▁Ed ▁the ▁Happy ▁C low n , ▁Brown ▁turned ▁to ▁aut obi ography ▁under ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁Jul ie ▁Dou c et ▁and ▁Joe ▁Matt . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁aut obi ographical ▁period , ▁Brown ▁gradually ▁simplified ▁his ▁style , ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁example ▁of ▁his ▁friend ▁and ▁fellow ▁Toronto ▁cart oon ist ▁S eth . ▁ ▁He ▁began ▁tent atively ▁with ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁short ▁tales , ▁and ▁gradually ▁became ▁fre er ▁with ▁his ▁panel ▁layout s ▁and ▁simpler ▁in ▁his ▁art work . ▁ ▁Brown ▁had ▁switched ▁publish ers ▁to ▁the ▁Montreal - based ▁Dra wn ▁and ▁Qu arter ly ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁completed ▁his ▁first ▁aut obi ographical ▁graph ic ▁novel , ▁The ▁Play boy , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁At ▁first , ▁he ▁intended ▁The ▁Play boy ▁and ▁I ▁Never ▁L ik ed ▁You ▁to ▁form ▁one ▁story , ▁but ▁found ▁it ▁too ▁complex ▁to ▁handle ▁when ▁he ▁started ▁to ▁plan ▁it ▁out . ▁ ▁The ▁Play boy ▁de als ▁with ▁Brown ' s ▁gu ilt ▁over ▁his ▁te en age ▁ob session ▁with ▁m ast urb ating ▁over ▁por n ography . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁gained ▁pra ise ▁from ▁fans , ▁critics , ▁and ▁other ▁cart oon ists , ▁and ▁won ▁a ▁Har vey ▁Award . ▁It ▁received ▁criticism ▁from ▁those ▁who ▁saw ▁it ▁as ▁object ifying ▁women ▁and ▁gl or ifying ▁por n ography ; ▁ ▁Play boy ▁publish er ▁Hugh ▁He f ner ▁wrote ▁to ▁Brown ▁vo icing ▁concern