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Howard Chaykin Bares His Midnight Soul

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by Vince Brusio

We approached Howard Chaykin at his booth for this year’s Baltimore Comic Con, and we found him holding court for a variety of fans that were gathering around his table for sketches, handshakes, and autographs. For those of you who have met Howard Chaykin before, you know that he is a man of many words, and many of them may be abrasive to sensitive hearing. He is an in-your-face kind of guy who speaks from the heart, and with complete honesty. If you want sunshine and lollipops, it's best to keep walking. But if you want to hear words of wisdom from a living legend that spurns political correctness, and is totally passionate about his craft, you’ll never find a more radiant personality. We love him. We were lucky to get in a few words with Howard in between his personal anecdotes and many handshakes, and here’s what the master writer/artist had to say about his upcoming Midnight of the Soul TP (OCT160661) from Image Comics, which is solicited in the October PREVIEWS catalog.

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PREVIEWSworld: Howard, we’re big fans, and we’re happy to finally step up in line and get a chance to speak with you.

Howard Chaykin: Well come on up! I’m not a retailer. What are you standing in line for? My feeling is the convention is my client. You guys are my clients. I’m here to be of service to you. And that means…engagement! You know a lot of guys in comics don’t have the capacity to engage. Socially they’re unavailable. I’m not. I’m very social. It’s gotten me married a lot. It’s gotten me messed up a lot. But it’s kept me engaged! So when people line up to my table, I’m like, what? Am I giving out VD shots here? You know, just come in. We’re having a chat. How can I be of service? How can I help?

PREVIEWSworld: The first trade paperback has just been listed in the October issue of the PREVIEWS catalog. If you could look back on the series thus far, what impressions do you have on where this work has taken you?

Howard Chaykin: Yeah, I just signed off on the cover before the show. I’m really proud of this book. This project has been in my library ready to go for a number of years, and it’s a spiritual journey. For those guys that are looking for smut, it’s not that kind of book. But I think in my head it’s a real tribute to the film noir of the late 1940s and … think of the work of John Alton, who was a cinematographer. In that vein. It’s also my first color book for Image, which I’m really excited about. And the synergistic quality between myself, the letterer, and the colorist cannot be overstated. Really. It’s a package of three guys kicking ass, with no-holds barred. Does that work for you?

Yes, sir, we said. That worked for us. And then we shook his hand, and took his picture.

‘Till next time, Howard!

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