The following is an interview with award-winning writer Chanan Beizer regarding his recent return to Kickstarter for the second and final installment of the graphic novel series, The Golem of Venice Beach, in conjunction with Clover Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Beizer about his experience in bringing the critically acclaimed series to a close, the new bonus features and contributors being added to the graphic novel, the incredible backer rewards available, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congrats on your return to Kickstarter to crowdfund the second and final chapter of The Golem of Venice Beach! What can you share with us about where readers will find their centuries-old golem in this next volume?
Chanan Beizer: The first volume recounted Adam the Golem’s origin in the 16th century, his resurrection during WW2, and his current life in sunny Venice Beach. We came to understand his connection to Jake, the only surviving descendant of the Golem’s creator, and Uncle Steph, who was saved as a child by Adam during the war. We were also introduced to Erica, a woman of mystery at the center of a violent death cult.
This second volume picks up immediately following the cliffhanger that ended the first. Adam has just saved two runaway girls from a vicious gang terrorizing a homeless encampment. This sets off a perilous domino effect that – unbeknownst to both Jake and Uncle Steph – ripples outwards to engulf the entire Venice Beach community.
BD: You are reuniting with artist Vanessa Cardinali to bring Adam’s story to a close. How would you describe your shared creative process in being able to call upon your prior work together?
CB: It was a very smooth process, from beginning to end. With the exception of one new major character in the second book, everyone and everything had already been established. Vanessa was comfortable with the look of Venice that she created and which fits the story so perfectly. Plus, even though she had more pages in Book 2 than in Book 1, her methodology of pencils, to inks, to colors was down pat. Between the two books, she drew over 260 pages, so I give her much credit for keeping her nose to the grindstone to get it all done.
BD: You have quite a few incredible, new features (and contributors!) being added for this second volume. What will readers have in store with the deluxe hardcover?
CB: Where Book 1 was 152 pages, Book 2 will be 184 pages – 32 more pages of Golem goodness. This includes the definitive conclusion to the story of The Golem of Venice Beach, a 9-page bonus Golem story inspired by Lewis Carol’s Through the Looking Glass, a double-page homage to a legendary comic artist from the 1970s, and a behind-the-scenes look at the design process that went into the creation of a horrific character debuting in Book 2.
BD: Are there any backer rewards that you would like to highlight for readers?
CB: We are very excited to be able to offer a deluxe tier that features a bound-in designed bookplate signed by the one and only Frank Quitely, the creator of the spectacular wraparound cover for The Golem of Venice Beach Book 2. He is a multi-Eisner Award-winning artist known for his foundational works such as We3, All-Star Superman, New X-Men, Flex Mentallo, The Authority, Jupiter’s Legacy, and Batman and Robin. We are so lucky that he agreed to draw the cover. It turned out better than I could have imagined.
BD: What continues to make Clover Press the best home for this project?
CB: Beyond the fact that I wanted consistent quality and Clover is the publisher of Book 1, it is also a great hybrid company. They are small in size but mighty in stature in the world of comics. Recently, they’ve been behind the premium book series, The Marvel Art Of, which featured artists David Mack, Alex Maleev, David Nakayama, Russell Dauterman, and Michael Turner. Those books alone generated over $1 million in crowdfunding. But Clover also gets involved with smaller projects such as my own two books. You kind of get the best of both worlds.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find out more about The Golem of Venice Beach Book Two and its Kickstarter campaign?
CB: You can find it on Kickstarter by searching for The Golem of Venice Beach, Books 1 & 2. Plus, @thegolemofvenicebeach on Instagram has current news and a link to the Kickstarter campaign.
