Chan’s Front Man

Just to be sure nobody misses seeing this, I’d like to point out my interview with designer-illustrator Chris Rahn in the Killer Covers blog. Rahn is responsible most recently for the noirish jacket art decorating Academy Chicago Publishers’ paperback reissues of Earl Derr Biggers’ six Charlie Chan mystery novels, the last two of which--Charlie Chan Carries On and Keeper of the Keys--just reached bookstores in October.

Here’s an excerpt from our exchange:

Q: How much did you know about Charlie Chan before you were asked to create cover art for these reissued Earl Derr Biggers’ novels? Had you the read any of the books prior to this assignment? Or had you watched the old Chan films?

A: I knew the name Charlie Chan, but not with much understanding of the story. When I got the Charlie Chan series I made it a point to quickly read the entire first two books to be sure the covers [I had in mind] would do them justice. I really wanted them to feel authentic.

Q: And what was your opinion of author Biggers’ characters and storytelling style?

A: I really enjoyed the books. I believe it was the first two that I read all the way through: The House Without a Key and The Chinese Parrot. I was amazed at how accessible and modern the stories and characters were, considering that they were written so long ago. It was also great to see an Asian man portrayed so early on in a capable and less stereotypical role, even if some of the writing would be considered insensitive by today’s standards.

Click here to read the entire interview.