Just a little something I've been messing about with, when I should have been doing something else. The lyrics are a single verse from Tom Waits' song Reeperbahn. As with the Team Sputnik version of Frank's Wild Years, I didn't get permission from Tom Waits, his agent or his lawyers to use his lyrics this way. Don't rat me out.

Monday, June 02, 2008 11:04:07 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

Because aparrently they've both been at it...

Monday, June 02, 2008 9:20:52 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

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.

Sunday, June 01, 2008 12:18:23 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

In life, there are a few things you can be sure of, but the kind of job you end up doing isn’t one of them.

It happened to me. Due to a long series of coincidences, I found myself doing something I never thought of – writing.

I started with a 12-episode comic series for a big Italian publisher. Then I wrote comic scripts for an American children’s magazine; this is when I started my collaboration with Nick.

When I think back to those days, it all sounds very unlikely. At the time I still lived in Italy, and Nick was in England. The only way we could communicate was by phone and by ordinary post. Then Nick bought a fax machine, and everything became easier, although I still had to rely on access to a friend’s fax. Then we both got computers, although compared to the ones we have today they looked like shoeboxes with keyboards attached. Suddenly, the world shrunk – Italy and England were seconds apart.

It was at this point that Tom Pomplun, and American publisher, contacted Nick. Strange things happen in life – he was looking for someone else, and came across Nick’s website. Tom thought that Nick’s style was suitable for a project he had in mind: an adaptation of Orson Welles’ 1938 radio broadcast of H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds.

It was the first thing Nick and I did for Graphic Classics©, the beginning of a long adventure that I hope will continue for a long time.

I have very little experience of publishers, but Tom is definitely not the kind of publisher you see in the movies: the kind who only publishes work by writers they think will make them a lot of money. As far as I know, Tom doesn’t drive around in a Ferrari, and I don’t think he’s on Bill Gates’ Christmas list.

Sometimes I find myself crying on his shoulder (metaphorically speaking; he is in the US and I live in England) because some critic has given me a poor review. Yes, I still have a soft skin!

He always has words of encouragement, and a very soft touch when he disagrees with something and wants it changed. He has an iron fist in a velvet glove, if you know what I mean.

I’m always amazed by his talent for finding the right artist for a script, someone who can give the perfect twist to the story. Sometimes I have been puzzled by his choice, but then realised what he was looking for.

I have no advice to offer him, although I know he is as affected by a bad review as I am. Perhaps we should both follow the advice Vigil gives to Dante: Non ti curar di lor, ma guarda e passa, which translates as: Don’t pay attention to them, but give them only a glance and walk away.

Good luck!

Tom Pomplun

Batman or Mr Incredible?

Who’s Mr. Incredible? Oh, I just looked him up on the web. Actually, that was one of the few Pixar movies I’ve enjoyed. I hate the rubbery look of most computer animation.

 

What’s in your drawer?

I’m not sure. Whatever it is, it is buried under a lot of junk.

 

What was the first book you ever read?

Probably Dr. Seuss. The first “real” book I remember reading was John Wyndham’s “Day of the Triffids”.

 

On the road with…

My 1993 Honda. It’s got over 200,000 miles on it and still runs great, as long as the rust holds together. I read just yesterday that the resale value of 15-year-old subcompacts has risen 40% in the past year, due to the skyrocketing gas prices here in the U.S. More recent models get less gas mileage.

 

What would you read while travelling from Earth to the Moon?

Jules Verne’s “From the Earth to the Moon”, of course. Or maybe Wells’s “First Men in the Moon”. I always loved it that Wells claimed Verne “can’t write himself out of a paper sack”.

 

What would you be happier without?

Twenty pounds.

 

It’s a waste of time…

Trying to get rid of that twenty pounds.

 

What do you wish you had bought but never got around to it?

Microsoft stock. X-Men #1. Oh wait, I did buy that, then foolishly gave it away along with most of my other comics.

 

Why do you do it?

Because I don’t know what else to do with my life.

 

Never give up

All the information they ask for.

 

 

ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS

Sunday, May 25, 2008 3:24:36 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

During the past eight years I have collaborated with a lot of great artists, and I hope every one of them enjoyed working on my scripts.

 The heroine faints in Mysteries of Udolpho. She does this a lot. Copyright as above.

 

Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse?

Donald Duck for sure. I find Mickey Mouse a bit boring.

 

What’s in your drawer?

Office supplies. One can never have too many office supplies.

 

Who would be your favourite hitchhiking companion?

Hmmm... hitchhiking companion...

Generally it should be someone I could spend long hours with without
going crazy. And there aren't a lot of people who fit that
description. Right now, I have a friend who's a theater
director/professor. We hit it off really well and we've spent a lot of time just talking and going places.

We hang out almost every week, so. I guess it would be him.

 

What would you always have in your rucksack?

Pen and paper. Essential for the comics creators’ survival.

 

What was the first book you ever read?

Oh my… the first one I remember reading was a science encyclopedia.

 

What do you prefer to read at the dentist?

Whatever’s available in the magazine rack. When out of options, I’ll read anything.

 

It’s a waste of time…

…to regret.

 

Instead of taking sleeping pills, you would read a couple of pages of…

I hardly read in bed. Though there was a time I would read something off Paolo Coelho’s “Like A Flowing River”. Very inspirational.

 

Never give up...

Growing.

 

Are you there yet?

Too far away, but taking it one step at the time.

 

 

ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS

Sunday, May 18, 2008 9:48:46 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [1] 

On the 6^th of March (2008), World Book Day, I was invited by Morecambe and Lancaster College (UK) to give a lecture about writing graphic novels.

As any good student should do, I prepared myself by doing some research about other sides of the graphic novel world, such as drawing and publishing. I also thought it would be a good idea to leave behind notes of the lecture, so anyone interested could read them. Technically I was ready and, although I was the person in charge to the talking I was terrified, more or less like all those teenagers sitting in front of me when the teacher started asking questions. 

It has been ages since I gave a lecture, when I did it was more technical stuff, and above all this was my first lecture in the English language. One of my major concerns was my accent; how would these English teenagers respond to a lady talking to them in a funny accent? Also, I am a lot older than them, so I was worried about what sort of credibility I could have talking about graphic novels with my stripy grey hair. The graphic novel has for a long time been considered the Cinderella of literature, something for kids too lazy to read a ‘real’ book, and I was afraid I would be associated with those parents who think that graphic novels and comics are childish.

Rows of bright eyes were looking at me from behind wild fringes, and while no one quite dared to ask me anything, I could read in those eyes hundreds of questions. This boosted my confidence: my accent and my white hair weren’t an issue after all. I tried my best to give them good advice, and show them a few tricks of the trade. I don’t know if any of them will ever draw a graphic novel, but whatever they do with their lives, I wish them the best of luck.

Friday, May 16, 2008 7:38:10 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0] 

After the floods in Britain last year, the multi-talented artist Adam Grose was moved by the images of disaster and the number of victims left behind as the water receded.

He had the idea that these awful events could inspire the comics community to create a collection of one-page strips to raise funds for the Red Cross.

"The UK experienced some of the most horrendous weather, with a month's worth of rain falling in 24 hours," Adam explains. "During this time, many of our fellow citizens experienced flooding, unknown to many of us.

"I decided to put together a comic to help raise awareness of our changing world, the environment and the increasing floods and disasters, that seem ever increasing since the turn of the millennium.

"The book will help raise money for the Red Cross and victims of the floods. Hopefully, this will be available the world over and help to bring more awareness to our world community."

Adam contacted us and we agreed to do something to help.

I don’t know why but I was struck with the idea to write a haiku. It was the first time I had ever attempted one, and I had no idea where to start.

I’m not a poet and therefore unused to cutting words into syllables, to follow the basic rules of the haiku. I decided to approach it from a different angle: go for the images.

The first line came suddenly looking out of the window in a dull morning.

A cloud full of rain

Now I had to find the other two lines.

The second, or more precisely the third, came as I watched a program about floods where I saw houses submerged by water.

A house washed away

Now I had to find a second line, which linked the two. I thought about it for days, but nothing sprung in mind. I knew the concept I wanted to express: why do people build houses in dangerous places, i.e. too near to the banks of rivers or canals. Or why after a disaster like this no one changes anything, hoping that a merciful God will not strike again on the same spot.  I had the idea that a flood is a warning given to us to be careful to choose the right place to build a house and above all a guide to how well we are dealing with nature.

Warning was the word I was looking for, and then disregarded followed naturally. I had the second line.

Nick liked the poem and started putting images to the words.

The idea of a menacing wave approaching a tiny house, drawn in a sort of childish style was the winning approach. And who was better at painting a wave than Hokusai?

The com showcases the work of many artists and writers, each with their own unique approach to the theme of flooding, and each one a winner.

A donation of £3.00 goes the Red Cross for each copy sold.

Adam put together all the artwork and published the book through Lulu.com; he is hoping to add more strips later. If you would like to contribute, get in touch with him via the Clown Press web site.

Thursday, May 15, 2008 7:23:14 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0]