Two publications stand out in my memory as being significant. The first, VULCAN weekly, was a peculiar item. It reprinted an eclectic mix of the best of Fleetway's sixties output: The Spider, The Steel Claw, Robot Archie and most importantly of all, The Trigan Empire by Don Lawrence! Thirty years before Alex Ross, Don was turning out page after page of photorealistic, fully painted, amazing artwork.
The second important comic of my formative years arrived during the Summer of Sam, 1977: 2000AD! Appropriately enough for the Punk era, it was subversive, ultra-violent, nasty, creepy, cynical, ... and funny! I was living on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus at the time, with no telly, and its no exaggeration to say I was obsessed with this groundbreaking comic. At the ripe old age of eight I decided I had to become a comic strip artist!
Two years later, Maggie was in Number Ten, and I returned to the UK. My years abroad made it hard for me to identify with the other kids, and I ended up as one of those weird, introverted types that never went out, preferring to spend all my break-times in the Art Block, doodling my own comic strips. My other schoolwork was merely an irritant to be daydreamed through, and time was measured by weekly instalments of 2000AD. As I grew up, so did the comic-strip industry. First, Warrior took the cream of 2000AD's top creators and gave them the freedom to produce adult material. Then D.C. followed suit, letting Alan Moore loose on Swamp Thing. Suddenly the cognoscenti were telling us that comics — and, in particular, "graphic-novels" — were cool! In fact, by the time Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns came out, comics were officially the New Rock and Roll! Or so it seemed.
There wasn't a better time to enter the industry, and fate dealt me a good hand: one of my school colleagues introduced me to his dad, Don Lawrence. Yes, that Don Lawrence! Only my all-time favourite artist! I'm embarrassed to say that for several years after, I pestered him for advice and guidance. Eventually he took pity on me and offered to teach me in the ways of the Force ... er, I mean comic-strip illustrating. After a year's apprenticeship, I had a portfolio strong enough to get me my first professional assignment. Nothing too daunting; only Judge Dredd in 2000AD! Talk about jumping straight in the deep end! I soon discovered that having a good portfolio, and being a good comic-strip artist are two entirely different things ... and looking at those early Dredds I produced, it doesn't take an expert to see I was way out of my depth!
To my own surprise, Alan McKenzie, the editor of 2000AD seemed to think I had a talent worth nurturing, bless him, and he kindly kept me in work. I did a Future Shock here, the occasional Dredd there; nothing worthy of attention, until one day I teamed up with the one-armed wonder, writer John Smith! We seemed to hit it off, creatively, and something in his writing inspired me to try a new, weirder style. It suited me! I was finally finding my own voice. Our teamwork culminated in the ten-part "Indigo Prime" story, "Killing Time". Using my collection of garish-hued colour markers, I made this strip as detailed, as psychedelic and as disturbing as possible! The results proved immensely popular with the readers; so much so that it was even collected as a graphic novel. It's still a thrill when, nearly ten years later, people approach me at conventions clutching their dog-eared copies of "Killing Time" for me to sign! I was then asked to repeat the formula with "Canon Fodder", written by then newcomer Mark Millar.
Despite the mixed reaction our strip provoked, our styles seemed to compliment eachother. In fact, Mark went on to assume the mantel of my Unofficial Agent, and set about championing my artwork. He generously introduced me to the editors at D.C. Comics, and I debuted stateside on Swamp Thing, during Mr. Millar's successful run. It took me a long time to adjust to the idea of having other people ink my pencils, let alone using colourists. More compromise was needed to accommodate the demands of a monthly deadline; and my style has subsequently evolved into one that has less of the intricate detail that seemed so popular during my time on 2000AD.. However, I can console myself with the knowledge that my basic drawing abilities have improved considerably under these American Comic-strip conditions. Indeed, someone up there must like me, as D.C. seem to have kept me in exclusive and constant employment ever since, give or take the odd job for my old friends at 2000AD.
