We are delighted to be joined by writer Chanan Beizer. With the Kickstarter campaign live for The Golem of Venice Beach: Book 2, we got to chat with Chanan all about the project.
Hi Chanan, it’s great to have you here with us.
Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
I’ve been a huge comic book fan and collector since I was a kid. After careers in computers, filmmaking, and tv sports production, I decided to make my dream of creating a comic book come true. And it has.
Could you tell us about the origins of The Golem of Venice Beach?
I’d just moved from Manhattan to Venice after graduating from film school. I had a few screenplays under my belt but wanted to start something fresh. Walking around, getting to know the place and the people and loving the vibe, I thought I’d set the new story in my new neighborhood. I came up with the concept of centering it on a mythological creature passing as just another local so I decided to make it a Golem. It took a few years but that screenplay eventually turned into the graphic novel.
How would you describe The Golem of Venice Beach?
Here’s a concise one-sentence log line: An immortal Golem, living among the homeless in Venice Beach, gets caught in a war between a narco-gang and the police.
Who are Jake and Stephan?
Jake is a bit of a slacker who turned his back on his heritage after a devastating accident in which his parents died. He spends his time getting high, selling sunglasses on the Venice Boardwalk, and just muddling through life. He’s the only living descendant of the rabbi who created the Golem over 400 years ago.
Stephan, or Uncle Steph as Jake calls him, is a Holocaust survivor and the cousin of Jake’s grandfather. As children, Steph and Jake’s grandfather were saved by the Golem from a concentration camp in WW2.
Jake and Uncle Steph are the only relatives each has and they are connected to Adam the Golem through blood and duty.
For the two volumes of The Golem of Venice Beach, there are a number of different artists creating the visuals; did you always want to have a number of artists creating the visuals?
Yes. It started as wanting 3 different artists for the 3 eras depicted in Book 1 – 16th century Prague, the height of WW2, and current day Venice Beach. I then added more artists to create fun and interesting interpretations of the Golem that included a visual map of Venice, the beach near the Santa Monica Pier, a horror nightmare, and life on the Venice Boardwalk.
For Book 2, in addition to present day Venice and the completion of the WW2 flashback arc, there is a drug-induced fever dream that was perfect for a new different artist.
And instead of individual bonus art, we have art from 5 different artists that comprise a 9-page bonus story that is influenced by Lewis Carrol’s Through the Looking Glass. Plus, a double-page homage to a classic Hulk vs Thor pin-up.
How did Clover Press get involved with The Golem of Venice Beach?
I was lucky enough to be introduced to David Hyde of Superfan Promotions as someone who could help me with my Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. And it was David who put me in touch with Clover Press as a possible publisher.
What kind of feedback did you get from The Golem of Venice Beach: Book 1?
So far, it’s been excellent feedback. People have enjoyed Book 1 and are eagerly awaiting Book 2 to read the conclusion. In one instance, someone bought the book from me at a comic convention. About two hours later he came back to my booth and I thought to myself, “Uh, oh. Maybe he wants a refund.” As it turned out he finished reading it while waiting for a panel to begin and came back to tell me how much he liked it. That made me feel pretty good.
How did you select the artists for The Golem of Venice Beach: Book 2?
Luckily, we knew that Vanessa Cardinali would be returning as the main artist and Jae Lee agreed to finish what he’d begun in Book 1 to complete the WW2 flashback arc. Most of the other artists were selected by my mentioning what I thought we needed and my editor, Chris Stevens, working like a dog to make it happen. At times I’d list specific artists like Howard Chaykin or Stan Sakai, both of whom I’ve adored and collected since I was a kid. Other instances, I’d describe the imagery in my head to Chris and he would try to match that up with artists he could contact. That’s how David Mack, Das Pastoras, Dean Haspiel, Juan Jose Ryp and Frank Quitely came on board. But even with all that, we had to rely on serendipity to finalize our roster. Nick Pitarra, an artist from Book 1, just happened to be working a convention with his own book and was sitting right next to Nick Dragotta. Nick P. talked to Nick D. – next thing you know, our lineup was complete.
How and when did you discover the art of Vanessa Cardinali?
This goes back a bit. I had just hired Chris Stevens to be my editor on Book 1. We were both trying to come up with who to approach to be the main artist knowing that it would be a huge commitment. Between the two books, over 260 pages of art. I’d joined a Facebook group called Connecting Comic Book Writers and Artists and would periodically scan the posts by artists looking for work. I came across one of Vanessa’s posts and was impressed by her examples. As it turns out, Chris had also seen her posts so when I sent him a link, he recognized her work. It’s sort of like parallel discovery.
Can you tell us who the artists are for The Golem of Venice Beach: Book 2?
Here’s a rundown of our amazing artists:
Main artist Vanessa Cardinali (Slumber) is back along with Eisner winner Jae Lee (Inhumans). In addition, we have David Mack (Kabuki), Das Pastoras (King Thor), Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook), Juan José Ryp (Wolverine), Nick Dragotta (East of West), Hall-of-Famers Howard Chaykin (American Flagg!) & Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), plus Eisner winner Frank Quitely (All-Star Superman).
As you are crowdfunding The Golem of Venice Beach: Book 2 and dealing directly with consumers, does that make The Golem of Venice Beach: Book 2 special for you?
This project will always be special to me. I’ve been working on it for a very long time. From its origins as a screenplay, to taking a class on how to write for comic books, to writing the script, to finding the artists, to making it happen with a lot of help from others every step of the way, it will always be my baby. I guess it’s actually a teenager by now because it’s been nearly 15 years for the whole process I described.
As you are crowdfunding The Golem of Venice Beach: Book 2, does that mean there will be exclusive rewards?
Yes. Besides both Books 1 and 2 available individually or as a set, there will be exclusive Kickstarter 8×10 print sets offered. One set of 7 prints representing the 7 artists of Book 1. And a second set of 10 prints representing the 10 artists of Book 2. Plus, there will be a limited number of books that include a bound designed bookplate signed by Frank Quitely. This will come with a special 8×10 print only offered with this tier.
What can comic fans expect from The Golem of Venice Beach: Book 2?
Comic fans can expect a full conclusion to the story that began in Book 1 depicted by some of the finest artists working in comics today. In addition, there will be a 9-page bonus Golem story, a double-page homage to a legendary comic book icon, and some behind-the-scenes designs that depict the creation of a new and terrifying character that is introduced in Book 2.
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
If you’ve already picked up Book 1, I think you’ll be extremely satisfied with Book 2. If you’ve never read the first book, it’s time to get on The Golem of Venice Beach express and pick up both books. ALL ABOARD… NEXT STOP VENICE BEACH!
We would like to say thank you to Chanan for chatting with us. We would like to wish him the best of luck with the Kickstarter campaign for The Golem of Venice Beach: Book 2.
Feel free to check out The Golem of Venice Beach: Book 2 on Kickstarter.
