I’ll start by saying how big a fan I am of Absalom. There seems to be a real mix of characters involved on both sides of the story. How much free rein were you given in their design?
Thanks for that. Obviously Dom Reardon had done the original design for Harry Absalom, my initial interpretation had him looking the spit for Lloyd George, not intentional at all and I think I’ve moved far enough away from that now. Dom got in touch via Facebook and approved, all good. My dad saw an early sketch of Harry and asked with some interest if I was working on a comic about the first world war prime minister: Lloyd George… I like the idea of a historical P.M. supernatural zombie punch-up [probably with robots and Teutonic warrior women… and dinosaurs… hey! this shit writes itself…}
I was given a pretty free rein with the design of everyone else, I had a few blank moments but I think we sorted it out. Some characters come off the script page immediately, with some it was a question of sketching out ideas to see what we don’t want. As you say Gordon wrote a real mix of characters, effortlessly making them all interact and inhabit the world.
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I have to ask about the kitten. Was it deliberate making it slightly cartoon-y so that its death would be funny as opposed to freaking people out? If so was this your choice or was it scripted like this?
I think that was my choice. Actually it didn’t occur to me to make it real or horrible, the fact that it’s been done is bad enough, everything should be in the reactions. Of course, I killed hundreds of kittens to come to this conclusion. And I poisoned an ostrich… though I can’t recall why, now.
Prior to Absalom you’ve also illustrated a Terror Tale, a Future Shock and two Tales from the Black Museum for 2000AD. Was 2000AD a comic you read growing up? If so which were your favourites as a kid and what are you enjoying recently?
I had lots of favourites as a kid, I think my first was Robo Hunter. I loved Ace Garp too, but I don’t think I entirely understood it. I wasn’t a Dredd fan until I was a bit older, nearer to a teenager. Mike Mcmahon’s Slain changed the way I looked at comics, and I loved all the incarnations up to Dermot Power’s treasures of Britain. I’m afraid I have to admit I haven’t kept up with my subscription to 2000AD or the Magazine [need to get back with that until I run out of room again] though I do buy collected editions. Last one was Mandroid with Kev Walker.
![Everything Comes Back to 2000 AD have interviewed hot new (ish) droid Tiernen Trevallion:
I’ll start by saying how big a fan I am of Absalom. There seems to be a real mix of characters involved on both sides of the story. How much free rein were you given in their design?
Thanks for that. Obviously Dom Reardon had done the original design for Harry Absalom, my initial interpretation had him looking the spit for Lloyd George, not intentional at all and I think I’ve moved far enough away from that now. Dom got in touch via Facebook and approved, all good. My dad saw an early sketch of Harry and asked with some interest if I was working on a comic about the first world war prime minister: Lloyd George… I like the idea of a historical P.M. supernatural zombie punch-up [probably with robots and Teutonic warrior women… and dinosaurs… hey! this shit writes itself…}I was given a pretty free rein with the design of everyone else, I had a few blank moments but I think we sorted it out. Some characters come off the script page immediately, with some it was a question of sketching out ideas to see what we don’t want. As you say Gordon wrote a real mix of characters, effortlessly making them all interact and inhabit the world.
…
I have to ask about the kitten. Was it deliberate making it slightly cartoon-y so that its death would be funny as opposed to freaking people out? If so was this your choice or was it scripted like this?
I think that was my choice. Actually it didn’t occur to me to make it real or horrible, the fact that it’s been done is bad enough, everything should be in the reactions. Of course, I killed hundreds of kittens to come to this conclusion. And I poisoned an ostrich… though I can’t recall why, now.
Prior to Absalom you’ve also illustrated a Terror Tale, a Future Shock and two Tales from the Black Museum for 2000AD. Was 2000AD a comic you read growing up? If so which were your favourites as a kid and what are you enjoying recently?
I had lots of favourites as a kid, I think my first was Robo Hunter. I loved Ace Garp too, but I don’t think I entirely understood it. I wasn’t a Dredd fan until I was a bit older, nearer to a teenager. Mike Mcmahon’s Slain changed the way I looked at comics, and I loved all the incarnations up to Dermot Power’s treasures of Britain. I’m afraid I have to admit I haven’t kept up with my subscription to 2000AD or the Magazine [need to get back with that until I run out of room again] though I do buy collected editions. Last one was Mandroid with Kev Walker.
More.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmuef3W3ei1qf427ko1_500.jpg)
