The things that you will see on the pages of a Brandon Graham comic are unusual and daring.  The panels are jaggedly laid out across the page, there is writing everywhere, but the world feels so alive.  Brandon’s characters feel alive, emotionally and artistically.

I wanted to find out what kind of person it takes to make these pages happen.  No run of the mill artist puts that much work into a panel, especially not for a monthly run issue series (see: Walking Dead #68, and Captain America Reborn #5).  Why do Brandon’s pages feel so alive, when other artists fall short?  Is it talent?  Time spent?  Imagination?

Without spoiling our talk, Brandon was a graffiti artist.  Graffiti is a style that has always spoken to me on some base level.  I mean, how cool is it that an entire building could be a canvas?  I imagine not so great for the building owner, but to have your art displayed on such a huge surface for people just walking by, that kind of thing is thrilling!  (Although not as thrilling as getting published, turns out)

The twist is that you also approach life with a certain sense of urgency; of feeling like you have to be in a hurry, or at least watch your back.  This feeling of danger is present throughout King City.

I think Brandon avoids “busy work” style art by twisting and transforming his world.  I think he sees an elongated, weirder version of this reality.  This must be a place where buildings are huge, spies rule cities, and everything is done in the shadows.

Part of what made Brandon such a great interview was his willingness to talk about how he thinks and feels.  With Brandon, you get a sense of a person who experiences the urban playground in an imaginative way.  Someone who is looking for a reason to bring humor and life out of an inanimate object.

I want you to read the work of Brandon Graham.  I want you to do this because I firmly believe he is one of the few artists still willing to take a chance on the page.  Not just with plot, with the stuff that really counts: characters, setting, dialogue, interactive pages, little hidden morsels of street art goodness.

What was the last series that kept your eyes glued to the page?

When was the last time you wanted to read a book over and over again for every little background detail?

When was the last time you discovered something new in a book every time you opened it?

This is the experience you get when you read Brandon Graham.

So if you want the who’s who and the what’s what, check out my chat with Brandon Graham.  I’m Rich and this is how Comics Impact me.

Richard Bashara
Rich@comicimpact.com

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