Graphically Speaking with Jimmy Broxton (pt 2)

This is the conclusion of the interview with the enigmatic Mr Broxton he spills the beans about his own project, Civilian's Nil and his influences...

You've recently landed the job drawing Knight and Squire. Aside from collaborating with Peter Gross on Unwritten, what are your thoughts on drawing a monthly comic series?
My thoughts are: working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Seriously though, it's a real honour to be asked, a huge work load, as I'm doing full art: pencils and inks (first ever for DC), but I'm enjoying the challenge. On top of that, we have a damn fine editor in Janelle Siegell, she is a consummate professional and a delight to work with, we also managed to get Guy Major for the colouring, he does beautiful work, with Paul Cornell writing fresh, funny and quite brilliant scripts, the incredibly talented Yanick Paquette providing the covers, I really couldn't be happier, my only concern is that I keep up my end of the bargain.

K&S aren't well known, what kind of take will you and Paul Cornell bring to make them more popular?
Well, Paul is the guiding light, it's all his creation, so I'm doing what I can to bring life to his fantastic scripts. It's DCU, but set in Britain, so there's a left field take on things, not exactly the usual super hero fare, plenty of action, but with a twist.

The stuff is laugh out loud funny, but it is not a joke, a spoof or a parody, Paul is being faithful and respectful to established continuity. We don't break the fourth wall, but my goodness we give it a good old British bending. Fans, I think will really like how he has taken the existing stuff and run with it, and run with it. We get to find out who the Knight and Squire really are, where they came from etc, that stuff is always interesting.

Are there any other characters you'd like to draw for DC and why?
As it happens, some of the characters I've always wanted to draw, actually turn up in Knight and Squire, which is very exciting, but unfortunately, I can't disclose who they are at this stage. We also get to create new characters, lots of them, Paul has come up with some real corkers for this series, I've had a blast creating the designs for them. Some I feel, might become very popular, we'll see.

Do you think American writers have a stereotypical view of British comic characters?
No more so than do British writers have stereotypical views of American comic characters. I like a good stereotype, you know where you stand, stereotype's exist because there is truth in them, however distorted. Give me a story where he-men have raging testosterone, gays all mince about like drama queens on opening night, prim, bespectacled English librarians are secretly sex mad dominatrix mistress's, it's always raining in England, all American's call you dude and say "awesome" a lot and I'm a happy bunny. This series is far more nuanced and complex than these broad strokes I mention, but it's not afraid to play with such stereotypes, for that I'm eternally grateful!

How DC has changed since Jim Lee and Geoff Johns took control of the company? "
Well, this is only my second job for DC, so I can't really comment on any changes. But I will say, that in my experience (outside of comics) a company that's primarily involved in producing creative material, should be creatively lead, by "creatives", as DC, now has 3 hugely dedicated, experienced and talented individuals at the helm, it can only be a good thing. BTW, both Jim Lee and Dan Didio both gave me $100 to say that.

Are there any main influences in your work?
Oh yes, principally: Hergé for his iconic characters and the clarity of his vision, Jean Giraud for his virtuoso drawing ability and incredible visual imagination, both artistically and thematically and Alex Toth for everything! He was the master, really the best artist to ever work in the field, no question in my mind. I'm also hugely inspired by: Richard Corben, Liberatore, Hugo Pratt, Milton Caniff, Dave Gibbons, Jordi Bernet, Noel Sickles, Howard Chaykin, Steranko, Michael Golden, Wally Wood, Harvey Kurtzman, Crepax, Jaime Hernandez, René Gruau, Charles Shultz, Bill Watterson, Stanley Kubrick and Orson Welles, to name but a few. I think all artists are influenced by all visual material in some way, either directly or by osmosis, even if it's things to avoid.

You're represented by French comics agency, how does the European comic format differ to an American format?
I'm represented by Undergram in Paris, who do a great deal more than just represent comics artists. Many Europeans work in American comics, so the distinctions get a little blurred. I think traditionally, in Europe comic art is treated with more respect, and it's generally regarded as part of the real cultural landscape, in the US and the UK however, comics are considered for children, or are seen as whiz bang nerd/geek fests, existing on the fringes of pop culture, where only over weight, unwashed, socially dysfunctional freaks and Jonathan Ross dare to tread. I hope one day that will change, and we, as comic creators are taken as seriously as those in the rest of Europe and Japan, the material we produce, and the kind of stories we tell, will play a part in that, if it ever happens.

Could you explain more about your project Civilians Nil?
"Civilians Nil is a sprawling, Altmane-sque, existential, post modernist crime noir thriller, that deals with loss, loyalty, guilt and redemption. I should also say, that the book has lots of people talking, gangsters with guns, girls with their tits out, car chases, helicopters, boxing and explosions. I've been working on it (and off) for a couple of years now. I hope to finish it soon, but it has been very useful as a calling card and a showcase for my work, my current projects for DC and in Europe were all kick started after editors saw Civilians Nil."

Considering that Frank Miller's Spirit film flopped, you've mentioned that you want to direct films. What makes you think that comic book artists would make good directors?
Well, I haven't seen it, but I loved Sin City which he co-directed, the big mistake I think was updating it, it should have been a period piece, set in the 1940's, as all the sets were digitally created, they could easily have done that. In answer to your question: imagine an occupation where your principal task is visual, sequential story telling. Where you deal with aspects of character, delivery of dialogue, the design of sets, the choosing of locales, framing, composition, staging, lighting, timing, body language, facial expressions, mood, drama, pacing, editing and continuity.

That description could be equally applied to both film directing and creating comics. There are obvious practical and technical differences, but the main objective and the vocabulary available to voice those objectives remains the same. So I would say a comic book artist (especially one as talented and innovative as Miller), would be ideally placed to direct films. Much more so than say: fashion designers or graffiti artists for example."

Compared to other creators who collaborate in interviews this is your first interview why do you keep a low profile?
I'm new to comics, so I don't think I deserve a profile, low or otherwise. I prefer to let the work speak on my behalf.

Are you concerned about your first public appearance at BICS considering the fact you don't prefer to be in the limelight?
Yes!

You can meet Jimmy Broxton at the British International Comics Show which is held in October in Birmingham at Millennium Point.