Virtual Memories Show 536:
Ho Che Anderson
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“I think when most people go to a big sci-fi spectacle, they’re not expecting to have to wade through tons of dialogue about philosophy and theology. But that’s the stuff that I’ve always gravitated toward. It’s the minutia of conversation that I’m most fascinated by.”
With GODHEAD Vol. 2 (Fantagraphics), Ho Che Anderson has fulfilled a graphic novel science fiction adventure 20 years in the making. He rejoins the show so we can talk about how GODHEAD changed over the years, where the idea of a device that lets users commune with God came from (and how it kinda sorta mirrored his grandmothers’ war for his soul), and what the process of making this book taught him about writing and comics storytelling. We get into why he loves science fiction on the screen, his experiences writing for film, prose & comics, the experience he had at Marvel with a controversial Luke Cage miniseries that got cancelled at the last minute, and our Frank Miller experiences & some of the visual cues of RONIN in GODHEAD. We also discuss the need for religion, his fascination with the ocean, finding himself as a screenwriter (even with overlong drafts), why he donated his pages & materials from his MLK biography to the Billy Ireland library, his notion of legacy, and a lot more. Give it a listen! And go read GODHEAD Vols. 1 and 2!
(And go listen to our 2019 conversation!)
“I see the need for religion, to some extent, and I think it does some good. It allows people to become part of something greater than themselves. But I feel very strongly that we created God because we needed to.”
“Every creative, once they’ve put something out in the world, mostly what they see are the mistakes. But of all the work I’ve published over the years, this is the one where I can look at it and cringe the least.”
“I feel like our society has really suffered as a result of the pandemic. I feel levels of aggression that I didn’t feel before. I didn’t feel this disquiet in the world like I do now.”
Enjoy the conversation! Then check out the archives for more great episodes!
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About our Guest
Ho Che Anderson is a Canadian cartoonist living in Toronto. Anderson was launched into the comics scene with the publication of his erotic story I Want To Be Your Dog in 1990. He next embarked on the project he is best known for, KING, his 3-part comic series on the life of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. His other works include the graphic novels Black Dogs, Miles from Home, Scream Queen and Sand & Fury. His new book is Godhead Vol. 2, from Fantagraphics.
Follow Ho Che on Instagram & go listen to our 2019 conversation.
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. Drawing of Ho Che Anderson by The Man Himself. It’s on my instagram.