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Have you ever thought of just going into illustrations?
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No. There's no satisfaction, I like doing a story,
I suppose that's why I've stopped doing those flashy
layouts and big pictures and stuff, it's subverting
the story. When I look back on the old Dredd stuff
the clarity's appalling, you can't see anything.
I suppose what I regard myself really as is someone
who can string a sequence of pictures together you
can follow quite easily. Which is why I'm quite
comfortable doing something like Sonic, because
I've got that facility now. I suppose I could still
do smart alecky things, but I only used to do that
to cover up what I considered to be my inadequacies,
because I knew if I did a regular 6 panel page my
hopeless drawing would stick out like a sore thumb,
so I disguised it. That's why you see letratone,
oh that bits boring! Better stick some tone on it,
but I'm confident enough now not to need to show
off like that.
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Like the later Dredd, "The Howler" is just so simplified.
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a way the work I'm doing at the moment is more...
decorative than the Howler because I started to
peel everything down in the Howler to build it back
up again. Because I felt I'd lost my way with lights
and shade, but I've got it back now but its back
in a different way. The things I drew for the "Paradox
Big Book" is more at the style I'm at, but Tattered
banners' won't look like that because I started
it straight after the howler and I can't change
horses midstream, but anything else I do will be
much more elaborate, I think. I suppose the stuff
I've done recently like "Decapattack" (Sonic) I
really like because I drew it with a calligraphy
pen (Pilot Calligraphy #1 & #2) and that was great
because they looked quite full, even though there
wasn't a lot of line work on them, which is something
I wouldn't have done before because I've always
used single thickness nibs, those pages move, more
thoughtful. It's like Carl Barks, his stuff was
so sophisticated it's so totally devoid of any ego
and that's what I'm trying to do in Sonic, not draw
like Carl Barks, but to throw out any element of
self, the bare bones. |
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The McMahon Zen approach? |
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(Laugh) Yes it's true... I'm not trying to impress
anyone I'm just trying to tell the story. |
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Well, your work in 2OOOAD influenced people in my
generation and Sonic will influence new kids...
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Maybe. It's a well-made comic, but I think kids
are more impressed by flashy stuff; I know I was,
the people who can do a good effects. When I was
there, there were things you wanted to like, but
like a girls comic I wouldn't have liked, but now
I'll appreciate the work because I know what goes
into it, like I was saying about Kirby... Subject
matter that's what I think it is, that's why my
work was popular when I was starting out because
it was a popular character, but if I'd been drawing
Harlem Heroes... |
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But it was your artwork that made me pick up 2000AD
and Battle because of your covers, I didn't know
the characters but I loved the style. The first
comic I bought with my own money was the Battle
with your cover. |
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Oh, I never really think of it like that really.
I suppose there's that cult of personality around
say, Jim Lee or whoever, people who like their work
per se but then if you were doing a specific character
you're work would be popular.
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Well people I've talked to know specifically which
stories you've done and when you did them. |
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Well, Oh, I never thought of it really I used to
think of like Ramon Sola who did 'Flesh', it was
fantastic when he was doing it, and I would've thought
that because he is such a good artist that he would've
been more popular than I was, but I was drawing
Dredd, you don't agree. |
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No, you brought such a lot to the stories I used
to be pissed when I picked up a comic and you're
work wasn't in it, especially if you were doing
the cover. There was always that moment, is it McMahon?
AAH no, it isn't skip that then. |
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(laugh) It always struck me it was the character,
but like when Slaine came along, I immediately put
my name in for that. I just thought whoever was
drawing Dredd would be the most popular... No? |
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No, No, The stories were strong but it was your
art really it wasn't the same without it. I mean
there was incredible artists, but...
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A lot of artists were overlooked. I always thought
it was the character. |
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No, for me it was your characterisation really,
your style. |
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W. R. LOGAN: At this point the tape
on the Dictaphone ran out, but I would just like
to take this opportunity to thank the McMahon's
for the hospitality towards Rufus during his time
at their home, interviewing Mike, and pass on my
thanks for the original artwork Mike did to accompany
this interview. |
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