The following is an interview with writer David Hazan regarding the upcoming release of the historical crime comic book series, Kosher Mafia, through Mad Cave Studios. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Hazan about his shared creative process in working with artist Sami Kivelä, colorist Ellie Wright, and letterer Simon Bowland to bring the story to life on the page, his continuing work on the medieval noir series, Nottingham, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Kosher Mafia! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you share with us about the premise of this story?
David Hazan: Kosher Mafia tells the story of Howard Berkowicz, a bookkeeper for the Jewish Mob in Cleveland, OH, in 1936, who finds himself on the wrong end of an enforcer’s gun when he tries to spur his superiors into taking action against the rising tide of American domestic Nazism in the German American Bund. Perhaps worse yet, that enforcer, a man by the name of Ephraim Gold, whom Howard both fears and despises, might be the only person willing to help him.
BD: What can you tell us about your shared creative process in working with artist Sami Kivelä, colorist Ellie Wright, and letterer Simon Bowland to bring this story – and the look and feel of 1930s Ohio – to life on the page??
DH: I provided the script and some reference, but the art team that Mad Cave helped to put together is absolutely stellar. Sami immediately understood and enhanced the tone I was going for in this book, whether it was historical detail in architecture and fashion, or brutal action. Ellie’s coloring give us this sepia-like effect that evokes the period while not being overwrought or kitschy. Simon’s letters are so classic and seamless that the panels flow effortlessly and there’s no bouncing off any of the Yiddish and Hebrew words that I threw in.
BD: Likewise, how would you describe your own research into the time period, and was there anything remarkable that stood out during your research that you wanted to ensure to infuse into the narrative?
DH: When approaching anything historical, I always start by just Googling and hoping to find plot threads in the history to pull on and manipulate. I already knew going into this project how deep a history that Jewish organized crime has in the United States…people like Meyer Lansky and other figures, without whom Las Vegas would still be just desert.
What did surprise me, however, despite today’s resurgent neo-Nazism, was that my research uncovered a huge amount of detail on the proto-Nazi organizations that were rampant across America prior to WWII. The German American Bund, obviously, but also the Friends of New Germany and the Silvershirt Legion, which preceded it. I think this is in large part due to the large concentration of German immigration, particularly in the Midwest.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that Howard and Ephraim’s story may connect with and impact readers?
DH: I think there was a special kind of resonance for me while writing this story, about an odd-couple pair of characters, set in the place and time that Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were creating Superman. It felt like a special connection to the beating Jewish heart of comics, and I hope people learn a bit about the migrant Jewish experience and, in particular, the enduring nature of Nazism and antisemitism. They aren’t bounded by Holocaust stories and they still exist today in many forms.
BD: What makes Made Cave Studios the perfect home for this story?
DH: Mad Cave have been long-time supporters of mine, and I’m so delighted that they not only took a chance on this book, but threw their support behind it, as well, full throated. Working on a crime book with Mad Cave…just feels like home to me after three volumes plus of Nottingham! This, along with their commitment to platforming diverse and interesting stories made it a real no-brainer for Kosher Mafia.
BD: I also want to highlight that you recently released the final arc of your critically acclaimed medieval noir series, Nottingham. In having spent so much time with this world and characters, what was your experience in bringing the story to a close?
DH: Yes! Nottingham is in the middle of its final run. Volume 3: The Final Tithe finds the Sheriff returning home to find the Merry Men in control of the Guard and an army led by Robin Hood and Richard the Lionheart on his heels. Medieval mayhem ensues, one last time.
Bringing Nottingham to a close was probably the most challenging writing task I’ve ever tackled. These characters are so dear to me, and it’s been the joy of the last half a decade to get to build out this little book that could into a full-blown storytelling universe.
The scripts got progressively harder, for sure, but I always knew how the story would end, from the very end of 2019, when I was writing issue 3, so I’d been preparing for four years to get to it before I sat down to put the pixels on the screen, as it were.
BD: Are there any upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
DH: Beyond Kosher Mafia and Nottingham, you’ll catch me in an upcoming issue of Hello Darkness from BOOM! Studios. It’s a horror short alongside artist Stefano Nesi, so prepare to be spooked!
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Kosher Mafia, Nottingham, and your other work?
DH: I’m most active on Twitter (or X, I begrudgingly suppose) at @DavidTHazan. I use the same handle for Instagram, and my website is www.davidhazan.com.
