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Mister Sam Interview for Wicked Spins Radio

Sam Shearon  is one of the best known artists today, working under Mister Sam his art appears on album covers, in comic books and graphic novels but also on different merchandise and promo material.  His art is immensely dark and wonderful.  His art recently appeared in a Motion Book depicting the stories, specifically the Books Of Blood by Clive Barker.  Wicked Spins Radio got a chance to catch up with Mister Sam and here is how it went.

 

 

WSR – Thanks so much for giving Wicked Spins Radio this interview, can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

Sam – Hi there – pleasure to talk with you!  I’m a British graphic artist specialising in horror and science fiction.  I create artwork for both comic-books and graphic novels as well as music albums and merchandise designs for the rock and metal music industry.
Previous rock/metal clients of mine include: A Pale Horse Named Death, American Head Charge, Powerman 5000, Rob Zombie, Iron Maiden, Jason Charles Miller among many more… and for comic-books previous titles I’ve created for include: Judge Dredd, Hellraiser, X-Files, KISS, 30 Days of Night, Angel, The Other Dead and many more…

WSR – Your art has just appeared in a Motion Book, can you tell us all about this motion book?

Sam – One of the pioneers of this new way to read comic-books is the company called ‘MADEFIRE’. They produce comic-books and graphic novels that are essentially interactive. They allow you to view the story with sound effects and music while still retaining the traditional panel and speech bubble elements of a regular comic-book. The advantage with motion-books is that the story can be paced and expanded to far greater levels of effect by use of moving imagery and sound that occurs when the user taps the screen or clicks the arrow at key points throughout the story. This allows the reader to immerse themselves deeper into another world and pace the story more-so like a movie that they control.

So, I’ve been hired by Clive Barker to illustrate his classic ‘Books of Blood’ series as motion books. My artwork is being animated by Clive’s Nephew Gareth Barker using the Madfire platform.

I’ve been a fan of fellow British artist Liam Sharp’s work for some years now and he’s one of the main guys who founded the Madefire company. So to be working with him and creating the artwork for Clive Barker to be animated using their technology is nothing short of a thrill-ride and an honour!

WSR – What was it like to see your art have movement?

Sam – It was absolutely mind-boggling grin inducing to see characters I’ve illustrated, moving around with ‘life’!
Having Gareth Barker animate my work really took it into another realm!
He did a fantastic job and even broke the mould with Madefire’s platform expanding the functionality into new areas. Our books are the most heavily animated within the Madefire catalogue with more moving parts than any other title.

WSR – You have been illustrating the work of Clive Barker, which story did you enjoy the most illustrating?

Sam – So far we’ve only just launched so we’re at issue one right now.
There are 30 more to go and I’m very excited to be creating the look of the characters as faithfully to Clive Barker’s original designs. So we’re aiming to have these versions of the Books of Blood as the most loyal depictions of Clive’s original vision. I’m currently illustrating issue two ‘The Midnight Meat Train’ which is due out in December. Issue one, ‘The Book of Blood’ is out now and you can watch it here: 

 

WSR – And of Clive Barkers stories which is your favourite and why?

Sam – There are just way too many to choose just one… he’s so prolific!
He never stops writing and is constantly sketching and writing notes… quite an incredible man – he deserves his own permanent museum.

Among my favourites I’d say Rawhead Rex, The Midnight Meat Train and Cabal are in my top three… but again my mind juggles between so many more… it’s just so hard to say which would be my absolute favourite… I guess Cabal (Nightbreed), is the one I think we can all relate to the most. Incidentally the Directors cut of the movie has just been released with an extra 40 minutes in there… monsters hanging out having conversations… the works! So go get ‘NightBreed: The Cabal Cut’ now!

You can get it here on Amazon: 

WSR – The book is also available through DeviantART, what effect do you feel DeviantART has had on artistry as a whole?

Sam – I think DeiantART is a wonderful place for artists to not only share their own work but also to check out other people’s standards and benchmarks. With an unlimited variety of styles there’s always something to be inspired by. Much in the same way that it fuels me when I attend comic-book-conventions in the US each year, to really have a look at what other artist’s are working on, the mediums they use… what’s popular, what works, what really sells and ultimately what makes you feel inspired to push yourself from within. Not necessarily taking the same route or style as other artists but to draw inspiration from them in terms of self expansion and skill development. I feel that DeviantART is the perfect place online to feed from regarding variety and shared knowledge. Not only of technique but also critique with an audience of millions who can discuss your work, advise or suggest things that allow you to think about it from someone else’s perspective – it’s a great place to really dig deep into the language and mindset of being an artist.

 

WSR – Would you say Motion Books are a book or an animated graphic novel?

Sam – I would have to say that it’s a little of both – essentially not so much full animation… but the elements of movement and sound effects add an entirely new level of experience for the reader that a straight forward animation cannot give. With a motion book, it keeps the reader engaged as they have to tap the screen or click the arrow in order to load the next panel or scene… so you’re not just along for the ride – you’re part of the process of the storytelling pace itself!

WSR – Did you meet Clive Barker and if you did what is he like?

Sam – I have met Mr.Barker indeed, strangely fitting that we met Halloween, 2013… and he was even more of a true Gentleman than I’d already heard about. Such a warm-hearted friendly man who not only conversed with me about our mutual birth city of Liverpool back in England, but he also drew me a monstrous character, signed it to me and handed it to me with a huge smile. I used to read the ‘Books of Blood’ when I was in art college during my teenage years and to now be illustrating them on the 30 anniversary of their original release is a dream come true… I can’t thank Clive enough for believing in my work. He’s one of the most interesting people I have ever met – I love his writing, his artwork, his movies… the way he thinks and his brutal honesty. He’s certainly one of my heroes.

WSR – If you had the chance to illustrate any of the characters that Clive Barker has created, who would you choose and why?

Sam – I would love to illustrate every single Cenobite from the ‘Hellraiser’ universe ever… and every single character from ‘Midian/Cabal/Nightbreed’… They’re the most inspiring characters to me in all of horror/fantasy…I think that not only are they pleasing to the eye but their back story is fascinating… not all horror characters even have a back story… but these are so layered and deep you can get lost in their universe. I get thrills and chills when I look at Clive’s original drawings and paintings and then the movies also… SO inspiring to me… But who knows what the future holds? …perhaps one day I will… I’ve already illustrated ‘Pinhead’ for the cover of issue one of ‘Hellraiser: Bestiary’ comic-book series… that’s out there now!

WSR – Have you ever done any animation at all?

Sam – I used to do a little stop motion with dead animals once in a while… Flies… Mice… I had an entire audience of twitching mice listening to a rat give a speech once. Perhaps I should make time and go back to doing more of that.

WSR – We have lost so many greats recently one being the great Wayne Static, you had a chance put Wayne into a piece of your art.  What elements of Wayne did your art contain?

Sam – We have indeed lost some incredible people this year… It’s almost as though Death is having a sale… We’ve lost Bob Hoskins, Dave Brockie-(Oderous Urungus) of GWAR, H.R.Giger, Tommy Ramone, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Williams, Harold Ramis, Sir Richard Attenborough, Joan Rivers and my friend Shane Gibson of stOrk & Korn.

But most recently yes… we lost Wayne.
I had the pleasure of meeting Wayne, he gave me some great advice on creating in general both for art and for music. He told me to never be afraid of taking other people’s advice and view points on board – to always view things from as many angles as possible. I guess in many respects he was an individual artist in his own right lending himself and working with many other bands and artists including Jason Charles Miller’s ‘Godhead’, ‘Linkin Park’, ‘Korn’, ‘Fear Factory’… the list goes on.

I created a portrait of Wayne back in 2006… I basically split his face in half turning him into part machine and part man – somewhat like a ‘Terminator’.
It was actually one of the very first portraits I ever did.

WSR – If you had the chance to thank Wayne for one of his many accomplishments or talents, what would you thank him for and what would you say?

Sam – I’d simply say thank you for being so strange, new and different…

You entertained me and my friends for many years – with your music, your lyrics, your expressions in your videos and live performances and of course that crazy hairstyle and beard-tail… quite an original look indeed!
I have very fond memories of singing along to Static-X with my then girlfriend driving through Welsh mountains – laughing our asses off and thoroughly enjoying some of the best ‘Evil Disco’ music and lyrics ever put out there!

WSR – Bruce Campbell is back as Ash for a TV series of Evil Dead soon, now I am an Evil Dead fan and refused to watch the remake they did.   What are your views on the remake and are you looking forward to the series?

Sam – I never saw the remake… I wasn’t necessarily against it – as I’d heard it didn’t have the comedy and that it was a new take on the concept… but a darker scarier version – not that I dislike comedy, I love the original three movies… But I’ll get around to seeing it at some point I’m sure. The trailer at least gave me a little hope that it might be quite good.
I am looking forward to the TV series, I just hope they do it right… though from reading who’s involved, I do have high hopes for it. I really hope it takes off and I’m sure it will if they keep the comedy rolling and the monsters in their many guises!

I’ve had the opportunity to meet and talk with Bruce Campbell on a number of occasions and he once compared taking the role of ‘Ash’ on again to being very similar to Harrison Ford donning the Indiana Jones outfit… he said “nobody wants to see an old dude running around, some things should be left where they are”…
But, here we are five years after he said that and he IS doing it… so I hope it’s a great success, I absolutely LOVE those movies! I wouldn’t mind being in the series myself – even if I get killed off after two minutes!

WSR – Your art is very dark, devious and so immense.  But have you ever illustrated anything like bunnies or kittens, if not do you think you could do cute and cuddly art maybe just once?

Sam – Have you ever killed anyone…? Think you could…? Maybe just once…?
Thinking about something, being able to and doing it are all different things.
Of course I could… would I want to…? not really…
Oh, and I wouldn’t illustrate anything cute no.

WSR – Thanks so much for giving Wicked Spins Radio this interview, is there anything you would like to add?

Sam – You can see more of my work on my official Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/MisterSamShearon

Also, please go and check out Clive Barker’s ‘Books of Blood’ via either DeviantArt.com or Madefire.com and share it far and wide to all those you know!

Click here to watch Books of Blood

Thank you!
Photo of Mister Sam thanks to Joanne Leung

https://www.facebook.com/joanneleungphotography

 

 

 

http://www.samshearon.com
http://www.mister-sam.com

http://www.twitter.com/sam_shearon

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