Virtual Memories Show 529:
Dean Haspiel
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“What’s interesting about comics storytelling, compared to stage and film, is that it’s a sort of shorthand where you have to earn the next panel. How do you exploit the real estate of the blank page?”
Artist, writer, cartoonist, playwright, director etc. Dean Haspiel rejoins the show to talk why he’s launched his first Kickstarter (open through 3/30/23) to support a new comic, COVID Cop (think “unholy but hilarious combo of Judge Dredd, The Toxic Avenger, Sin City, and Marshal Law“)! We get into how his approach to storytelling has changed in recent years, how he felt about the COVID-delayed debut of his play The War Of Woo, the thrill of making his short movie There Is No Try, and what it’s like to work in hyper-collaborative mediums like theater & film. We also talk about the experience of drawing Superman at Yaddo, why he needed to revisit his pitch for COVID Cop now that we’re semisorta past the worst of the pandemic, returning to his fave character, Billy Dogma, and wrapping up one phase of his The Red Hook series, the influence of Kyle Baker’s Why I Hate Saturn on his upcoming work, the experience of mentoring comics artists at Atlantic Center for the Arts last month, his take on AI art for comics, and a lot more. Give it a listen! And go support COVID Cop!
(And go listen to our 2018 and 2020 conversations!)
“There’s a lot I hope I’ll be remembered for, but really, I’m the guy who took of his shirt at the Comic-Con, and that’s my fault.”
“My COVID Cop is trying to save humanity, but he’s also trying to save his marriage.”
Enjoy the conversation! Then check out the archives for more great episodes!
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About our Guest
Emmy and Ringo Award-winning cartoonist Dean Haspiel is best known for creating The Red Hook and Billy Dogma, collaborating with Harvey Pekar, and Jonathan Ames, and illustrating for HBO’s “Bored to Death.” His published work includes writing and drawing for Marvel, DC/Vertigo, Archie, Image, and Webtoon. In addition, Haspiel is an accomplished playwright, emerging filmmaker, and Yaddo fellow. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Follow Dean on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Substack, and support his Patreon. And listen to our 2018 and 2020 conversations.
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. Photo of Dino by Whitney Matheson. It’s on my instagram.