There Will Be Assassinations « Urban Molecule

There Will Be Assassinations

19Jun08

Gay superheroes? Yeah, right. Ever since Urban Molecule first interviewed Italian author Marco Mancassola in the summer of 2007, he’s been riding the world circuit, writing his latest thriller of a piece that’s based on an alternate universe of heroes that happens right here on Earth. In anticipation of his return (and the book’s release) later this year, we proudly revisit Mancassola’s “Me and Devil” – the short story that started it all.

But first, the Molecule recalls the Harlem art collective that put this international author on the New York map. “Heroes Among Us” was first published in February, 2008.

Heroes Among Us
words and photography by Christopher de la Torre

It’s a row house on West 121st Street like any other. So much like the others, in fact, I hesitate before I lift and release the heavy antique door knocker. Am I at the right place? Thunk! Harlem’s hot. It’s summer in the city. I fan myself with my short sleeve button-down shirt, realizing the motion might only raise my body temperature. Moments later I notice the silhouette of a short, balding man at the door. He opens it. I feel a light rush of ventilation breeze through my hair as I rub the beads of liquid salt away from the insides of my eyes. “Hello,” he says. “The door was opened.” A bit embarrassed, I enter. The door closes behind me as the man scampers away.

It’s a scene brightly set with overhead fluorescence and a huge communal table that spans the entire length of the room. I’m greeted by spreads of homemade pasta, mixed fruit, cheese and wine. Paintings and sketches line the walls. I immediately notice a different breed of nouveau bohemian that occupies the space; they all seem to be enjoying themselves, despite the absence of air conditioning. You might expect Harlem Studio’s latest show, entitled “The Pioneers,” to cough up the exhaust of dollar sign sensibility, the pollution that so relentlessly creeps into all of those Chelsea shows, the same grade that’s hung heavy smog over SoHo for years. But despite the stifling summer night, the air breathes clean here in Harlem; it feels like family. Marco approaches me. His face lights up as he says, “I’m so glad you could make it.”

It’s surprising to me, how a man who smiles so often, can possess such a dark edge. I smile back and fire the usual pleasantries. And the next few hours at Harlem Studio will boast an artistic pastiche of multimedia, installation, and experimental, as well as the more familiar canvasses we’ve all grown to love. What’s refreshing here is that these Italian artists remain as calm and cool as ever, even in the face of high humidity and low budgets. It’s an opportunity that doesn’t come knocking often, and it’s just one opportunity these visionaries need to share their work with an eager audience; maybe they’re doing something new, or maybe they’re just carrying on the tradition that’s permeated their gene pool for centuries.

At first, the work of author Marco Mancassola seems to lay adrift in an ocean of sketches and paintings, the two-dimensional art that tends to rope the first glance of the mind’s eye. But on closer inspection and subsequent reflection, it’s Mancassola’s words that draw the exquisite outline of what is to become the next great addition to an ever-growing superhero canon.

With the resurgence of both the Superman and Batman film franchises, the popular television series Heroes, and author Michael Chabon’s bestselling Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, not to mention the current comic book renaissance, to say that Americans are in search of new champions may be an understatement. Most of us can remember leafing through our favorite comic book superhero saga month after month, mesmerized by drawings and dialogue bubbles, watching as the merciless dictators of the world fell while truth and justice prevailed. And now amidst environmental decay, war for oil and global terrorism, a good lot of us find ourselves returning to the stories that gave us comfort as children; the superhero archetype is alive and well.

The seed for his novel was planted years ago, when Mancassola wrote “Me and Devil” a gothic tale in which an average man stumbles upon a near-fatally injured superhero and explores a cascade of repressed emotions as he cares for him. Only later did he realize the piece would introduce the epic. “I’ve been thinking about the book for years,” he says. “When I wrote the short story, I had the book in mind but didn’t know they’d eventually be linked somehow.”

The young author’s English is surprisingly good for someone who says he doesn’t know the language all that well. Mancassola grew up in a suburban town in the Northeast of Italy. As a child he loved comic books. Daredevil. Fantastic Four. Silver Surfer. The Marvel Universe. As a twenty-something he spent some time in London squatting, then about a year in Rome. “Traveling helps you get ideas,” he says. “It helps you get details. Everyday details.” And for this author that means traveling to various cities in different countries, nothing short of a world tour. Mancassola confesses that two months in New York isn’t enough time to research a novel, but that’s not stopping him. Multiple settings simply mean more cities. Next it’s on to Mexico where he’ll spend a short time before continuing to China. Because “the main character often compares New York to China,” it’s a logical plan of action. Speaking with him it’s plain to see that the life of a writer on the go has no room for homesickness.

In Italy where his lifestyle is regarded a luxury, only wealthy families produce artists. “The system in Italy doesn’t support [artists].” But programs like those facilitated by Harlem Studio provide an alternative for a number of Italians who may not otherwise have the means to develop their talents. “It’s given me a special opportunity,” he says, but it’s not one opportunity that stands to make or break this artist. Mancassola’s first novel was published in 2001 by a small publisher. After some success, he went big. Since then he’s had a total of five major works, including three novels, one nonfiction work and a collaborative project in which a number of his short stories provide the text amidst a backdrop of illustration and film.

Only a select few works have been translated into English, but if you’re not fluent in Italian don’t let that discourage you. Judging by the translation of “Me and Devil,” Mancassola’s upcoming novel is as good a reason as any to learn this romance language. Rife with details, his style of prose captures your attention, transporting your senses into the moment in which each action takes place. When I ask Mancassola if his style resonates in a minor key, he replies “I always need to have something dark in my stories, dark on a level of perception. There is always something obscure happening behind things.” And what better way to explore such a sweet dichotomy than our very own beloved Metropolis – a place where light meets darkness with every heart beat, good and evil ride a fine line, and crime and kindness sometimes share the same address?

When I comment on the prologue’s homoerotic nature, Mancassola hesitates. “It’s true. It’s homoerotic. The narrator is in need. He craves a new situation, but I don’t buy into any formula. He’s in love with comics. It’s really about the mutual attraction between two different worlds – one real, the other surreal, dark. It’s all about the need to be rescued, the need to be loved. I don’t think of my characters as gay or straight. They usually have some kind of mixed sensibility. They have both male and female traits. It’s about how they connect with the characters around them.”

Like his characters, don’t expect to easily categorize this superhero epic. Mancassola declares the book is neither thriller nor mystery, but ensures his readers a good lot of action. “There will be terrorists, martyrs, assassinations, but these situations may never be resolved.” And with a projected 500 pages, this page turner promises to pack more than a few good punches. “Within every chapter there’s a different superhero. It could turn out to be a big saga. My editor read the first 200 pages and he’s very enthusiastic.” And the prologue? “It’s kind of surreal… You never know if what you read is happening or if it’s a dream.” So I ask him if superheroes indeed exist in this universe. “Yeah,” he replies. “Later you find out they do.” We should be so lucky.

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