Many, many years ago a young artist from Paraguay named Samuel Araya sent out his portfolio to a long list of art directors for the first time, and the very first one to respond and start working with him was, as it turned out, me. I didn’t actually know I was his first art director until Sam told me this week, and I really can’t feel too special about it because I think anyone who saw Sam’s work back then would have hired him on the spot. He was that good and of course now is simply brilliant.
Sam did the cover of my Unknown Armies roleplaying game (2nd ed.) as well as concept art for the long-ago Delta Green videogame project and a lot more besides. He’s a gifted artist and it has been a pleasure to follow his career all these years.
I’ve never met Sam in person and this may be as close as I ever get: Krab Jab Studio here in Seattle is run by old comrades and they are hosting a solo show of Sam’s recent work starting May 11. Sam can’t make the trip up here to the Other Americas but his work, as always, speaks for itself.
If you love the visionary, the strange, the horrifying, the eyes that see beyond sight, then I hope you’ll pay a visit to Sam’s show down in Georgetown. It should be epic.