MALCOLM MAGIC!
Intro…
How did I first come to learn of a rather oddly named comic focussing on a rabbit’s very unusual adventures? I do remember that it was at one of the Bristol International Comic Expos [2004?]. Two rather unnaturally tall and pale individuals were shaking a tin can at passers-by chanting, “Please give generously –we have a photocopier to support”.
Could I refuse these two urchins with tears streaming from their eyes? Am I making this up or is it true? Have aliens filled my mind with false memories? Who cares!
I remember the look of MM no.1 and a rather long conversation about paper gsm, how the comic was put together, distribution and my suggestion that the duo, Robin & Lawrence Etherington should look toward Europe and publishers there.
But the really important thing is that I came away a Malcolm Magic fan!
The character is described thusly in issue no.1:
“Hero? Misunderstood genius? Smelly hobo? Boozehound? Nutcase?Oh dear reader, Malcolm is all this and much, much more. Our storyfollows the ill-fated adventures of this punch-drunk bunny as his sanity collapses in a steaming heap of fistfights and slapstick, amid a backdrop of alcohol abuse and anti-social behaviour. Definitely a critter you’d be proud to introduce to your folks!”
How can you top that? By interviewing the creative team!
TH: So, I’m guessing you fellas must have read comics when younger? Which ones, and what age, did you start reading comics at?
[Robin]: Well we were both children of the 80’s so our very early choices were relatively classic: The Beano, Dandy, Whizzer & Chips, Beezer etc. I first remember reading a copy of the Beano when I was about seven, so Lawrence would have been four! A young starter!
[Lawrence]: Yeah, which probably explains why I’m the artist for our studio! I couldn’t understand what was written!
[R]: We then moved on to anything and everything we could get our hands on:Battle, Action Force, Commando comic libraries, Oink, Ghostbusters, Mask, and eventually Spiderman (me) and Wolverine (L).
TH: What else were you reading when younger –“The Ladybird Of Satanic Cults”?
[L]: Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nymph! (laughs loudly)
[R]: (laughing) Yeah,Lawrence is particularly proud of the fact that he managed to get through his entire childhood with only one book to his name! Although I believe you can also claim the Lord of the Rings?
[L]: Yep, add that to my list. But that’s it!
[R]: While he was busy scribbling, I was reading enough for the two of us. Lots of mysteries, plenty of crime, every decent science fiction and fantasy series I could get my hands on. I’m a massive Terry Pratchett fan. I’ve always tried to incorporate his sense of a world outside of the page borders to my own work.
TH: At what point did you decide that you wanted to draw and or write comics?
[L]: Well, as it happened I only ever wanted to be an artist. Like most students, I began finding my feat through illustration, and perhaps due to the influence of a thousand cartoons and an immense pile of comics, my own style began to develop with a distinctly graphical edge. I studied Fine Art at Falmouth Art
College and began my career in furniture design before returning to the world of comics with the launch of Studio Blink Twice in 2003.
[R]: In contrast I’d followed a few different dreams, from writing to acting to music. It was only after a conversation with Lawrence, in which we knocked about the idea of working on a Children’s book together, that I found myself drawn back to the keyboard.
TH: Robin, you are credited as creator and writer of MM so I’m bound to ask whether you always wanted to just write –comics and/or books, or did you ever want to be an artist?
[R]: Well, first and foremost, I’m only the co-creator on our series. Even though I write the scripts and compose the majority of the stories, we have such a collaborative approach that the creative lines are increasingly blurred! But I never wanted to draw. That was Lawrence’s thing, which is quite a brotherly way of dividing your lives. You never chase something the other sibling’s chasing. Well, not once they’re good at it anyway!
Lawrence staked his claim and I knew better than to have a go!
TH: Now,Lawrence, I have to ask you the same only in reverse! Was it “draw or nothing” or did you at any time want to be a writer?
[L]: Just as I’ve always wanted to draw, I’ve never really wanted to write. The web strip I’ve been working on, ‘One Night in the City’, is the closest I’ve come, but that’s a silent love-story which obviously suits my approach to the world of comics! Our division of responsibility is one of the best things about our team. We don’t tread on each other’s toes!
TH: And you both decided to work together when? I have to admit I’ve known only a few brothers who aren’t at each other’s throats!
[L]: (laughing) It’s funny really, because we’ve always got along. Don’t get me wrong, we argue about all sorts of things, but rarely the work.
[R]: You wouldn’t argue with Lawrence if you’d seen the size of his biceps! The guy terrifies me!
[L]: I call them ‘respect’ and ‘authority’. It’s important to name things.
[R]: He’s right, which is partly why we called the studio ‘Blink Twice’. At times, when our hair is a similar length we can look quite alike. It was either ‘Blink Twcice’ or ‘Double Take’, but I can’t remember why we chose the former.
TH: Did you work on anything together or solo before MM?
[R]: Yeah, before MM we were working on a six-issue series called ‘Dust to Dust’, a religious thriller in the Image/Wildstorm/Cliffhanger mould. A Joe Mad-esque, J Scott Campbell action, adventure, gun-totting tale of intrigue. But then we met with Scott Dunbier (then Editor for Wildstorm) and he gave us the best piece of advice we’ve ever received: “If you want to break into the comic’s biz, go away and make and original comic.”
[L]: True, he liked our stuff, but he could see our influences too clearly on the page. He really wanted to kick us into doing something different, and you can’t get a lot more ‘different’ than Malcolm!
TH: Right, now onto the subject of this interview: Malcolm Magic. What came first; the idea or drawings that inspired the strip?
[R]: The drawing. I remember Lawrence and I met up at our folk’s house in October 2003 for something. He’d been working on some greetings card designs featuring WWII plane nose art. You know, the curvy ladies posing in order to help the pilots forget that they were most likely flying to their deaths. Cheery stuff. Anyway, he’d obviously got bored at some point, and drew this funny rabbit.
[L]: I was bored, but the rabbit didn’t help much!
[R]: He wasn’t quite Malcolm, but he was pretty near the mark. The flying cap, the blue and black striped jumper. I took one look at the guy and called him Malcolm and then the whole story started to spill. It really was a shared bag of nonsense at that early stage. We just bounced ideas off each other until we couldn’t stop laughing.
TH: Initially, I described MM to someone as “Little Nemo meets Alice In Wonderland –with ********** incredible art!” The truth is that MM cannot be categorised in that way because you, Lawrence, have a very unique style. Is this how you have always drawn or is it a style that you gradually developed?
[L]: Firstly thank you for the comparisons and the compliment! My current style is something that I’ve worked on since we began seriously in 2003, and you can see the development in my line art over the course of the MM run. I’m always tweaking and improving but I’m certainly very happy with the way my pages are currently coming together. MM was a learning curve and I didn’t always have the time I would have liked to spend on every scene – but a lot of this was caused by me getting carried away with very detailed panels! We just can’t get enough of the detail!
TH: The next question has to be how you go about producing an MM strip? Thumbnails based on the script or do you go straight to paper –I see you list “pencils” under credits so what type of pencils and paper or art board do you use?
[L]: Well, the process we began with Malcolm is the same process we use today, although some of the materials have changed. Robin does his own thumbnails first, just to lay things up in his mind, before writing the script. He then sends this to me and I produce rough lay-ups for all the pages and email them back. Robin letters the roughs and returns them. I then print them out at comic board size and lightbox the final pencils (now biro!) before scanning, cleaning in photoshop and, if required, colouring on the Mac. The comic board we use is our own creation (available online at studioblinktwice.com). It’s A3 in size, and is laid out with standard US format comic board dimensions, ideal for creating US-format strips. The board is 380mic (6 sheet) thickness, and has a smooth yet slightly toothy surface, ideal for putting down pencils and inks alike.
TH: For inking are you using pen/brush and ink or computer –and some details of the way you go about this…please?
[L]: Again this is a process that we refined throughout the MM 12-issue run. Over the 3 years that we produced Malcolm I tried every form of inking method from pen to metal nib and Indian ink, to DINKing. I was always experimenting and looking for faster and neater approaches to the page. When you’re the penciller and inker on a project like MM you can go a little blind if you’re constantly duplicating everything you do! Especially the crazy pages! When we introduced colour, in issues 7-12, we made a conscious decision to knock out the inking stage on those pages for everything except the key characters. It was a great stylistic touch, giving the pages an unearthly quality, but also it cut down the workload nicely! (laughs)
TH: What about colour work such as the covers and odd internal pages –is this done by computer?
[L]: Yeah, all the colouring has been done on the Mac. I was using a mouse for most of the series and my hand nearly fell off! I’ve been using a tablet for a while now and I’m currently teaching myself to colour with both hands to reduce the strain!
TH: And for characters –do you have character sheets, models or other references for them?
[L]: Well, the thing about MM was that we really wanted to have a vast cast. It had to feel like a living breathing Universe. As such Robin was always introducing new players, even if they were only in the comic for a panel or two. As such I rarely had time to sketch up character sheets for everyone, and instead just concentrated on the main individuals. I don’t like to use too much reference as I find it inhibits my style. I’m always more comfortable if I’m creating from my imagination alone! Which is why so many of the bit part characters were designed straight off on the page itself!
TH: The first issue came out in…2004 –any idea how many pages of MM you’ve drawn to date?
[L]: Actually we do!
[R]: Yeah, we’re currently putting together the complete Malcolm Magic Collection (more later) and it’s weighing in at 304 pages, with about 60 pages of additional material, so Lawrence has penned about 240ish pages!
[L]: My wrist hurts just thinking about it!
TH: I’m assuming the creative process for you, as an artist, is the same on Tusk?
[L]: Exactly the same. The nice thing about Tusk was that once I nailed the core cast, the majority of the work was done. As a ‘sketch show’ style spin off title from the Malcolm Universe, I already knew the style of architecture and general ‘world’ design that was required. It was a much faster process.
TH: Robin, can you tell me how you go about writing MM –I assume you have a story and then story breakdown for so many issues? But do you find it easy to come up with a story and the gags to go into them?
[R]: Never let it be said that I find it easy! Sometimes it’s infuriatingly hard! There’s nothing like setting yourself up to write a comedy, then running out of gags! When we started Malcolm, our intention was to create a sort of Saturday morning cartoon type of title, something where everything would return to normal by the end of each episode. By the wrap of issue one this had been thrown out the window as the character of Bright Eyes (Malcolm’s nemesis) had emerged in my mind and a much larger story had begun to form. Around this point I sketched out a rough 18-issue arc, with three distinct 6-issue movements. A trilogy, if you will. I then broke down the core action of each issue and began to write. Like Lawrence, a lot of the gags are written straight on to the page as I go, but often I’ll concoct the better-structured silliness at the thumbnail stage when I’m laying up the action. Our humour has always been more ‘make you smile’ than ‘cough up a lung’ so I tend not to plan too much and just see what my characters have to say for themselves. Fikov always writes his own lines. He’s a funny guy.
TH: I suppose, before asking about writing the script I should ask how you get the inspiration? Is it a case of these things just coming into your head at any time or do you sit down with a blank note book uttering the immortal words “Must get an idea. I need an idea!”?
[R]: A little of both. The core ideas often pop into my head quite arbitrarily, which is nice! I can grab the bones of a big story with ease, but connecting all the dots is where I end up dedicating most of my preparation and research time. The little details can be a nightmare to organise!
TH: And I guess the computer is a very handy tool! If I’ve got this right, Lawrence lives in France now –or was that temporary?- so unless you post scripts to him I’d guess emailing them is easier?
[L]: Close! Robin had been living in France until last May, but now the studio is 100% Bristol-based!
[R]:The old internet was a life saver! In the two years I was based in France we produced two MOON! Space Log companions, four issues of Malcolm, the Tusk spin off issue and two Malcolm collections, not to mention countless extra strips including the Viper comics ‘Sasquatch’ MOON! adventure, the Slave labour ‘FatChunk’ short story and the ‘Awesome’ Anthology short story for IndieSpinnerRack. Without that wireless connection we’d have been in a lot of trouble. Bless thy Broadband!
TH: Now, are your scripts rambling, Bible-thick items that poor Lawrence has to breakdown to be able to draw or have you got the knack of writing good, clear scripts that are easy for Lawrence to draw –Lawrence may interrupt here!
[L]: Interrupt? I’m going to talk first! Every script is 400 pages long, and details what each character has had for breakfast, when they last visited the bathroom—
[R]: (coughing and laughing) Shut up! That’s more of an Alan Moore approach! I’ve always tried to keep my scripts as stripped and simple as possible. With MM we were working on a very tight (self-inflicted) deadline, and Lawrence didn’t want to have to think about page layup. As such I would begin each page with a suggested panel order, before proceeding into the action of each picture, complete with camera position. The more info I could give, the better he liked it!
[L]: But all that’s changed now as I’m much faster at the line art stage. I’ve more time to play with the panel design.
TH: Have you tried estimating how many pages you’ve written for MM?
[R]: Well, er, I reckon the average script was about 36 pages long. I guess 450 would be a realistic estimate. Wow. That is a chunk of work!
TH: I’ve mentioned Tusk and will admit I only have the Special with the Malcolm Magic exclusives –is this a pre-MM title and can you, as creators explain what it is all about –is it still going and just what is Moon?
[R]: Tusk was originally intended as a spin off series that we’d add to every six issues of MM. We wanted to have a title that fans and new readers alike could pick up and get into, without needing to know anything at all about the world of Malcolm. As it transpired we ended up putting a lot more time into the development of MOON! which meant that poor old Tusk has just the one special to his name!
[L]: Yeah, it’s a shame that we never had the time to produce a second Tusk collection but Robin floated the concept for MOON! to me at the 2005 Bristol Expo and I was sold. All my spare time after that show was spent working on concept art and character design for the MOON! universe. Which is partly why MM changed from an 18 issue run to 12 issues! I wanted to get into our new series as quickly as possible!
[R]: MOON! is a comedy action adventure surrounding the tumultuous world of Aliens making movies in the 31st Century. It’s a space opera with a heart of gold. The reader will follow the lives of Ratt and Teron, two teenage Aliens who join the crew of MOON! Studios, only to discover that the Universe is a very dangerous place!
TH: The thing that amazed me about Tusk and MM is that, looking at them they are quite thick stock paper –card like [120gsm?]- and yet, they are only a little heavier than a feather! Bulk but lack of real weight. And the printing looks really expensive, especially those wonderful toned colour covers and interior pages. So, for those out there green with envy –what paper stock are you using and what printing technique are you using?
[L]: Haha! Well, this is something we’ve been asked a lot, and no one ever seems to believe us!
[R]: And if they DO believe us they think we’re mad!
[L]: Every single issue of Malcolm Magic and Tusk, including all the collected editions and the sketchbooks, were produced on a Cannon 6-colour A3 printer, in the bedroom of my old flat. Every issue was hand folded, stapled guillotined and bagged. The paper stock was something we’d both felt very strongly about. We were keen to produce something that felt and looked unlike anything else we’d seen in the UK. The cartridge stock paper and cover were thicker and more expensive but they transformed the comic into something unique! We always recommend that folks creating their own titles go and experiment with as many different paper options as possible before committing to one. Cost will always be a consideration but it shouldn’t be the deciding factor!
TH: Am I right in thinking both Tusk and MM are now appearing only as graphic novel type books –I assume #1 onward are still available via Blink Twice, your publishing house?
[L]: As of the Exeter Show in Feb, our entire stock of the Malcolm Magic Collections and single issues had been cleared out! The first new title to roll off the Blink Twice production line will be the Collected Malcolm Magic, gathering together all twelve issues of the award winning series, along with a stunning wealth of bonus material (including the Tusk Special and complete cover gallery), perfect bound as a 304 page trade paperback. This limited edition gem will launch at the Bristol Comic Convention on May 10th where you’ll be able to get your copies signed by us both. Further details and a preview will be revealed soon over on our site.
TH: I think very few people realise that you both work for Random House now and produce a three page comic strip “Monkey Nuts” for the Weekly Guardian -how did this come about?
[R]: We were contacted back in late September by the lovely guys at David Fickling Books (Random House Children’s Books), who informed us of their intention to produce an entirely new children’s comic, called the DFC, based on original stories with an emphasis on quality and originality. We were asked if we’d like to send anything to them and we naturally leapt on the opportunity! We went to Oxford, pitched six ideas and Monkey Nuts became the first of our new titles to be commissioned. The Guardian launched their ‘COMIC’ supplement around the same time (which was a nice coincidence) and we subsequently became involved in that.
[L]: The nice thing about ‘Monkey Nuts’ is that it combines all the elements of MM, Tusk and MOON! that our readers have come to enjoy: weird and wonderful settings, tons of silliness, giggles a-plenty and action galore. Oh, and a monkey, a robot and a talking coconut.
TH: Without going into detail [or they’ll kill you!] what else are you working on – I think title and frequency can be mentioned?
[R]: Actually they WILL kill us! For now the only thing we can say is that we’re contracted to produce a certain number of Monkey Nuts strips, and that we’ve other titles under discussion. But that’s it! I’m sorry!
TH: And despite all this big money work MM, Tusk and Moon go on?
[L]: There is a further 6-issue Malcolm story that we’d like to tell but that’ll be much further down the line. The same goes for Tusk. We’ve plenty of short stories but there’s just not enough time!MOON! however, is a very personal and important project for us. Robin has written a first draft of the debut six-issue story, a 144-page graphic novel entitled ‘MOON! and the Grand Finale’, and we’re both really pleased with how it’s shaping up.
[R]: At the moment though we’re both working on a number of comic properties both separately and together (including an even more secret joint project!) and due to our time constraints we’ve had to place MOON! on hold. But it’s only a temporary pause. The title is coming and it’s going to be incredible! We promise!
TH: Lads, having been a fan for a few years now may I thank you for the fun your comics have brought me and here is looking to a bright and very long future for yourselves and Blink Twice!
[L]: Our pleasure!
[R]: Thanks Terry!
Comic Bits Online is the web version of the Comic Bits magazine Edited and run by Terry Hooper. Currently Interviews Editor at Manga Life,Terry has over thirty years experience in the comic industry as script writer,artist,freelance Editor,publisher and much more. But if you want the facts:
Curriculum vitae Name:Terry HooperDob:6th June 1957 [50 yrs]Currently living Ashton Vale,Bristol,United Kingdom ...