When you ask Luke McCambley a question, he enjoys taking the scenic route to the answer. And he'd be the first to admit it, too. Ironic for someone who, at the same time, can boil down a runner's most existential thoughts into just a few one-liners in his comic, The Orange Runner.
In The OR, Luke seamlessly fuses together history, philosophy, fantasy, optimism, commiseration, and a desert dry sense of humor, with the great sport of running. The Orange Runner comics are often one-part relatable, one-part completely imaginative and bizarre. Take self-doubt and screaming shrimp, for instance...
Luke is a storyteller, an artist, an amateur historian, and most of all—a runner. Or least of all. Or somewhere in the middle. That's kind of how life just goes, he would probably explain with a big laugh and a subtle undertone of enlightenment.
That same essence reflects in the digital pages of The Orange Runner. You scroll away from every comic feeling slightly smarter, a touch wiser, a smidge more in love with running, and a bit more enlightened.
Without further adieu... 5 Questions with The Orange Runner:
Hey Luke, I miss you dude. How are you?
Hey Tim, I miss you too. I'm doing well. How are you? Will I be seeing you this weekend in Miami?
I'm great, and yes you will. That's actually part of why I'm calling. Can we do a quick 5 question interview for our Miami-themed B-Mail?
Of course, I'd love that.
Okay, great... Before we start, did you end up watching "He Won't Get Far on Foot"?
Ah, the Jonah Hill, Joaquin Phoenix movie you told me about? Yeah, I went to go watch it and then I think I went down a rabbit hole about dogs doing funny things instead. I will watch it soon though.
That's what you said last time. Alright, first question randomly on my mind—Do you listen to tunes while you draw?
Mississippi Delta blues, baby. And A Tribe Called Quest... And Jimi Hendrix.
Love it. Luke, you didn't run in college right?
That's right. I went to the School of Visual Arts. They have intramural quidditch, but no track team. Shortly before my freshman year, I got really into boxing. In my sophomore year, I was interning with an artist and some things happened and he couldn’t pay me anymore. I found a Craigslist post for a job at JackRabbit Sports on 14th street. The ad said "Must run 10 miles per week to qualify." But because I was mostly boxing, I was only clocking in about 8 miles per week. I came clean halfway through the interview, did some negotiating, and got the job.
So naturally...
Through osmosis of the job, I started reading all these running books and running a lot more. Then I won a race on the west side highway and that's what really made me fall in love with the sport. I didn't like running until I won. Winning a race is probably the 4th best feeling you can ever have.
I'm gonna go ahead and skip asking you about the top three...
Good call, good call.
When did you start drawing comics?
One day I wanted to draw a fighter jet and this was… before the internet. I was at my grandfathers house with my family and I asked my uncle if he had any pictures of a fighter jet. He was just the kind of guy that could have a picture of a fighter jet on him. Turned out he didn’t, but he DID have a Calvin & Hobbes comic book. And on one of the pages there were pictures of T-Rex’s flying F14 Tomcats. So this is when I was about 6 or 7. But I’ve been drawing since I was about 2. I don’t remember that, but I’ve been told I did good work.
I'm sure you did. Where does the name "Orange Runner" come from?
I’ve always liked the color orange. I remember the first time I saw an orange lacrosse stick and everyone had other muted colors. I asked for it for my birthday and Christmas for three years until I finally got it. I digress. It’s based off this book I read called The Purple Runner. It's the second running book I ever read and it was like $300 on Amazon. And let me tell you, it wasn’t just the worst running book I’ve ever read, it was the worst book I’ve ever read. After that, I declared I would one day write a book called The Orange Runner and everyone will forget about The Purple Runner and how awful it is.
Well let's hope the author doesn’t read this post…
I hope he does. And I think he would agree.
Of all these running books you've read, what's your favorite?
It used to be "Once A Runner", but looking back on it—it's idealistic, sappy and also vaguely misogynistic. So now it's "Best Efforts" by Kenny Moore and "Pre" by Thomas Jordan.
Speaking of idealism, how long did you live in New York before you moved to Miami?
I started living in the city in 2007 during college and I've bounced around a little. I did a brief stint in Paris... and also, Connecticut. But I was mostly in New York until 2021.
What were you doing in Paris?
Painting pictures in the Luxembourg Gardens. Eating croissants and drinking espresso in Paris. Pretending to be Monet, Van Gogh, Matisse...
Sounds like a dream.
It was.
So what's your favorite city: New York, Miami or Paris?
Brussels. I took a trip there after I rage-quit a retail job and it's the best. Comics are super popular there.
Who would've known? Luke, the first time I ever heard of you was when I started seeing runner friends I followed on Instagram post portaits you had drawn of them.
Yes, and you got one too. I don't do them that often because I don’t promote them as much anymore. They’ll be making a comeback this spring and fall with some new projects I have in the works. It’s truly my favorite thing to do. I love giving people the ability to feel a little bit like the superhero they've always wanted to be.
I sure did, and it's still framed in my dad's office today. You must have heard a lot of people's stories over the past few years, huh?
Yeah. I've drawn a lot of meaningful stories. Friends getting their training partner from college a drawing of when they were younger. I’ve drawn family portraits, loved ones who have passed away. It's nice that people can be a part of the Orange Runner story, but it's so much better for me getting to be a part of their story.
Luke, I can't think of a better way to end it. Thanks, brotha. I'll see you this weekend.
Perfect. See you then.
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December 18, 2020
Luke's drawing of my pops riding alongside me the last few miles of my first (and only) 50-mile ultra.
