INTERVIEW: Meet SPARROW & CROWE

Earlier this week we talked to writers David Accampo, Jeremy Rogers and artist Jared Souza about the origins of their upcoming mini-series Sparrow & Crowe the Demoniac of Los Angeles. Today we’ve got even more from the team behind this exciting occult mystery from Hermes Press.

First up, check out an all new iFanboy special edition podcast featuring the David and Jeremy as well as a few other voices you might recognize:

Jim McCann, David Accampo, Jeremy Rogers at Earth-2 Comics in Northridge, CA. Photographed by: Dee Rogers

This past Monday, Earth-2 Comics in Northridge, CA hosted “Independent Voices in Comics: New Stories and How To Sell Them”, a panel discussion about the current state of independent comics, moderated by Conor Kilpatrick of iFanboy. Topics included the work that must be done after making your comic book, the difficulty in getting distribution, the importance of owning your own ideas, the retail perspective on independent comics, and… Dunkin Donuts in Los Angeles? The panelists included:

Jim McCann – The Return of the Dapper Men (Archaia), Mind The Gap (Image Comics)

Dave Accampo & Jeremy RogersSparrow & Crowe: The Demoniac of Los Angeles (Hermes Press)

Ed LaRocheAlmighty & Waveform (Self-Published)

Darren Thomas – Manager of Earth-2 Comics (Northridge)

We thought it would also be nice to get to know the characters of Sparrow & Crowe a little better as well. Here’s David, Jeremy and Jared on the demon-slaying duo.

 


 

iFanboy: Who is Dr. Xander Crowe? What kind of doctor is he? 

David Accampo: Doctor Xander Crowe was once a renowned psychologist, the kind with a lot of letters after his name. He wrote a lot of bestsellers and maybe even did a failed talk show along the way. He was thought of as a person who understood the human mind better than anyone of his generation. And then he met a little girl possessed by an Evil that didn’t map at all to his understanding of the human psyche. Bad things happened. And it shattered Crowe. When we pick up our story, he’s a washed-up exorcist, scrapping together a living in Los Angeles performing seances and exorcisms.

From Sparrow & Crowe: The Demoniac of Los Angeles #1

iF: What’s up with the Michael Jackson glove? 

Jeremy Rogers: This is a first page spoiler, so if you don’t want to know something gruesome about our tousled hero, skip this next bit. (BEGIN SPOILER) There’s a Hand of Glory involved—! There, I said it. But you’ll have to continue reading to uncover the reasons for how and why. (END SPOILER) I suppose Crowe wouldn’t draw as much attention to this ghastly appendage if he would just wear a pair of gloves.  That’s too easy for us and it’s far too simple a solution for Crowe. I’ve always considered the one glove fashion statement to be a reminder of his failures. It’s a curse, and Crowe is the type to wallow in his curses, exploit them even.

iF: Okay, that’s Crowe settled. Who’s Sparrow? Is there a story behind those tattoos? 

DA: Sparrow’s an interesting choice. We wanted a sort of Girl Friday for Crowe, but filtered through a modern lens that fits this world. He calls her his assistant. She thinks she’s his partner. But their relationship is far more complicated… there’s a little father/daughter in there, as well. The fun thing about Sparrow is that she may actually be more capable than Crowe. She knows her way around both computers and magical spells — even mixing the two, which has been fun, particularly in this series. I kind of think of her as a little bit of Willow (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) with a Veronica Mars attitude, while her voice — even from before we cast her in the audio drama — has always been that disaffected Daria (MTV) voice.

Now, as for the tattoos… That’s an interesting note because Sparrow and Crowe both began their life as part of the audio drama, Wormwood: A Serialized Mystery. So while we had other characters describe her, and even mention some specific details, we never really mentioned tattoos. We left that to Jared, and he actually put some detailed thought into it.

Jared Souza: I really wanted to create a unique look for this book and resist what I automatically saw in my mind as a listener. I originally wanted Sparrow to be much more tattooed than she appears in the comic, but chose only a precious few considering the time it would take to draw so many. I later started thinking about Bradbury’s Illustrated Man and that it would be a cool side story if Sparrow had tattoos coming to life. Many of her tattoos are actually inspired by people I’ve known, such as the stripes on her arm, which have not as of yet been close enough to show that they are actually words, spells in fact. The tree, with it’s roots and branches mirroring each other is supposed to represent Sparrow as I see her, being simultaneously grounded and ethereal.

From Sparrow & Crowe: The Demoniac of Los Angeles #1

JR: While I don’t want to give away any of the surprises we’ve built into our audio series, let me just say that Sparrow is both indebted to and damaged by Crowe. Their relationship is tragic and flawed, but utterly essential for their own wellbeing—just like any complicated real world relationship. What they have with each other goes beyond a father/daughter sort of thing to the point that I don’t know if either one could exist now with the other. And then sometimes, Crowe is too drunk or bloodied to drive himself home.

Be sure to pre-order Sparrow & Crowe: The Demoniac of Los Angeles #1 soon. This independent title needs your support. iFanbase, let’s rally for one of our own. 

SPARROW AND CROWE #1
(W) David Accampo, Jeremy Rogers (A/CA) Jared Souza
Sparrow and Crowe: The Demoniac of Los Angeles combines old-school horror with modern cinematic storytelling, as Dr. Crowe, a washed-up exorcist haunted by his own demons, and Sparrow, his sardonic Goth-girl partner, face off against Crowe’s biggest failure and greatest enemy when a powerful demon possesses the daughter of a Los Angeles crimelord. It’s a catch-22 for the duo, as they’re stuck between both hell and the mob, with the girl’s life hanging in the balance.
Publisher: Hermes Press
On Sale: July 25, 2012
Price: $3.99
Product Id: MAY121179
ISBN: 9781613450260