Today’s blog guest for the Best of the Year was also a recent guest in our Edinburgh store where he signed copies of his debut graphic novel, Dark Entries. Creator of the internationally bestselling Inspector Rebus novels and a regular on shows like Late Night Review and the Culture Show, as well as stout supporter of his local pub, please welcome Ian Rankin with his selection of favourites from 2009:
FPI: Can you pick any comics/webcomics/graphic novels which you especially enjoyed over the last twelve months and tell us why you singled them out?
Ian: My fave comic has probably been The Boys - visceral, beautifully drawn and scripted, very very nasty about ‘supes’! I’ve also been catching up on Transmetropolitan.
FPI: Can you pick three TV shows and/or movies which you especially enjoyed over the last twelve months and tell us why you singled them out?
Ian: I liked the Watchmen movie (though my seventeen year old son was less enthusiastic). Made me read the comics all over again!
On TV it has been great to get a new (though too short!) series of The Thick Of It - I liked the movie In The Loop, too.
In 2010 I am really looking forward to Kick Ass - the trailer is terrific. And before then, I’ll be intrigued to see the filmic reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes. Robert Downey Jr is one of my favourite actors (though sadly Jude Law is not…).
FPI: anything else in the cultural world take your fancy these last twelve months?
Ian: My fave album of 2009 was probably The Duckworth Lewis Method - a concept album about cricket. Wait! Come back…! It was catchy and different and quite wonderful. The second album from St Jude’s Infirmary was worth the wait (check out an interview by Ian with St Jude’s in the List here – Joe). Tip in music for 2010: The Gothenburg Address… and my mates St Jude’s Infirmary.
FPI: How did 2009 go for you as a creator? Are you happy with the way you got your work out this year?
Ian: On a personal note, I worked way too hard in 2009. I had two books come out in paperback (Doors Open and A Cool Head), one new hardback (The Complaints) and my first graphic novel (Dark Entries). I also worked on and off all year on my first film script. The batteries are drained, which is why I’m going to try and write nothing at all in 2010….
Tue, Dec 22, 2009
Best of the Year 2009, Books, Comics and cartoons, Film, TV and radio