Ben H. Winters and Leomacs original graphic novel from Oni Press titled Benjamin takes a surreal dive into sci-fi writing, fandom, and reality.
Their main character Benjamin J. Carp (who shares some eerie similarities to Philip K. Dick) dies in 1982 to only awaken in 2025 Los Angeles. Is he a dream? A robot? A ghost? A clone? A simulation?
We spoke to Winters all about Benjamin in our exclusive interview with the writer.
Where did your inspiration for Benjamin originate?
Ben H. Winters: I have always loved stories about storytellers, but also been a little wary of writing one. There is something a little narcissistic, isn’t there, in presuming as a writer that anybody cares about the lives of writers and the struggles of writers. But the character of Benjamin J. Carp, this sort of curmudgeonly, self-involved, perpetually agitated genius-slash-monster, felt like a fun one to try it out with. The character, in other words, came first, and then I had this vision of him opening his eyes in a motel room and going, wait, shit — aren’t I supposed to be dead?
How much is Benjamin J. Carp like yourself as a writer/person?
Winters: God, not much, I hope. He’s dead, for one thing, or at least he might be dead, and I am still alive as far as I know. He’s also obsessive about his work, jealous of other writers, unhygienic, sarcastic, stalled out in a permanent adolescence… oh, wait. Maybe I am kind of like him. But probably not as smart, and hopefully a lot kinder.
How does the setting of Hollywood/Los Angeles help inform the themes concerning identity and reality in Benjamin?
Winters: Well, Los Angeles is the town where dreams come true, right? Or supposedly it is, although of course most people will tell you that they don’t, or that they do in some way that is not quite what you dreamed of. And the very industry of the town is in the creation of false realities, or versions of reality, which are then piped into the homes of people all over the world to give them a chance to escape from their own reality for an hour or two. So even though my hero’s story never takes a trip into the Dream Factory, per se, the bright sun and blue sky and swimming pools of LA serve to remind the reader of the manufactured nature of so many of the things we hold to be real—very much the theme of the tale!
What does Leomacs bring to the comic in terms of his style and artwork?
Winters: Oh, so much. So, so much. He was able to create exactly what I wanted, which was this world where another world is always just below the surface—another dimension, another version of Benjamin’s life, another possible reality. There is a shimmering luminosity to what he does that is almost hallucinogenic, that makes this mind-blowing adventure all the more mind-blowing. There was no outlandish, complex notion I had that he didn’t embrace. It was a real gift.
You’ve written for television, film, and comics. How is comic writing different from the other mediums in your experience?
Winters: It sits in a delightful middle area between books (where you the writer are responsible for everything) and screenwriting (where you the writer are responsible for a script that is then turned into a final product). With a comic, you the writer are still writing a script, but the possibilities are endless — no budget constraints to worry about, no temperamental actors and directors to handle, no studio politics to navigate. You can create with unlimited creative scope, as you can with fiction writing, but still have the joy of collaborating with other artists. It’s a win/win, and a real joy.
Many fans have fond memories of Legion. Memories of working on the series and any comparisons to Benjamin?
Winters: Legion was actually my first gig in a TV writers room, and so I was tricked into thinking that all TV creators are as brilliant as idiosyncratic as Legion (and Fargo) creator Noah Hawley, when in fact he is sui generis. I do remember long detours into conversations about the nature of reality, and also taking breaks to watch clips from the Parallax View.
Upcoming projects?
Winters: On the comics side I am writing a follow-up to Benjamin that is a sort of Hollywood memoir slash horror story. Enough said on that for now. Also writing a play, and writing a TV pilot for Amazon, and maybe kinda sorta finally starting my new novel.
Benjamin is currently available at finer comic book shops and bookstores everywhere.
