My Interview with Arthur Suydam, The Zombie King

If one ever hears Arthur Suydam’s name and wonders ‘Why is he called the Zombie King?’ then my question to you is, have you ever seen his art? If not, most them are displayed on his website and you will see why. At this year’s Eternal Con, I approached an area where the table and wall was filled with Zombie art, I immediately figured it must the Zombie King himself. I jokingly asked him, “So, why do they call you that?” He just smiled and waved his hands behind him.

One of the posters displayed on the wall was a recreation of Clint Eastwood from the famed The Good The Bad and the Ugly, but as a zombie. Another of Spider-Man swinging from his web, but as a zombie. And yet another of the Incredible Hulk fighting off other superheroes, but they were all zombies. It went on and on throughout the area.

Although he’s working on The Walking Dead, and has worked with Marvel Comics, Heavy Metal, National Lampoon, and created artwork for titles such as Batman, Aliens,
Conan, Tarzan, he is mostly proud of his heritage rather than his own artworks. Having come from a long line of artist with acclaimed awards, he proclaims his own work doesn’t come near the likes of his forefathers. His lineage of past Suydams can be traced back to the 16th century, with art portraying beautiful landscapes and scenery. Some of those artwork collections can be seen in the White House, the Art Museum of NY, and in his book The Fantastic Art of Arthur Suydam, where he proudly displays them on its pages.

When I asked about his beginnings, he humbly said, “Just looking at my family history, it felt natural for me to continue it and just create.”  We were briefly interrupted by a fan, as she bought one of his books – The Fantastic Art of Arthur Suydam – asking for advice about learning and training to do artwork. He happily obliged and offered two reputable nearby art schools for her. He even went as far as writing it down. When I inquired the same, asking for words of advice for any new artists out there, he stressed, “Go to a good school such as the Kubert School in Dover NJ, train, and practice. And stick to schooling. Be a permanent student and continue to train throughout your life.”

I had to cut my interview short since his table became swamped with more fans buying his posters and books, but as I walked away, a young fan asked him about The Walking Dead. With that, Arthur then proclaimed, “I love that show!”

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