Disclaimer The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in anyway.
Talk about a shrinking world. When I was young (and I never thought I’d ever be old enough to say something like “when I was young”), making a phone call abroad or receiving one was a complex business. International phone calls had to be booked in advance; then a human operator with a strong foreign accent was the only link between you and the other party. Receiving an international phone call was a good way to increase your social prestige; it meant you had some important connection somewhere far from home.
The march of technology has cut us off from the romance of international calls but given us something more useful: we can get connected much faster; we can have videoconferencing and do business internationally without leaving our comfy rooms. Thanks to this technology I have had the chance to collaborate with somebody who enjoys Christmas Day on the beach, and who, when I am sweltering under a hot sun, is wrapped up in his winter clothes.
So, back when I was young, it never occurred to me that I one day I would collaborate with an Australian artist. But it happened. When I adapted King Pest, a short story by Edgar Allen Poe for Graphic Classics (c) , editor/publisher Tom Pomplun gave the job of illustrating the strip to Australian artist Anton Emdin.
I’m always on tenterhooks waiting to see the final art. It’s hard to describe the frenzy I get into whenever I receive a complimentary copy; for the first time, I can see how the artist interpreted my script. So when one morning the postman arrived with a parcel from the US, and I opened it and saw the cover of Graphic Classics©, the first thing I looked for was the King Pest strip.
Poe isn’t known as the most cheerful chap, and I was prepared for something gothic and dark, but Anton’s art threw me a curve: plenty of silliness and humour, I started to laugh. His art reminded me most of Jacovitti, one of the most famous Italian cartoonists, who drew salami with big feet, wasps with huge noses, fish bones, mixed with the art of Don Martin.
Cocco Bill, by Jacovitti
Mona Lisa, by Don Martin
Anton was able to turn a dark tale about the plague into a humorous, silly, funny story; every time I look at it I spot some new silliness, which gives a new twist to the story. If I’m feeling blue, it’s enough to flip through the pages of King Pest to cheer me up. Anton’s art is more effective than an antidepressant.
Anton has kindly written a few lines about the adaptation of King Pest and has answered some questions. Enjoy King Pest.
Anton Emdin, by Anton Emdin
Boo Boo, or Tasmanian Devil?
To make love with or just to hold? Can you please clarify?
What’s in your drawer?
Looking in my top right drawer right now I see:
One monitor cleaning cloth
Two of this month's *ahem* men's mags (my cartoons appear in them, I swear!)
One old notebook
Pack of obsolete business cards
Broken business card holder
Seven Mini DV's of family video footage
A Firewire cable
Nintendo Gameboy games (where the hell is the Gameboy?)
BB gun and pellets
Wad of US dollars (from selling comix through the post)
Old bum bag (god that sounds wrong. The yanks call them Fanny Packs. That sounds even worse.)
Three spare Wacom nibs
Skateboard stickers
Two old wallets
One Mini Mag light (broken)
The other drawers are full of spare drawing paper, printer paper, original artwork, random clippings and cards I've kept, plus boring officey things like staplers and hole punches.
On the road with…
...clenched knuckles, grinding teeth, and a tank full of whiskey.
What was the first book you ever read?
I'd love to say "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carl but more likely it was something dull like "Your first book of shapes".
If your life were a graphic novel, who would draw it?
Probably no one. I'm not too interesting.
It’s a waste of time to…
...try to think up funny answers to interviews. People just think you're a wanker.
What do you prefer to read in a waiting room?
Anything but womens' magazines.
Instead of taking sleeping pills, you would read a couple of pages of…
Doctor Zhivago
Never give up…
...learning new techniques. Getting comfortable is the end of an artist.
Are you there yet?
Hopefully not even close.
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