Catching up with the past

(Old post reinstated, ignore if RSS checking)

Been busy this week — stuff for ROK Media (animation, mostly), Star Trek Magazine and some news items for downthetubes.net.

One of these is mention for an interview on the 2000AD Review site with Igor Goldkind, who used to work at Titan and 2000AD and who is, indirectly, responsible for my comics career.
Back in the 1980s, Igor was working for Titan Books, at the same time I was editing a scurrilous comics fanzine with Matt Bingham (who went on to work at FHM and other proper magazines, unlike me). He advertised for an assistant and I applied, got interviewed and was offered the job.

I can't quite remember the exact way things worked out but essentially I quit my job as a designer for a print shop and began to plan for the move to London... and then Bernie Jaye called from Titan to tell me that in fact, the job didn't exist and Igor should never have advertised it in the first place!

I felt committed to the move (it might have been that I hadn't even resigned from the print shop but decided to make the move anyway, my memory's hazy on that point) and upped sticks from Lancaster to London (my sister must have despaired at the sight of how much crap I brought with me, her landlady certainly did).

I phoned Richard Starkings at Marvel UK and he quickly called me back and got me in there as an assistant to Steve Cook (yes, famous photographer Steve Cook), working on Sindy and Doctor Who Magazine. Within about a month (at the time, a record for internal promotion I was told) I was editing DWM, and the rest is history.

So although I never actually worked with him, I owe Igor a debt of gratitude for making a major life change. Good to see that he's done well now. Thanks!