Meet MISTER SAM SHEARON | Dark Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with MISTER SAM SHEARON and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi SAM, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve always enjoyed creating visuals that nobody tends to see every day, surreal images, fantastical creatures and all manner of nightmarish concepts. My interest in this seldom seen side of life is my main drive in my ‘day job’ as an artist – pushing the realism of an often ‘pinch of salt’ view on fantasty-mythology and science fiction. I’ve always been drawn to the idea that something has more value, (in every sense of the word), if there’s an aspect of tangible realism however surreal or impossible the subject of the art… Since my teens I’ve often looked at published cover artwork, on either music album sleeves or book covers and thought to myself that I could do better – That those clients deserved better artwork, better direction, better delivery and execution to represent their product, whether it be music or literature – the imagery sells their release on face value regardless of content, it starts with the cover. Remember that old phrase, ‘never judge a book by it’s cover’…? Well… that’s the rub. It’s all about value.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a visual artist, writer and director who specializes in horror, science fiction and fantasy. I’m mainly known for creating album sleeves and book cover artworks. Previous music album and merchandise clients include: Rob Zombie, Slayer, Ministry, Filter, Rammstein, KISS, Iron Maiden, Powerman 5000, American Head Charge, HIM, ORGY, Doyle, Fear Factory, Biohazard, Jason Charles Miller and many others. Comic-book and graphic novel clients include Stan Lee and Clive Barker as well as various titles from ‘IDW Publishing’, of which include: The X-Files, Mars Attacks, Judge Dredd, 30 Days of Night and Angel to name a few. I’ve also illustrated many book covers for the ‘Vesuvian’ publishing company and I’ve also illustrated cover artwork for several independent authors that cover cryptozoology and the unexplained, such as Ken Gerhard, Loren Coleman, David Weatherly and Whitley Strieber. I’ve written, illustrated and directed animations for various projects for both Clive Barker, Stan Lee and Cleopatra Records. I’ve written short stories and screenplays here n’ there, I’ve done voice over work for albums and podcasts… I’ve even acted in a North Hollywood theatre as ‘DRACULA’ for twenty stage performances among a cast of thirteen… Each show was two hours long… a fond and proud memory indeed! I also gained some wonderful new friends. I think being so creatively diverse, though not watering myself down, is what sets me apart from other artists in my field – I’m always determined to put my hand to something in full effect, even if it takes a little extra time. I’m somewhat of a perfectionist and quite often I have to peel myself away, I always see a tweak here and there that could better a piece of work – I think that’s one of my main flaws, stepping away from the creative process… putting a final nail in things. Sometimes I’ll even create another ‘version’ to further execute a concept. Being British and moving over to Los Angeles has been a journey indeed, but a challenge I couldn’t back down from… I was told it was difficult. In hindsight I found that if you put the time and effort in, if you put the work in, then it pays off quite easily. I first came out here in 2007 and so everything I’ve done off my own back in order to achieve my Green Card status has been a focal point of every job. Everything I’ve created has had to be something I can place in my portfolio and be proud of, knowing I gave it my all. Again, in turn I have become somewhat of a perfectionist…. I always feel I can do better and strive towards it, always learning… a practicing artist in every sense. I’m proud to say that I’m now recognized by US immigration as being in the very top percent of my field, as an alien with extraordinary abilities and gaining my very own Green Card has been one of my proudest moments, all off my own back. I have a lot of irons in a lot of fires in a creative sense aside from my work as an illustrator… TV shows, podcasts, music, film, writing, directing, acting. This last year as really opened up for me and I’ve made some powerful connections in the industry that I’m happy to call on as close friends. Watch this space…

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In all honesty, I think there’s probably something for everyone in the city of LA… if you’re looking for entertainment there’s no end of theatres, comedy stores and live venues… (or at least there was before the pandemic hit, how strange it feels to write that, as though we’re living in a zombie or alien invasion movie)…. BUT anyways, there’s something for everyone… even if it’s simply company, there are plenty of places to hike, or beach walk… plenty of museums and galleries to visit… I personally love the Natural History museum I’m a sucker for dinosaurs! But if you want to drink, there’s probably a different bar for every night of the year in LA without going to the same bar twice! A definite spot to explore is ‘The Last Bookstore’ in Down Town Los Angeles… I could spend days if not weeks in there thumbing through the shelves of old books… I love looking at the old book covers for horror and science fiction novels. Another place I’d have to take someone would of course be AMOEBA Records, though they’ve closed temporarily, they are moving to a new location! Then of course, you have to do the walk of fame, both Hollywood and Sunset Boulevarde for that matter… if anything for the smelly grime of the street, the grease, the dust, the sounds and smells and run down visuals. It’s a very grounding sensation when you find out that LA has something to the number of sixty thousand homeless people. It’s something I keep in mind when I look at the glamour and lights, the billboards and fancy cars… it’s all package… but as my Mother always taught me, …”it’s one sky”… LA is indeed a feast of inspiration, it has it’s own personality for sure. Historically it’s fairly young… but it has this haunting vibe of showmanship that I call the ‘vampire facade’… immortal and yet ever thirsty. There’s always something to see… personally my favourite haunts in LA, are the places I’ve never been.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Well, above all I’d have to say my Mum! For always being behind everything I do and more to the point pushing me that little bit further when I’ve needed it. Of all the advice and support my Mum has given me over the years, I’d say one thing often comes to mind… She once said, …”nobody is going to knock on the front door and ask for Sam Shearon, you have to get out there and get it!”… I remind myself of this fairly often as it’s quite easy to become complacent and lose the drive when you’re somewhat comfortable. When there’s no urgency to seek work it can be an easy trap to fall into, where you almost forget why you do the things you love… SO with that in mind I always aim a little higher, it keeps the drive alive and when I’m finally there at the goal in question – I keep reaching! This reminds me of another gem of advice: …”If you don’t ask, the answer is always no”…. Thanks Mum!

Website: mistersamshearon.com
Instagram: mistersamshearon
Twitter: sam_shearon
Facebook: mistersamshearon
Youtube: SamShearon
Other: mistersamshearon.bigcartel.com

Image Credits
All artwork created by myself: Mister Sam Shearon