INTERVIEW: Meyer Lansky has one more con job in new graphic novel
Image courtesy of Humanoids / Provided by Superfan Promotions with permission.
The new graphic novel Meyer from writer Jonathan Lang reimagines one more con job for the infamous gangster Meyer Lansky. The story takes place in Miami Beach at a time when Lansky is meant to be dead, but not everything is what it seems in this noirish piece of historical fiction.
Lang employed the help of artist Andrea Mutti for Meyer, and the book also features a cover by Shawn Martinbrough, colors by Andre Szymanowicz and lettering by A Larger World Studios. Meyer, which is now available in bookstores and comic stores, comes from the Los Angeles-based publisher Humanoids.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Lang about the new project. The writer began his career as a film critic for the Miami New Times. He is writer/co-creator of Feeding Ground from Archaia and has worked on Occupy Comics, Garbage Pail Kids and Plunder. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
When did you first hear about the story of Meyer Lansky?
I had first heard about Meyer Lansky when I was in middle school doing a report on Al Capone. I had heard the name but didn’t know very much about him. The idea that there was a Jewish tough guy, a criminal nonetheless, challenged my assumptions about what it meant to be Jewish. I later learned that I had Brooklyn family members who did some low-level work with Murder, Inc., like running numbers, delivering packages, etc. It was a moment where Jewish legend collided with family history.
Why were you inspired to fictionalize a biography of the man?
From the beginning, I wanted to tell a Miami story. I grew up in Miami in the 1980s during the cocaine wars. I remember hearing the reports about shootings on the radio. This was before Miami Vice, and there was something genuinely frightening about the violence that hung over the city. I was too young to see Scarface, but I knew it existed. Meyer was at the tail end of his life when he lived in Miami Beach, yet this backdrop is where I wanted the book to live. In order to create the possibility of a clash of values between old school mobsters and ‘Cocaine Cowboys,’ I had to fudge timelines. Meyer is the most truthfully represented character. While the ‘facts’ are messy, I firmly believe the representation is truthful.
Is the whole story fictionalized, or is a lot based on truth?
The plot is fictionalized; the quest itself is informed by truth. Meyer wanted to go to Israel and was denied his law of return. That element is definitely truthful and impacted his character greatly. He also helped the Navy during World War II as an act of patriotism. I combined these two circumstantial truths to create his golden fleece. His quest is intensely personal, and if he had the opportunity to redefine his legacy, I am sure he would have hopped in the car and headed south on I-95.
What was it like working with artist Andrea Mutti?
Andrea is an absolute joy to work with. His talent speaks for itself, but what you can’t see on the page is what a collaborator he is and how he thinks about the story. Andrea and I definitely revisited sequences to make sure they had narrative clarity. He would also call me out if things were tipping too much towards the cartoonish. His pulp instincts kept this firmly in the noir camp. I would be remiss if I failed to mention my other collaborators: Shawn Martinbrough (cover), Andre Szymanowicz (color artist) and Dave Lanphear (letter artist) round out the incredible team.
Was there a big comic scene in Liege, Belgium, when you were growing up?
My time in Liege is really a blip on my timeline; however, it was incredibly formative. I was born there. I heard French as much as English, but I can’t claim to be ‘from’ there. However, coming to the U.S. as a young child, I immediately felt like an outsider. I am sure this feeling impacted my worldview. My preschool teacher suggested to my mother that perhaps my French overalls were not the best thing to wear to school. My mother literally dressed me funny. Within my family, it carries biographical weight, which is why it is my lead. There is also such a rich history of comics in Belgium that I like to think perhaps there actually was something in the water. I drank from the same supply as Hergé (creator of Tin Tin).
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Meyer, by Jonathan Lang, is now available from Humanoids. Click here for more information.
