The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

Continuing the annual December tradition of our Best of the Year posts, today we have respected UK indy comics creator Rob Jackson sharing some of his favourites from 2009 with us.

FPI: Can you pick three comics/webcomics/graphic novels which you especially enjoyed over the last twelve months and tell us why you singled them out?

Rob: ‘Night Business’ Issues 1 &2 by Benjamin Marra (this was my favourite floppy comics format thing of the year)

‘The Photographer’ by Emmanuel Guibert.

‘20th Century Boys’ by Naoki Urasawa (issues 1 to 5, some of these probably came out here the year before but I read them this year, they are my favourite series of the year)

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?

Rob: Movies: Zombieland, District 9 and  Gran Torino

FPI: Can you pick any books which you especially enjoyed over the last twelve months and tell us why you singled them out?

Rob: ‘What I Talk About When I Talk About Running’ by Haruki Murakami

FPI: How did 2009 go for you as a creator? Are you happy with the way you got your work out this year?

Rob: It was a bit of a mixed year comics wise, I heard in January that I wasn’t going to get my first book published then didn’t sell much at the UK Web & Comix Thing (but I had a good laugh). I didn’t go to any of the big conventions which felt a bit odd. I brought out my first anthology ‘The Pasty Anthology’ which I enjoyed doing no end and was very pleased with. Thought Bubble went well last weekend so that’s cheered me up. I’ve now finished my series ‘Great Deeds Against the Dead’ which is good (second issue is just at the printers now). (issue 1 was reviewed by Richard here – Joe)

FPI: What have we got to look forward to from you in 2010?

Rob: I am quitting my day job on New Years Eve and starting up a small food business which should only be a part time job so I will have a lot more time to do comics properly. I’m going to bring out a new anthology and also start a graphic novel I’ve been thinking about, I’ll bring it out in little bits to trick myself into not being too daunted by it.

FPI: And one final, special question – since its not only the end of the year approaching but also the end of the decade, is there any comics work you’d especially pick out as one of the best you’ve read this decade?

Rob: The Dungeon series by Trondheim, Sfar and others