thePULSEBy Jillian D’Apollo
Andy Fish is an ‘archeologist’ of Graphic Design who combines the modern day life with the historical prototypes of iconic action heroes. He applies his education from the School of Visual Arts in New York and Rhode Island School of Design with his business degree to self-publish his own graphic novels. When asked about some learning curves he has experienced in his field, he responded, “I push myself… experiment. Try mediums I’ve never worked in. I paint, I draw, I silkscreen, I airbrush. If it’s art, I want to know how it was done. I’m always trying to learn. Film is the ultimate inspiration to me. My not-so-secret desire is to be a movie director.” For now, the Worcester native has returned from NYC in hopes to establish a movement here in the community with his friends.
In his current graphic novel, an adaptation of the 1939 Batman, Andy travels back in time via mounds of research to capture Batman in all of his primitiveness. When questioned about how he would incorporate his own style into a legendary, well-established character, he responded: “My Batman will be the original version of the character from 1939 who was tossing foes off roofs, shooting people with his .45, hurling villains into huge vats of acid. My Batman is ‘the death penalty’ but he’ll be human. He’ll interact with Alfred and he’ll have friends he cares about. This will be the most realistic depiction of Batman ever done.”
In addition to the recreation of the ‘39 Batman, Fish has released The Tragic Tale of Turkey Boy: An American Love Story and Fly: a True Story Completely Made Up. Turkey Boy is based on a morbid obsession with and slavery to (dead) celebrities and was formed out of the artist’s apathy towards famous people. The main character in Fly, Francis Woombler, also reflects the ‘fantasy-land’ mentality in Turkey Boy; however, Andy compares Francis to TB as having “a melancholy sweetness which isn’t in Turkey Boy.”
Andy’s latest graphic novel, Harker, tells Bram Stoker’s tale of Dracula in a more colorful way, creating a Jon Harker who is a shy and timid boy who has to figure out how to become an action hero. Because Fish views the original Dracula as one of the driest literary classics, he took on the challenge of adapting the story to entertain today’s audience.
Fish’s comic book characters are often dark, his interesting perspective compelling him to create and illustrate the human condition. “I think I exist in a very black and white world ~ right and wrong, good and evil. But I know the world is much grayer. Humankind has executed some real horrors on its fellow man. My violence is imaginary, but it reflects real feelings every person has. My Batman starts out as an executioner, and through the story’s evolution, decides that he isn’t the one to make those ultimate judgments.”
To follow Fish’s projects, visit www.undercoverfish.com and hebsandfish.com.
