Sam Sharpe is an artist, cartoonist, and film maker. I met this talented guy 2 years ago at MIX. He’s an accomplished cartoonist, having twice made the notable comics list in Best American Comics. Currently he is working on the comic book series Viewotron, which you can order online from the excellent folks atQuimby’s Bookstore! And as you may have noticed if you read the Ed Choy interview, he collaborated with Ed for a comic in Little Heart!

Could you tell us a little about yourself and your general interests as a cartoonist/artist/creative person?

SS: I’ve been drawing comics from just around the time I could hold a crayon. I vividly remember reading a Spiderman Vs. Electro comic that came free in a box of something-or-other (was is Tide? Quaker Oats?) and just being amazed by it. I knew I wanted to draw comics from then on. I got distracted by filmmaking on college, but eventually came back to ink-on-paper shortly after graduation. I’ve been at it ever since.

Was there something in particular that interested you enough to be involved in the comic anthology Little Heart?

SS: I was asked by Ed Choy if I would be interested in illustrating a comic he wrote, and I’ve admired his work for several years, so I jumped at the chance. I agreed to draw it before I knew anything about the project. I was happy surprised to find out it was for a cause I cared about.

Why is marriage equality important to you?

SS: I don’t think the government has the right to treat any set of individuals any differently than any other set of individuals. This is a disparity that our generation can, and will, set right. This is one way we can leave our states (and our country) better than when we inherited them.

Are there any non-profit fueled anthologies of note that have sparked your interest in the past?SS: No.

SS: My tools are the old-fashioned ones… Bristol, non-photo blue pencil, and ink applied with a Windsor and Newton sable-hair brush. While drawing I tried to imagine Jeff Smith doing his best James Kochalka impression. Ed gave me a very tight layout to work with, Alan Moore style. He did most of the hard work, thinking everything though. My biggest concern was not getting between the reader and the writer. I tried, as best as possible, to be invisible. Which is hard, because I like to show off.Should Little Heart be successfully funded via Kickstarter, do you plan to be in attendance at TCAF for it’s debut?

SS: I’m at Mocca the weekend before and I can’t afford both trips. So, unfortunately, no.Finally, what are you working on now (comics or otherwise)? Anything readers can look forward to?

SS: I’m hard at work on the second issue of my series Viewotron. Hopefully it will be out this winter. No release date yet. Bug your comic store for issue #1.