Virtual Memories Show 652:
Dmitry Samarov
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“I want the reader to feel like they were there, like it’s a sketchbook from that moment in the book.”
It’s been a year since his last episode, so what’s artist Dmitry Samarov been up to? Plenty! We talk about his new project of redesigning and illustrating public domain books, why he started off with the White Whale itself, and why Babbitt was next in line, what the common themes are among the six books he’s illustrated since this project began, and how it all ties into his reaction to the 2024 election. We get into what it’s like working with publishers after controlling his own books for years, how he discovered James Hogg’s The Suicide’s Grave on SOME OTHER PODCAST (okay, it was Beyond The Zero), how he’s exploring visual interpretation and different tools with each book, and how this project has him reading and rereading differently than he used to. We also talk about how he looks back at his art in the wake of his self-monograph, how he got into a relationship with someone after a long time solo (after a showing of why Cronenberg’s not-good The Shrouds), what other books he’s considering illustrating, his new series of ‘zines about bookselling, the joy of Moby Dick‘s tangents, and more. Give it a listen!
“This is all the fun parts of making books like I did before, except without the writing.”
“I’ve always worked from life, so whatever’s going on in my life will impact the art.”
Enjoy the conversation! Then check out the archives for more great episodes!
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About our Guest
Dmitry Samarov paints and writes in Chicago, IL. Follow Dmitry at his site and through his weekly newsletter, and buy some books from his Ebay shop.
Go check out our conversations from 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, lockdown, 2021, 2022, and 2024.
Credits: This episode’s music is Fella by Hal Mayforth, used with permission from the artist. The conversation was recorded remotely via Zencastr. I used a Heil PR-40 Dynamic Studio Recording Microphone feeding into a Zoom PodTrak P4. All processing and editing done in Adobe Audition CC. All art by Dmistry Samarov. It’s on my instagram.
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