feel about covers in general? I know you've had your stuff covered and you've also done covers of other people's songs. Do you feel like they should stick pretty close to the original or is it more important to do something different with the song?

Daniel Johnston: What do you mean?

Splendid: Well, when you do a cover, what's your approach? Are you trying to do the song the way the original artist did or do you feel like there's no point to it unless you add something to it of your own?

Daniel Johnston: Unless you add something of your own when you do a cover, what's the use of doing it? If you sing it the same, it's already been the same. You have to add a little bit to it, music-wise, especially. Maybe you keep the words the same, the melody the same. You want to add a little bit to it and spark it up a bit.

Splendid: So that song "King Kong" is so moving. It's another really sad one. Do you often write about movies?

Daniel Johnston: No.

Splendid: What was it about that story that appealed to you?

Daniel Johnston: I loved King Kong. I had no idea that I was King Kong. But I loved the King Kong movie so much. I only saw it a few times in my life. But the last time that I saw it, I memorized it.

Splendid: You're talking about the old black-and-white one with Fay Wray?

Daniel Johnston: That's right. The old one. The classic. And then when I saw it... I saw it when I was recording Jump Music. It was advertised to be on TV. And I said, wow, I've got to see that. So I stopped by the TV station and it was the wrong TV station, and I said, I've got to see that. And I wrote the song and I wanted to see it and it never came on, and I didn't know what station it was on, and couldn't find the TV Guide. But I wrote the song then.

Splendid: Yeah, you always end up, in the monster movies, feeling so sorry for the monsters, I think.

Daniel Johnston: I did, but that was a Universal monster. Monsters these days are more like Jason in Friday the 13th, killing everybody without mercy. That's not the kind of monsters I identify with.

Splendid: I was thinking more like Frankenstein. The old horror movies.

Daniel Johnston: Yeah, that's Universal monsters, like Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Dracula, Creature from the Black Lagoon...

Splendid: Because you feel like they don't want to be monsters.

Daniel Johnston: And they die and it's a horrible thing... so sad.

Splendid: You also put a lot of animals in your songs, don't you?

Daniel Johnston: Well, I like to, you know, brighten it up with a little bit of animals, keep the children happy and the people amused. Throw a monkey in the zoo. Just to humor people a bit when they listen.

Splendid: Do children come to your shows when you play?

Daniel Johnston: Yes, children of all ages come to the shows.

Splendid: So I know this album is a benefit album and if everything works out right, it's supposed to provide some money so that you can have your own house. How's that going?

Daniel Johnston: (laughs) They said that? I don't know about that. I don't know if that's really what's going on. I don't know if that's what they're doing. I didn't hear that before.

Splendid: It's in the press release.

Daniel Johnston: Oh really, that's what they said?

Splendid: Yeah.

Daniel Johnston: We've pretty much got enough money to build the house already.

Splendid: So are they building it now?

Daniel Johnston: It's supposed to get started pretty soon.

(We briefly discuss the location of the house, which Daniel asks that I not include in the article.)

Splendid: Do you get a lot of fans bothering you?

Daniel Johnston: No, it isn't like that. I'm really not famous like that to be followed around. (laughs) But we live out here in the country so we're kind of away from the city, and everything's just fine.

Splendid: So why do they call it The Late Great Daniel Johnston?

Daniel Johnston: Isn't that weird? It's the funniest thing. Some people might, from the cover of the album, think that I'm dead.

Splendid: Yeah, that's the first line in almost all the reviews, that you're not actually dead.

Daniel Johnston: Yeah, but some people might not read the review. It's a strange thing.

Splendid: It's also pretty unusual for someone to participate in their own tribute album. It's like going to your own funeral and listening to all the eulogies.

Daniel Johnston: (laughs) Yeah.

Splendid: So, I guess the bands picked out which songs they wanted to do and then you just included your recordings of those same songs.

Daniel Johnston: Yeah, they took the original recordings and put them on the other CD.

Splendid: Were you surprised about the songs that got picked or were they pretty much the ones that you would have picked?

Daniel Johnston: Well, they're ones that they chose, the record company, but there's a lot of good singing there and, as I was saying, a lot of ones that I liked a lot. I wish they could have released some indie singles or something like that, but I don't know if they get airplay or how that's gone. There's really been no reports. A lot of those songs could have gotten some airplay.

Splendid: They're really good. I really liked both the originals and the covers. I also really like the song "True Love Will Find You in the End". That's wonderful. Do you believe that?

Daniel Johnston: Oh yeah, sure, sure, do you?

Splendid: Has it found you?

Daniel Johnston: Sure, I believe it. I believe in love. I believe that everything will work out as long as you try.

Splendid: That's exactly what the song seems like, which is a really nice message. So there's a documentary film about you coming out, too. What was that like?

Daniel Johnston: That was so much fun. It's going to be so hilarious. They were so...serious about it, with a great sense of humor. I know that it's going to be pretty funny.

Splendid: They interviewed you and your friends and family.

Daniel Johnston: They interviewed everybody. I'm surprised they didn't interview the dog. Everybody. Lights, cameras, action.

Splendid: Is there a lot of footage of you playing your songs?

Daniel Johnston: Yes, there's a lot.

Splendid: Great, because you don't tour much, do you?

Daniel Johnston: Well, I did when I did. For three years, I was on the road.

Splendid: But I think a lot of people aren't able to come see you play, so it will be good to have that on film.

Daniel Johnston: That's right. The movie will eventually be a DVD and a video. First it will be in theaters.

Splendid: Aren't you a big fan of Captain America?

Daniel Johnston: Yes.

Splendid: Why do you like him the best of all the superheros?

Daniel Johnston: Well, see, I'm a Jack Kirby fan, Jack Kirby in the comic books, and of course, Captain America was his favorite. It was one of his best works, one of his best comic books. There was the Mighty Thor, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, the work that he's done throughout his career. And Captain America was one of my favorites. Jack Kirby was my favorite artist, that's the reason.

Splendid: So it's basically, the way it's drawn, the way it looks?

Daniel Johnston: Yeah.

Splendid: What is it about the drawing that's so special?

Daniel Johnston: Well Jack Kirby, it's the dynamics, the 3-D, the action, the pose, the classical style...

Splendid: I was just reading that, recently, Captain America, the last few issues, he's been confronting the 9/11 terrorists. Have you been following that?

Daniel Johnston: I haven't seen the comic books recently.

Splendid: It sounds really dark and kind of disturbing, but I guess you're more interested in the older ones.

Daniel Johnston: Yeah, I'm still buying the old comic books.

Splendid: And your drawing -- you're not only a musician but a very accomplished artist as well -- your drawing is influenced by comic book art?

Daniel Johnston: Yes, I often do draw from comic books, every now and then, I'll get some of my favorite comic books and just try to draw from comic books, to learn how to draw better.

Splendid: The drawing that you do -- does it have any effect on the music you make? Are they connected in any way, do you think?

Daniel Johnston: Yes, it's the same thing, in my opinion. I think I have to cut this interview short if that's all right.

Splendid: Okay, no problem.

Daniel Johnston: Is that enough for you?

Splendid: Yeah, that's fine.

Daniel Johnston: Thank you very much.

Splendid: Thank you. Bye.