After a brief slow down last week, I’m happy to say the clubhouse is back in full swing today. Joining us is painter, illustrator, comic artist AND Art Director of Double Fine Productions (Psychonauts, Brutal Legend) Scott Campbell to talk about his new book – The Great Showdowns, collecting several years worth of cinema-inspired work!
Containing a compilation of well over 200 paintings, each piece depicts an epic confrontation from film history, from E.T. squaring off against a Speak & Spell to Rosemary and her baby. Ghostbusters, Big Trouble in Little China, Fargo, Time Bandits… the sheer volume of movies that Campbell showcases is overwhelmingly awesome, many of which you’ll find yourself guessing at – but in the silliest and most fun way possible.
So, Scott, what’s the premise behind GREAT SHOWDOWNS? It’s more than just famous fight scenes from film history, right?
Well, there is a lot to a fight scene. Sometimes it is not even just a fight scene, but just a tense moment between two things. It could be two characters about to experience an epic hug. It could be two objects just colliding as in the Titanic Showdown. It could be a character versus a situation like Bruce Willis versus the little smiling glass guys in the Die Hard Showdown. There could be good vibes and there could be terrible vibes, but they are all smiling and enjoying each other.
You started the project back in 2007 as a series of 10 paintings. How did the project grow from there? What kept you motivated?
They started as my submission to the Crazy 4 Cult show in Los Angeles at gallery 1988. That was an annual show, so it gave me a reason to do them each year. I started the Great Showdowns site as a way to make them even more regularly. Five times a week at first! Sometimes just two times a week though, but a self imposed schedule has really helped and I love making them!
Is this your first book or have you been published previously?
I had a collection of my art collected together in a book called Amazing Everything from Insight Editions last year and a few illustrated children’s books from Simon & Schuster. I’ve also had comics published in numerous anthologies through the years including Flight and Hickee.
I think E.T. and the Speak & Spell is my favorite piece you’ve done! I know that you’ve mentioned in other interviews that GHOST is your favorite. So what’s your least favorite piece? Perhaps one that wasn’t as fun as you imagined?
I wasn’t hugely satisfied with the Highlander piece, but that was mostly because two guys with swords is not that interesting looking to me and the likeness of those dudes weren’t as awesome as say the E.T. one. I feel like I really nailed E.T.’s likeness… and also the Speak & Spell’s likeness. *laughs*
Each piece is actually relatively small, almost like panels in a comic book. What made you decide to create them in this way?
I wanted them to be small and candy sized and not terribly expensive so everyone can have the opportunity to bring one home with them from the exhibitions and collect them even! [Sorta] like trading cards.
Have you ever considered doing crossover showdowns between films?
Yeah, sure, maybe for special exhibitions of projects, but for the site right now I dig having rules set for myself. So I don’t go too willy nilly with it. I like it being contained like that so I can riff on it splendidly.
How about showdowns from different media… comics? TV Shows? Video Games?
Also, something I have done for special occasions like the LOST series and the 8Bit game series. I am totally into doing more if the opportunity presents itself.
Imagining for a moment, there was a crossover between… let’s say, Indiana Jones and The Terminator. Who do you think would come out on top?
Indiana Jones is a clever dude, he’d probably figure something out [like] using his archeology techniques.
You’ve obviously seen a lot of films! Do you have any other hobbies, collecting toys or playing video games? World-class rhino matador, perhaps?
I like comedy a whole lot. I go to shows here in New York and do improv from time to time. I also like working with kids! Making kids books and making stories with those little guys. I don’t play games as much as I should considering I worked in games for so much of my life. I also collect books and cheeses.
What’s the strangest thing you can remember doing as a kid?
The Conveyor Belt game with our action figures… sending them on a torture conveyor belt through our playroom, under the chalkboard, onto the dart board, things like that.
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