Creating a Voice in the Dark

Larime Taylor

By Patti Martinson
October 7, 2013

Larime Taylor is a disabled mouth artist born with Arthrogryposis and lives in California. He writes, draws, tones, and letters comics himself with his mouth. His comic, a Voice in the Dark, debuts in November in comic shops everywhere, from Top Cow/Image.

Sequential Tart: What was the first comic you read?

Larime Taylor: As a kid? I don't really remember at this point. I have vague memories of X-Men comics, but nothing specific as a "first." My first real, memorable experience with comics as an adult was The Crow, followed shortly after by The Sandman. That was when I started to realize what comics can be.

ST: Could you give us an idea of the influences that have shaped your work?

LT: My influences are all over the place, from 80's movies like Heathers, Pump Up the Volume, Better Off Dead, and the whole spectrum of horror movies, to James O'Barr, Neil Gaiman, Warren Ellis, Steven Brust, Stephen King, and a whole bunch of other writers. Artistically, the Hernandez brothers, Terry Moore, O'Barr again, Tim Bradstreet, and Duncan Eagleson are all influences.

ST: Do you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

LT: Mostly self-taught. I was an art student in high school, and an art major for a year in college, but mostly it was just lots and lots of drawing. My mother is an excellent artist, and she taught me a bit.

ST: What appeals to you about black comedy?

LT: I like finding humor in uncomfortable places. Comedians like Louis CK are my favorite for that reason. Looking at the dark or bleak things in life and finding something to laugh at. I have a sense of humor about my disability, too.

ST: Who was the most important teacher / mentor you've had in your career as an artist/writer?

LT: I'd say Duncan Eagleson. He worked in comics a bit back in the 90's, drawing a couple books for Vertigo, like Shade: The Changing Man, and The Sandman. He's worked with me on previous ideas as my penciler, but for various reasons they never saw daylight. Now he's my editor on the book, starting with issue 3, and he's taught me a lot about writing and drawing for comics.

ST: What does the comics medium offer you that other media does not offer?

LT: I can be an auteur of sorts. I can tell and illustrate my own stories. I've taught myself all the aspects, so I can write, draw, and letter my own book. The more you can do yourself, the more options and freedom you have.

ST: Tell me how the idea of your comic, A Voice In the Dark, came about.

LT: It started out as an idea for a campy horror parody, turning all of the conventions on their heads. One trope is that the ethnic girl always dies first, so I wanted her to be the sole survivor. Then I got the idea that maybe she lives because she's really the killer. It was all about playing with the stereotypes. Along the way I realized that I actually had an interesting character forming, so I started treating it more seriously. I'm still playing with the tropes and turning the stereotypes inside out, but it's a lot more gritty and serious than I original imagined. I try to keep some of that black humor in there, though, because it's who I am and what I grew up on.

ST: What led you to using Kickstarter to fund your project?

LT: I wanted to submit to publishers, but rather than send a pitch and 5 sample pages, I thought it would be more impressive to send an entire finished issue. I wanted to show that I could complete the work, do all the different things, and be as professional as possible. The Kickstarter was an overwhelming success, so a single issue became a 3-issue trade. I had a completed story to shop around, and Top Cow picked it up as an ongoing.

ST: What advice would you give to someone who wants to write or draw comic books, particularly those who have a disability?

LT: Just keep working at it. Work at it every day, and make it your focus. If you want a career, you have to treat it like one, not like a hobby. You have to be driven and relentless, and never let "no" make you stop.

ST: What are your goals in the comics field?

LT: To have a career, to make this my day job and make a decent living. It's really all I can do -- I can't do 99% of the jobs out there due to my disability. My art and my stories are all I have. I don't expect to get rich, I just want a modest income for my family.

ST: What projects or appearances do you have coming up in the future?

LT: Right now all of my focus is on this book, so I'm not really planning a bunch of other things until I know that I can make this one work. We'll see how it goes.

Larime Taylor — Larime Taylor's website