Interview: Swifty Lang On Comic Books, Archaia, Immigration And Werewolves
Nicholas Yanes at Sci-Fi Pulse talks with Brooklyn-based writer Jonathan "Swifty" Lang on his graphic novel Feeding Ground, and how he uses werewolf folklore in approaching immigration policies.
At the time Feeding Ground was conceived, I was teaching ESL to students in Coney Island. While their stories varied greatly, the sense of alienation and sacrifice was universal. I remember bringing an article on Lou Dobbs, and the horrified reaction of the class about how Mexican immigrants were being depicted. While I vehemently disagreed with the depiction, I thought it was important to recognize similarities in how our country has always depicted the “other.” From fears of security, to economic insecurity because of the influx workers, the attitude of our country toward a new immigrant population has always been one marred by fear and suspicion. This was not the “melting pot” that they had read about.
For me, the fundamental core of the werewolf is the transformation. The moving from one state of being to another. The transition is incredibly violent, and one must sacrifice their humanity to become something monstrous. What still remains of the creature’s humanity? To me, this is the immigrant experience made manifest. It is violent. It is painful. The end result is not always pretty.
Read more, including how gender, film studies, and his own work as a teacher has influenced Lang's story, and translating the text into English and Spanish, here at Sci-Fi Pulse.
