off life issue6

8/12/2019 Off Life Issue6

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FEATURING ANINTERVIEW WITH

WARREN ELLISPLUS COMICS FROM

THE BEST INDIETALENT AROUND

A U G / S E P

2 013

I S S UE # 6

F RE E


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NICE PEOPLE, NEW TALENT AND SEXUALLY

GRATIFIED DOGS

Its funny that the accepted stereotype for comics people is of socially awkward nerds; locked away in poster-lined bedrooms with

only obscure web forums and Star Wars air-x for company.Its funny because having already migrated through the worlds

of publishing, lm and creative agencies this comics industry isprobably the most friendly, sociable place weve ever discovered.

Take ELCAF a few months back. A room full of the mosttalented artists youll nd anywhere in Europe, all chatting,drinking beers and setting up collaborations with newcomers.We met one artist, said we liked their work and before long werethree sheets to the wind with a submission in tow. Could youimagine the equivalent at a UK lm event? We tried it once, onlyfor the producer in question to nose our name badge and explain:Ive not the fucking time for no-ones. Charming.

Nope, unlike other creative media, comics seem to have grownup without the egomaniacs whod rather nosh a dog thanchampion new talent. People are friendly, newcomers ourish andeveryones content. Except perhaps the dogs.

Anyway, enough eulogising. This month we were lucky enoughto grab a short interview with Warren Ellis and, believe us, hedoesnt suffer fools lightly. Nor poorly constructed questions.

Weve also an excellent selection of comics from both familiar facesand newcomers who we very much do have time for.Enjoy!

DANIEL HUMPHRY

Editor, OFF LIFE

COMICS

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WARREN ELLIS

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YOU HAVE BEEN READING

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EDITOR

Daniel Humphry@Daniel_Humphry

ART DIRECTOR

Steve Leard@SteveLeard

COPY EDITOR

Lucy Rice

COVER ART

Kindred Studio

kindredstudio.net

DESIGN

wearerandl.co.uk

[email protected]

@OFFLIFE_COMIC

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Since the late 90s youve maintained near constantonline interaction with your fans. Why has this beenimportant to you?It meant that I didnt have to engage in a great deal of prohibitively expensive and time-consuming travel inorder to be able to speak with my readers. Its probably

the main reason I still have a career.

Given that so much of your work is linkedwith technology and its use, do you think that comicsare adequately utilising modern technology andthe internet?Thats a tough one, actually. In one sense, the comicsmedium has absolutely exploded thanks to the net webcomics. Webcomics have changed the face of the

eld and proven the form has a potential audience farin excess of previous estimates.

On the other hand, print publishers and thecommercial medium have been ridiculously slow toadapt for the internet, and are still way behind wherethey should be. Interesting times continue.

Transmetropolitan seemed both a love letter to andan indictment of mass media journalism. Whats youropinion of journalistic and media standards now, 16years on from Transmetropolitan first hitting shelves?The interesting thing is less about journalistic andmedia standards anyone who didnt think News Corpwas corrupt was simply not paying attention andmore about the ways the state views journalism now.

SINCE THE MID-90s, WARREN ELLIS' UNIQUE BRAND OFVISCERAL, AGGRESSIVE YET SOCIALLY INCISIVE STORIES

HAVE BEEN A SHOT IN THE ARM TO MAINSTREAM COMICS.HERE WAS A WRITER UNAFRAID TO TACKLE THE MOST

TABOO OF THEMES RELIGION, MASS MEDIA ANDMIGRATION WITH SCATHING, FUTURE-SHOCK SATIRE

IN TRANSMETROPOLITAN ; WHILE ALSO HOPPING BETWEENMARVEL STALWARTS SUCH AS X- MEN AND DAREDEVIL .

IF ANYONE HAS GOT THE INDUSTRY AND KNOWN WHENTO BOB AND WHEN TO WEAVE IT'S BEEN WARREN.

OFF LIFE WAS FORTUNATE TO GRAB A SHORT INTERVIEWWITH THE MAN WHO IS NOTORIOUS FOR PULLING NO

PUNCHES. HERES HOW IT WENT...

WARREN


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I mean, yes, journalism has been disrupted anddefunded, but in America there is an outright attack onjournalism by the state.

I think perhaps I wasnt as cold-eyed about that sortof thing as I could have been. Transmet is very much afantasy of journalism, yes, but the last year has beenone of those experiences of seeing real life overtakescience ction in fairly grim ways.

Comics sometimes come under fire for being too safeor auto-biographically introverted. Would you like tosee the comic medium step outside its safety zonemore often?People were doing that long before me, and long after

me. Anyone who thinks comics exist inside a safetyzone just isnt reading widely enough.

Why do you think that even respectable mediaoutlets sometimes mock comics as a medium, despiteperhaps not having a great knowledge of it?Youd need to dene your terms. Chris Ware wonserious book prizes, run by respectable media outlets,for his comics. I dont see anyone mocking Alan Moorein the newspapers.

Recently, New York Times writer Joe Queenandubbed comics a plebian, populist artform. Is thisis a fair evaluation?I dont think its unfair. Its an incomplete analysis, butI doubt he was going for an analysis. Its a primitive,low-tech medium, and its accessibility and simplemeans of production had it lauded by MarshallMcLuhan and Umberto Eco decades ago.

There has always been tremendous talent in Britishcomics, but what was it about the 80s/90s that saw awave of creators such as yourself, Ennis andMorrison bring a sociopolitical edge to the medium?Probably just the experience of having grown up in the70 s and 80 s, and seeing from the work being publishedin those decades that comics were a place where wecould talk sociopolitically.

Even in the most mainstream comics of the time,people like John Wagner, Pat Mills and Alan Grant hadgiven us permission to do that.

What, for you, is the ideal relationship betweencomic writer and artist?

Its always nice to be on the same page with an artist,when we understand how each other works andare aiming for the same effects. I enjoy nding anartists strengths and working to make them look asgood as possible.

Finally, how has the comics industry changed sincethose days and are you content with the way itis evolving?I dont really have anything to do with the comics

industry these days I certainly dont keep much of aneye on it so I doubt I could comment intelligently.

ELLIS

YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUTWARREN AT WARRENELLIS.COM


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KRISTYNA BACZYNSKIREPOSITORY

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ROBERT M BALLANIMAL

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CORBAN WILKINIF NOT NOWTHEN WHEN?

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DAN BERRYI AM SO BELOVEDBY EVERYBODY

@THINGSBYDANPAGE 11

INTERVIEWWARREN ELLIS

@WARRENELLISPAGE 14

CHRISSY WILLIAMS @CHRISSYWILLIAMSTOM HUMBERSTONE

@TOMHUMBERSTONETHE HEART HORSEPAGE 16

ISSUE#6OFFLIFE.CO.UK

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off life issue6

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