How did you first become aware of the 'Small Press' or 'Indie' scene?

I guess I was vaguely aware of it when I was reading Fantasy Advertiser on-and-off back in the late '80s when I was VERY (please note emphasis!) young. I saw other fanzines over the years and through those became more aware of what was out there, though I never actually bought much stuff. I'm like that. I can be incredibly self-absorbed. I'm trying to be better. My best friend, Paul Gravett (whose name might just be familiar to one or two people), always encourages me to be more open to new things--and I'm making a sincere effort.

What led you to try and make a comic book of your own?

I've always tried to make comics. But most of the time, I've failed. I used to try to do superhero comics, but the obligation to include 'action' (i.e. guys in kinky costumes hitting each other) challenged my writing abilities sorely, and as an artist I didn't have the dynamics. My forte might be more in texture than dynamics. Then I went through a phase of trying to do kiddie comics--a quite serious attempt to earn money... again, I failed! Then, actually, I got pissed off with comics and didn't try at all for a few years.

Oh... I should say, what led me to try to do comics originally was just liking the medium. I always liked to draw. Marvel Comics inspired me! Back in the '70s as a little kid, I was used to Disney Comics and sweet things like that. One day, my grandmother--who used to buy me ANYTHING, including, on one occasion, a book of adult cartoon strips I entirely did not understand--bought me copies of the Marvel UK weeklies. Compared to The Adventures of Dumbo or Snow White, they were... very unsanitary and strange. I loved them! I insisted that my mother place a regular order at the newsagents immediately! And that was it. That was what caused me to have a long-term interest in comics.

How did you land upon the idea of Fragments?

Well, it was after not doing anything for a few years... in that time, I'd tried to write short stories (an abysmal failure), a novel (I got bored), and had several notions about magazine ideas that inspired absolutely no one (including myself). Fragments really began as a mini-comic early in 2004, but as usual, I didn't finish it.

In the Summer of that year, I felt like putting something together again and I had this stubborn determination to DO it this time, no excuses. So I drew a handful of new cartoons, a cover, took several blog extracts, the prologue of my novel, and the panels from the unfinished mini-comic and just... uh, threw them at the wall. And I published the result. Of course, it's fucking nonsense! I had a strange idea that people might mistake the disparity for Art. But really, it literally was fragments, and that's where the perfectly candid title comes from.

I did a similar thing with Fragments #2. I think I wanted to prove the first one wasn't an isolated blip, so let's chuck a second one out! After that, I sat down and thought about it a lot more. John Robbins wrote a critical, thought-provoking review of #2 on Bugpowder/TRS. Clearly, I needed to actually go somewhere with it rather than publishing unrelated debris. I also needed to decide if it WAS a comic and stick with it. Paul suggested I focus the biographical elements--make them more narrative and direct. So, that's what I did. Thanks, Paul. The resulting third issue still doesn't exactly please me, but it's the first one that actually holds together and more or less works.

How does it compare being both the writer and the artist?

Writing and drawing are entirely different challenges, BUT, when I work alone, the two meld. Everything is fluid, subject to change. I work a bit differently if it's a collaboration, though I haven't collaborated very often. I have a script here now for someone that I need to finish, and before it goes out I'll need to pretty much nail everything down. With my own stuff, I don't have to. I see it as an organic whole--whatever script notations I write down are just breakdowns, foundations to build upon. I probably should be more structured. I have thoughts of attempting a graphic novel of some sort eventually, and for that I would definitely need more structure. Fragments is still a sketchbook to a large extent... it doesn't need a structure, so my working methods on it are pretty loopy.

Yes, but only because I'd like to have attention and feedback lavished upon me constantly. Actually, I've had a lot of response from #3. Even with #2, I got a response from Steve Ditko! That's John Robbins' fault. In his review, John said #2 was 'didactic.' This gave me the perverse thought of sending a copy to Ditko to see what he thought of it, given that 'didactic' is a word that's so often been applied to his own work. He responded very quickly with a letter full of encouragement and positivity, so apparently, he liked it! Emboldened by that, I gave him a single-panel cameo in #3, as a talking ink bottle quoting a sentence from his letter. Obviously, I was hoping he'd like it, but I was actually terrified he wouldn't. Finally, his reply came--and he said the panel had made him smile!

So you can't call it a thankless task when people like Ditko respond positively. Having said that, Alex Toth pretty much HATED it...

What do you enjoy most about producing your own comics?

Easy. Not having to think about commerciality, sales, being popular, etc. One thing that killed my interest in DOING comics was trying to sell ideas--or myself. It's totally anti-creative. This is why I'm so big on people like Bowie and Orson Welles--they went off and did work of their own, no thought about commercial prospects. Obviously, they both also did work just to earn money, but their best and truest work was very personal and entirely for the sake of art and expression. I'd say the same of Ditko. It's nice to make a positive distinction between what you will do to pay the bills and what you want to do because it's important to you, somehow. The latter might not interest a single other person, so you have to feel the work itself is the reward... any attention or praise it gets is just a bonus. (This sounds like a cliché, but it's really true.)

How did you go about selling your comic?

Good question. I don't, really. John Robbins reviewed #2 and 3, as I said, but I can honestly say I haven't sold a single copy from those reviews. It looks like I'm not the only person who needs to work on being open to new things. Paul has put copies of #3 into Gosh!, and there should be a review in Comics International #189. Maybe that'll help. Maybe this interview will attract some interest too.

I have to say, I'm the worst salesperson in the world. Bar none. I don't know whether or not I should spin that as a virtue. There are an awful lot of people around the comics scene who have no discernible talent whatsoever, but seem to achieve notoriety from doing nothing at all except getting their noses brown in the bar at various conventions. I'd rather be unpopular and at least feel that I have a tiny bit of talent. I think I do. I'm not great, but I have something. Perhaps one day, I'll be half-great.

How do you see the comics scene in general today, both nationally and Internationally?

Like most other things, the comics scene is VERY prone to falling into ruts and cliques that can't see outside their own little boxes. Hopefully, new comics and Web sites with new people will break that cycle a bit. At the Bristol con last May, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many new creators around the small press/indie scene. And they were largely much more open and enthusiastic than the increasingly fossilised 'establishment' who shall remain nameless.

If you also mean mainstream comics, though, I think they're a shambles. I don't read much at all. The last comic I bought was Stardust Kid by DeMatteis and Ploog. That was great. In the US/UK scene, I don't see much of interest beyond a few, occasional items. If Alan Moore does retire, that's the end of the world! I keep telling myself to look into the Euro scene more, which I understand is in better shape--and probably always has been--but it's a matter of finding the time and the money as much as anything. I have other interests eating away at my time and money--life isn't just about comics. :-)

How do you see the Small Press scene today, in comparison with when you started out?

From when I started reading fanzines, at least, I think it's changed a bit. There was a definite establishment back then. There still is, to an extent--but I think the scene is much more fragmented today. Which is a good thing. It signifies a greater independence; it's more about being creative individuals than part of a gang. The genuinely creative people will thrive in that atmosphere, because most creativity is at least partly inspired by introspection or alienation.

We should remind ourselves that the small press and underground absolutely isn't about being 'part' of something--quite the opposite. There isn't a guiding principle or a party line. The rule is NO RULES, and even if that motivates someone to do a Mills & Boon story with stick figures, however naff that might be, there you go! Some people do imagine/contrive a guiding principle behind being indie--some kind of rough and ready glamour, an outré cool factor--comics' own heroin chic. It's bullshit. As soon as you think like that, the whole idea of independence is DEAD! It's just a worthless attitude for feckless poseurs.

All it's really about is totally being yourself, answerable to no one, pandering to nothing. In a long-winded way, yeah, I think that atmosphere is alive and may lead to a lot of interesting things.

At the moment I'm drawing a few strips written by some guy called Ed Berridge, for Lost Property #2. He's been insane enough to let me tamper with his words quite freely, thus playing into my awful scheme of exerting complete control over everything I do. I haven't drawn much else since Fragments #3. I'm enjoying doing something a bit different.

I've done the cover of #4. It's a Silver Age comics parody. The interior isn't. I have a nasty habit of doing covers that have no relation to what's inside. I've written a lot of notes for it but have drawn very little for it. I'm taking time out to ponder it, I guess, because what I have right now is superficially quite similar to #3, and I'm wondering if I should go somewhere totally different and not repeat myself. I'd better decide quite soon--I would like to have it printed in time for Expo in November.

Needless to say, if anyone needs Web site design or cartooning, I'm available!

Fragments #3 is available to buy for £1.50 from Gosh! Comics on Great Russell Street in Central London. More details here.