In this episode of The Interviews, photographer and filmmaker Marc Karzen discusses his 11-season career shooting the iconic bumper photos for Late Night with David Letterman, and how he turned decades of archived work into a self-published book.
Karzen shares the unlikely origin story behind _Late Night Bumpers_ — from shooting SNL’s logo in wet cement outside 30 Rock to becoming the visual voice of late-night television — and why he walked away from traditional publishing deals twice to self-publish with Blurb.
He also opens up about his upcoming book _Kentucky Derby 1984_ , rooted in gonzo journalism, shot entirely on Kodachrome, and how a podcast interview about Hunter Thompson brought the long-shelved project back to life.
From prototyping and testing book formats to pitching your work on your feet at a crowded art gallery, Karzen offers hard-won advice for photographers and creatives looking to bring archival work into print, build an audience, and own their creative output.
Discover _Late Night Bumpers – 40th Anniversary Edition_ in the Blurb Bookstore: https://www.blurb.com/b/10905016-late-night-bumpers-40th-anniversary-edition?
Discover _Kentucky Derby 1984_ in the Blurb Bookstore: https://www.blurb.com/b/12825519-kentucky-derby-1984-a-gonzo-flashback-collector-s
Read the full interview with Marc Karzen on the Blurb Blog: https://www.blurb.com/blog/behind-the-book-marc-karzen-self-publishing-late-night-bumpers/
*Timestamps*
00:36 Marc Karzen’s background as a photographer
01:35 How _Late Night Bumpers_ came to be and why Karzen chose to self-publish
03:59 The making of Karzen’s latest book _Kentucky Derby 1984_
08:43 Karzen’s advice to creators: Learn how to talk about your work
10:17 How to format and design your book
11:33 The difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing for photographers
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