Just ahead of the launch of the launch of the new DFC comic Tom Gatti talks to publisher David Fickling in the Times about his love of the medium and why he decided to embark on an ambitious new comic, especially at a time when traditional younger reader’s comics seem to be declining:
“I have always loved comics and wanted to make them. But I’m not really interested in reviving comics, I’m much more interested in restoring them to where they should be. I have no doubt that the form is still loved by children: Asterix and Tintin are hugely popular despite being 50 to 80 years old. We have comics in Japan, in France, throughout Europe. We just don’t have them in this country… D.C. Thomson [publisher of The Beano and The Dandy] is one of the largest companies in the world and only a tiny bit of it is comic-making. Why aren’t they making more? We don’t have a car industry, we don’t have a comics industry: we should do!”
(Sausage and Carrots from the DFC, written and illustrated by Simone Lia, borrowed from the DFC previews site)
As the article and Fickling both point out it isn’t a lack of homegrown talent which has caused problems in the British comics biz, as we boast an impressive array of talent, from names admired worldwide to the vibrant small press scene. As Fickling goes on to say, when word got around that he was planning the DFC and looking for contributors there was no shortage of gifted and enthusiastic creators to draw on. How the comic will actually be received by the intended target audience is anyone’s guess – the cynic in me worries it won’t make the impact it deserves to with today’s kids and that if it doesn’t it will put off anyone else contemplating new comics publication in the UK. But the optimist in me is hoping it really does take flight, especially given some of the talent involved in creating it. Fingers crossed for them. You can take a peek at some previews on the DFC site, including work from Simone Lia, Neill Cameron, Laura Howell, Jason Cobley, Woodrow Phoenix and more.
Mon, May 12, 2008
Comics and cartoons, Interviews