‘IN FRANCE THEY TREAT YOU LIKE A NOVELIST'
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avid Lloyd is pleased as punch. The ebullient fiftysomething. born in linfield. north of London and now resident in Brighton. sotith of the Big Smoke. is very happy with the blockbuster film adaptation of l'fnr lZ'm/r'ttu. his political thriller graphic novel co-created with writer Alan Moore. ‘You've got the same core message described in a different way.‘ Lloyd says of the film that elsewhere has provoked howls of derision (not least from Moore. who had his name removed from the credits). ‘I think it‘s a political cartoon: the story is told in broad sweeps and it has to be like that. I’m very satisfied with it.‘ Lloyd is also very excited about two new and very different projects. The first is an online education initiative. Cartoon Classroom; the second is the publication of his new graphic novel. Kickback. Lloyd began working in comics back in l‘)77. Around the same time the debuting weekly science fiction title 2()()().-\l) gave the ailing l'K industry a much—needed boost. Lloyd was illustrating the crime strip Night Raven. a precursor of \'_/'or l'i'm/ettu. for Marvel‘s UK arm. \' followed. in the celebrated though short-lived ll'urri'ur magazine from the early 80s and Lloyd went on to fruitful collaborations with writing talent on both sides of the Atlantic: Warren lillis. Garth Ennis. Jamie Delano and (irant Morrison. with those last two on the Hellh/um'r series. l'for Vendetta remains Lloyd's best-known work. btit by the time you read this. Lloyd will have moved on from his baby. He's been helping out his old teaching mate from the now defunct London Cartoon Centre. Steve lylarchant. with Cartoon Classroom. a
28 THE LIST '27 Apt—l 1 May 2000
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His comics fame may be down to V for Vendetta but David Lloyd tells Miles Fielder that new projects are allowing him to fulfil his dreams.
centralised information source for learning about comic strip and cartooning art that‘s about to go online. What Lloyd‘s most enthusiastic about. however. is Kirk/tuck. a hardboiled crime genre graphic novel which represents Lloyd‘s first entirely solo authored book and will be available this summer courtesy of the American firm. Dark Horse.
'l've written and drawn the whole thing] Lloyd says with a grin. 'lt's the dream: you don't have to take anyone else‘s wishes into account. The trouble is it takes a lot of titnc to write and illustrate a book. and if you're lucky enough to be popular in this business. the phone always rings and you end up doing something else. So. you‘re waiting for the phone not to ring so yott can develop yottr ow n projects.’ Lloyd found two years to work on lv'i'i'lt/uii'lt starting in NW). btit because he owned the rights. he then had to wait to find time to sell it.
He finally did that. just last year. when l’rench publisher liditions (‘arabas issued litt translationi the two volumes of Kick/melt. ‘l’m not sure I could have worked with an .-\merican publisher which has editors and executive editors and so on. They can't give you the freedom that smaller companies can. So. I sold it to the French and they gave me full editorial control. In lirance they treat you like a novelist: "(lot the story?" they'll say. "Right. go and do it." It's the ultimate way of creating a comic.‘
V for Vendetta is out now published by DC/Titan; Kickback is published later this year by Dark Horse.
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* David Lloyd One of the sacred few who actually likes the screen version of his V for Vendetta comic classrc kicks back in fine style. See prewew. left. DC/Tltan; Dark Horse.
>l< Alan Warner The Oban born, Irelandbased author gives us another cast of oddballs and an array of glorious imagery in The Worms Can Carry Me to Heaven. See feature. page 22. Jonathan Cape.
* David Mitchell If there's any Justice in the world, Black Swan Green, a tale of teen trouble in early 803 England. Will make it three Booker nominations in a row. See review. Sceptre.
>l< Willy Vlautin The lead guy from US indie country types Richmond Fontaine pokes around the dodgy underbelly of Americana with The Motel Life. a fine debut about brothers in arms. See TGVIGW. Faber.
>l< Garth Ennis, David Lloyd, Cam Kennedy and Others More joy for Lloyd this issue as he crops up in a collection entitled War Stories Vol 2 which features four tight tales about 19403 military gOings-on. told with a smattering of realism and acres of jet black fun. See review. Titan.
* Janice Galloway The female condition is the subject of this talk by the acclaimed Glasgow writer (pictured), highlighted by readings from her own works. National Gallery, Edinburgh, Sat 29 Apr. =l< Graham McCall Some people would prefer to forget the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. But not McColI who is stirring our collective angst with this event which promotes his book, 78: Scotland, How a Nation Lost the World Cup. Plus some special guests. No. not Johnny Rep or Teofilio Cubillas. Borders Books, Glasgow, Thu 4 May.