(Above picture is cover art for "Maiden Hell" all rights reserved by Steve Harmon for Harmon Comics)
[POSTED: 05/13/02]
STEVE HARMON Interview by. D.Factz and Dravin aka Storm for the Walk Flight Society
FIRST OFF WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO DO THIS CYPHASYLUM/WALK FLIGHT SOCIETY INTERVIEW. COULD YOU PLEASE GIVE OUR READERS A LITTLE BREAKDOWN OF YOUR "ARTS" AND THE HISTORY OF THEM?
SH: THANKS FOR HELPING ME OUT. I NEED ALOT OF HELP SPREADING THE WORD. WELL AS FOR MYSELF I STARTED COLLECTING COMICS AT AGE 5. I BEGAN TO DRAW AROUND 7 OR 8. I HAD ALOT OF IDEAS BUT NEVER TOOK THEM TO HEART UNTIL I TURNED 30 YEARS OF AGE. NOT SURE WHY I WAITED SO LONG I GUESS I WAS OUT HAVING TO MUCH FUN. TRYING TO GET YOUR OWN COMPANY OFF THE GROUND IS ALOT OF WORK. I STILL HAVE MY DAY JOB BUT THE REST OF MY TIME IS ALL COMIC BOOK WORK. I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE MY CAREER I'VE DONE ALOT OF SHOWS LIKE WIZARD CON AND MID OHIO CON AND HAVE SOLD ALOT OF BOOKS. BUT ALL THE MONEY GOES BACK INTO MY STUFF.
WHAT MADE YOU GET INTO THE FIELD OF COMICS?
SH: WHAT MADE ME GET INTO THE FIELD I WOULD SAY MY LOVE FOR COMIC BOOKS. BEFORE I SOLD MY COLLECTION I HAD 14 THOUSAND COMICS (WISH I STILL HAD THEM). BUT COMICS KEPT ME OUT OF TROUBLE I SPENT MY WHOLE LIFE AS A CHILD STAYING HOME READING COMICS. I GUESS IT WAS FATE
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR "CREATIVE ZONE" WHEN YOU SIT DOWN TO WORK ON YOUR ARTS?
SH: MY CREATIVE ZONE VARIES FROM NICK NAMES OF AN OLD GIRLFRIEND TO OBJECTS AROUND THE HOUSE. SOME OF THE THINGS JUST COME OUT OF THE AIR I CAN'T EXPLAIN THAT ONE I COULD BE GOING DOWN THE ROAD ONE DAY AND SEE A BILLBOARD WITH SOMETHING ON IT AND SAY "THATS A STRANGE IDEA SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD BOOK" AND THEN GO HOME CALL MY WRITER AND THATS IT.
WHAT IS YOUR LONGTERM VISION, OR GOAL SO TO SPEAK WITHIN YOUR ARTS?
SH: MY LONG TERM VISION TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE CHAIN WITH MARVEL COMICS, DC COMICS, AND IMAGE. I WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE GOOD STORIES WITH GOOD ARTWORK. ALOT OF BOOKS LACK ON STORY AND SOME ON ART BUT MORE ON THE STORY ITSELF.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY BRINGS YOUR ARTS TO LIFE AS A WHOLE? IS IT THE ART, THE WRITING OR BOTH?
SH: THE ART AND THE STORY BRING TO LIFE MY WORK AND THE GREAT TEAM OF PEOPLE WORKING WITH ME. WITHOUT THEM IT WOULD NOT BE THE SAME.
WHAT IS YOUR LATEST PROJECT? WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS IT'S STRENGTH? ALSO COULD YOU TELL US ALITTLE ABOUT IT?
SH: MY LATEST WORK IS CALLED MAIDEN HELL. THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE:
MAIDEN HELL IS THE PROGENY OF ABSOLUTE GOODNESS AND ABSOLUTE EVIL. VARYING THEOLOGIES AND RELIGIONS CALL THEM WHAT THEY WILL, I HAVE KEPT IT SIMPLE. SHE IS TORN FROM HER BIRTH FATHERS, WHO ARE ONLY AWARE OF HER ON A VERY PRIMEVAL LEVEL, AND LEFT TO DISCOVER HER OWN STRANGE AND COMPLEX NATURE; AND ULTIMATELY HER PARENTAGE ON HER OWN. HERS IS THE STRUGGLE AND THE JOURNEY THAT WE ALL MAKE IN LIFE; TO THE UNDERSTANDING THAT NO NATURE IS ABSOLUTE BUT A BALANCE OF OPPOSITIONS AND FORCES. HER IMMORTAL QUEST IS A STUDY INTO WHAT IT MEANS TO BE TRULY HUMAN AND ULTIMATELY TRULY TIMELESS.
WHAT GAVE BIRTH TO THIS PROJECT? WHY THE NAME MAIDEN HELL?
SH: THE BIRTH OF THE PROJECT IS A PLAY ON WORDS AS WELL AS THE NAME JUST CAME TO ME ONE DAY OUT OF NO WHERE. ITS HARD TO EXPLAIN. ITS LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE I DO IT JUST FALLS INTO MY LAP.
HOW CAN OUR READERS ORDER "MAIDEN HELL" OR ANY OF YOUR OTHER WORKS?
SH: YOU CAN ORDER MY STUFF FROM ME AT;
STEVE HARMON
P.O. BOX 200
CLEVES OHIO 45002
ALSO ON LINE FROM MY WEB SITE OR BUG THE CRAP OUT OF YOUR LOCAL COMIC BOOK STORE TO CARRY STUFF FROM HARMON COMICS THROUGH DIAMOND DISTRUBITORS. I HAVE TWO SITES AND ONE MORE ON THE WAY.
WHO ARE SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE WORKED WITH TO BRING YOUR ARTS TO LIFE?
SH: PEOPLE I'VE WORKED WITH
1. TONY MOY (ARTIST)
2. AMY SANDER (WRITER)
3. HENRY HUES (COLOR AND GRAPHICES)
4. GREGORY PRICE (COVER ARTIST)
5. JOHN JOESCO (ARTIST)
6. STU KIMBRELL (ARTIST)
7. BOBBY TRIMBACH (MONSTER MAKER)
8. JOEY PERRY (MUSIC AND KEYBOARDS)
PEOPLE WHO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.
WHO ARE SOME OF THE ARTISTS AND WRITERS THAT YOU ENJOY?
SH: ARTISTS I ENJOY
1. JOE LINSNER (DAWN)
2. MCFARLANE (SPAWN)
3 JOE QUESADA (MANY TITLES)
4. BRIAN PULIDO (LADY DEATH)
5. MARC SILVESTRI (DARKNESS)
WRITERS I ENJOY
1. EDGAR ALLEN POE
2. ALAN MORRE (COMIC BOOK WRITER)
3. NEIL GAIMANN (SANDMAN)
SINCE WE ARE BEST KNOWN FOR OUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE UNDERGROUND MUSIC ARENA, WE HAVE TO ASK YOU THIS. WHAT RECORDING ARTISTS DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO AND DO YOU GET ANY INSPIRATION OFF OF ANY OF THEM?
SH: MY MUSIC FAVES WOULD HAVE TO BE
1. CRADLE OF FILTH
2. MORTIIS.
3. ROB ZOMBIE
4. TYPE O NEGATIVE
5. KITTIE
ALOT OF THESE BANDS KEEP ME GOING GET ME IN THE MOOD TO DO SOMETHING WHEN I'M FEELING A LITTLE TIRED.
FANTASY QUESTION:
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE STEVE HARMON 5 OR 10 YEARS FROM NOW?
SH: SITTING IN A CINEMA WATCHING A MOVIE OF ONE OF MY BOOKS WITH ALL MY FRIENDS THERE THAT WOULD BE PRETTY CLOSE TO SEX???
WHO IS STEVE HARMON AS AN ARTIST? HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE HIM AND HIS STYLE?
SH: STEVE HARMON IS THE EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CREATOR. I BELEIVE IN MY WORK. I CAN DELIVER A CONCEPT THAT SHAKES EVEN THE OLDEST AND STRONGEST AMONG US.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER PROJECTS IN THE WORKS OR OUT NOW THAT OUR READERS CAN BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR?
SH: OTHER PROJECTS
1.CANDELABRA (A WITCH STORY)
2. SKERNEY WERPS (THEY LIVE IN APPLE HOUSES AND EAT MUD PIES)
3. ONCE UPON A CEMETERY (STOP MOTION ANIMATION PROJECT)
4. ADVENTURES OF WICK AND KNOWMAN (STOP MOTION ANIMATION PROJECT)
5. DAMMIT MAN (VERY STRANGE STORY)
6. THE FRUMBLES
AND MANY OTHERS
DO YOU HAVE THANKS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO LASHOUT INTO THE "CYBERWINDS?"
SH: PEOPLE WHO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK (WALK FLIGHT SOCIETY)
MY MOTHER (R.I.P.) , MY WIFE AND KIDS (MIA, RHIANNON, AUTUMN, NICOLE, CHELESY, JUSTINE). SCOTT WATSON, JOHN SCHROEDER, AMY BALLARD, ALLEN FUSION, GREG PETERSON, GREG MANOR, LARRY VAUGHN, BREENER PRINTING, DIAMOND DISTRUBITORS, COMIC BOOK WORLD, CITY BEAT MAGAZINE, MID OHIO CON, DAVID MACK, GARY HORN, BOBBY TRIMBACH, MORTIIS, ROB TURNER, MARK HENSLER, RAMON TARRAYO, KEN RAY,DANNY NADER, RODNEY FYKE, BILL LOVE, THE PEOPLES COMIC BOOK NEWS LETTER, METAL EDGE, ALL THE PEOPLE WORKING WITH ME ON THE BOOKS, JOSH BLAYLOCK, CHARLES GORE (RAIN FELL WITHIN), DENICE DUFF, VINCENT PRICE,
THANKS
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