My Summer Lair Chapter #44: How What Comic Books Do Your Immigrant Parents Read?
My first encounter with Sammy Harkham was his short and sparse Poor Sailor.
A lonely comic book tale about a fishing boat captain who chooses to let his brother lose his arm rather than lose a catch. I realize that doesn’t sell it. There’s a melancholy layer to Sammy’s work that is hard to articulate yet it makes for compelling reading.
Indeed the comic book we discuss in this interview his current serial Blood of the Virgin has that same layer…a film of sadness. And yet when you talk to the creator you don’t get that.
He’s got a passion for comics…so much so he’s anthologizing other dynamic creators in his Kramers Ergot series (No. 9 just dropped and it’s a dense and surreal journey through the world of alternative comics.)
We even ramble into film since Sammy is connected to Cinefamily: Andy Milligan, Messiah of Evil (1973), Herschell Gordon Lewis, The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976 not 2014!)…are you starting to notice a consistent aesthetic?
Where it gets rich is his feelings on established comics say working at Marvel vs the independence of working for himself. Dude dropped knowledge on that topic I’ll have to return to; not sure where I stand with all that.
Oh! Originally the interview was with Sammy however he brought along Kevin Huizenga another comic book creator. You can hear Kevin at the end; wish I had more time and been properly prepped. Next TCAF!!
Sammy Harkham @ W • T • F
Host & Photography Sammy Younan
Recorded: Saturday May 13, 2017 at 6:00 pm (at Girth Radio)
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