The idea of the golem is one steeped in history and has deep ties in Jewish lore, but it has never been depicted as seen in The Golem of Venice Beach from Clover Press. Written by Chanan Beizer, lettered by Ferran Delgado, with illustrations from primary artist Vanessa Cardinali, Adam the Golem finds himself as a hero to the Venice Beach neighborhood, navigating the world and coming to terms with his place in it. While the tale has the hallmarks of a person struggling with a heroic journey thrust upon him, what makes Golem so compelling is the characterization and meticulous care to injecting history into the book.

Just today, Clover Press has launched a Kickstarter for The Golem of Venice Beach Volume 2, with a bounty of fantastic artists joining the magnificent talent of Beizer, Cardinali, and Delgado. Picking up where Volume 1 left off, the book sees Adam dealing with the ramifications of his actions in the previous volume, as well exploring World War II history and celebrating Venice Beach. With superstars such as Frank Quietly, Stan Sakai, Jae Lee, and David Mack (and so many more) on board with the solid main creative team, The Golem of Venice Beach Volume 2 is a book that should be on your radar.

I spoke with Chanan Beizer recently about the next chapter in the life of Adam the Golem, how his actions in Volume 1 have impacted his world and the people of Venice Beach, conducting research for the past and present locales and history in the book, and the gratification from making the comic.

 

THE GOLEM OF VENICE BEACH Volume 2 front cover

 

FreakSugar: For folks unfamiliar with the first volume, what is the conceit of The Golem of Venice Beach?

Chanan Beizer: In Venice Beach, where the dangerous back-alley shadows by night contrast with the unrelenting heat of the California sun by day, a monster created to save lives must find his way in a world he never asked to be born into.

FS: Where do we find the characters in this new installment?

CB: Book 2 picks up right after the cliff-hanger that ended Book 1. Adam the Golem has killed a few gang members while protecting two runaway girls he’d befriended. That sets in motion a series of events that affect those he is most connected to – Jake, the only living descendant of the Golem’s creator, and Uncle Steph, who was saved as a child from a concentration camp by Adam during WW2. What happens next will forever change the neighborhood of Venice Beach.

 

From THE GOLEM OF VENICE BEACH Volume 2

 

FS: A stunning array of talent is working with you and letterer Ferran Delgado on this volume. Can you talk about the process of this collaboration?

CB: My collaboration with all the artists primarily ran through my editor, Chris Stevens. We first worked from the script itself but I also provided photos, research material, anything that was needed to convey my intent of what a character or scene may look like. Chris and I would discuss things and he would relay the best way to interpret that to the artists, plus pass along the research I’d gathered.

One of the most satisfying instances came when I saw what Frank Quitely had done for the wrap-around cover for Book 2. Frank had requested that we send him all the pages that the primary artist Vanessa Cardinali had finished for this second book. They weren’t even colored or lettered yet. But Frank took the time to look through nearly 150 inked pages to find the small details that elevate his cover. And he picked up on one particular page in which a plastic bag blows along the Venice Boardwalk, passing many of the locations we’ve seen thus far. Sort of my American Beauty moment, if you’re familiar with the film. Anyone from Southern California will recognize the sight of a Ralphs bag blowing along the sidewalk and that’s what Frank added to the back cover. I never asked for it. He just knew that this small detail would add to the connection between the cover and the interior story. Such a trifling thing in itself but pure genius.

In regard to Ferran Delgado, I must say that his lettering has taken the story to the next level. One example is what I describe as an homage to a comic book pin-up from 1973. My idea was to duplicate a classic confrontation between the Hulk and Thor drawn by the great Sal Buscema with characters from my book. The artist Das Pastoras did a magnificent job in executing this homage. But it was Ferran’s idea to add 1970’s graphics and lettering that really brings the whole thing together. It literally blew me away when I saw how incredible it turned out.

FS: What is the most rewarding part of writing these two Golem volumes?

CB: The most rewarding part is knowing that this story is out there for people to enjoy (I hope). And it is especially gratifying for me to see the characters I created in my head and described in a script finally come to life.

 

From THE GOLEM OF VENICE BEACH Volume 2

 

FS: This series spans four centuries worth of history. What kind of research do you do when crafting your stories?

CB: My research for what takes place in current day Venice Beach was kind of easy. I lived there when I first moved to California from New York. My first apartment was what they call a “bachelor” – smaller than a studio and just a half block off the beach. It was so small that I had to step into the hallway to unlock my door to my own bathroom. It was my bathroom, just not in my apartment. I became very familiar with the sights and sounds of Venice and I hope I captured it in the books. I especially liked using familiar locales in the background and even making them integral parts of the story, such as Muscle Beach or the skate park, not to mention the iconic murals around nearly every corner of the boardwalk.

For 16th century Prague, I had to rely on drawings of what people wore in that part of Europe during the late 1500’s. I sent what I could find to the artist. Plus, I did my own readings about the legend of the Golem of Prague and its creator. Luckily, there is one important building that is still in existence from that period to today so it was included in my origin story of the Golem.

For the WW2 pages, I relied on the photographic evidence that has been well documented over the decades. From the front gates of Theresienstadt concentration camp, to the interior of the prisoner barracks, to the look of German uniforms and vehicles, the photos are readily available.

FS: If you had one final pitch for Volume 2, what would it be?

CB: If you’ve already read Volume 1, I’m hoping you liked it and will want to read what happens in Volume 2. On the other hand, if you are new to The Golem of Venice Beach, I’m hoping that the all-star lineups that we’ve assembled in both books will entice you to give it a chance. Our artists include Eisner winners, New York Times best sellers, Hall-of-Famers, exciting up and comers, and established professionals – all some of the best illustrators working in comics today.

The Kickstarter for Clover Press’ The Golem of Venice Beach Volume 2 is now LIVE! Make sure to check out this campaign and preorder the next chapter in the adventurous and pathos-laden story of The Golem. This book is STACKED with talent and deserves a look!

From the official press release about Volume 2:

Superstar artists Frank Quitely, David Mack, Nick Dragotta, Howard Chaykin, Dean Haspiel, Jae Lee, Das Pastoras, Juan Jose Ryp, Stan Sakai and are teaming up with artist Vanessa Cardinali, writer Chanan Beizer, and letterer Ferran Delgado for the stunning star-studded second and final volume of graphic novel The Golem of Venice Beach. Picking up immediately after the thrilling cliffhanger of Book One, Book Two continues and concludes the epic story about the adventures of a 400-year-old Golem spanning from 16th century Europe, to the horrors of World War II, to modern day Venice Beach, where the Golem has become entangled in a war between a gang and the police. Both a riveting narrative and a celebration of Southern California, both volumes of The Golem of Venice Beach will soon be available on Kickstarter.

The Golem of Venice Beach: Book Two is a 184-page oversized deluxe hardcover and features:

  • A thrilling wrap-around cover suitable for framing by renowned Scottish illustrator Frank Quitely (New X-Men, All-Star Superman, Batman and Robin)
  • A four-page flashback sequence that completes the emotional depiction of the Golem’s resurrection during World War Two that began in Book 1 by Jae Lee(Seven Sons, Batman/Superman) and colorist June Chung
  • A unique six-page vision quest sequence of existential exploration by David Mack (Daredevil, New Avengers)
  • A striking homage to an iconic Sal Buscema pin up from 1973’s groundbreaking Avengers/Defenders Warby Spanish painter extraordinaire Das Pastoras (Metabarons)
  • A nine-page Golem bonus story, featuring the combined talents of Brooklyn-based and Emmy Award winner Dean Haspiel(Covid Cop), the critically acclaimed Juan José Ryp (Frank Miller’s RoboCop), best-selling artist Nick Dragotta (X-Statix), comics legend Howard Chaykin (American Flagg), and superstar Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo)
  • Kickstarter Exclusive prints, 8″ x 10″ and ready to frame and hang on your wall, featuring art from each of the ten contributing artists in Book Two.
  • All seven prints from the artists in Book 1 (Michael Allred, Stephen R. Bissette, Vanessa Cardinali, Jae Lee, Nick Pitarra, Paul Pope, and Bill Sienkiewicz)
  • A Kickstarter Exclusive Hardcover that features a unique signature plate signed by Quitely.

In The Golem of Venice Beach: Book 1, Adam is a Golem, a creature of vengeance and destruction, of violence and death created 400 years ago in Eastern Europe. Today he spends his days adrift on the sunny boardwalks of Venice Beach, the only hope of release from his lonely existence being the clueless Jake Loeb, the sole remaining heir of the Golem’s creator. But when Jake becomes involved with a mysterious tattooed woman and a drug-dealing death worship cult, things get complicated and dangerous for Adam. Golems are not meant to walk the Earth forever. Can Adam make a difference? Can he find peace in the California sun? And can a monster have a soul?

“Picking up immediately after Book 1’s cliffhanger, in The Golem of Venice Beach: Book 2 we find Adam the Golem in the midst of gang warfare while trying to protect two runaway teens,” said writer and creator Chanan Beizer. “To make matters worse, Jake comes under the scrutiny of the very same gang while Uncle Steph tries to mend a rift that has formed between Adam and Jake, and things come to a head when Stephan is kidnapped. It’s up to Adam and Jake to save him—but first, Jake must first find a way to make Adam whole again and restore the Golem that has been part of his family legacy for over 400 years.”

“We’re excited to bring the conclusion of The Golem of Venice Beach to market,” said Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz. “Chanan Biezer’s sophomore release is bolstered by an amazing line-up of talent, and Vanessa Cardenali’s art really shines!”