Media

Transcript

[PART 1]

[00:00:10] Interviewer: Okay. If I could just have you say your name and the date. We can just talk right into it, it'll be good. [00:00:27][16.8]

[00:00:29] Savaz Sample: My name is Savaz Sample, I'm 27 years old and the date is January the 17th, 1998. [00:00:37][8.2]

[00:00:41] Interviewer: And so those simple questions, were you born here in Exmore or? [00:00:44][3.3]

[00:00:46] Savaz Sample: I was born on Eastern Shore, but I was born on Northam and Acomac Memorial Hospital, June 26, 1970. [00:00:52][6.4]

[00:00:54] Interviewer: Okay. When did you start doing this graphic work? [00:01:01][6.9]

[00:01:02] Savaz Sample: Well, as far as I can remember, I was a little kid when I started drawing. And actually, I can even admit that it's a God-given gift. The first thing I started doing was cartoons. Like, little comic strips and all that kind of stuff. [00:01:17][15.4]

[00:01:17] Interviewer: Okay, and how did you learn to draw? [00:01:20][3.0]

[00:01:22] Savaz Sample: Well, like I said before, this is a God-given gift. I just discovered it. [00:01:25][3.1]

[00:01:27] Interviewer: Okay. Do you have a piece of one of the first things you did or do you remember what it was? [00:01:37][10.0]

[00:01:38] Savaz Sample: Uh, well, it was actually comic strips. So there's a little pile of units here. So there was things like Andy Cap and Peanuts. Well, actually one of my most favorite comic strip characters was Peanut. Okay. Mm-hmm. And that was the first thing I drew. [00:01:58][19.4]

[00:01:58] Interviewer: Okay, and let's see, you said you're 27 and what jobs have you had? [00:02:08][9.7]

[00:02:09] Savaz Sample: Well, I started out doing odd jobs here and there. I worked at a potato grater in Machu Pongo. That was during the summer months. And I also worked at North Haven High School on and off during the summertime months when they started having this summer youth employment program. It's still in operation now, but that was way back when. And I started working here since I was about 13, 14 years old. [00:02:38][28.8]

[00:02:41] Interviewer: Okay, and where are you working now? [00:02:42][1.2]

[00:02:43] Savaz Sample: Well, I'm working at Purdue as a processing meat and Purdue Farms is located in Akamak, Virginia. [00:02:52][8.8]

[00:02:56] Interviewer: Now let's talk about some of the subject matter of the drawings that you do. I see the bald eagle several times in a lot of these. [00:03:05][9.1]

[00:03:05] Savaz Sample: Yeah, um [00:03:06][1.3]

[00:03:07] Interviewer: What's the significance of that? [00:03:08][1.4]

[00:03:09] Savaz Sample: Well, it's sort of an inspiration to me. And see, the bald eagle is actually the symbol of our country. And it symbolizes strength, and character, and perseverance, and everything. So the eagle itself kind of grabs me. I'm truly inspired, and for that reason, I draw it. [00:03:32][23.5]

[00:03:33] Interviewer: Okay. So, do you feel close to the eagle, or do you feel like it has some characteristics that maybe you share? [00:03:41][8.4]

[00:03:43] Savaz Sample: Well, sort of like the characters that, you know, Cheryl probably won't like to have. Okay. Fourteen. [00:03:47][4.6]

[00:03:50] Interviewer: Okay. And the night that I first met you, you said that you were doing some comics. [00:03:56][6.6]

[00:03:57] Savaz Sample: Yes. [00:03:57][0.0]

[00:03:58] Interviewer: I'm also... Yes [00:04:01][3.1]

[00:04:03] Savaz Sample: Well, it's um, this book actually, I've started doing it when I was, it was January 1995. Okay. And it started out as just a little picture. Okay. I've done what I was doing in my bedroom. Okay. I was living in Machapungal at the time, that was before I moved here. Right. And something just came to my mind, so I decided later on to just turn that picture into a comic book. [00:04:30][26.8]

[00:04:30] Interviewer: Okay. And how did the stories come about? How do you develop the stories? [00:04:36][5.3]

[00:04:36] Savaz Sample: Well, it's inspiration and it's based, actually, on my own life and my own early childhood because my early childhood years I wasn't a youth kid and it wasn't until later on when my mom, well she's actually my aunt, but she's been like a mother to me since all my early years and everything. And she raised me up in a Christian home and to this day I'm blessed by it and anything. [00:05:05][28.5]

[00:05:08] Interviewer: Well, let's talk a little bit more about these comics. What do you hope that other people will get out of them? [00:05:16][8.2]

[00:05:17] Savaz Sample: Well, actually, I know there's a market out there, and things are now out there for the youth, like... Secular music and all that kind of stuff and comic books too and I figured through that type of medium that I can reach that certain part of youth that's been through the things I've been through and probably a few that already you know well quite not have been there like youth pastors and and evangelists and all of that kind stuff and use that material to reach out to youth like in Sunday school or worship services or whatever something like that. [00:05:57][39.9]

[00:05:57] Interviewer: Okay. Okay. And what are some of the messages that you try to... [00:06:01][4.1]

[00:06:01] Savaz Sample: Well, it's things that youth, that young people actually go through. There's some of the things I've been through myself growing up. Like on peer pressure and teen pregnancy and child abuse too. [00:06:16][14.9]

[00:06:20] Interviewer: Well let's talk about the inspirational aspect of your work for a minute because you have mentioned that several times and I'm wondering if you can tell me more about that. [00:06:32][11.2]

[00:06:37] Savaz Sample: The inspirational part is actually I give that to Jesus Christ because he's the one that's the head of my life and I give all the glory and honor to the woman and everything. And he's one who gave me this talent and I'm using it now in my form of a little home-based business I'm trying to establish which is based on what I just mentioned here, portraits and comic books and biblical scenes and wildlife scenes and portrait illustrations too. [00:07:06][29.6]

[00:07:10] Interviewer: And another night that I met you we talked briefly about your church. [00:07:14][3.1]

[00:07:14] Savaz Sample: Mm-hmm. [00:07:14][0.0]

[00:07:15] Interviewer: And can you tell me again the name of the church, please? [00:07:17][2.1]

[00:07:18] Savaz Sample: The name of the church that I attend is Knight Faith Church of Deliverance, and it's Locain only. [00:07:25][6.8]

[00:07:27] Interviewer: And Do you do some of your work for the church as well? [00:07:34][7.2]

[00:07:35] Savaz Sample: I have, I have. [00:07:36][1.5]

[00:07:38] Interviewer: Liquid. [00:07:38][0.0]

[00:07:39] Savaz Sample: Well, I've done some biblical scenes, like the Nativity scene, and I've also done a logo for some watches, so I can design for watches. Well, I don't have a copy of that thing. [00:07:55][16.3]

[00:07:57] Interviewer: That's okay. [00:07:57][0.4]

[00:07:58] Savaz Sample: But anyway, I've done some things for them, like the nativity scene and the logo and everything. Plus a few others I cannot mention because there's been so many. [00:08:08][9.7]

[00:08:10] Interviewer: So you're very active in your church. [00:08:12][1.6]

[00:08:13] Savaz Sample: Yes ma'am, and I'm also, now I'm a member of my church, I'm an oil technician, who I just know is just a sound and all that kind of stuff. I have a few other members of my church who help me out. [00:08:24][11.3]

[00:08:24] Interviewer: Okay. And, um, what is that? [00:08:27][3.0]

[00:08:28] Savaz Sample: Well, orientation is simply, well, just a person is operating an audio system and the sound and keep the sound adjusted and the right frequency and all that stuff. [00:08:38][10.3]

[00:08:41] Interviewer: So is that just for the pastor, or do you have a band too that you have to... [00:08:44][3.3]

[00:08:44] Savaz Sample: Well, both the pastor and the musicians and the choir members and everything. [00:08:50][5.6]

[00:08:50] Interviewer: Okay, okay, well, sounds like a nice church service. [00:08:54][3.6]

[00:08:55] Savaz Sample: It is. It is, it is. You can imagine how wonderful it is [00:08:59][4.3]

[00:09:00] Interviewer: Is it a small church or is it a large church? [00:09:02][1.6]

[00:09:02] Savaz Sample: Well, it's sort of an affiliate to one that is located in Salisbury. There's actually three churches, one in Salisbury, one in only which I mentioned, and the other one in Millsboro. Sort of an affiliation of sorts. [00:09:16][13.9]

[00:09:20] Interviewer: Now, you were talking about the, um, comic that you did for the Gizzard Gazette. Mm-hmm. And let's just talk about that. Oh. [00:09:29][9.3]

[00:09:29] Savaz Sample: Oh, okay. Yeah, so that was started in 93, well, summer or spring of 93, 94, and I became a member, I was active in Purdue as a member of a local facility-based newsletter committee. Called the new, well we called it a new publication because it was that. All we did was compile it on faxel that the things are going all around our plan and send them off to Salisbury where they compile them to Geller and arrange it and everything and publish it. That along my work. But the cartoon actually was sort of like a safe, well, it sort of started like a cartoon thing, you know, that's kind of a little poke fun of what's going on on the planet. And also I've done some safety cartoons too. Did you see the main curator was Mr. Chicken? [00:10:30][61.1]

[00:10:33] Interviewer: Now, I guess, did Mr. Chicken, um, explain safety things or, you know, what was this role in the cartoons? [00:10:41][8.0]

[00:10:41] Savaz Sample: Well, it was sort of like this. It was, he was sort like, how should I say, like a sitcom thing, where it was a guy involved in certain scenes, situations where it touched a certain topic on safety, like cleaning the floors or making sure everyone wears their safety equipment and all that kind of stuff, like their hard hats and their gloves and aprons. [00:11:04][23.1]

[00:11:08] Interviewer: And what kinds of things did you try to poke fun at that were going on in the plant? [00:11:13][4.8]

[00:11:13] Savaz Sample: Well, um, oh, various things. Well I think it was one drawing I've done was where the main character was given a guide through a local Purdue facility and he was looking throughout the various parts of the operations and everything and then he came across this other part of it that kind of his eye and then he put they raises question caught sit on Well, do you know anything about ergonomics? Yeah, or is it, or we'll wait. And there was another one that I've done on where it was watching some men all working with some electrical equipment and he kinda was trying, he was I think he was probably had his hand on something and was trying to just, I don't know, was poking him or something like that and he got kinda like a shock [00:12:20][66.5]

[00:12:24] Interviewer: Okay, and how did the workers at the plant react to these cartoons that are poke and fun at things that they find on the museum? [00:12:32][9.0]

[00:12:34] Savaz Sample: Well, I didn't get too much of a response to it, but then again, no. They probably did like them, though. But I didn't get to make no responses from them because I didn't ask or anything, actually. But I have a feeling they did like it. But it wasn't until about 1995 when I started to establish my own business and everything. But it was not totally established. I was just doing drawings for other people, like portraits and stuff. And I was getting paid for it. But the things I've done for Purdue, like the mural that they have out on their wall, out in the hallway, which we will know after you reach the entrance, go to the entrance way. And it gave me some memorabilia, like shirts and a coffee mug and all that. But it wasn't until I've done what you see here and started getting paid for it, I decided, well, if I'm not going to get paid for, then no sense in doing it. [00:13:36][62.1]

[00:13:37] Interviewer: And how big is that mural? [00:13:38][0.9]

[00:13:39] Savaz Sample: Good grief, I can't even tell you. See I guess it was about over six feet in length and about two [00:13:49][10.2]

[00:13:50] Interviewer: Nice and long. [00:13:51][0.6]

[00:13:51] Savaz Sample: Almost two feet in height. They took me about three to two days to do it. [00:13:56][4.6]

[00:13:56] Interviewer: And they supplied you with the paint and all that kind of stuff? Exactly. Okay. And what's the mural look like? [00:14:02][5.4]

[00:14:02] Savaz Sample: Well, it's describing the different goings on the plant from the front end to the back. Okay. Things, how things get started and how the trucks load up and unload and all that. And how they have receiving in and where they receive the, where they get the chickens out of the crates and hang them on a line. It's the first place where they go to. It's like a dark room. Okay. Yeah, there's a little new light there. And see the dude, have it that way so the chickens won't get scared, yeah. Because see a chicken can't see that well in the dark anyway. And they hang them upside down and on shackles. And then those shackles carry the chickens, I don't know why, to some processing machines where they get scalded and boiled and all that kind of stuff. Reach G. So LA is what it owns. Yeah, that too. And also they dress them, and then they go through that and to the evisceration line. When they had the insides pulled out, and I see those things imposed about three or four lines. Where one line makes sure that there's no air sacs or anything. And then another line makes the insides are pulled out. And there's another line that, um, gosh, there's so many lines that, you know, they have enough that which ones totally do what. They go all the way to the other end where they, you don't kind of like wash them off and everything. Right. And it goes into these new long machines called chillers. [00:15:59][117.1]

[00:16:02] Interviewer: And that chills open them for four-packing. [00:16:04][1.9]

[00:16:05] Savaz Sample: And then after that they go out to those two chiller machines and two separate shaker tables. That's where the grain line is. Where the associates on each side of the shaker table sort out the birds and hang them on a line. It's like grain potatoes and all that. Okay. Okay. Make sure you don't put out any. Broken legs or broken wings or some some legs are sometimes missing them everything or sometimes wings will be missing yeah but they do that and we'll actually do just some of the chickens that hang on a line that go to different parts of the planet that kind of spread out one line goes to old bird and another line goes to packing and everything and what we do of my area, what we do is we take the birds that falls off the shackles. See, they fall off at random. [00:17:10][64.9]

[00:17:12] Interviewer: Going through the whole process [00:17:13][1.0]

[00:17:13] Savaz Sample: Mm-hmm. Yeah, they just fall right, they literally fall off the, um, no, off the shackles whenever they reach a certain machine. Okay. We have at least about eight, at least eight machines. Okay. And what we do is just go down this little chute or bin or wherever, and the person picks it up and places a pad under the chicken and shoves it in the machine. She does the rest. [00:17:42][28.4]

[00:17:44] Interviewer: No, um, how dangerous is some of this work? [00:17:48][3.8]

[00:17:49] Savaz Sample: Well, it can be dangerous if you're not careful or if you don't know what you're doing. And sometimes, if you know what your doing, it still can be a little dangerous. So no, we have to know what the requirements are. We have to wear safety boots and like tall boots that go halfway up to your own lower leg. Sometimes you wear those safety shoes too and... Apron, hard hat, or a bump cap actually, and then the gloves and the, um, well the thin, well the cotton gloves first and sometimes the green gloves or classic surgeon gloves next. You know, try to make sure that you, that the chickens are free of germs and everything. Right. But if something happens with the chicken, like if it falls on the floor, what we do is a slight salvage it. We just pick it up, wash it off, and go back and continue what we were doing. Sometimes it does get a little messy. I believe it gets real messy. I can't even tell you how messy it can get. But then again, I can. One time, it was one night, I was on the line, and I was cleaning up the floor. And boy. That night was so stressful, the chickens were literally littered all over the floor because it would fall off the shackles. Sometimes there were some loose shackles and sometimes they would fall and get reached with a machine. And my job was to pick up the birds and wash them off and hang them back on the shackles. And in that time, it was absolutely littered with chickens. I'm saying it was a quiet egg. Oh, boy. Well, actually, by the grace of God, I've gotten over it, so I've lived through the whole thing. [00:19:49][120.8]

[00:19:53] Interviewer: Well, how many people work on one of the lines that you were describing? [00:19:56][2.8]

[00:19:57] Savaz Sample: Well, it's actually composed of two lines, the packing line which will have the machines and the people operating it and things like that. Operating those machines and there's another place called a giblet line. What it does is just one section does, places the necks and the hearts and the livers and the gizzards on a piece of film And what they do is just put, you know, it's just cool like, um, they put, so I can arrange it where one person does the giblets. No, one person has the hearts, one does the, um...necks, and one person doesn't. The livers. And it goes on this film, and then it goes through the process, and it goes, no, then it seals it tight into the film and everything. So, giblets wrapped up. And else I know Gus does a job in it. When the chickens go through the shackles, they shove the wrapped package into the body cavity, which when it goes through our eye, it just drops down at random through one of the machines. [00:21:19][82.2]

[00:21:26] Interviewer: Are there any skills that you use at the plant that you find you end up using in your drawing? [00:21:33][6.8]

[00:21:34] Savaz Sample: Well, um... Not too much, but then again, there's some main basic things that really, I don't know, cause me to do what I do here, and that's hard work and perseverance and striving for what you know, the things you desire to have in life and everything. So things don't come easy. [00:21:55][21.5]

[00:21:57] Interviewer: Ha, ha, ha. [00:21:58][0.5]

[00:21:58] Savaz Sample: That's one thing I've learned as a grown man, that some things do not come easy. Sometimes I wish it did, but unfortunately it doesn't. All of us should know that anyway. [00:22:08][9.5]

[00:22:13] Interviewer: Why is it you think it took you till you were a grown man to learn that? [00:22:16][3.1]

[00:22:16] Savaz Sample: Well, sometimes, sometimes um, some people learn early in life, and some people learn later on in life. It just, just the way it is. There's always a reason for everything. [00:22:32][16.2]

[00:22:36] Interviewer: Okay, one more question about the plant, I guess. Is there sort of jokes and stuff that you guys share as you work, or how do you get these inspirations for some of the jokes that you use in your cartoons, or used in your cartoon? [00:22:56][19.5]

[00:22:57] Savaz Sample: Well, some just come when I'm working on a line or things like that. Now, back to why I was mentioning about the floor, you know, cleaning the floors and everything. See, that's before he, that was after he started changing up the ergonomics of our own department. Oh, okay. And decided, you know it was the machines and the packing line and the giblet line were separate, but now they put those two together to form a single unit. But with four hours, no packing chickens. That was for everything. It was no putting them, done that and this and that and all that kind of craziness. And it was that one time, that one night while I was packing chickens and a little inspiration and a thought came to my head. As I know, usually one of those thoughts that comes to my head that's interesting, I know I can use it. I put it on paper. And as a result of that... [00:24:05][68.8]

[00:24:10] Interviewer: So that's how you got that. [00:24:11][1.1]

[00:24:13] Savaz Sample: Mmm... Yeah, so gal and Taj Mahal go right on the line. [00:24:16][3.5]

[00:24:16] Interviewer: Now what was that thought? Do you remember what it was that... [00:24:19][2.5]

[00:24:19] Savaz Sample: You know, there's those two words. Sir Gal and Taj Mahal. Well, Officer Gal has sort of, well, you can... No picture of mine is a knight in shining armor and all that kind of stuff. But Ashley, this is the name of one of the main characters. And the main character, Sir Galahad, is a terrier. See, these two characters come from different backgrounds. He's sort of like a person with a southern accent and everything. And this character here is from the big city, from up north. So you can see those two differences there. One is a little bit conservative and the other one is a bit more liberal. [00:25:12][53.0]

[00:25:14] Interviewer: Who's more constructive, can I ask? [00:25:16][1.7]

[00:25:16] Savaz Sample: Well, Sir Galahad is. Sir Galhad is, you know when you think of Sir Gal, you think of Knights and Shining Arm, like I mentioned before, and Chivalry and everything. Yeah, and Todron Hall is so like, no, style, yeah, no. It's so like real life. You find those two opposites. You can find those opposites wherever you go. When it's rich or when it's poor and everything, you find those opposite all the time. [00:25:44][27.2]

[00:25:46] Interviewer: And how do you have them interacting? [00:25:48][2.1]

[00:25:49] Savaz Sample: Well, um, Todger Hall, well, is actually the cat, I think. He's sort of like a practical joker. And sort of got like sort of like on the more serious side but he he isn't joke as much as on the other as Taj Mahal dies oh his jokes a little bit more subtle and Taj Mahals is more no [00:26:16][27.4]

[00:26:18] Interviewer: Yeah. [00:26:18][0.0]

[00:26:19] Savaz Sample: Yeah. [00:26:19][0.0]

[00:26:20] Interviewer: Okay. Okay. So do you come up with a lot of ideas while you're at work? [00:26:25][5.2]

[00:26:26] Savaz Sample: Mmm, sometimes sometimes I come with them Some of the ideas come over in the craziest places like Purdue or elsewhere. I just come up with an idea and write on paper. [00:26:39][12.7]

[00:26:40] Interviewer: I guess you carry a little pen and paper with you everywhere? [00:26:42][2.4]

[00:26:43] Savaz Sample: Well, sometimes a duel in that will cause me, you know, that will, cause me to keep my mint and my grape juices flowing. Okay. Sometimes I get an idea from that. [00:26:53][10.3]

[00:26:54] Interviewer: Right. Well, let me talk about some of the materials that you use to do your graphics. Can you tell me? I see pen. [00:27:05][10.4]

[00:27:06] Savaz Sample: Yes, I use, well, graphic is sort of like composing those two mediums, pen, ink, and pencil, because graphic is, you know, like, we're graphite, so... So I use that as a medium because I have, I like this type of medium because it gives me sort of more control of my work and the looser style is okay but I try that and it just doesn't work for me anyway. [00:27:33][26.7]

[00:27:33] Interviewer: And what do you mean by loser's style? [00:27:35][1.4]

[00:27:35] Savaz Sample: Well, like on watercolor. Now there's some instances I did use I had to mix up that and watercolor and a few other things like pastel and magic marker but I prefer a more tight style because it gives me more control and it kind of gives me the edge. Uh huh, okay. Yeah. That kind of person likes to just get down to it and... [00:28:01][25.6]

[00:28:03] Interviewer: Now, how long will it take you to create, say, well, let's do different things. How long will take you create one of these strips? [00:28:11][7.6]

[00:28:13] Savaz Sample: Well, something first has to come up that's really kind of funny and I think that will kind of catch the person's eye. And sometimes it goes after minutes and sometimes hours of thinking and pondering and dueling and everything and then when I come across something I just draw it. And sometimes it just comes easy, I just drawing it put it on paper and all that kind of stuff. [00:28:36][22.5]

[00:28:36] Interviewer: Okay, and the portraits that you do, how long do those take? [00:28:40][3.6]

[00:28:40] Savaz Sample: Now those depend on the size and the amount of time, the timing and everything. For instance, if a person comes up to me and says I want a portrait done, and I tell them what size you want, 8x10 or 9x12, and they tell them the size, I tell them the price, and then I go by the rules and procedures which I have to do in regards to drawing the portrait. And knowing that a deal was made, and I take it from there. And usually I can either do it one or two, I can do it both ways, but I let the customers decide what they want. Because the customer always knew what they wanted anyway. And I can either do it by using a photograph or I can just let that person pose for me. [00:29:31][51.4]

[00:29:37] Interviewer: And how did you come up with your fee scale and all that kind of stuff, how to decide what something is going to cost? [00:29:46][9.0]

[00:29:47] Savaz Sample: Well, it depends on that. I've combined the amount of the time done. It depends on how much I have to do. Now, one portion of these will take me about a week. Sometimes it'll take me two weeks. Sometimes it will take a lot more than two weeks, and sometimes it'll taking about a few hours to do it. It depends on the timing and it depends on how much time I have because I can only do this on the during the days But I also work with you during the night. So it's kind of [00:30:16][28.7]

[00:30:17] Interviewer: Okay. And you showed me a portrait of a couple. [00:30:21][3.6]

[00:30:22] Savaz Sample: E.S.O. [00:30:22][0.0]

[00:30:23] Interviewer: So, like, how much would a portrait like that be? [00:30:26][2.6]

[00:30:27] Savaz Sample: Well, this is an 8 by 10. This is a real life couple. And that will cost about 50. Now, I can charge a little extra if they want it framed or matted. But if they wanna matte them, so it's fine. I just charge them 15. [00:30:42][15.6]

[00:30:50] Interviewer: And I read in the article that you showed me that she would come up with a business plan and a marketing strategy. Can you tell me a little bit about that? [00:30:58][8.0]

[00:30:59] Savaz Sample: Well, um... That was during the days when I was, oh boy, that was when I started my business and everything. And I decided to write down the things that I would do with my business. And what I would as well, my business will be based, it will be a Christian based business, and this business will not only reach out to, you know, satisfy the customer, and meet, or exceed the customer expectations, whatever I do, like cartoons or portraits or comic strips, or comic books, that will also not forget where it was, where it came from, and that is that. It was God who gave me the gift, and it was a reason why He gave it to me. So that is my way of not letting it go to waste. [00:31:59][60.0]

[00:32:00] Interviewer: Okay. Why do you think I gave you this gift? [00:32:02][2.1]

[00:32:02] Savaz Sample: Well, it could be for many reasons. I didn't know until later on why you gave it to me. I mean, I've I've watched I've shown it to many people and some of my people I came across they were drawing and they decided, well they did they did start doing whatever they were doing but they decided to slack off for personal reasons. And some of the things I did kind of inspired them Some guys spires and some, well, a little, kind of a little mousy-blow about it, but anyway. Yeah, there was, um... Matter of fact, there was one person I met, he's from across the bay, and well I met while I was across the Bay, and it was this lady with the name of Megan Rose Jensen, she is a social worker, and she works at North Hampton County Department of Social Services, and I wish she was here so she could tell you a little bit more about what went on, but anyway, it would be the best for me to tell that since I'm here, and went across obey to this little youth. Camp out. It wasn't like a, no wonder a tent was in a little hotel. And I think it was called Sunny Happy Days or something like that. But it wasn't spelled D-A-Y-S, it was spelled D A Z. [00:33:31][89.1]

[00:33:32] Interviewer: Okay [00:33:32][0.0]

[00:33:33] Savaz Sample: That was the name of the place. And there were some various youth that came from various backgrounds. Some were in their late teens and some were about in their early 20s and everything. And they went through some things that kind of I couldn't relate to, but the situation and the circumstances were a little bit different. And this one boy, his name was Darren. And he was from Alexandria, Virginia. [00:34:03][30.4]

[00:34:04] Interviewer: Okay. [00:34:04][0.0]

[00:34:06] Savaz Sample: And Marifat. And you know that they were showing me some of his work why first met and of things you show was so like cartoons like comical superheroes no i can't stop but some were not will really caught my eye about was these were not the ones you see in the complex now but it was some of the zone doing some of these three three himself Mm-hmm, I kind of own cruelly to that because I But there was some, one of the first things I did while I was doing cartoons, besides the comic strips, characters that you see in the newspaper, was comic book superheroes. I was kind of inspired by that too. But my great inspiration came from God himself, so. And the things that he showed me caught my eye. So I said, well, I can give him a few things that will help him get to where he's going and everything. And see, the comic book I showed you, Alexandra, I've had that under copyright. [00:35:22][75.7]

[00:35:23] Interviewer: Oh, okay. [00:35:23][0.4]

[00:35:24] Savaz Sample: I'm not sure if I can find the card right, I don't know why I can't keep it so to speak. [00:35:30][5.5]

[00:35:41] Interviewer: Switch to the first. Wow. [00:35:45][3.9]

[00:35:46] Savaz Sample: And what I wanted, and what you see there is a copyright. And I gave him some copyright forms, which I mail off to him after, you know, those days we spent down, after I've... What I was planning on doing, and what I'm in the works of doing now is start with a comic book line. And like I mentioned before, Marvel and DC have a comic-book line too. Right. And they used to have superheroes in theirs. Imposing the main characters. Well, in that case, while I have fictional characters... They don't have to be real, but they can be based on just anybody who's been through those things that these characters have been through. They can come from various backgrounds. [00:36:44][58.2]

[00:36:46] Interviewer: So you're in the process of starting up, so. [00:36:48][2.4]

[00:36:49] Savaz Sample: Mm-hmm. [00:36:49][0.0]

[00:36:50] Interviewer: Thank you. [00:36:50][0.0]

[00:36:52] Savaz Sample: Well, the first thing I wanted to do was just, like I said, the first thing that I wanted started was the comic book period, Alexandra. That's the first one. And what I want to do is get the publisher and get the, I mean, I would have a publisher, but what I wanted do was try to use that first but first to get out to youth and let them read or... Well, whoever is going to happen, will happen. And when that's done and overriffed, then I'll go ahead and start the next phase of doing another one. And see, this is sort of like a... It's not like a periodical, but it's like an issue. Each issue deals with certain topics or certain situations. [00:37:40][48.1]

[00:37:40] Interviewer: Will it always feature Alexander [00:37:41][1.1]

[00:37:43] Savaz Sample: We'll have a little, you know, some other characters in there too. But she will always pose as the main character. And not only that, I will start on some other comic books that will do so like this. It will be both Christian based, but it will have different characters in it. Like this one, this character for instance. Now, there's another comp I want to get started on pretty soon, which will have him and a few other characters in that. Each one will, that one will also be Christian based, but it will be sort of like a parody of sorts. And it will have a certain moral to it, which young people, well, you little kids will understand. And we'll kind of like poke fun at certain things that... That we have in our culture like what you see on TV like mystery movies or horror movies or adventure flicks and all that kind of stuff. That's tough. [00:38:51][67.6]

[00:38:54] Interviewer: Now, um, what are the qualities of a Christian-based business? Well, it is... [00:38:59][5.1]

[00:39:01] Savaz Sample: They always put Christ first, because, you know, as mentioned in the Bible, God gives certain gifts to certain men. And it also tells you the basics, which is love and long-suffering and temperance, meekness, kindness, gentleness, faith. Those are the basics. But those are based on, and from that right there comes our other gifts, like gift of hum, of hum. I should say it's like, valid, no- love, or singing, or a gift of music, or what you're seeing here, or artwork. All those for all those who do different things but come to do it for one reason. Inspired, encouraged, and to help. [00:39:55][53.7]

[00:39:57] Interviewer: Okay. So, and that's what you're hoping that these will do, is help. [00:40:02][4.5]

[00:40:03] Savaz Sample: And not only that, it brings a lot of change in a person's life, because somewhere in this book, they'll capture something that they can relate to. And they'll grab them here. They'll see it there, but they'll also, once they read it all, they will grab them. [00:40:19][16.4]

[00:40:21] Interviewer: And how did you come up with a woman as the main character for your book? [00:40:26][5.1]

[00:40:27] Savaz Sample: Well, um, actually, I kinda like, it was sort of like some dueling I did for years past. It wasn't until New Year's night, January 1st, 1995, when I started doing it. And later on I started doing it as a comic book. But this is just the first, this is the start of point, and I'm using that as the start of point. [00:40:59][31.8]

[00:41:01] Interviewer: Okay, and where do you think you'd like to see your business go? [00:41:06][4.8]

[00:41:07] Savaz Sample: Well, a few years down the road, I see my business and myself, actually. I have a business anyway, so I'm walking, breathing, and everything else. Well, traveling different places and going to youth conventions and seeing lies change because of various things going on, like why just mission to you. How my life was changed by, I don't know, having a relationship with Jesus Christ. It was, at first, when I first started living with my mom, I was pretty messed up. I had nowhere else to go. I had no sense of direction. Practically I was just, I couldn't express myself in any other way because of my emotions were all mangled up. Because the physical wounds will always heal, but those emotional and spiritual wounds, only those are the ones that God himself can touch. Nobody else. I mean, you can go to a psychiatrist and they'll probably scratch the surface, but they can't, right? It'll take someone to really pull out those things like a surgeon. And um it was my mom actually introduced me to Jesus Christ at a young age she gave me a little red Bible and she told me well I want you to read this little red bible so I read it I said mom and she said you finished? I said yeah, I said that was that soon? I said I'll read it again, so I decided to read it and there was some time I read my and then there were some days I read that little redbible my spare time and everything And I wasn't told... I was about 14 or 15 when I saved Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. But it wasn't until early on when I was in the Bible, I think somewhere on the shore where I was, and I got saved, but I wasn't really, I didn't really fully receive Jesus until I was 15. [00:43:20][133.2]

[00:43:22] Interviewer: And what happened when you were 15 too? [00:43:23][1.7]

[00:43:24] Savaz Sample: Well, I was going through some really tough days at school, and that was before I got adopted by my mom here. And that was through social services when I got adopted. And I was picked on and laughed at, and I was often the object of ridicule and everything. And that was from elementary school all the way up to. I experienced it renown there, but I'm okay. And I'm It was sometimes on certain classes where I would meet up with these people and they would make fun of me and laugh and oh boy. I mean, it was kind of tough. Some of it was no peer pressure, because I didn't do those things that those other kids did. And before I got saved and everything, I always knew. It became worse after I got save, but anyway. [00:44:37][73.0]

[00:44:37] Interviewer: Thank you very much. [00:44:37][0.0]

[00:44:38] Savaz Sample: Still, it was for all of us for a reason. And I mean, just, I mean it continued and escalated until I reached 12th grade. That's when things really got bad. I mean there was some days I went in the classroom. I, there was a class I didn't not want to go into because I knew it was on the other end, how it would happen. But no, in spite of I made it. I graduated with high honors and everything. Oh, good. So, no. It is mentioned in the Bible and in God's Word that all things work together for the good of the will of God. And so it was always a reason for everything. You just had to keep the faith. Because not everybody believes what you believe in. [00:45:26][47.8]

[00:45:27] Interviewer: This is true. [00:45:28][0.5]

[00:45:28] Savaz Sample: Mm-hmm. [00:45:28][0.0]

[00:45:29] Interviewer: Well, graduating with high honors is something, too, you know? Yeah. [00:45:33][3.3]

[00:45:33] Savaz Sample: Yeah, because the honors that I had was an art contest I've entered in two years back. I didn't quite win, but it did give me some experience of how no art contests work and what to expect from those once you place your entries in no art contest. Number one is a lot of competition, and there's some artists that have different ideas. From what you have. And sometimes they can be more eye catching. So if you can get [00:45:33][0.0] [2498.8]