As far as cryptozoology goes, New York is kind of lacking (except for Champy!) But New Yorkers are romantics, and what would be more romantic than finding a mythical creature in the Hudson River? The year is 1887, the man is Captain Twain, and the creature is a mermaid. In "Sailor Twain," author and illustrator Mark Siegel tracks the adventures of Twain on his ship,
the Lorelei, and the spell the siren casts over him and some of his crew. And even though the book is being published next year, Siegel is posting every page online, along with some fun Hudson River facts. We spoke to the artist about the draw of the Hudson and the benefits of the Internet's comic community. Now excuse us while we spend the rest of the day staring at the river in hopes of a tail.
How long have you been living in New York? Eleven years. Some of that in Queens, but mostly in the river towns north of the city.
What drew you to the story of the Hudson River in the 1880s? And why mermaids over any other sea creature? Late 19th century New York has an incredible mystique. Of course, like memories of one’s own childhood, time has softened some of the rougher realities—say the horrendous horse manure problems in Manhattan, or the corruption of Tammany Hall, and so on. Grime and graft notwithstanding, I’ve long been drawn to the age of steam and steel, and 1887 seems a pivotal year in the industrial revolution, on the cusp between horsepower and modern technology.
When you say paddle-wheelers, that tends to bring the Mississippi to mind, but on our Hudson right here, hundreds of steamships plied the river from Manhattan to Albany, well into the early twentieth century. There’s something intensely romantic about steamboat travel. “Sailor Twain” takes place on a huge one called The Lorelei.
And then the New York Bohemian scene is part of the flavor here, not just for the poseurs and dilettantes, but for some of the literary and artistic explosion tied to Bohemia. Like Stephen Crane, Whitman, even Robert Louis Stevenson, briefly. The Hudson is often described as the waterway of New York’s commercial might, but I’m more interested in the Hudson of strange dreamers and lovers.
As for the mermaid—I was never a mermaid freak, to begin with, but “Sailor Twain” turned up as a story about powerful compulsion and deep hidden urges, and the mermaid embodies that. Pulling on that thread led to all kinds of things: ancient folktales and myths, a dreadful curse, this bend in the Hudson River near West Point, called World’s End, where dozens of ships have sunk (That’s authentic. The “Sailor Twain” explanation may not be confirmed by all historians, however); plus an underwater realm—oh wait, that chapter hasn’t been released yet, no spoilers here!
How much of the graphic novel would you say is based in history? I made friends at the New York Historical Society’s archives, and the New York Public Library’s Old Maps Division. The history research behind “Sailor Twain” has been going on for over seven years. Some of my unused research notes feed the Companion Blog entries, and some readers have added to that greatly.
But unlike real historians, in “Sailor Twain” history is in service to story. I use it to anchor the tale, to surround it with credibility, but when the story commands, I happily warp and bend historical fact to suit it. So yes, lots of historical setting. But then some anachronisms too. Like dialog: in early drafts I was trying for a 19th century style and the whole thing was painfully overwrought. So I returned to a vernacular that is more common to our day and age, with 19th century flavoring.
Many webcomics artists seem to favor using tablets and PhotoShop, or at least some sort of technological element, for their work. But from what I can tell you work in charcoals and pencils and don't really use computers much (except to post, of course). What made you decide to keep it so, for lack of a better term, "old school"? It’s true. There’s something deliberately old-fashioned about “Sailor Twain.” Before launching the serial online, I really had no idea if anyone would come along for a slow-building plot of intertwined love stories, drawn in charcoal. In the age of instant retweeting, it seemed like asking for a very solitary web comic. I mean, the mermaid doesn’t even appear until chapter four! But it turns out many people do go in for it. They’re enjoying the ride—and I’ve made friends in the process.
When I scan the pages in, the one adjustment I make in Photoshop is to straighten out the panels—it turns out I can’t make a proper right angle to save my life!
artwork © Mark Siegel, 2011
How do you think the internet has changed the process of making a living for comic artists? Typically creating a book is a very lonely process, whether it’s prose or comics. And in the classic publishing model, an author works in this solitary place and when the work is done, he or she lobs the work over a wall like a grenade, and waits to hear what kind of noise it makes on the other side.
With a serial online, the work is received and responded to with every page, three times a week in this case. That’s an extraordinary thing, to be received like that. Plus a blog or a webcomic is an experiment in community-building to some degree, whether the author sets out to do that or not. And the kind of community that forms up reflects the project back to you in some way.
As for making a living, it’s not obvious how it changes. Some webcomic authors make their living with merchandising, like T-shirts and prints through outlets like TopatoCo.com. But for the book to work as such, there’s still a publishing and marketing process needed to make it happen. If the community-building thing takes off, of course, the project has champions out there, and they can greatly enhance that end of things.
When I showed a friend (also an illustrator) your comic, he immediately said it looked "very French." Would you say your childhood in France influenced your artistic style? Oh yes. I grew up worshipping some of the great artists and writers across the Atlantic, names like Moebius, Hugo Pratt. And the classics: Tintin, Asterix, and their heirs—the feverish inspiration of today’s great French comics stars, Joann Sfar, Emmanuel Guibert, Christophe Blain, Lewis Trondheim and many more, who’s works can now be read in America (in some cases from First Second Books!)
What gave you the idea of including drawings of readers in the comic? Among the spontaneous, unpredictable, magical things that happen with webcomics, one is that sometimes a conversation with your readers blossoms. In the early pages of “Sailor Twain” I had cameos of friends and my teammates at First Second. I even have Walt Whitman making eyes at Gina, our marketing manager, or Kate Beaton of Hark! A Vagrant! and others making appearances.
Then along came these attentive readers, I was getting to know them, and without thinking too hard about it, I decided to invite them to send photos of themselves for their own cameo roles in the pages of “Sailor Twain.” Next thing I knew, I got a flood of photos! And now they’re appearing as passengers of The Lorelei, and even occasionally in little speaking parts.
When is the book going to be published? Do you have any plans after that? “Sailor Twain” releases in Fall 2012. Plans? Plenty of plans. Before Twain comes out, my next picture-book will be out, this Fall 2011—“Moving House” from Roaring Brook Press. Other things are cooking, always.
If you had to choose another cryptozoological creature to write a comic on, what would it be? Ah yes, everyone always asks me that question. Just kidding! I have several such creatures that interest me, seriously...The trick will be following some kind of line of truth underneath any story, no matter how fantastical.
Where are your favorite places in New York? The Breslin restaurant and the Ace Hotel lobby next door to it, even though it’s not totally 19th century—hanging out there really puts me in a Twainy sort of mood. I love wandering at the Metropolitan Museum on Late Fridays, a little tipsy. The New York Historical Society archives, of course. And The Half King on 23rd Street and 10th, Sebastian Junger’s pub for its food, and a favorite setting for good conversations. And upriver, I love the Hudson river towns, Hastings, Irvington, Tarrytown, Cold Spring… And Pete Seeger’s great ship the Clearwater—best of all if they have an evening sail with wine and chocolate. You see? The Hudson is the most romantic river in the world.
