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!

London Visit

It's hot, it's sweaty and it's taking over the country. What is it about the place that draws so many to it? You end up with black snot if you walk its streets. I don't actually think it's that more expensive to live in (other than rent and house prices), a meal out costs about the same as it does in most places in the UK. It's noisy and set to get worst -- my local council has just proudly announced it has taken over local licensing so that means London will now be potentially exposed to round the clock bar opening and the resultant noise nuisance.
But I still enjoy coming here. There's still an electricity to walking the streets, the thought that anything might happen, which it almost certainly won't in sleepy Lancaster unless you do it yourself, which I'm these days unlikely to do.

London. There's no escaping.

Marvel UK

In and out from writing Beyblade, Dick Turtle and editing RAF Magazine I've been spending some time thinking about one past job as editor at Marvel Comics UK back in the 1990s. This was prompted by the launch of a small newsgroup comprising stalwarts from that time, devoted to talking British comics.

I've learnt quite a few things about Marvel UK's operation from various people as a result in the past two weeks that I never knew before, and it's also suggested some ideas and thoughts for new projects.

Last week, I was busy on RAF and the Titan web site but in the middle of all that I started a ball rolling on a new comic strip with Paul J. Palmer, who draws strips for the Dandy and Lucky Bag called The Underversity. Hopefully have the first strip posted online next week. It uses the Really Heavy Greatcoat's Kevin, but in a new setting.

Also spent a lot of time catching up on Smallville, which I'm really enjoying in its third season. Although Titan has a Smallville Mag on the horizon I've no involvement with it, so I won't know what's going to happen and I can watch it without fear of "spoilers". A definite plus.

Connections

Strange how the world works. I find 20six via DotJournalism, then find BlackRat's blog (the guy writing some fascinating stuff about Iraq after a trip there). I link to that on my blog and he reads about me editing RAF Magazine and gets in touch.

It's the kind of thing that makes SF fans like me wonder about parallel universes. The What Ifs always start rattling round my head and send me racing for the latest book on quantum physics.

jog

Dropped in Lancaster's John O'Gaunt on Market Street for lunch. They do something called a "late breakfast". How late can a late breakfast be? Whatever. One of Lancaster's few remaining decent pubs -- it's not tied to any brewery and so has a varied range of beers, whiskys etc. It's also renowned for jazz, folk and other live music and the bogs have some great cartoons on the walls.

Been catching up with some old comics friends recently -- Dave Gibbons, Richard Starkings, Lew Stringer. We all got our break into comics at more or less the same time back in the 1980s and have been sort or reminsicing about old comic marts and drinking sessions. I suspect it's all a ploy for a major beer session at the British Comics Festival in Bristol, in May. Like I'm going to fall for that old trick...

RAF Magazine and other things

Today has been a busy day. I'm working on a new RAF Magazine for Titan which feels strange because a) I'm not a member of the RAF and b) given my past membership of various 'leftie' organisations and opposition to war in Iraq I have to wonder if because no-one approving the title seems to care about things like that, what does this say about anyone with a different view to the Establishment's in the UK?

Never mind. Grin and bear it, hmm? Just leave enough time to add a few more Greatcoat cartoons to dowthetubes while earning some pence. Got to do some things that you enjoy...

Outside the office there's a woman calling for her cats. She's called them Mulder and Scully. Mulder is always missing. She should have known better...