Matt Silady's Homeless Channel: Not Just Basic Cable

By Tim O'Shea

Matt Silady's debut graphic novel, The Homeless Channel (AiT/PlanetLar), hits the shelves tomorrow (May 23). Here's the book's official and apt description: "When Darcy Shaw starts a twenty-four hour cable network called The Homeless Channel, she thinks she's got everything figured out. But confronted with an unexpected romance, a sibling out on the streets, and corporate sponsors who think they know what's best for her network, Darcy starts to wonder which is more important: saving the world or saving herself." SBC recently emailed with the writer/artist Silady to discuss his work and our shared love of Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night.

Tim O'Shea (TOS): I love the trailer that was developed to market The Homeless Channel--were you involved in the development of that?

Matt Silady (MS): I'm so happy that you liked it. I really wanted to capture the spirit of the book when I put it together. It took an afternoon to make and it seems like it was time well spent.

Books like The Homeless Channel aren't easy to market. This isn't an "if you build it..." industry. That's one of the nice things about putting the book out with AiT. Larry's not afraid to try new things.

When we released the trailer out into the wild, it got a thousand hits in the first week. The second version is still getting new hits everyday. If that video is the first impression that someone's getting of the book, I'm all for it.

TOS: Given that your artwork is a mixture of photos and drawings, did you ever consider listing the models you used for the photos? For a book of this length, can you ballpark estimate how much time you spent taking photos in preparation for the book?

MS: That's definitely something I'll be doing in the future when I'm working with professional actors and models. For this first book though, I was blessed with a crazy bunch friends, family, and co-workers who took a chance doing something totally out of their element. I'm sparing them the unnecessary notoriety of a real movie-style credits page. They do have my unending gratitude, that's for sure.

Organizing and pulling off these photo shoots is one of the most challenging parts of the process. It's really akin to putting on a play or filming a movie. Each individual photo shoot ranges from twenty minutes to an hour. And most scenes take several separate shoots to complete. For example, I'll go out and photograph backgrounds and then shoot each individual actor in the scene on separate occasions before merging all the layers into a final single page.

With my next book, I hope to gather all the models in one place and knock the whole thing out over the course of a weekend. We'll see. Logistically, it'll be interesting to see how it all works out. I'm thinking about shooting some behind-the-scenes video while I do it. Maybe have some true DVD-style extras with the next project. Everyone can watch me have a breakdown while trying to make comics.

TOS: Looking back at your early pages in the project, do you think you've learned a great deal about layout and improved as the story development progressed? And, on the flip side, how has stretching your artistic muscles improved your skills as a writer?

MS: On an emotional level, it's not easy learning to draw in front of an audience. But, you know, it's part of the job. Every artist goes through it. There was a moment when I was finishing the art on the last chapter when I really considered going back and redrawing the early pages of the book.

I had to ask myself, if I went back and redrew those early pages, would I really be satisfied with the ones in the middle of the story then? You start getting yourself into some strange infinite loop of revision. Better just to keep moving forward, I think. I know I'm still getting better with each page. I can feel it. As much as part of me wants to go back and fix mistakes, I think it's better, in the end, to simply apply what I've learned to the next challenge ahead.

And all of this does have an effect on my writing. There was a tipping point in the fourth chapter where I started to feel like I could figure out how to draw anything that my scripts could call for. Early on, I sometimes wrote around scenes that I didn't think I could translate into pictures. I'm definitely becoming much more demanding of myself as an artist. I'm trying to put those early fears and limitations aside.

That said, I am happy with The Homeless Channel as it stands. For me, it doesn't just tell a story, it also documents my progress as an artist and a writer. That's a pretty cool thing to have sitting on my shelf.

TOS: I'm curious about your use of white space, at first I took it be an element caused by your use of photos mixed with art, but after awhile it clearly seemed as you were using the white space for dramatic effect. Could you speak about your use of white space/sparse backgrounds in some scenes and your thinking behind it?

MS: You caught me trying to turn a limitation into an advantage. Early on, I realized there were going to be some issues with the process I was developing to illustrate the book. One of the byproducts of using the photos was a real high-contrast look to the art. That's when I figured I'd try to make the best of it by playing with the negative space in different ways. Some pages really pop. Some are a little sparse. Either way, it was a lot of fun to just play. Trust me, it was never out of laziness. As much as I was trying to figure out how to draw a nose that looked right, I was also trying to learn about the physics of the comic book. How time works within the context of each page. How the spaces between the panels matter as much as what's in the panels themselves. And how the dialogue really needs to be considered part of the art itself. I mean, the amount of white space around a word balloon can actually suggest a certain tone of voice. How cool is that?

TOS: I realize this is clearly a work of fiction, but I'm curious as to what informs your work (and your lead characters)--have you ever worked with the homeless? As you self-published and sold the first two chapters of the book, in that time did you ever hear any feedback from folks that work with the homeless--or folks that work in cable television development?

MS: When I was first self-publishing the book back in grad school, I was walking downtown on my way to dinner one evening when I ran into a teaching colleague. I'd previously slipped a copy of one of the mini's in her office mailbox and she stopped me because she wanted to give me a couple bucks to pay for it. Right after she slipped the cash in my hand, a homeless guy (who I hadn't noticed sitting on the sidewalk right next to us) asked for some change. Everything sort of went upside down for a moment. I was so embarrassed by the situation, I handed him the money and walked away as quickly as I could. It was very surreal. I had to make some decisions about how I felt about the whole project after that.

The feedback I've gotten from social workers has all been positive. And my friends in the television industry got a real kick out of the book. In the end, it's just a story. It may be a personal story. But not because I've been homeless or that I've worked with those that are homeless. I was writing a story about how I've been trying to balance my responsibilities to myself and my responsibilities to the world around me. And even though the story is all done, my life is certainly still a work in progress.

TOS: You initially were self-publishing it, but The Homeless Channel caught the attention of Larry Young. How has the work changed (and the format and depth of what you were attempting to tell) since getting picked up by AiT/PlanetLar?

MS: I was at a crossroads when Larry started talking to me about the book. I was only halfway done with the story and I was having a bit of a crisis of confidence. Self-publishing is totally worth it- but it does take time, money, and a lot of energy. When Larry and Mimi made the offer to publish the whole thing as a graphic novel, all I had to do was concentrate on finishing the story. Suddenly, there was a real finish line. Also, they were basing their decision on just the first two chapters. Larry let me know that he trusted me to take the rest of the story wherever I needed it to go. Artistically, it was an ideal situation.

TOS: Over at AiT/PlanetLar's blog on May 11, it read: "So far, 100% of the advance reviews have mentioned Aaron Sorkin." Sure, Studio 60 just got cancelled, but are you flattered by the comparison? Would you consider dialogue to be one of your strongest assets as a writer?

MS: I'm very flattered with the comparison and very grateful that, so far, the comparisons have been favorable. Sports Night was definitely a touchstone for this book. When Sorkin is on his game, he's tough to beat. I'm working hard to find my own voice. But there's no way I'm going to deny being influenced by those Sports Night and early West Wing scripts.

Dialogue is a strange thing. I believe that fiction that tries to mimic the real world too closely often fails to actually capture it in any meaningful way. That's why I'm mesmerized by guys like David Milch. Deadwood just makes my head spin (in a really good way.)

TOS: Sports Night--that is in my top 10 shows list. So I ask, as a fan myself of the crisp, rapid dialogue of that show--for your money did the show improve with the addition of David Mamet veteran, William H. Macy?

MS: Oh, absolutely. His introduction was a visceral slap in the face. It was exactly what everyone, including the audience, needed.

It's no surprise that it took someone from Mamet's ensemble to pull off the role either. Not every actor can find a way to cut through that kind of dialogue. But the ones who can really have a chance to shine.

Macy's character raised the stakes for every other character on the show. I think writing him in was a gutsy, smart move on Sorkin's part.

TOS: I often wonder where that show could have gone, with just a smidge better ratings...your thoughts? Also, could you elaborate on how the show serves as a touchstone for The Homeless Channel?

MS: Well, the one thing that show had going for it was the fact that everyone on it was an underdog. That's probably the fatal flaw in Studio 60. It's missing someone to root for. Even on West Wing, a show featuring arguably the most powerful people in the world, Sorkin still managed to make you feel like the characters were fighting against all odds and putting themselves on the line. It's that same spirit that makes Sports Night tick.

So, yes, I think Sports Night could have had some legs. I was crushed when the rumors of a move to HBO didn't pan out for the show.

In some ways, The Homeless Channel is my reaction to that disappointment. I let Isaac finally retire and gave Dana and Natalie promotions.

TOS: Could you see yourself revisiting some of the characters from The Homeless Channel--or have these characters' tales been told in your creative mind?

MS: I'd never say never. But, for now, it's done. I'm satisfied. It seems like just the right time for me to let go. I'll miss the characters though. After spending so much time with them, it's hard not to get attached.

TOS: Going forward, do you wish to continue as a writer/artist--or are you hoping to see other artists tackle your writing in the future?

MS: Ideally, both! I have a bunch of stories kicking around in my head and there's just no way I could illustrate them all myself. I'm excited about the possibility of working collaboratively with other artists, editors, colorists, and letterers. Some projects just work better when there are multiple voices helping the story take its shape.

That said, I've started preliminary photo shoots for my next solo book. Just backgrounds and locations right now. I'll be casting soon! Then the fun really begins.

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