“We didn’t want to draw Batman or Superman, We wanted to create our own stories, since we had our own stories to tell...” - Jiba Molei Anderson

Metro Times interview2002

Sam

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A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON DESIGN

I think that comic books have to be the most perfect medium. They are intimate. They are economical to make (all you really need is a pencil, a piece of paper, and an idea). They are fun. You can make a comic book about, literally anything, anything you can imagine.

I wanted to be a comic book artist since the age of 10. When I got to high school, I was sidetracked. I wasn’t sidetracked by any of my teachers, but by my peers. “Comic books are kid’s stuff.” “There’s no future in comics.” “You should go into a serious art career like Graphic Design.”

I listened to them and stopped dreaming about comics. But I couldn’t stop drawing. I couldn’t stop creating new concepts. I couldn’t stop telling stories. When I got to college, I had every intention of being a graphic designer…

Until I discovered photography. I loved it. I loved using my eye to capture the moment. I adored spending hours upon hours in the darkroom, boom box kicking out my homemade compilations, developing pictures, meditating in this creative womb. So, I thought that I was going to couple the photography with the design. I was going to tell stories through my pictures.

I finally started taking graphic design courses at University of Michigan, I discovered one brutal truth: as a graphic designer, you don’t draw.

Then, I took my first illustration course and I fell in love with drawing all over again. I just didn’t know what kind of illustration I wanted to do.

In 1992-93, two things happened. One, Image Comics burst onto the scene. Around the same time, Milestone Media, the multicultural imprint of DC Comics also dropped their first releases.

What did these two events show me? Well…

A: I could create comic book characters that look like me.B: I could get paid to do comics

So, I wanted to be a comic book artist all over again.

Now, you’re probably wondering, “What do comics have to do with graphic design?”

Peep game. Comic books are the synthesis of image and text in order to deliver a message that is not only pleasing to the eye, but also is clear and easily read. In addition to dealing with writing, penciling, inking, coloring, and lettering, comics deal with all seven principles of design: Content, Form, Hierarchy, Grid, Line, Font, and Color. All of these need to work in tandem in order to create a good looking, good reading comic book.

Quite simply, comics are the basis for all of my work. Every visually artistic interest that I have pursued (Illustration, Photography, Graphic Design, etc.) has been based on comics. I get calls for graphic design projects because of my work in comics. I am a college professor because of my love for comics. Comic books are the basis for much of the visual entertainment (i.e. Movies, Video Games, etc.) out there today. Comics are now sexy. Comics are now cool.

Ain’t that fascinating?

Sam

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PROJECT: Here To Stay album stickerCLIENT: Revolutionary MusicDATE: 2007

INFLUENCES: ART, FILM, AND LITERATURE

Suffice it to say, I don’t read comics twenty-four hours a day. I look at a lot of different things to draw inspiration from. By looking outside of comics, I feel that it enhances my work exponentially. The following films, writers, and artists are the ones who make me strive to take my work to the next level.

Octavia Butler/ Wole Soyinka/ Paul Robeson/ Diego Rivera/ The Renaissance/ Graffiti / Frank Frazetta/ James Baldwin/ Richard Wright/ Lorraine Hansberry/ Bauhaus/ The Harlem Renaissance/ Love Jones/ Gladiator/ A Clockwork Orange/ Blue Velvet/ Blade/ Batman (1989)/ Batman Begins/ The Dark Knight/ Superman I and II/ The Crow (1991)/ Highlander/ Shaft (1971)/ Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon/ Once Upon A Time In China (all of them)/ Fist of Legend/ Stormriders/ Joseph Campbell/ Bill T. Jones/ Mo’ Betta Blues/ Chameleon Street/ The Spook Who Sat By The Door/ The Autobiography of Malcolm X/ Afro Samurai/ The Incredibles/ Black Dynamite/ Dead Presidents/ Blade Runner/ The Matrix Triology/ Enter The Dragon/ The Usual Suspects/ Elizabeth Catlett/ Francisco Mora/ Steve (Pablo) Davis/ Eve’s Bayou/ The Great White Hype/ House Party/ Boomerang/ Ghost In The Shell/ Giant Robo/ Ninja Scroll/ Hero/ American Pop/ 60s and 70s Movie Poster art/ The Wire/ Equilibrium/ Paprika/ Chicago/ Detroit/ The Venture Brothers/ phat architecture/ Swiss typography/ really good graphic design.

And this is the short list.

PROJECT: Mental - Eye of the Beholder CD CoverCLIENT: MentalDATE: 2010

Sam

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PROJECT: Anavi-Breaking Down Doors CD CoverCLIENT: Esntion RecordsDATE: 2009

PROJECT: Here To Stay album stickerCLIENT: Revolutionary MusicDATE: 2007

“Each project is unique, but there is a common theme. The theme is discovery. In the process of seeking

solutions or answers to the problem or question at hand, the characters almost always discover

something deeper about themselves that wasn’t realized before. “

“Do you find that certain themes usually emerge in your work?”

DESIGN02•03

Sam

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THE SEVEN ELEMENTS OF GRAPHIC DESIGN

CONTENTContent is the first element of design and, arguably, the most important. These are the ingredients you need in order to make the cake. Content is your copy, the literary component of the project. Content is alsothe images you need in order to help you visualize the message.

FORMForm is the shape that the final product will take. Is the project a book? Is it a website? Is it a poster? Is it a flyer? All of these are examples of form.But be aware, content can sometimes dictate form. Sometimes, form can hinder content. Though remember this: it is always better to have too much content than too little and it is always better to edit than to pad.

HIERARCHYHierarchy is the word used to describe the importance of the content of your design. What is the first thing you want your audience to see? What is the second? What is third? You, as the designer, have control over this. Size, color, and position are part of your arsenal. Master this and you will have control over your audience.

GRIDThe grid is the invisible framework that you hang your content on. It is the unseen road map the viewer feels when experiencing the product. Obvious examples of nearly visible grids include newspapers, magazines and, of course, comic books.

LINELines have power. Lines have weight. Lines can divide or unify. They can denote the change of volume from a whisper to a shout. They can be sensual or rigid, masculine or feminine. They can be angry, sad, aggressive, or calming. Understand this and you can do great and exciting things with your piece.

FONTFonts, or typefaces if you prefer, have a lot of the same possibilities that the use of line has. Fonts are the visual voice of your message. It is imperative to use the correct font for your piece. If you want to be young and hip, use a sans serif font. If you want to be authoritative, a serif font may be more your speed. Avoid using overly decorative fonts as your body copy. Seeing something super decorative yet really small will confuse the viewer and your message will be lost. Also, use no more than three fonts for a project. Otherwise, your piece will have no unity. There are too many voices out of tune in the chorus.

COLORColor sets the mood of the piece. Color sets the tone. Using color in a piece has to make sense for the project. Not every color is appropriate for every piece. For example, would the Wizard of Oz been as effective as a film if, when Dorothy arrived in Oz, Oz was shot in black and white as opposed to glorious Technicolor? Would Sin City be as graphically striking on the big screen if it were filmed in color? Remember, using color is like being a musician. With the proper application, you set the rhythm and pace of your piece.

Get to work.

PROJECT: Organica Lounge CD CoverCLIENT: Revolutionary MusicDATE: 2009

PROJECT: Titania pencil sketchCLIENT: Revolutionary MusicDATE: 2009

Sam

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DESIGN

PROJECT: B/W Organica Lounge design proofCLIENT: Revolutionary MusicDATE: 2009

04•05

Sam

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INFLUENCES: MUSIC

Above all, music is the key element in my work. If I weren’t a visual artist, I would either be an actor or a musician. Music is the ultimate expression of emotion. It is truly a universal language. Music has been with me since birth from the nights when my parents would throw late-night parties and dance to High-Life to my DJ days. Music has always been my inspiration and it is music that fuels The Horsemen in particular and my work in general.

The following is an extremely short list of the forms of music that fuel my work along with important albums to me and the artists who created them.

Can you dance?

Hip-hop/ House/ Techno (from the birthplace, Detroit!)/ Jazz/ Acid Jazz/ Broken Beat/ Afrobeat/ John Coltrane/ Miles Davis/ Herbie Hancock/ Yusef Lateef/ Pharaoh Sanders/ Gil-Scott Heron/ The Last Poets/ Donald Byrd/ Cassandra Wilson/ Sting/ Seal/ Prince/ Wendy and Lisa/ Sade/ Jill Scott/ D’angelo/ Erykah Badu/ Soul II Soul/ Vikter Duplaix/ Carl Craig/ Recloose/ Scott Zacharias/ Juan Atkins/ Theo Parrish/ DJ Madrid/ Alton Miller/ Derrick May/ Ayro/ Stevie Wonder/ Chaka Kahn/ The Roots/ A Tribe Called Quest/ Tony Toni Tone/ De La Soul/ The Jungle Brothers/ Bahamadia/ Slum Village/ Common/ Steely Dan/ Level 42/ The Brand New Heavies/ The Young Disciples/ Jelhisa/ Incognito/ Jamiroquai/ Me’shell NdegeOcello/ Maxwell/ Gang Starr/ Mos Def/ Talib Kweli/ Dred Scott/ Adrianna Evans/ Omar/ Greyboy/ Groove Collective/ Dwele

Songs In The Key of Life/ Innervisions/ Parade/ Sign o’ The Times/ Afro Lounge Vol. 2/ Beats and Pieces Vol.2/ Fantastic Vol.2/ J88-Detroit’s Best Kept Secret/ Words And Sounds Vol.1/ Black on Both Sides/ Train Of Thought/ Stakes Is High/ The Grind Date/ Done By The Forces Of Nature/ The Low Down Theory/ Midnight Mauraders/ Return Of The Space Cowboy/ Mama’s Gun/ Voodoo/ Like Water For Chocolate/ A Love Supreme/ Bitches’ Brew/ Kofi/ The Gentle Giant/ Headhunters/ This Is Not A Love Song/ Human Beings/ Running In The Family/ Keep On Moving/ The Omoa Sampler/ Aja/ Peace Beyond Passion/ Bitter/ The Revolution Will Not Be Televised/ Breakin’ Combs/ Sons of Soul/ House of Music/ No Time Like The Future/ New Moon Daughter/ Dream Of The Blue Turtle/ Nude Dimensions Vol. 1 and 2./ Seeing Is Believing/ Is It A Crime?/ Stronger Than Pride./Subject

That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

PROJECT: 12” Label stickers CLIENT: Real Estate Records/ Elephanthaus RecordsDATE: 2001

PROJECT: Adam Barta animated music video illustration CLIENT: Esntion RecordsDATE: 2009

Sam

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DESIGN

PROJECT: 12” Label stickers CLIENT: Real Estate Records/ Elephanthaus RecordsDATE: 2001

PROJECT: U-Mag features’ iconsCLIENT: Coca-Cola / KBA MarketingDATE: 2001

PROJECT: Smooth CD cover CLIENT: Real Estate RecordsDATE: 2003

“Yeah. In college, I used to be a DJ and I started off spinning hip-hop. So, when I think of hip-hop. I’m listening to stuff from what I like

to call the glory years, 1988-93 or 94, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, The Jungle Brothers, Public Enemy,

NWA, BDP, EPMD, etc. So cats that I listen to now are like Common, Slum Village, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, The Roots, people who are saying something or just

breaking it down to dope beats and dope lyrics.”

“So do you use that music to influence your artwork?”

06•07

Sam

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HEY CHAMP: THE INTERNATIONAL INCIDENT

They are the biggest rock band in the world. The faces adorn the covers of every major music magazine in the world. Their techno-pop stylings have lit up the dance floors. They are the jet setters and the tastemakers. They are the international playboys with girls in every corner of the world. Women want them and men want to be them. They are the epitome of “Hipster Chic.” They are Hey Champ.

The concept for the Hey Champ comic is a mash-up of equal parts Zoolander, James Bond, and Saturday morning cartoons (specifically, a la Wacky Races). The idea is that Hey Champ are super-cool international rock gods who pull double duty protecting the world from an evil organization called The Biz (i.e. the current state of the music industry) hell-bent on making music an homogenous product instead of the sum total of human creativity, individuality and expression. To which end, Hey Champ will get into outrageous, cornball and sexy situations while trying to save the world and make it to the next gig. These are the character traits I assigned each member of the band based on their photos and their final character look:

SAAM: The mysterious one, Saam is the most international of all the members. He speaks 12 languages, is a world-class gourmet, collects old editions, and is a master of espionage. If you have a gorgeous Russian spy who is withholding information, Saam is the man you call to seduce her. He can often be found in a nightclub, drinking a snifter of brandy while holding court with some of the most exotic and refined ladies in the world. A combination of Remington Steele, Danny Ocean of the Ocean’s Eleven series and Kumar of Harold and Kumar, Saam is our elegant dandy.

JONATHAN: Jonathan is our 70s-esque American playboy. He’s a charmer and more than a bit of a rascal. He’s the heartbreaker of the group. He loves fast cars and faster women. He’s all disco. He’s a combination of Hutch of Starsky and Hutch, Sonny Crockett of Miami Vice and the character Knox from the Charlie’s Angels movie.

PETE: Pete is the no-nonsense All-American boy. He’s our Steve McQueen of the group. Tough yet sensitive, he’s the one that all of girls want for their imaginary husband. Yeah, they want to play with Saam and Jon, but it’s Pete they want the white picket fence with. Pete is closer to the Daniel Craig James Bond model, but with a cartoony edge, of course.

I’m thinking exotic locales and hot chicks with this concept. I want to make, in essence, a grown-up Saturday morning cartoon. Visually, it’ll have the cartoon flavor (except for the girls; they’ll be smoking hot) with an adult edge in humor and action.

PROJECT: Hey Champ comic book illustration (unpublished)CLIENT: Bandit ProductionsDATE: 2009

Sam

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DESIGN

PROJECT: Hey Champ comic book illustration (unpublished)CLIENT: Bandit ProductionsDATE: 2009 “I start my stories by asking questions.

Once the question has been solidified then I create the situation where this question will be played out.

After that, I create the environment where the question will exist. Finally, I create the characters who will try

to find the answer or answers to the question.”

“When you begin a project,” I ask, “where do you start?”

08•09

Sam

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HEY CHAMP: THE INTERNATIONAL INCIDENT

PAGE ONE:The night is electric. The people have come out to play. At the V.I.P. booth of the hottest nightclub in the city, a recording artist sits. He is haggard and disheveled. His clothes are ripped (not fashionably) and dirty. He’s nervous as his eyes dart back and forth, taking note of every possible exit in the club. He speaks in terrified whispers about The Sheik.

PAGE TWO:The Sheik has recently been acquiring new talent at an alarming rate. Promises of outrageously high recording advances and signing bonuses have dazzled many a struggling musician or band to join his record label. Once the contract has been signed, The Sheik owns these artists body and soul taking 80% off their album sales, 80% of their touring fees, 80% of any endorsement deals and 100% of their souls. The talent is not allowed to create unique material, not allowed to experiment with new sounds, not allowed to be. They are forced to be indentured servants producing horrid pap and passing it off as music.

The recording artist tells was able to escape, somehow get back to the United States, and has managed to avoid The Sheik’s agents, in particular Codename: Cold Dust Girl, so far. But, he is at the end of his rope. He has heard of an organization that can protect him, the Bandit Organization. He is searching for someone, anyone that can direct him to Bandit. So, he goes from club to club, sharing his story with anyone who would listen, in the hopes of meeting and agent of Bandit.

Little does he know that the two men he is telling his story to currently are the Directors of Bandit. Eric and John listen to the poor wretch’s tale intently. At the conclusion of the story, Eric simply says: “We’ll see what we can do.”

PAGE THREE:The room is dark except for the electric-blue flickering of the television screen. A “Behind The Music” type of show is on depicting the downfall of a once-famous recording artist.

The show recounts the artist’s career from their meager beginnings to their reign at the top of the charts. It documents the dizzying success and temptations of fame the artist fell victim to. It also shows how the artist’s career was manipulated into a vicious and debilitating contract, which left them destitute once their star dimmed. They owned none of their publishing and received no royalties when their songs were sampled for the mindless drivel that passes for pop music these days.

At the end of the program, the artist is seen living in a small, one-bedroom apartment struggling to make a living yet another victim of The Biz.

PAGE FOUR:In every Ipod, in every Pandora queue, number 1 on every radio station and music video station’s Top 20 Countdown, the same song plays endlessly. It is the latest “hit” from a young ingénue.

Not coincidentally, this new “hit” sounds almost exactly like the last “hit” from another artist. The same song is recycled over and over again.

The audience, so indoctrinated to this brainwashing, continues to listen to the “song” endlessly as they go aimlessly about their day. There is no joy, no passion to what they do in their daily lives. They derive no pleasure from the “music” that they listen to. They are, in fact, slaves…slaves to The Biz.

PROJECT: Bandit Productions roster (unpublished) CLIENT: Bandit ProductionsDATE: 2009

Sam

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