This interview with Henry Crane, about his comic Late In The Years, appeared in the Sequential Philly instagram feed in June 2022.
🗣What have you found most surprising or interesting about people’s reactions to the book?
👤It's been interesting to see how Late in the Years has been interpreted differently by comic readers vs. non comic readers. People familiar with the versatility of comic plots often enjoy the way my book experiments with less traditional and linear story structure, and instead resembles a visual art book with surreal segments that tie the narrative together. How the reader interprets the subliminal messages and symbols will alter the story's moral and plot. Some readers have found the ending confusing and ask for an explanation about what happens to the man when he finds the smoke. To me this answer is pretty clear, however I don't want to spell it out because I find some people's explanations even more exciting than my own.
🗣How do you handle questions when people ask you to explain aspects of the story?
👤When nearing the end of Late in the Years, I put serious thought into the impression my work could leave on people. The whole experience of comic creation was so new to me at the start, I had hardly considered what I would say to others about its content if asked. A part of me considered resisting providing clear explanations, and leaving everything completely up to the reader, in an attempt to let the mysteries become as grandiose or modest as the audience wanted. This approach works extremely well for some artists, and can even elevate their work to greater emotive heights. I believe this often is due to the artist's personality, and the work's content being in harmony which allows for this social decision to be successful. Occasionally there can be something intriguing about a quiet artist, but that just wouldn't go well for me. I believe providing answers to my work will improve my creative awareness and strengthen my intentions behind my ideas. While revealing the heart of your art can leave it bare and mystique-less, keeping it a mystery could squander its enriching potential, if it was created with sincerity and strong foundations.
🗣How would you describe Late In The Years in a classic elevator pitch situation?
👤When I tell people about my comic, I usually say it's a “fantasy story about someone's fear of commitment towards their future.” Many people label it a “horror” comic because of its dark imagery and tone. I am of course aware it can come off as “scary,” but I definitely did not intentionally illustrate it with a specific genre in mind. I prefer a more neutral description, and let the reader decide how they would categorize it emotionally and aesthetically.
🗣How did you land on large format for the book?
👤I used 11”x14'' size paper because that was the scale I had originally drawn the pages. From the start I had the intention of keeping to that size, and couldn't have pictured it looking any other way. I believe that the scale of artwork can add its own symbolism. I once saw a collection of portraits painted on 1”x2” canvases, the expressions of the people seemed to work in tandem with the picture's size, like the subject felt no more significant than a couple of inches. Someone once told me “the bigger the artwork, the bigger the impression.” I suppose both these experiences influenced my certainty that this comic needed to look as imposing to the reader as the smoke was to the couple.
🗣Did you develop more details for the story’s unnamed married couple than what’s in the comic?
👤Both characters were created nameless and have remained that way. They only existed as vehicles to drive the story. The child references arose as a theme separate from my original narrative. I hadn't initially imagined those symbols being an important part of the couple's relationship, and simply thought images of young people could represent unrealized potential or stories not yet told. As I started adding more images of fetuses/babies throughout the pages, I began noticing how those themes could form a subliminal narrative about what life could have been like, had they both not left to search out the smoke and strayed from the life they already had planned together at home.
🗣How did the image of the smoke in the sky come to you?
👤I originally intended to tell a story about a person getting lost in the woods at night, falling down a hill, and drowning in a river. As the protagonist got more lost, the strokes of ink would become thicker and denser, like a stream of nighttime consuming the character. I decided smoke would act as a much more visually versatile vehicle for controlling darkness. Smoke also has other connotations, as a distant sign of fire that can represent a future hope or place of comfort, like a fireplace in a home. Conversely, fire can indicate a source of brewing anger, like a doctor concerned about what “burns” inside a heavy smoker. Unfortunately for the husband, his fire ended up being a self-created flame.
🗣Do fantastical details like the spider creature on p. 6 tend to come to you fully-formed?
👤Drawings like this tend to come slow and evolve over time. Usually my ideas appear as large, vague concepts that I must deliberately mold and clarify into meaningful imagery. The spider woman biting the wife's leg was a necessary plot point, rather than a surreal image to add an aesthetic or induce a feeling. Some artists can fill sketch books with characters disconnected from any plot line or setting, that is rarely something I do. It's much easier for me to start by understanding what is at the heart of my work, then build an exterior around it that can be adorned to my liking.
🗣Have you revisited Late In The Years since publishing it?
👤After spending 3+ years working on this, I felt extremely familiar with the comic once it was finished. I had taken a year-long break before finally editing and completing it. By the time the book was done, I felt like a completely different person then the one who started it, with different perspectives and feelings on the world. Looking at the comic now is like rereading an old journal. I think it's important to remember your past accomplishments, but living in those old wins can prevent you from gaining new ones. I am proud of what I made, but I want to focus my energy on new projects.
🗣In March [2022] you gave a talk about the book at the Free Library. what was that experience like?
👤I was surprised with how much I had to say about my art, and ultimately happy I put the work into creating the presentation. I decided that framing the talk around personal takeaways and relatable anecdotes would be much more valuable than providing subjective art tips. That approach would provide knowledge that anyone listening to the presentation could find useful, regardless of having any interest in comics. Similar to how I felt teaching art for the first time, I think it can be difficult to be in a position where you have to believe and express your opinions on something as personal and instinctual as making art. Although at times uncomfortable, I chose speak on my work for the sole sake of offering encouragement to others. I try to tell people the words I wish I’d heard before I had any accomplishments or honed artistic skills to help me persevere.
🗣Not to be one of those people who asks for explanations…but I have to ask about the photo-image of the child on page 5.
👤That is a picture of me as a child. I was learning how to import photo layers at the time I was drawing the page, and wanted to add some picture forming in the smoky sky. After reflecting on this comic I have come to notice how clear the theme of growing up is, which was not apparent to me when initially pasting that photo. It was unconsciously appropriate of my more mature/defined self to include an image of my younger/less-defined self in a story about life choices and self introspection. I am most creative when I don't overthink the meaning of things first, but rather go with my instinct of what looks cool and connect the dots later. I think that symbolic inclusion was a great example of how following vague instinct can lead to original ideas.
Henry Crane's comics and prints are available at Partners and Son in Philly. See more of his art and comics at henrycraneartwork.weebly.com.