Comic Artist Adam Szym has been in the business for 15 years. In his early years, shows such as The Twilight Zone and The X-Files inspired his love of short-form writing in the horror and sci-fi genres. Two of the stories he created in that style fill two-thirds of his three-story compilation, “Little Visitor & Other Abductions,” which is now available through Oni Press.
We recently “abducted” the writer to talk about his artistic beginnings and his collaboration with Oni Press. So, let’s welcome comic creator Adam Szym to GVN Talking Comics.
Artistic Beginnings
GVN: Thank you for sharing some time from your schedule, Adam. Since this is our first opportunity to chat, let’s start with your creative beginnings. When did you take an interest in art and comics in general, and whose work inspired that motivation to pursue it?
ADAM: Since I was very young my answer for what I wanted to be when I grew up was always: a writer, and I had some great teachers who helped nurture and encourage that passion throughout my childhood. I have some hilarious horror stories I wrote and drew as a kid, including one about a killer Tasmanian devil who escapes from a zoo. I also would write and draw my own sequels to Alien that I was sell to my parents for quarters. I became interested in comics when I was a teenager, but it wasn’t until I was in college that I decided to try my hand at drawing them after enough classmates had complimented my doodles in class. I genuinely hadn’t ever considered it until then, and here I am 17 years later still making comics.
Inspirations from “The Twilight Zone”
GVN: Your work has been compared in style and content to Rod Serling’s “Twilight Zone,” which I can definitely understand after reading it. Was your intention to capture the otherworldly and often surprising essence that Serling embraced, or did it develop organically as you created?
ADAM: I was obsessed with The Twilight Zone as a kid, and have very fond memories of watching the all day marathons Scifi Channel would often run on long weekends. So I’m not surprised that people see that in my work, though it’s not something I’m consciously thinking about or working towards. But it certainly influenced my taste in science fiction and horror, and is probably a big reason my work is more grounded. Serling is definitely an inspiring figure, for me, and I highly recommend people watch his interview with Mike Wallace from 1959 which is available on Youtube, it’s great.
Developing a Narrative
GVN: Your upcoming book, “Little Visitor and Other Abductions,” features three distinct stories told from different perspectives. “Little Visitor” is presented through a series of interviews with a film production staff. While the Ignatz Award-nominated tale “A Cordial Invitation” is written entirely in dialogue. The newest story, “Frolicker,” is framed as a first-person narrative. When you begin working on a story, do you have a clear narrative approach in mind from the start, or does it develop as you write?
ADAM: It depends on the project. I spend a lot of time thinking about how best to approach an idea and dialing in on how to frame it. With Little Visitor I knew the story was going to be in part about memory, and how people absolve themselves through it, so it made sense to frame it as a documentary. I wanted A Cordial Invitation to be very present tense, so it made sense to structure it the way I did. Frolicker was trickier because it’s ostensibly first person narration, but as the story goes on we realize the narrator isn’t who we thought it was. Deciding on how to structure and frame things is a tricky puzzle, but when you find the answer it’s satisfying.
The Glory of Black-and-White
GVN: All these stories are illustrated in black-and-white panels. Is this your preferred style, or did it suit the narratives you were telling better?
ADAM: There are plenty of color comics I adore, obviously, but my heart will always be with black & white comics. I think the higher contrast can produce such beautiful images, and it gives the linework more room to shine. It also just suits the kind of stories in this book, and I’m not sure that color would add much if anything. I’m interested to work in color at some point, but only if the project feels right for it.
Working with Oni Press
GVN: “Little Visitor and Other Abductions” is being published by Oni Press and released on September 23rd. How did your collaboration with Oni Press come about? Did you pitch your work to them, or did they approach you?
ADAM: I started out as a webcomics artist, so I’ve always posted all of my comics on my website to read for free. My first editor at Oni, Gabriel Granillo, found Little Visitor there and reached out to ask if I’d want to pitch something. I’d long been planning to put together a collection of stories with the theme of alien abduction, and had been looking for an excuse to finally work on a third story for it, so I pitched that idea and they were excited about it. It came together really nicely, and I’ve had a great experience so far with the team at Oni.
Upcoming Projects
GVN: Thanks again for joining us, Adam. Before we wrap up, I’d like to give you a chance to share more about this book or any upcoming projects you have in the works.
ADAM: Thanks for talking to me! I hope people check out and enjoy the book. It’s releasing just before Halloween season, so recommend it to anybody looking for a seasonal read. I have some other projects in the works I can’t talk about just yet, but you’ll be hearing from me for sure.
Oni Press’s “Little Visitor & Other Abductions” by Adam Szym is now available at great bookstores. Just in time for the Halloween season!
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
