Interview with the Master of Showdowns: Scott C
When people ask me about my blog, I always tell them that blogging is a “labor of love”. It’s a lot of work, little return, and you just have to do it because you love it. But once in a while, something cool happens. I’ve been a fan of Scott Campbell’s (aka Scott C’s) work for many years now and was recently given the chance to do an interview with him! I couldn’t believe my online ears and today, I’m proud to post my interview with him!
If you’re unfamiliar with Scott C, his work speaks for itself. It’s fun, whimsical, nostalgic, and it’s hard not to fall in love with it. Scott is well known for his “showdown” drawings where familiar faces of pop culture face off in funny and sometimes dramatic scenarios. Scott recently released his second showdown book, Great Showdowns: The Return so be sure to check it out!
TSG: You have such a great art style that really captures a character in a cute and funny but simple way. How long did it take you develop your art style? Did you always know that you wanted to be an artist?
TSG: I love Japan! I can definitely see the cuteness influence there. So how do you decide what showdown is worthy of creating? How often do you go by fan suggestions?
SC:I have a huge list that I keep adding to, from friend and fan suggestions. I sometimes forget what films exist, so I need people to remind me. I do movies that I enjoy and I choose parts that stick with me or seem to stick with rest of the world. The smiling horse head in the bed with the elderly mobster in The Godfather was not a pivotal scene, but it sure stuck with me. And when Mola Ram reaches in and removes the heart from the other poor guy in Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom before lowering him into hot lava, boy that sure stuck with me. Man, I chose some morbid showdowns as examples. Sorry about that. The French kid and the Red Balloon! That was a pleasant one! A showdown of friendship.
TSG: I actually love that you turn stuff that’s scary or morbid into something funny. It makes me see that movie or scene a whole different way. Have you ever considered putting a key in the showdown book so that people know what’s what? It drives me nuts when I can’t figure it out!
SC: Well, it is a community effort! I would love for fans to post a list of the answers online and then spread it around! I want to encourage that sort of thing. In fact, I am surprised I haven’t seen that yet. It is part of the fun to ask your neighbors. Make friends with those movie loving neighbors.
TSG: You seem to have a really unique process of creating art – I read that you doodle on sheets of xerox paper and I’ve watched videos on how you paint your showdowns by clipping art and repositioning it around. Have you always done art that way? Or is it something that came about by experimentation?
SC: I struggled with various mediums all of my life until I found happiness in watercolor. The process has been changing and morphing as i find shortcuts on how to do things. I work fairly fast, so I need to find ways to keep that momentum going! Composing drawings on the computer before I go and paint them has been a big help to my process. I need to keep that looseness from the original drawings if I can.
TSG: Lastly, you mentioned that pop culture is a big part of your life – have you really watched all of the movies and shows that you paint? That’s a lot of movies!
SC: People think i have watched more movies than most, but in actuality, I will bet that if you lined up all of the movies you have seen in your life, it would be an overwhelmingly large list. You would impress yourself. That said, there have been a few films that I have merely skimmed. I am sorry to say. But i love watching movies! And I love going back and reliving moments from films that have shaped who I am today and what I create. Pop culture helped create me! But also the trees and the hills and the streams have created me. And friends. And people I do not know, but I see strolling around.
Well, that’s it! I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about Scott C and hopefully you’ve become as much a fan of his work as I am! Thanks so much to Scott C and Titan Books for making this happen! Don’t forget to check out his new book here!
