We had the good fortune of connecting with Gary Phillips and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gary, why did you pursue a creative career?
I grew up reading science fiction and comic books and watching cowboy shows on TV. When I was 8 or 9 I got a book from my aunt, prose short stories of Twilight Zone episodes. I knew then that i wanted to write my own tales of strangeness and mystery.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I failed my English class in high school and was devastated. I so enjoyed reading I couldn’t believe it, the rules of writing and grammar eluded me. But nonetheless I kept reading and finally figured out how to write “by ear.” That ism does the narrative and dialogue sound right, then go with it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Favorite food joints — Taylor’s steakhouse in Korea Town (recently featured in the Lincoln Lawyer); Phillips (no relation) bar-b-que on Crenshaw near Adams; Lucky Boy in Pasadena because they charbroil their burgers and provide an insane amount of onion rings; and Oki’s Dog for their real French Fries and large ground beef tacos.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I was weaned on the storytelling and images of Rod Serling, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Neal Adams, Wally Wood, Gil Kane and Jim Steranko in comics.

Website: gdphillips.com

Image Credits
Fay Dalton – One-Shot Harry cover illo. Adam Shaw — Three the Hard Way cover illo Chuck Regan — Matthew Henson and the Ice Temple of Harlem cover illo Rich Trask — The Obama Inheritance design and illo

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.