Ross Hutchinson
Comic Watch was fortunate enough to sit down and have a quick Q and A session with Andy Diggle at the first Africa Comic Con recently held in Johannesburg South Africa. The British former 2000 A.D editor and writer of The Losers, Hellblazer, James Bond, Shadowman, and Swamp Thing amongst others was kind enough to give us some time during a very busy con under African skies…
CW: “What was your most recent/current project?”
AD: “I am just about to finish my run on Shadowman.”
CW: “Who or what are your current influencers in the industry?”
AD: “I generally take my influences from outside things like books and movies that I like more than people.”
CW: “What’s your guilty snack while working?”
AD: “Stilton cheese”
CW: “What comics (if any) did you read growing up?”
AD: “Growing up I read 2000 A.D and Asterix.”
CW: “Most productive studio soundtrack for working (if any)?”
AD: The Soundtrack to Fury Road
CW: “Personal favorite comic story arc/series?”
AD: “Batman: Year One.”
CW: “What got you into comic art/writing?”
AD: “When I wrote 2000 A.D.’s Alan Grant and he sent me a Strontium Dog script and I got to see the mechanics of what the script looked like versus what the finished product looked like as a comparison.”
CW: “What was your made it moment?”
AD: “For me, that would have been when DC comics asked me to write Swamp Thing.”
CW: “What work are you most proud of?”
AD: “My run on Hellblazer. Constantine remains one of my favorites to this day”
CW: “Who was your biggest influence for writing?”
AD: “John Wagner, William Gibson and a British screenwriter named Troy Kennedy Martin who wrote Kelly’s Heroes.”
CW: “Who was your hero crush growing up?”
AD: “Helen Slater Supergirl.”
CW: “What project have you enjoyed the most?”
AD: “Writing the opening of James Bond and in the scene, he was parachuting into the action I got so excited I started writing in caps…”
CW: “If you were a car, what would you be?”
AD: Laughing ” A VW beetle up on bricks with its tires stolen by someone”
CW: ” Is there a dream project beyond what you have done so far?”
AD: “Adam Strange: Year One”
CW: “Any future projects/plans which may include creator-owned owned work you can tell us about?”
AD: “I am about to write for a Valiant crossover event with artist Doug Braithwaite called Incursion which comes out Feb 2019. There is another as yet unannounced project in the works which is about to attach an artist to it which will be announced soon.”
CW “There is a great deal of controversy around the “comicsgate” group and their pushback against diversity in comics at the moment including the targeting of LBGTQ creators and other professionals in the industry. What in brief are your thoughts on the subject?
AD: looks me dead in the eye “f@#$ comicsgate.”
CW: “What basic 3 points of advice would you give to anyone looking to make it in the industry as an artist/writer?”
AD: 1.dont ask how to get in ask how to get good because when you do the industry will come to you
2. Don’t wait for permission, if you want to make comics do it. The more you make the better you will get.
3. Read comic scripts as a professional by professionals so you can see how it’s done. If you an artist use these scripts for tryouts. If you want to be a writer it can show you how to develop a script. Use this website www.comicexperiencescriptarchive
Valiant’s Shadowman issue 7 written by Andy Diggle is out this week in comic shops. To learn more about Andy and for a comprehensive list of reading material by the award-winning author be sure to visit his website HERE
It was a pleasure catching up with the writer and Comic-Watch thanks Andy for the time he was able to give us to answer these questions and we look forward to seeing what comes next from him.
As always we will be watching…