David Hahn’sPrivate Beach is an Eisner-nominated, “slice-of-life” comic book that falls under the category of “Truly Like No Other.” Here’s how the series is described by the publisher, SLG:
“Hanging out with friends and goofing while trying to deal with minor paranormal events and peculiar occurrences--this is the life of Trudy Honeyvan.
But Trudy's life has always been a few degrees off everyone else's, and it's becoming clear to her that the universe has big plans for her. Clues come to her from everywhere, from the most obvious sources (UFO's and men in black suits) to the most bizarre (Magic Eight Balls and fortune cookies).
And yet real life goes on for Trudy and her friends, and Trudy keeps on going while she waits to find out what her place in the universe is.”
Hahn, a Portland, Oregon-based freelance illustrator and cartoonist, took the time to answer a few SBC questions about his work.
Tim O’Shea: In some ways, Private Beach reminds me of the works of a Robert Altman or Hal Hartley. In other words, character scenes/studies that come together to form a story. Would you agree, or am I way off base?
David Hahn: I would agree, especially with Altman. I love stories about the strings that connect 'chance' occurrences and meetings.
TO: Other than the letter published in issue 4, has there been much backlash from retailers regarding the short piece "Creator Appearance" in issue 3?
DH: Absolutely not. If anything, I have been given added support regarding that letter from retailers. I've had store owners tell me personally that they thought that particular story was funny and on the mark. Obviously, it is not on the mark for all retailers, just some.
TO: What inspired/motivated you to include a character that has a prosthetic in the series? As a result of this character, have you had any feedback from readers with a prosthetic of some kind?
DH: I honestly cannot remember the impetus for Sam's artificial leg, but I am guessing I subconsciously stole the idea from Tony Consiglio (Double Cross: More Or Less, published by Top Shelf). I had a reader tell me at SDCC that a pal of his lost his leg in a motorcycle racing accident, and now his friend designs special breakaway prosthetics for amputee racers. I think that is so cool.
TO: As an artist, how hard was it to pull off the optical illusion (making it look like bugs were crawling on cover of issue 3)?
DH: That was fun. I drew those roaches as vector drawings in Adobe Illustrator and then imported their nasty selves into Photoshop on top of the art of the cover. Very simple, actually.
TO: Was printing short pieces by Alex Robinson and other creators in the back of your issues an idea you proposed to SLG, or did they come to you? Have any creators reciprocated in their respective issues?
DH: That was my idea. SLG is very cool about letting creators decide the content of their own books. Alex printed a pin-up of mine in Box Office Poison, and Kerry Callen will be doing the same in Halo and Sprocket.
TO: Is the use of cockroaches in some of the issues meant to imply some higher form of symbolism to the reader?
DH: Hmmm....not really. The filth that Sam lives in is a composite of various lifestyles of people I knew. And the tapeworm squirting out of the roach really happened. Delicious, eh?
TO: Legally, how did you successfully (and legally) execute the "What Would Grover Do?" on the back page of issue 5 without getting in trouble?
DH: Shhhh! Who said it was successful? I could be in the middle of a huge legal fiasco with the Children's Television Workshop right now, for all you know. Not to mention getting a cease and desist order from Neve Campbell's attorneys for using her likeness for Trudy in Private Beach # 1 and on the back cover of issue # 2.
TO: To me, many of the Private Beach characters exude an intense sexual aura. But I wonder do you try to avoid being too sexually explicit in an issue (except clearly when Anita "picks up" her check in issue 5)?
DH: That is quite a compliment. To me, the pretty girls who don't really know how pretty they actually are, are the prettiest girls in the world. I try to reflect that in my art. Seriously, I'd take the women in the Sears catalog over any Maxim cover model any day of the week. There is more honesty in Clare Danes as a sexual being than in Carmen Electra.
