Went to the Dev on Friday. May have been on crack. Saw Nick Cave play last night. He was better last year. Went for Gourmet Burgers tonight. Lovely.
Questions from
Name a relatively obscure writer or artist whom you’d like to see gain international fame and fortune (except yourself), and why.
God, tricky. I’d love to see Alan Moore have a number one hit, because it’d be funny. I wish all the creative types I know personally international fame and fortune, too, because they deserve it. And naturally I want Fin to be rich and famous, so’s I can make a killing in the divorce settlement. But most of the people I really like are already doing pretty well for themselves, TBH. Pick a name more or less at random: Jen Van Meter, writer of the HOPELESS SAVAGES mini serieses for Oni Press. The books are just fucking lovely teen comedies, I wish everyone was reading them.
What work (song, comic, book, TV show, whatever) would you like to see made into a movie? Who would you like to direct and star?
Another bastard one – I like films as films, and other works as other works. Every time I’ve seen a transition from page to screen, it’s been forced to cut the knackers off the printed work in order to pull it off. Likewise, I’ve never seen a TV-to-movie transition that didn’t just feel like a feature-length TV epsiode. I’m seriously looking foward to the animated Ballad of Tam Lin that’s in being set up at the moment. Fuck, I know – some of the norse eddas. There’s one about the 18 charms of Odin, that I’d love to see adapted – the story of how he learned the charms, perhaps. I’m shit at stuff like directors and actors, though.
Describe your perfect night out with friends.
A small group of people, in a pub, then retiring with bottles of spirits and packs of cigarettes to a park to sit about on a warm summers night and chat until the sun comes up. (In my perfect night out, I am allowed to smoke.)
What’s your favorite whiskey? Why?
Bushmills 16. The 21 is a) too expensive and hard to get hold of to drink anything other than ultra-sparingly, which rather limits the pleasure in drinking it, and also, it’s not quite as sweet. The 16 has a lovely sherry sweetness, and a vanilla and cinnamon wash to it.
If you could spend one month anywhere in the world on holiday, where would you go?
I’d bounce around – New Orleans, San Francisco, Portland, New York, Edinburgh and London, staying in the finest hotels.
If you force me to pick one Location, then either New Orleans, Edinburgh or London. I don’t think I could ever call New Orleans home, but it’s the only place that I’ve been that not Edinburgh or London that I think I could bear for more than a week or two.
As per the terms of the meme, speak up if you’d like me to interview you, and claim your five questions. I reserve the right to do only a limted number of questions…
Having resisted the meme up until now, I feel safe in your hands. :) Go for it!
OK, what the hell…
There’s not many people around I’d trust to interview me. You’re one of ’em.
Right then:
1) I get keeping fit. I get raising money for charity. I run on a treadmill on a regular basis, and I’ve been known to rattle a tin. I do not get Marathons, even for charity. Is it masochism? For the love of god, man, why? :)
2) In a similar masochism vein – why’d you get involved with SPX? (It is SPX, right? I’m not commiting some ghastly faux pas, and picking the wrong con?)
3) I refer you to your journal entry of June 2nd this year. When, exactly, did you used to be sweet and innocent?
4) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
5) Favourite comic ever? Why?
Re: OK, what the hell…
I shall remember you said that, when you’re the New Hot Thing in comics.
1) In light of your column last Monday – what did you last drop from you regular purchases list? Why?
2) What was the best thing about writing for Weekending?
3) What’s the best thing about writing for comics?
4) As you probably know, I had a narrow brush with being either a lawyer or an accountant. If you weren’t an accountant, what d’you think you’d have would up doing?
5) It’s said that in law firms, lawyers want to become partners so that they can pick and choose the most interesting cases, and that in accountancy practices, accountants want to become partners so that they never have to do any actual accounting again. Agree? Disagree? Why?
Go on then… ;)
Answers, answers, answers…
I shall remember you said that, when you’re the New Hot Thing in comics.
If ever I get to be the new hot thing in comics, you won’t get in the door. I’ll be too busy fighting off the groupies that have migrated from Morrisson.
1) In light of your column last Monday – what did you last drop from you regular purchases list? Why?
Hmm, the tough ones first, eh? I’ll give you two answers for the price of one. Enjoy the novelty.
Last book I dropped, that I’d previously been buying regularly? Probably PETER PARKER, SPIDER-MAN. Dropped because despite still enjoying the story, I hated (as in loathed with a vengeance) the artwork. One of my faults is that I can’t stand manga-style art. Occasional pin-ups or posters, sure. But more than a page and my head starts hurting.
Last book I dropped after trying for a while? Either HAWKMAN or DOOM PATROL. I think I dropped them both at the same time, because after reading them, I realised that I truly didn’t give a shit what happened to the characters.
2) What was the best thing about writing for Weekending?
Shallow and self-serving though it is, if I’m being honest, it was when someone told me that they’d heard a sketch of mine on the show and laughed. Next best things: hearing my name on the credits, and attending the commissioned writers’ meeting… and hearing the gags that couldn’t possibly go out, either because of the libel laws, or because they just wouldn’t work broadcast ‘cold’ (i.e. without an audience).
3) What’s the best thing about writing for comics?
There’s something good about it?
Oh, ok – seeing pages from an artist: the synthesis (and synergy) of my words and someone else’s art.
4) As you probably know, I had a narrow brush with being either a lawyer or an accountant.
Actually, no I didn’t know that.
If you weren’t an accountant, what d’you think you’d have would up doing?
Hmm – a tricky one. Probably a journalist. I seriously considered it when I was at college, and went so far as seeing whether I could change my degree.
5) It’s said that in law firms, lawyers want to become partners so that they can pick and choose the most interesting cases, and that in accountancy practices, accountants want to become partners so that they never have to do any actual accounting again. Agree? Disagree? Why?
Can’t really speak for the lawyers, but I’d suggest that was more likely for litigators (in both the criminal and civil areas) than for commercial lawyers.
As for accountants, there’s a lot of truth in it: if you’re in practice, the higher up the ladder you go, the less actual accounting you do. That applies across the board, except for those who specialise in either liquidations and insolvencies (both the graveyard ends of the business) or for those in corporate finance.
You end up doing a lot of shmoozing, since your primary aim is to build the business.
That’s in part, but not wholly, why I left practice. I’m not a natural shmoozer, and wanted to ‘keep my hands dirty’ doing accounting.
Why not?
Ask your questions, damn you.
I’ve been resisting, but why not….
I can see this being a long thread ;)