Feature Category: Interviews

Kevin Conroy is Batman. The voice of Batman, that is. For almost twenty-five years, Conroy has voiced The Dark Knight, from the iconic Batman: The Animated Series onwards, through to The Justice League, the Arkham video games and recent DC animated movies. Latest on the slate is the adaptation of Alan Moore’s classic (yet controversy-baiting) tale The Killing Joke – the DCAU’s first R-rated feature.

STARBURST was granted an interview with the Bat (we like to picture a bright red Bat-phone, although that was probably more Adam West’s style), where we quizzed Batman Himself on The Killing Joke, going dark and, um, Batman v Superman…

STARBURST: You first started voicing Batman over twenty years ago, which makes you the longest serving of all the screen Batmen.
Kevin Conroy: Next year, it will be 25 years!

To many, you are the definitive voice of the Bat. How does that make you feel?
Oh my God, it’s funny, because it’s the kind of thing where you book a job as an actor 24 years ago and you don’t even know how many episodes they’re going to buy. And then there’s a second season and a third season and then Batman: The Animated Series became The Adventures of Batman & Robin, and that became Batman Beyond, and then that became The Justice League and then that became the Arkham games, then movies. You never know. It’s a snowball rolling downhill. You just don’t know how long it’s going to go or how big it’s going to get. There was no way of telling that it was going to be as successful as it was and last as long as it did. I’m the envy of a lot of my actor friends.

So when you took on the mantle of the Bat, you didn’t expect to still be voicing him all these years later?
Oh, of course not. After about three years of The Animated Series, Warner Bros took out a two-page spread in Daily Variety to thank all of the actors who had been involved in the show, because it was on the anniversary of the 100th or 200th episode, and it was amazing. It was amazing who had been on that show, because it came to be known quickly around LA. The booking sessions were a lot of fun. Everyone wanted to be in there. They started getting some amazing actors. I had no idea of knowing it was going to turn into what it turned into.

And now you’re doing The Killing Joke! It’s an iconic story, regarded by many to be the definitive Batman/Joker tale. Were you nervous at all, approaching such a big story?
I approached it pretty naïvely, actually. I’m not as much of a comic book maven as, say, Mark Hamill is, or a lot of other comic book people are. Mark always brings me up to speed on this stuff because he really knows everything about animation. It’s amazing. I always approach these roles from an actor’s point of view, as an acting job. Once I read this story I thought, ‘wow, this is incredibly dark. This is really a dark, scary story.’ I wasn’t surprised when I heard they had to go for an R-rating. The stories are always intimidating, because the characters are so big, the stories are so big, and the emotional arcs are so big.

Any sense of pressure?
It is a little intimidating to approach these characters. The temptation is to overact, and you can’t. You have to resist that, and keep it real.

Mark Hamill has always said that he’s wanted to do The Killing Joke, that it’s always been his ambition. Not being a big comic book reader, was this the case for you also?
I was not as familiar with it as Mark. He actually turned me onto it. Once I read it, I realised why it was so iconic, that it’s a great story. That concept that all it takes is one bad day to make someone evil – and that argument that it’s not the case, which Batman makes – it’s wonderful to work out.

It’s an R-rated movie and, like the Arkham videogames, an older audience than the Animated Series of old. How does such an older audience and ‘darker’ story affect your performance?
The character’s the same. You have to be true to the character. In terms of an actor’s performance, it’s the same. In terms of the storyline you get to play, it’s more fun because there are more colours. He goes to more emotional places than he would in a PG version. I get to flex my acting muscles a little more.

Batman is Batman! Very gruff and stoic, but how have you had to modulate your Bruce Wayne performance over the years? Has that changed much for you?
I did. Early on, the idea to use two different voices. I said to Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, ‘Wait a minute – this is the richest, most powerful guy in Gotham City. He’s the most eligible bachelor. Everyone wants to get at him, everyone knows who he is. And he puts on a cape and a cowl and no-one knows it’s him? That’s ridiculous. Why don’t we mask his voice and make it more of a performance?’ And they liked that idea. Early on, I used the image of a David Niven type of character for Bruce Wayne. It really worked well. He had a lot of sarcasm, a lot more humour. And it worked really well. But over time the show was taking on a very dark past, and they thought it was a little too jarring. So they had me go back and re-record the first five episodes of the show before it went on the air, to tone down the Bruce Wayne voice – to make it closer to the Batman voice. There’s still a difference, but it’s subtle now.

In terms of ‘going dark’ we’ve just had Batman v Superman, which depicts Batman killing people and attempting to actually murder Superman. Do you feel you can go ‘too dark’ with Batman? Where would your Batman personally draw that line?
I personally love the fact that Batman doesn’t kill people. He arrests people and puts them in Arkham. That was always a line that Batman wouldn’t cross that I loved. I found that very disturbing in Batman v Superman. I didn’t think it was really necessary. That’s just a choice that the writers and directors made.

Alan Moore’s original story has attracted a lot of controversy in recent years, as attitudes and mind-sets change. Were you aware of that in the run-up to making the film?
I wasn’t aware of that. I didn’t have as much of a history with it as the audience. I was not aware that it had become controversial.

Were you and Mark together while recording your performances? Is this something which had happened in the past?
We always recorded together for 24 years. This was one of the very few times we couldn’t because he was doing Star Wars. But at this point, we know each other’s performances so well that I knew what he was going to do with it.

So now you’ve done The Killing Joke. Are there any other big storylines or books you would like to adapt in future?
Anything that deals with Batman’s childhood and tortured beginning of his oath to his parents to avenge their deaths. Anything that goes into that segment of Bruce Wayne I love playing. It’s the essence of Bruce Wayne. It’s what underlines his passion. So any story that goes into that, I would love to do.

Bearing in mind that it’s another of the big, iconic storylines, did you feel that you missed out at all when Peter Weller took over as Batman in the Dark Knight Returns adaptation?
Well, it’s like the live action shows when they always use different actors for Batman. I think it’s interesting to see how different actors approach the role. I thought Mark Hamill was the definitive Joker. I thought no-one would ever do it as well as him. And then I saw Heath Ledger, and he was brilliant in a different way. He just brought a whole different quality to it. It didn’t diminish what Mark does. Mark is still, to me, the Joker. I don’t own the Batman voice so when they use other actors, I have to bow down to their brilliance and accept that there are other actors who do it as well as me…

Talking of other actors and Batmen, what did you make of Batman v Superman?
I thought the performances were great. It was a little too violent for me. In terms of performances, Ben Affleck was fantastic. Henry Cavill is wonderful.

And the modulated Bat-voice?
It sounded inhuman in a way. I think they did some kind of computer treatment to the voice, which I found kind of odd.

Do you get a lot of people asking you to repeat the ‘do you bleed’ line?
Oh yeah, I get asked to do that one. And ‘I am vengeance, I am the night’. There are certain iconic lines for me.

Batman: The Killing Joke is out now on DVD and Blu-ray.

Sweden’s Magnus Sellergren is better known to you as Videogram, composer and maker of synth-driven cult film score homages, such as last year’s fantastic romp through the genres, Pre-Cert. His upcoming album, for Cineploit Records, is a bit more tightly-focused. The Gladiatori dell’Apocalise EP pays tribute to the likes of The New Barbarians, Mad Max, and Exterminators of the Year 3000, and while a few cuts have that trademark horror disco sound, longtime Videogram fans will discover a whole new side of the musician. We spoke with Sellergren about the direction he’s taken with Gladiatori dell’Apocalise.

STARBURST: How did you come to work with Cineploit?
Magnus Sellergran: I was in the process of working on my second full-length demos during the fall and early winter of 2014. Based on the reception of my previous efforts, as well as me wanting to take the project to the next level, I sent some mp3s to Alex and shortly afterward we were in talks. I love Cineploit, they’ve got a great rapport, great distribution, and a unique artist roster.

While this isn’t the first time you’ve visited the land of post-apocalyptic jams, it’s the first time you’ve dedicated an entire release to them. What’s the appeal?
The post-apocalyptic genre was a big part of the VHS experience. When it comes to the genre’s appeal I’d say they’re pretty much classic fairy tales, updated and pushed into the 21st century. I’ve loved Mad Max and the Road Warrior sequel since I was a kid and had fun discovering the Italian knock-offs along with the Italian horror greats later on. Musically and sound-wise speaking, I love how they allow you to blend horror and sci-fi sounds. You’re allowed to stretch things a bit more.

The songs on the album have your signature horror disco vibe on cuts like Io, Mutante and The Ravagers, but the first few cuts are these different creatures entirely. What led you to explore the bigger dimensions and sonic avenues on this album?
Just wanting to progress as a songwriter, musician and audio engineer. I am pretty big on audio, I love to spend a day just nerding out with technology, and Videogram, to me, is not only a chance for me to express my love for genre movies, but a way to try out new production and mixing techniques as well.

As enjoyable as your past releases have been, this appears to be much more fleshed out and thematically complete. Would you consider this your first full-length?
Thanks! Well, it’s my second EP exploring one specific theme, just like last December’s Camp Blood EP was a tribute to the iconic Friday the 13th franchise. But I agree, you can say that with this EP the whole concept of Videogram is gelling. I like the concept and will most likely do this again in the future, create EP’s with one specific theme and explore it in-depth.

Who laid down that sax on Death Riders 2096, and how did it come about? It seems like it’s the spiritual successor to 2077: Raiders of the Apocalypse, but on a whole other level.
Cameron is a U.S.-based musician that helps me out with sax every now and then. I love working with him. I got this so-so sax synth sound, so I sit down and create a solo, a rough sketch of what I want, send it off to him and he interprets it. He also did the solo on Le Erotici Notti Di Emanuelle, I might add.

Death Riders 2096 is a personal fave of mine, it came out great! It was one of those weird examples of how you initially hate something, but you keep working on it and towards the end realise you pushed yourself into creating something that you haven’t done before. It’s a great theme, if I may say so. The bridge in the middle was pretty inspired and overall the song was three days of work (the horn mid part is a four-part harmony). I still remember when I had the rough mix finished. I cranked it up on the monitors and laughed to myself ‘Well, that’s definitely new!’

Given that you’re already working on new material, can you say as to whether or not it builds on this work, or does it venture off in another direction entirely?
Yes. I am excited to announce that my Camp Blood 10-inch EP, released in December last year, got the attention of Moby collaborators Acid Washed. They’re fans of the project and decided to get in touch a couple of months back. We’re currently working on Videogram’s second EP of this year and, yes, the title track builds on an outtake from this post-apocalyptic EP. That’s all I’m at liberty to share right now!

The music of Videogram can be found at videogram.bandcamp.com, and more info is at facebook.com/videogramSWE.

After a lengthy hiatus, fans of film and television scores now have a second volume in the very excellent Music of DC Comics series released by Water Tower Music. Encompassing everything from the very recent, with Junkie-XL and Hans Zimmer’s work on Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the very nearly antique Columbia Pictures serial Batman and Robin from 1949, there’s something which will appeal to DC Comics fans the world over.

As the press release states, this is ‘a collection for DC Comics fans, created by a DC Comics fan.’ Executive album producer Peter Axelrad produced both this album and The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection, released in 2009. He was kind enough to answer some questions about the two compilations and their varied musical selections.

STARBURST: How did you determine what you put on each volume? It seems like there’s just so much to choose from.

Peter Axelrad: I started out creating a huge wish list of songs and was determined to create albums that would be a fun listening experience musically from beginning to end. Using my wish list as a reference, I worked on tracking down the masters and clearing rights, which can take some time. As I located each master, the different pieces of the puzzle came together.

Along those lines, it seems that historical material is cheek-by-jowl with the most recent stuff. Do you feel that offers a sense of perspective?

DC’s characters have evolved over time to adapt to changes in society. I find it fascinating to hear how the music written for these characters has developed through time reflecting both the characters’ evolution as well as the different trends in musical genres.

Including so much music from the various DC video games really demonstrates the width and breadth of sounds available. Was there a conscious choice to include music from those properties?

Yes. video game scores have become epic masterpieces on the same level with film and TV scores. We’ve come a long way since Pac-Man.

Is it just us, or were you able to get a little more avant-garde/weird/unusual with the second volume, including stuff by the likes of Sun Ra?

The 1960’s Batman was weird and unusual and inspired some very avant-garde and funky music. I like to represent as many decades as possible on these compilations… and the 1960’s has a strong presence on Volume 2.

Is there any piece you wanted to include, but weren’t able to?

I have a long wish list of songs, so I am hopeful that I’ll have the opportunity to curate more volumes.

The organisation seems really important, with Superman and Batman getting primacy. Why not just do volumes devoted to them, or maybe release something along the lines of a ’66 Batman compilation?

Actually, the initial idea was to create character specific compilations for Batman and Superman. However, when the opportunity came up to compile a DC 75th Anniversary compilation, I decided to expand it to include multiple characters and celebrate all of DC’s history. In comics, I have always loved crossovers and team-ups that bring together different characters or involve the entire DCU such as Infinite Crisis or Flashpoint. I took a similar multiverse-wide approach in curating these albums. 

Volume 2 marks the debut of music from Fox’s Gotham. Any chance of seeing a full release down the line somewhere?

I would love to hear a full score album for Gotham and hope to see it released soon.

Can we hope for a third instalment somewhat sooner than the seven years between one and two?

If I get the opportunity to curate another volume of The Music of DC Comics, I’ll definitely try to get a release date sooner than 2020.

The Music of DC Comics: Volume 2 is available now on compact disc and via digital download from Water Tower Music, with a double vinyl LP coming later this year.

Author Jack Womack is best known for his DryCo series of dystopian science fiction novels – 1993’s Elvissey won the Philip K. Dick Award that year – but for the past fifty years, he’s been collecting all manner of printed material related to UFOs. His collection is now known as the Jack Womack Flying Saucer Library and lives as part of the archives at Georgetown University’s libraries. Womack’s collection has been summed up by the author in a forthcoming book for Boo-Hooray and Anthology Recordings, entitled Flying Saucers Are Real. We spoke with Mr. Womack about this ‘visual history of the genre.’

STARBURST: In the early pages of the book, you tell the story of how you first got into all of this, with Frank Edwards’ Strange World. What was the next step in this collection, and where did it go from there?

Jack Womack: The next step was simply buying each new collection resembling Strange World as they came out, and finding older ones that had come out a short time before. By 1965, a higher percentage of these books dealt with UFOs exclusively, as the 1965-67 UFO Flap began being covered in mass media, and the changeover was natural.

Was this an active collection – were you subscribing to newsletters and ordering publications, or were you waiting to see what you came across when out and about?

Just waiting to see what I came across, as there was plenty out there in both new and used bookstores (and drugstores etc.). 

The intersection of UFOs and religion is something which comes up again and again. Why do you think so many writers went from UFOs to starting what were essentially cults?

Post-bomb apocalyptic hopes and fears. Most writers of UFO material were former pulp specialists, or journalists hoping to make a book. At least, pre-1980.

Flying Saucers Are Real doesn’t really focus much on abductee memoirs, despite the fact that they absolutely boomed in the ’80s. What’s the reason behind their relative absence?

Most contactee narratives, at least initially, are far more original. By the early ‘80s every abductee narrative was beginning to fit the template that developed, and become far more similar, more boring and, somehow, even more unbelievable. 

Is there a particular aspect of UFO culture to which you have a particular affinity, like the men in black, faked images, or the like?

The notion that a separate world exists parallel to ours, from which all the lunacy comes. But this world is more than capable enough to generate as much lunacy as is needed.

I was reading Flying Saucers Are Real concurrently with David Aaronovitch’s Voodoo Histories, and I was sort of struck by the similarity in tone between the two books. You both allow these out-there theories to spin out and then shut them down with facts and not a little humor. How do you determine exactly how much of a voice to give the fringe?

In Flying Saucers Are Real, I wanted to give a voice to all in the field, from fully-skeptical to full-on believers, this being a historical overview of the period more from the point of view of how the belief first manifested before seeping so deeply into popular culture.

Additionally, you do give notice to the books which do a thorough job of debunking things, but mostly as lamentations that they weren’t paid greater attention. Where do they fall in the canon of UFO literature — are they of greater or lesser importance than the writings they contradict?

Within the period described, they are noble attempts at getting the actualities of the phenomenon across to an audience which didn’t want to hear a thing they said. They are, effectively, existent but non-existent.

Now that your collection is at Georgetown University, and the book is coming out from Boo-Hooray, where are you in the world of UFO literature? Do you still seek things out, or are you content to let others now have at them?

I don’t do active looking, but these things have always found me.

How do you feel that UFO interest has changed? It seems to me that it’s a little less fun than it once was.

It’s considerably less fun than it was in the ‘60s. UFO believers nowadays tend to be more in the political arena.

Flying Saucers Are Real is due out on September 16th from Boo-Hooray and Anthology Recordings. You can get it in either a regular paperback edition or a deluxe bundle with pins, a record, tote bag, and more. Both are available at shop.mexicansummer.com.

Since FOX debuted Gotham back in 2014, one of the show’s key figures has been the brilliant Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth, the faithful butler and guiding figure of David Mazouz’s young Bruce Wayne. Giving audiences a younger, more rugged take on the classic Alfred character, we saw the struggles of Pennyworth as he was thrust into a situation that was just as strange for him as it was for Master Bruce. With Season 2 of Gotham arriving on Blu-ray and DVD shortly, we were lucky enough to catch up with Sean Pertwee to discuss the ever-evolving relationship between Alfred and Bruce, the fantastic chemistry between himself and young David Mazouz, plenty of other Gotham antics, and we even had a brief talk about Doctor Who.

STARBURST: Your take on Alfred is a little bit different to what some audiences might be used to. Did you have any particular point of influence or reference for your incarnation of the character or did you just view the role as a blank canvas?

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When FOX’s Gotham debuted, many fans were caught a little off guard when Edward Nygma was working within the Gotham City Police Department. After all, Nygma has long been known to comic book fans as the iconic Riddler. Following a traumatic first year for Ed, Season 2 of the show saw his descent into darkness as he battled with his own insanity and his own identity. Now seemingly a full-on villain in the series, we caught up with the enigmatic Cory Michael Smith to discuss his and Gotham’s ever-developing take on this most famous of Batman rogues.

STARBURST: One of the main arcs in Gotham’s second season was the unravelling of Edward Nygma’s sanity. How much fun has that been to play?

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During its two seasons to date, FOX’s Gotham has become a firm favourite of many a genre fan. As Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, Robin Lord Taylor is one of the most enjoyable parts of the show, with his rise to power (and subsequent fall from grace) a vital arc of the show’s second season. With Season 2 of Gotham set for home release next month, we were lucky enough to catch up with the ever-charming actor to discuss all things Penguin.

STARBURST: Oswald has very much transitioned over this season, but how much fun has the role been for you in the second season compared to the first season?

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Find your local STARBURST stockist HERE, or buy direct from us HERE. For our digital edition (available to read on your iOS, Android, Amazon, Windows 8, Samsung and/or Huawei device – all for just £1.99), visit MAGZTER DIGITAL NEWSSTAND.

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Here at STARBURST, we’ve enjoyed the offerings of indie comics producers Madius Comics –  Rob Jones, Mike Sambrook, Nick Gonzo, and Brad Holman – so much, we thought it was time to have a few words with them and see what makes them tick.

STARBURST: What’s the history behind getting together and wanting to create comics?

Mike Sambrook: We will stand aside for a moment and let some of the incredible artists we’ve collaborated with tell you how we managed to coerce them into our weird world.

Living in another country meant that meeting up was not an option. I knew Nick from when we were part of an anthology called Everybody’s Cursed in which we did separate stories. I got talking to him  and Rob on Twitter, and they invited me to contribute to Papercuts. I was starting to gain some traction with the comic work,  so I was delighted to become part of the Madius family. Then came the process of trading ideas and sketches back and forth until we came up with the final product that was The Perplexity. Brian Burke ­ The Perplexity ­ Issue 3B

Mike sent me message asking if I was interested in working with them on an anthology. I was about to give up working on comics, but the script for Slaycation re­ignited something and really clicked. Working with Team Madius has been a delight the whole way through, and they keep sending me these fantastic scripts to work on, so I hope to be a part of it for years to come. Rosie Packwood ­ Slaycation ­ Issue 3A

I bumped into the Madius comics crew when I first became a host on The Awesome Comic Podcast. They’re a shining light of excellence in the world of small press comics. Dan Butcher ­ F.P.S ­ Issue 3B

I was asked if I still wanted to work on comics. I said “hell, yeah”. One phone conversation with Rob, and the Forebearer started to roll. I’m now a servant of Madius. Darren Smith ­ Forebearer ­ Issue 4

How difficult is it to deal with the practical tasks needed to produce a printed comic?

Rob Jones : Surprisingly easy, to be honest, and as we’ve moved forward as a group it seems to have gelled a lot faster and more productively than we could have imagined. We all have set positions and roles we fulfil; I am the mouthpiece, I make a lot of the promo stuff, am usually the first point of contact for reviewers and such, I do the lettering for each of our comics (unless they’re hand lettered) and other behind the scenes stuff too.

MS: I’m the one who sits there painstakingly scouring over the finished books making tiny tweaks and changes. I find it really hard to let go, so they tend to be wrestled off me by Rob in the end. I also handle a good chunk of the promotional side of things with Rob; helping to update social media, reaching out to artists, liaising with collaborators and generally trying to get the word out about all things Madius. When I’m not editing or promoting, I’m usually found writing. Rob and I handle the bulk of the Papercuts writing with the majority of the stories either being written by him, or me, or us both. My passion will always be for the writing, though. The rest of the jobs are a necessary evil to allow me to tell the stories I’m desperate to share, but I’d be lying if I said it would be easy to hand over editorial control to anyone else.

Nick Gonzo: I get a reputation for being a lone wolf within Madius (I’ve put out three titles completely solo with me on art and writing duties so far) but I’d like to think of myself as much a part of the workings of Madius as much as Brad, Mike and Rob.

MS: Without a doubt.

NG: I do a lot of sourcing of promotional materials and , as Chief Financial Officer, try to keep us out of debtor’s prison. Make sure you do a tax return if you’re trading as a business, register as a company, work on contracts – it’s all important stuff. I want to make sure we are original, and constantly doing the best job we can. For me, finding other people to work with is a tough cookie. I’m always concerned that as we want to be ethical as possible in our dealings, I want to make sure that every deal we do with artists is beneficial. Personally, I’ve always wanted to make comics and I’d been doing it solo for years, making books like Punk Rock Apocalypse in zine format on the art department photocopier. After a few bevvies I had a go at Rob on Twitter about the way artists get left out in the rain when books are reviewed, and instead of blocking me like he should, he decided to start a comic book company with me. I bought him lunch to apologise.

RJ: And then we have Mr Brad Holman, who is both an artist (he draws our comic Average Joe ) and a design and print guru extraordinaire. He has given us our branding, our distinctive look and has set up every book we’ve worked on. He’s a diamond and rarely sings his own praises, so we’ll do that here.

MS: Yeah, you won’t hear a word from him in this interview but he is a giant piece of our pie. He’s our invisible wizard.

RJ: From a printing side of things, we have been really lucky. UK Comic Creative and Comic Printing UK have been tremendous in helping us out, as has Jay Martin at CAF printing and Spin Print. Again, we’re lucky to have Brad, who has a vast knowledge and a whole host of experience in that world.

What advice would you give anyone thinking of starting up in comics?

MS: Dive in. You won’t feel ready. You won’t be ready. But it is the only way to get ready. Yes, you should think everything through, make sure you are staying true to yourself and making work that you are proud of, but it’s better to make a something rather than a nothing. At least you can edit a something and try and beat it into some sort of shape. That’s where the real learning comes in. Writing your way out of messes you’ve made teaches you a lot. Other than that I would recommend making friends with people who are already doing it. Comics folk are the most generous, friendly and sharing people I’ve ever met so I’m positive if you reach out there will always be an abundance of supportive people willing to lend an ear and any advice they can. Including me.

RJ: Go with it. Comics are a wonderfully inclusive medium, an awesome way to tell stories, to make lifelong friends, and a great way to be expressive. Plus, there is no greater feeling than meeting someone who enjoyed something you created, so get creative.

NG: Just do it. If you build it they will come, but get things into people’s hands as affordable as possible. Want to make a 5000-page epic about spacefaring intestinal worms? Do a webcomic because no one will print it, and doing it yourself will cost a bomb. And help one another. So many people in indie comics think that the success of your friends means there’s less for you, but that’s a lie.

Artists, if you can’t write, find a writer to collaborate. Writers, find your artist and produce comics. Try to accept it might not be great at first but it’ll get better each time. Paul Moore ­ Vampire Wonderland ­ Issue 3A

Be prepared to accept the fact that you’re not going to become the next Frank Miller or John Romita Jr. overnight, and that you’re going to make numerous mistakes as you go, but it will all be worth it. Every spare moment you get, draw. Never give up. Rory Donald ­ Cast Adrift ­ Issue 2

The best advice I can give to anyone who is considering comics as a hobby or career, is to make comics. So many of us have an idea that they’ll get to “one day”, but in order to be a creator one must start somewhere. Another bit of advice is attend conventions anytime you can; you’ll get valued advice from creators and it’s a sweet opportunity to network and meet possible collaborators. Brian Burke

Make them. I cannot stress this one enough. Don’t sit around thinking about it or telling people you have an awesome idea for one. Make the comic. Then make more. Dan Butcher

Don’t procrastinate – you won’t know unless you try. Also, get active on social media. I was lucky enough to meet Rob and Mike through Twitter after they saw some of my work, and after building up a rapport I was asked if I was interested in drawing a story. Rob had real faith in me, and I hope I repaid that via the art. Stephen Weafer – Mary – Issue 1

Go to the small press and serve your time, foster relationships, develop your style and build a reputation and professional attitude. Jim Lavery ­ Together Forever ­ Issue 2 & Valkyrie ­ Issue 4

Find a hiding place away from all distractions. Find your own style, try not to copy other artists (just borrow bits from them). That’s about all I can really say, as I’m just starting out myself. Mike Smith ­ Profits of Doom ­ Issues 1, 2, 3 & 4

Who are your influences?

MS: Writing wise, I love horror. I’m a giant fan of classics like Lovecraft, James, and Stoker. Stories that get under your skin and remove any possibility of sleep; hopefully, some of this shows through in Horrere. Comics wise I love everything, which seems like a bit of an overstatement but it is worryingly accurate. I try and keep my reading varied because I try to keep my writing varied too. I think it’s always good to try and pull influences from as many places as possible, which I suppose leads me to things like games, music, film and television.

RJ: Well, there’s Terry Pratchett, Warren Ellis, Rick Remender, JMS, Brian K Vaughan, Mark Millar, Tony Moore, Robert Kirkman, Scott Snyder, Hunter S Thompson, Monty Python, Eddie Izzard, Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey, Stewart Lee, Yahtzee Crowshaw and Stuart Ashens. I love all those guys in equally heaped spoonful measures.

NG: I started out bottle fed on 2000 AD comics, so people like Bryan Talbot and Brett Ewins were always my favourites, alongside the crazy stuff Kev O’Neill did on Nemesis the Warlock and Metalzoic. Big influences later in life came with Mike Mignola’s pacing and his use of establishing shots in comics and focus on scenery and atmosphere, and the maddening detail of Geoff Darrow. When it comes to writing I’m a Matt Fraction fan, but take influence from Michael Moorcock, Hunter S Thompson, China Mieville, all people with their own sense of personality and individualism.

I’ve had different influences at different times, my earliest was John Buscema and British artists Cam Kennedy, Brian Bolland and Mike McMahon. Alex Toth’s work is a masterclass, there are other masters like Frank Bellamy, Al Williamson, Alfonso Font and Massimo Carnevale, current artists whose style I love are Goran Parlov, Greg Tocchini and Chris Samnee. Paul Moore

My earliest influences would be Frank Miller (I grew up reading his run on my personal favourite Daredevil), John Romita Jr who I was lucky enough to meet at last years LSCC, the boys from Brazil Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba, Rick Remender, Michael Bendis, Grant Morrison, Frank Quietly, Moebius, Guy Delisle, and more recently (I’m a little ashamed to admit I’m very late to this party) Mike Mignola.  Rory Donald

I get a lot of inspiration from the artists of the Underground Comix movement (Crumb, Shelton, etc), as well as various Showa-era manga artists (Tezuka, Ishinomori, etc). Outside of comics, I’m really into schlocky 80s horror films. Angela Sprecher ­ A Roll of the Dice ­ Issue 3A

From an art perspective, I adore the work of Jock, Greg Capullo, Sean Murphy, Declan Shalvey, Damien Worm and Ben Templesmith. I love ink washes, grey tones and lots of ink splatter. I’m also studying a lot of old movies to help with my storytelling skills from an artist’s perspective. Cinematography plays an important role in sequential storytelling and I really want to expand my knowledge for the next story I get to draw. Stephen Weafer

How do the smaller conventions help you as creators?

RJ: Sometimes the larger cons tend to be more a place where comic-related merchandise can be sold. We’ve been lucky in that the smaller cons we’ve gone to (Digicon 2 in Doncaster and Atomicon 2 in Hartlepool) have had an emphasis on comics;  myself, Nick and Mike Smith were even given a hour to chat about comics on our first panel at Atomicon. These type of cons give us an excellent opportunity to whip up a bit of local enthusiasm for our work. They help get the word out to local shops, local people, which in turn helps to spread our message a bit further. Facebook and Twitter are all well and good, but having a local base of fans makes life a lot simpler, and means we can continue to build upon that. I think this is where smaller cons are helpful, and I hope to see the organisers of said events starting to really get behind local creators. At Digicon, we were chatting with Rachel O’Connor and Rob Luckett (BOOM!’s Regular Show comics) and at Atomicon, we were chatting with Jeff Anderson (2000 AD and Transformers) and it’s great for making those kinds of connections too, simply because at larger cons you have much less time to chat to the other pros.

MS: Our experience has been exclusively positive, if at times a little surreal. I don’t think I will ever forget trying to sell comics at Digicon whilst about three feet away from our table an ex-WWE wrestler is power slamming an angry mulleted man in spandex. Unique to say the least. Talking with the creators at the smaller shows is always brilliant and it is a great time to network and also to try and build local fanbases. We are making a real effort to visit the same events year on year to hopefully build on the work we have done in that area previously. We are aiming to work with local comic shops to allow fans access to our books close to their homes; although we offer online ordering, it’s hard to beat the feel of visiting your local comic shop. On top of that we love to support the retailers where we can because without them, we’re all in a mess.

NG: Smaller conventions give you an opportunity to connect on a closer level. People have more time to linger, and you get to have great conversations with the people who have read or about to read your stuff. They also give me an opportunity to shout the message of inclusion a bit louder. I want everyone in the world to make comics, and I will instruct people to do exactly that. I met a sixteen-year-old fan at Doncaster who wanted to make her own comics. I gave her the big sell, told her to go forth and within days she was posting her comics on Twitter. That’s the benefit of small cons wrapped up in a little box there.

Papercuts and Inkstains has a great sense of humour, how difficult is it to get that comedy element so right?

MS: I think we have to fight to keep the humour away rather than worry about how we can inject it in. The key thing is we try to make each other and ourselves laugh. If we’re laughing, that’s a good sign. Then obviously on top of that we are working with the best artists in the industry. These guys can take our babbling and turn it into comedy gold. We are so lucky to have these guys make us look funnier than we are.

RJ: We aren’t afraid to write a joke that’ll make you groan, and it can be difficult to move away from that warm, gooey, joke-laden centre at the centre of our comic writing sometimes.

NG: For my story in Papercuts 1, I finalised the last page in Rob’s living room. We try and work as closely as possible, but that usually takes the form of I do whatever I want and he watches. When I’m writing my own stuff, like Furthermoore, I just try to make myself laugh; if I’ve done that, I’m halfway there.

I just do what feels right and makes me laugh, basically. The only big rule I have is that if it doesn’t make me laugh while I draw it, no one else is gonna laugh while they read it. Angela Sprecher

As an artist, I draw the most emotion from expressions and body language so the readers can have a solid connection with the characters. I try and pull characteristics from people I’ve met in real life and inject them into the characters so they feel more genuine. If I want the audience to adore a character, I’ll put in a quirky trait from a good friend. Or if I want readers to feel more hostile towards a character, they’ll be peppered with irritating traits from a less likeable person. It’s a great way to add a little extra flair to pay­offs. Rosie Packwood

Scripts need to inspire your art, so when they’re genuinely funny it makes the whole process flow smooth. Darren Smith

Mike and Rob produce very visual scripts, it’s easy to translate their vision, and the ideas come through so clearly the end results speak for themselves. Jim Lavery

Straight from the get go, the characters burst to life off the pages of the script. When illustrating these guys I almost see it in my mind as a film, so the humour and comedy come quite easily. By knowing each character’s quirks and mannerisms, I can use it to portray their emotions, given their faces are always covered with their hoods. Mike Smith

What made you decide to publish two issues of Papercuts & Inkstains simultaneously?

RJ: The plan was to release one big issue for Thought Bubble last year, but we had some behind the scenes mishaps and instead of delaying, we thought we’d release a double whammy, with connecting covers by Rosie Packwood and an inks/colour combo of Mike Smith and Jim Lavery. This way we could ensure that no artists were left waiting for payment with us sitting on their work for a future issue.

MS: We had this grand plan for a giant whopping 60-page single issue, which in our heads seemed like a great idea, but apparently staples have limits. We took a risk and went with two separate simultaneous books and were blown away by the response to them.

RJ: It worked really well giving us two distinct books to put out, and allowed us to see what reception a Papercuts book without  Profits of Doom would get, and it was a warm and positive one, so it also showed us we aren’t one trick ponies.

What can we look forward to in the future from Madius?

MS: We just want to keep growing and growing, telling the best stories we can and working with the most talented collaborators out there.

RJ: We have a lot planned for future issues, including an eventual change into colour, as well as an idea to collect all of Profits of Doom into a little hardback. Similarly, with the other strips we have in Papercuts, we’d love to see them all collected into a trade paperback. We also have up to issue twelve written and planned too, so we aren’t going anywhere. When we see the work that’s being turned in for future issues, it makes us pinch ourselves and say “hold on a second, we all did this?”

MS: We can’t wait for everyone to see the stories we’ve got lined up. Even if we stopped writing today, we would still have at least two years worth of releases ready to go. We love to try and stay ahead of ourselves and make sure we are always pushing to improve as hard as we possibly can.

RJ: Forebearer 2 is in the planning stages, and we’ve picked some more 80’s bands to riff off for content, while Jim Lavery is elbow deep in a secret project, so it may be a while before there’s more Valkyrie. First and foremost is our Kickstarter project Griff Gristle.

MS: Here be Monsters! A story of love, loss, beards, whisky, sea shanties and a boat load of ghouls and ghastlies. This is a story written by Rob and I and drawn by the ever brilliant Rory Donald.

RJ: The scope we have for the continuation of it is huge; we’re buzzing to get this out to the world. Then there’s a series which myself and Nick Gonzo have penned, called Furthermoore which, like Profits, is very Pratchett in tone, lots of wordplay and absurdist comedy, and that’s being drawn by Darren Smith, so we’re excited to bring this project to the fore, too.

The Kickstarter campaign for Griff Gristle finished with just under £2000 over its target. You can buy Madius Comics from here.