An Interview with Scott Campbell.

Recently, I had the opportunity--and great honor--to interview Scott Campbell about his new book, The Great Showdowns published by Titan Books. The publication was released just a few days ago and it is ah-ma-zing! The book is a collection of illustrations featuring memorable cinematic conflicts, such as Ripley vs. Alien Queen and Milton vs. Lumbergh, cast in a humorous light; think of it as goodnatured spins on classic movie clashes and character struggles. With a forward by Neil Patrick Harris and a slew of rave reviews, this collection is a win from start to finish. It is a visual and comical treat for Scott Campbell fans, movie buffs, and anyone who's just looking for something funny to browse through.

Check out the exclusive interview below to learn more about The Great Showdowns, see illustrations from the book, and learn a little about Scott Campbell himself (trust me, he's just as funny and silly as his illustrations)!

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How did the showdown idea begin? What brought on the inspiration and how did it manifest into a book?
The Great Showdowns began with 10 little candy sized paintings for a show at Gallery 1988 in LA called Crazy4Cult.  Since the theme of the show was cult films, i just started drawing all of my favorite characters just hanging out, having a good time.  I discovered that drawing all these moments in the same smiling fashion sort of brought them to the same level.  All of the confrontations were very different, Ghostbusters versus Slimer was a funny battle, the priest versus Regan in The Exorcist was terrifying, the apes versus the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey was enlightening, and Arnold versus the Predator was awesome.  But seen as a happy group of little moments lays them out as an awesome collection of nostalgic memories.  People seemed to enjoy them and i enjoyed making them, so i made 10 more the following year and 10 more after that.  Then some friends convinced me to start a website for them, so i had a reason to create them on a more regular basis. And it just kept growing from there!  We've had a couple solo exhibitions of the Showdowns and seeing them all together is very pleasing.  I've always wanted a little square collection of them for people to carry around in their book bags or keep under their pillow, so this new collection has made this dream a reality.


How did you decide which movies to illustrate? Did you just pick your favorites and go from there, or did you try to choose films that most people are familiar with?
I start with my favorites.  They vary from mainstream to very obscure.  I want everyone to be able to enjoy them, but i want movie aficionados to be able to feel pleased with what they discover.  I try to choose iconic moments and imagery from these films.  Some films are just way too obscure or way too lame.  It is a fine line that i have a hard time describing to people.  A matter of taste, i suppose.  But i have done films that i do not like because i recognize their cultural significance.  

How did you decide which conflicts to illustrate? For instance, why Milton and Lumberg (in the Office Space showdown) rather than the guys and the fax machine?
Haha I did do the fax machine scene actually! I have done more than one Showdown for certain films if i just couldn't handle it. Raiders Of The Lost Ark has about 5 Showdowns to date because there are so many memorable tense moments in that film. In general though, I try to pick moments that are funny or stick with you. For Die Hard, I could have done Bruce versus Alan Rickman, but Bruce versus little shards of glass with smiling faces is funnier and actually more memorable I think. The gasoline fight in Zoolander is my favorite part of that film, so that is why I did that instead of the walk off. But I just did the walk off recently and will probably do the falling Alan Rickman from Die Hard someday, so anything can happen.

You have a lot of really recent film references in the book. How long have you been working on this project? Were you still cranking out drawings till the last minute?
I've been doing these for the past 4 or 5 years. I usually do them in groups of 20-30 at a time, so i can relax a bit here and there. But sometimes i work at the last minute! It's how I work best actually. And since I am always watching new films, I try to include new releases whenever I can. I'll probably be doing a Looper Showdown soon. After enough people have seen it.



Were there any showdowns that didn’t make into the book?
Yes! The Office Space fax machine didn't make it because we put the other one in there. (It's like number 25 in the Showdowns on the site if you'd like to see it.)  Other ones I just didn't like enough I guess or not enough people would enjoy them. I wish I could have all of them in there. Making cuts is hard, but a necessary thing to deal with when creating completed projects.  Am I right, all you Editors? Editors know how tough it is.


Do you have a favorite showdown?
Yeah.  Ghost.  Because i like the silly ones the most. The Ghost Showdown depicts Demi and Patrick holding each other showing down with the little happy clay dude standing on the pottery wheel. I love this one because it is adding a bit of extra story to that incredibly sexy scene. Like what if that little clay dude was a living dude? It would probably have very much enjoyed that sexy massage it got. That Showdown is the perfect melding of sexy and silly.



Why are all of these characters grinning? Each illustration seems to be pre-conflict, right before the true skirmish begins. Is there a specific reason behind the smiles or a theme you wish to convey?
I am a fairly happy person in general. I like seeing things happy. I felt that making them all smiling together brings all of the characters and moments to the same level. Some are really quite terrifying in the actual film, but if everyone is smiling in the paintings, we can just see them all together as a unified collection of fondness. Plus i think all of these Showdowns are really happy to be involved in this project.  


What do you do when you’re not creating showdowns?
I am painting for galleries and children's picture books. I also create concept art for video games and films.  I am super into comedy, so i like to go to shows when i can and just get involved with the city.  I live in New York where lot's of things are happening all the time, so there is much for me to see and do.  I like sitting under trees and eves dropping on people i do not know. And i like eating good tasting things.



I understand that you have a variety of videos online of which fans can watch you create illustrations, but for readers who are not familiar with your livestreams, can you describe what a normal work day is like for you?
Yeah, those livestreams are just the creation of a showdown from beginning to end. They are all collected at livestream.com/scottlava if people want to see past ones. A typical day is spent waking up early and working in a cafe in the neighborhood. I find I need to leave my place to start my day. I read in the morning and then do all of my sketching and doodling for whatever project I am working on.  Then I come home and do my email and computer stuff just before noon. I paint in the mornings or the late afternoon.  There is a large chunk of time in the middle of the day that I am useless.  So I try to allow myself to be ok with that. But my golden hours of work change from time to time.  

What was your first art experience? What made you want to create?
I remember I won first place in an Easter Bunny coloring contest when I was 6 years old.  I received an enormous trophy.  I decided I wanted to get trophies for art forever.  That would be a real great time. Although I have yet to receive a trophy for my art, so I guess I am failing in that regard.  My brother and I used to play action figure and real life adventures and then make little books retelling the stories.  Because I am sure we felt like our adventures were truly unique and inspiring.



What influences your creativity the most?
Other people. I love people. I love talking to people and meeting people and being around people. I love hearing stories and seeing how people interact. I mean, everything around me inspires me, but people are the greatest thing.

Is this an ongoing project? Should we anticipate more showdowns in the future?
Yes, it is very ongoing. There are already about 500 showdowns on the site and I don't really see an end to it just yet. But who knows how it will go. Other subject matters might present themselves. We will see. We will see together.



So I would also like to ask a couple questions that do not pertain to the book, just for fans and readers to get to know you a little more. These are like rapid-fire questions—it’s all about your gut response—so don’t think about them too long!
Ok! I am prepared.

If you could hop a plane right now and it would take you anywhere in the world,
where would you go?
Paris. I love that place.



What are three things you’d take to a deserted island with you?
Chest of unlimited food. Knife. A shipwreck offshore that I could journey to from time to time to get sweet supplies like a shopping spree.

If you could hang out with one creature/imaginary beast (i.e. Bigfoot, Lock Ness Monster, Slender
Man, etc.) what would it be and what would you do?
King Kong. We could stroll around together, do some hiking and camping, travel to high places, take naps in soft fur.



What did you want to be when you were a kid?
An artist for Star Wars.

In a post-apocalyptic world, which would you rather fight dinosaurs, zombies, or
super-mutants?
Dinosaurs!! man. Dinosaurs would be amazing to see.



Ultimate meal?
Burrito filled with pizza and ice cream.

What’s one mythological creature you’d like to have as a pet?
I guess a dragon.  Some sort of sweet dragon.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?
Superman power.  Which covers a lot of things.  Eye power, running fast, flying.

The Great Showdowns is in stores now! If you want to get your hands on a copy of book, you can buy it online here or check your local bookstore.

Now after all that, did you fall in love with Scott C.'s work, too? Yeah, same here. If you can't get enough of his illustrations or simply want to know more about The Great Showdowns, you can visit any one of Scott's sites: Livestream | Great Showdowns official website | Scott's blog

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(images via Great Showdowns)