The latest issue of anthology Paper Science is out this week, and we’re running interviews with some of its stars each day this week. Today it’s the turn of Josceline Fenton, who contributed to Paper Science’s music special last summer to talk to Matthew Sheret..
Matthew Sheret: Your contribution to Paper Science’s music special is lots of fun; how did it come about?
Josceline Fenton: When I was coming up with ideas I was thinking about neighbours being annoyed by music. Then I started thinking it would be a bit irritating if you were an animal living underneath a field where a festival was being held. Originally the story was going to be about a fox, but somehow it turned into a little devil instead. I think it turned out cuter that way though, even if it’s a bit odd.
MS: Is there anything you’ve particularly enjoyed about working in the newspaper format?
JF: I really liked the way the colours turned out on newsprint, it just looks very satisfying somehow! It was a big change for me to do something that size, most of my work is very small.
MS: Hemlock has getting a lot of love from a huge variety of critics and creators lately. Are you happy with how it’s going?
JF: Very happy! I’ve had to slow it down a bit recently since I’m in the final year of my degree, but I try and get at least a page up every week. I’m really grateful that people are still reading it despite that. At the moment I’m also working on a secret project as part of my degree called “Kikimora”. It’s related to Hemlock but it’s less of a comic and more like something between an art book and a “choose your own adventure” story. I’m hoping it will be printed in time for May, but it’s going to be tight! It’s still in the planning stages.
MS: What do you think about the current crop of UK anthologies (I’m thinking of Nelson, Solipsistic Pop and ink+PAPER as well Paper Science)?
JF: I like that they’re all trying to do something very different to each other in terms of format and content. But I think it would be nice if there were more anthologies exclusively for people who are just starting out, since a lot of the anthologies you name focus on established creators. Factor Fiction’s “The Girly Comic” was where I first started out. Jay and Selina were very supportive, and that was what encouraged me to self-publish longer stories.
MS: After issue 7 Paper Science is going on a bit of a break for while, but if you could pick a theme for a future issue what would it be and who would draw the cover?
JF: Halloween special! There are a lot of people who could draw a suitably spooky cover. I’d like to see what Harvey James would come up with, I bet it would be gruesome.
Josceline can be found at her website, and you can catch up with Hemlock (which has been a fave of the blog crew) online too. Paper Science is available now. FPI would like to thank Josceline and Matthew for taking the time to share their thoughts on the anthology. You can read the other interviews in this series here; come back tomorrow for our final interview, with none other than The King of Things.
Thu, Feb 2, 2012
Comics and cartoons, Interviews