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Home ¦ Features ¦ Rob Williams interview part 2

6th June 05

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Onto part 3

Breathing Space

Publicity, pure and simple. Ok, that partly comes down to putting money behind the books, advertising them, which DC didn’t do, but it doesn’t cost anything for a creator to contact the main comic websites – Newsarama, The Pulse, Comicbookresources etc to do an interview, offer to give them some preview art etc – to try and sell the book to a wider audience. I’m surprised more don’t. The amount of comic fans who look at these websites on a daily basis is huge. All the Rebellion collections seemed to be announced and then disappeared pretty quickly. The core 2000AD fans will know they’re coming and look out for them – but the rest of the comic-buying public won’t have a clue, especially in the states.

Money’s an issue, of course. Last year at San Diego the Rebellion deal with DC was fresh news and yet the 2000AD presence was two chairs and a hastily requisitioned office table in the middle of the DC area, then the likes of Jamie Boardman, Frazer Irving and me offering out free comics to passers by who clearly had no idea who we were. This is the biggest comics bash of the year in America and a great opportunity to get the name out there to the punters. Of course, not everyone can afford a mega-booth like DCs – but so many indie companies have a proper booth of their own at San Diego, and on the back of the DC deal, it would’ve been a good time to have had a strong presence there.

I suppose if Rebellion really want to make 2000AD bigger in the states they could have another stab at a 22 page US format monthly Dredd with big name US creators mixing with established 2000AD talent – this month, John Wagner and Jim Lee yadda yadda, next month Greg Rucka and Henry Flint etc - advertise the weekly prog heavily in that book - try and bring the American readers into reading the regular 2000AD title that way. As I’ve already said, I think you have to talk to the Americans in a language they understand.

What's happened to ComX things appear to have gone very quiet? Do you think there is still room for an independent comics publisher in the UK?

There’s definitely still room for it, it all comes down to money, again. ComX were incredibly ambitious in trying to publish indie comics with prestige edition production values. I guess the sums were never going to add up there, unless a title became a huge hit. If you’re selling 10,000 or under of an indie title (and nearly all indie titles do) you’re going to be hard pressed to make a profit, especially if you’re going colour *and* glossy paper with a hard-back cover. Most Oni Press books are black and white for a reason.

It’s tough to make indie publishing work financially, both for the creators and the companies. It’s great that ComX had a go at taking on the big boys, but unfortunately I think the realities of the industry knocked them back. But they’re still out there, still pushing the book – they rang me last week to tell me that Cla$$war is being reprinted in France by Editions Delcourt and they’re actively pushing Com.X titles in other areas. They’re also a successful design agency. Maybe they’ll put more comics on the market at some point. I hope so. I think you could make a UK indie publisher work, but it’d probably have to be black and white material in the Oni vein.

Asylum

As with your start at ComX, you went straight in at the deep end in 2000AD, with the series Asylum being your first published work. How did this come about?

It was when Andy Diggle was editor. I met Andy at a London drink-up and he said he liked Cla$$war and maybe I should do something for 2000AD. I pitched him Asylum and then he left to become freelance. Matt Smith took over and, fortunately for me, he went for the pitch.

The first incarnation of Asylum received somewhat mixed reviews, and criticisms of a slightly uneven tone. The second series took a decided and sustained turn towards darker territory. What lessons had you learned form the first series that you applied to the second?

I have mixed feelings about both Asylum series’ to be honest. There’s some good stuff in both, and working with Boo Cook was great – you could immediately see that he was going to be a very good artist. But, from my point of view, there’s a lot of very untidy writing in there. I suppose it’s inevitable that you’re going to look back on some of your early work and cringe, but I read Asylum 1 and just see someone who isn’t 100% sure of what he’s doing.

I still love Belly going ‘when the rabbit’s moo, I shall think of you’, Ashcroft’s speech when the space station was plummeting (‘serves them bloody well right’), and I’ll be forever proud of the vicar sitting there with a foot and fingers missing, having crapped himself, but it did turn into one big fight-scene. I suppose I thought that’s what 2000AD readers might want. You learn from that – I decided after the first Asylum that I’m going to please myself first as a writer and not try and second guess an audience.

Asylum 2

I felt like I finally hit my stride in the last few episodes – Skunk’s suicide, Holt losing it on the Sydney harbour bridge - and then it ended, which was a shame, from my perspective, as I felt I was finally getting some momentum on it. I’d like to have the first six episodes back to re-write them, George Lucas-style. I could show Holt shooting first!

It certainly seems as if the Asylum story isn't quite complete. Are there plans to develop the story further?

Not at the moment. Holt’s still out there. I always had in mind that we’d follow him out into space in any potential third series, living as a fugitive among the aliens – the most wanted man in the galaxy. And we’d explore where his ‘abilities’ come from. Maybe I’ll pitch it at Tharg at some point. I feel a bit sorry for Holt. He was a nice happy bloke at the start and I’ve turned him into someone who commits genocide. From my point of view I’d like to write an Asylum series and come away feeling I’d got it right. So, maybe…

There's a feeling from both series of Asylum that they could have benefited from longer runs something that Low Life certainly had in its favour. Could you see yourself writing a longer running epic for 2000AD?

I’ve just done The Ten-Seconders with Mark Harrison, which is 12 episodes. But, for the most part, I think nine is enough unless it’s something like a Wagner mega-epic. I think there’s a lot to be said for telling your story in three or four part chunks, that way there’s no fat on the bones. I enjoyed the last two Low Lifes because of that. Get in-get out-don’t overstay your welcome.

Low Life

Low Life arrived to what seemed like instant acclaim, and has landed you with a series that seems to easily lend itself to frequent appearances in 2000AD. What are your plans for the series? Can we expect to see more of Aimee Nixon or will you continue to develop the supporting characters?

I love writing Low Life. As far as I’m concerned I’ll keep on writing it as long as Tharg wants me to. From the moment I started I just seemed to click with Aimee Nixon, Dirty Frank and the others – the setting, the tone, and having read Mega City 1 stories for so long, it’s a very rich world to play in. It’s easy writing when the characters seem to be talking to you, when you absolutely know who they are. The last Low Life – Rock and a Hard Place – was the most fun of any script I’ve written. It just flowed out of me, and I think that showed in the end product. It’s the only time I’ve never been worried about reader reaction – I had such a good time writing it, I honestly didn’t care. I wish all writing jobs were that easy.

After the last story concentrated on Dirty Frank I’d like to go back to Aimee Nixon next, do a longer story with her, something a bit more hard-boiled and less overtly comedic. But, the great thing about Low Life is it was always supposed to be an ensemble piece, so we can give Frank another story, give Thora a story. One story can be comedy, the next crime noire. In Mega City One they all fit.

And as for instant acclaim – it helped a lot that Henry Flint was drawing the first series. Henry’s a fan favourite for very good reason and he’s a writer’s dream. You give him a page of script, he makes it stylish and dramatic, he gets everything across you’ve written and somehow makes it all much, much better.

Low Life

That was always the plan. Matt asked me to make it a group series on a Wally Squad group – we just happened to concentrate on Aimee first, and then I kind of fell in love with the character so she stayed for the second story. But the moment I wrote Dirty Frank I knew I was onto a winner – the talking in the third person thing is so simple but it immediately defines the character – I actually based him on Tony Adams, the old Arsenal captain. You’d see interviews and he’d be saying, with no irony whatsoever: “Tony Adams will retire when the time’s right for Tony Adams.” There’s a kind of madness there, I think.

Are there plans to get wither Henry Flint or Simon Coleby back on art chores for future Low Life series?

I’d work with either of them again in a second, and I’d want them to do any future Low Lifes. Both have a style that seems to fit the character of the script – dark, dirty, grungy. Coleby doesn’t get nearly as much praise as he deserves – he’s a fantastic artist. One of the best in the 2000AD stable. It’s amazing to me that he’s never really had his own definitive 2000AD series. I suppose the ideal thing would be for Si and Henry to alternate on Low Life – with maybe Kevin Nowlan and Mike Mignola doing the odd fill-in, eh?

Given that you seem to have a real idea of how Mega City 1 works, would you like to tackle a Dredd strip?

Yeah, I’d love to write Dredd, simply because I’ve read him all my life and it would be a thrill. It’d be an intimidating thing to do though – given Wagner’s legacy, and it’s a tough strip to get right. It’s the premiere league for 2000AD writers – you’d better get your game sorted before you try it. I think I’m happy playing over in the one dirty section of MC1 in the Low Life, out of Dredd’s reach for the majority of the time. But one day it’d be good to have a go at the big chin.

Even though you've avoided the almost obligatory Future Shock so far, can you see yourself ever doing one in the future? Do you think they're still a good training ground for new writers?

Yes, they’re a good training ground. Telling a story within five pages – start, middle and end – is a tough one, so it certainly teaches people the craft. I’m not a big fan of them myself though – waiting for the inevitable twist that is rarely that incredible. It’s not something I have a great deal of desire to do. Never say never though. If I have what I think is a good Future Shock I’d do it – got to put food on the table etc.

Family

Family for the Megazine felt like quite a departure from the usual 2000AD fare. How did this come about what were the influences behind the strip?

Shockingly, The Sopranos was a major influence, and films like Miller’s Crossing – the finest Coen Brothers movie without doubt. Ignore those that say it’s Fargo – this opinion is folly (I virtually lifted one scene in Family directly from Miller’s Crossing, which was fairly naughty). I pitched it to Alan Barnes just after he’d taken over the Megazine and he loved it – he’s always been very supportive of Family.

Looking back, it was a little over-ambitious. A B&W strip with an ensemble cast, no costumes, told in eight page a month chunks. I think people found it a wee bit hard to follow when serialised. I’m proud of it though – I think it’s a good comic. Si Fraser and I tried something a bit different, gave it a bit of a European feel, didn’t fill it with lots of exposition and asked people to keep up, to remember who the characters were. I’m really pleased Rebellion are releasing it as a trade (out in October) – I think it’ll read a lot better in one volume.

Do you think 2000AD should take more opportunities to steer away from sci-fi and experiment in more genres?

To a degree. Something like Family stood out because it didn’t really feel like a 2000AD/Megazine story, the same’s true of something like From Grace, which I really enjoyed. I liked that you felt it was taking you in directions the comic doesn’t normally go in. You’ve got to stay true to what 2000AD is though – keep the diehards happy – but, yeah, there’s always room for a little more experimentation.

Does 2000AD still act as a good stepping stone for writers trying to break into American comics? Can you ever see yourself being tempted by an exclusive deal of the likes that Andy Diggle and Mike Carey enjoy?

It’s always been a great college for British creators who can then ‘graduate’ to more money in the States. That’s why all the big names leave 2000AD and cross the Atlantic, pure and simple – a bigger audience means bigger paydays. I’d like to do more work in America for Marvel and DC. If an exclusive deal were offered and it gave me a bit of financial stability I’d be pretty stupid to turn it down, although personally I enjoy working for different companies.

Back to part 2

Onto part 3