I ask fwooshmembers questions.
They answer them.
Prof. G. Tripp "…that’s the risk you’ve got to take. "
What are you a professor of?
I’m not going to say anything lame like the Professor of Love, I’ll leave that to those who are lesser than I! On a more serious note it comes from my days in college. Before college I used to have a tight haircut but once I got to college I decided I’d prefer longer hair. This sort of occurred at the same time as the Wonder Boys movie so my friends started called me Professor Tripp. The closest I’ve got to a professorship is my Masters in Medieval Studies.
When was the last time you had a haircut?
I had a haircut in May or June. I was considering getting a haircut around July but once I saw The Dark Knight I said to myself "I’m going to keep this hair for Halloween & dress up as The Joker. I just couldn’t resist.
Who is Dan Dare?
Dan Dare is a very famous British comic book character. He was a soldier defending Earth from extraterrestrials especially The Mekon. Virgin Comics released an updated version with Garth Ennis as the writer.
Where do you live?
I live in Dublin, Ireland. My home is a small parish called Portrane. It’s about 30 minutes on a train from the city centre and 20 minutes by car from the airport. It’s nice & peaceful compared to the hustle & bustle of the city.
Someone from Dublin I immediately think ‘drunken liar’.
How does that stereotype get perpetuated?
I think that is a general perception people have of the Irish. It’s fair enough in many ways because we do work hard & play hard. Dublin people have a strange sense of humour that a lot of people don’t get. We may be lying at times but that’s probably only to wind others up. Oddly enough I don’t really fit into that category as I don’t drink but that doesn’t stop me from going out & having fun.
What are those stone formations around Ireland?
Who built them and why?
They are Megalithic Tombs. We have Court, Passage, Portal & Wedge Tombs. Our most famous tomb is Newgrange. It’s a passage tomb & it was built in 3200BC. At the Winter Solstice the first rays of the rising sun still shine through a light-box above the entrance to the tomb and illuminate the burial chamber at the centre of the monument. Another of the Boyne megaliths, Knowth, contains the world’s earliest map of the moon carved into stone. They were built as burial sites presumably for the powerful people in their societies. They are great sights & there are about 1,200 of them in Ireland.
Where do you work?
I actually work in the city centre. I enjoy the fact that I’m in the city for the atmosphere but I also like the change of pace when I go home in the evening. I’m a financial regulator so it’s a busy period for me at the moment to say the least.
What is a financial regulator?
We regulate financial institutions. In my role I supervise investment firms. We’re there to keep the firms on the straight & narrow supposedly. It’s something similar to your Securities & Exchange Commission.
Didn’t Dublin/Ireland hold back their own finances and wait until
the right circumstances and then entered the global economy?
We were interior looking when we first got our independence & remained that way until the 60’s. Then we tried to expand but we suffered very badly in the 80’s. We had our boom in the 90’s & early 00’s but like everywhere else nowadays we’re in a recession.
And now Dublin is booming Like a Celtic Tiger?
Not anymore. Inflation is reasonably high, unemployment is rising and our banking system is struggling from a severe lack of confidence & liquidity.
Do you have any future predictions for the economy?
I think Ireland & the global economy will struggle for the next couple of years. It will take a while for investor’s confidence to come back & for them to willing to reinvest in the world markets. There’s going to be a few tough budgets in most countries for the short term. It’s going to be a struggle but we’ll get there. There are always peaks & troughs.
Perplexing, how does someone with a Masters in Medieval Studies
travel so much and work in the financial district?
You’re not the 1st person who is confused by me & you won’t be the last. When I was in the last couple of months of my Masters I saw this job on offer. I threw my name in, as it’s a good job. I wasn’t sure if I’d get it but I thought it was worth a try anyway. I got it & I told my supervisor about it. He said to me that I should stick with it as the History Academic world is very cutthroat & I should stick with a good job. One day I still hope to go into lecturing but the way the global economy is at the moment it could be a while before I can go anywhere. I’m not going to leave my job in a time like this.
Who is in you family?
I have a sister, a brother who has a wife & son and another sister with a husband & 2 kids. I’m godfather to my brother’s son & my sister’s daughter. They wrap me around their little fingers.
Any pets?
Not anymore. I had a dog called Digby but he died a couple of years ago at the great age of 16. He was a fantastic little Australian Terrier who was as human-like in his actions & thinking as any animal I’ve ever seen. We called him Digby not after the movie (Digby, The Biggest Dog in the World) but after Dan Dare’s sidekick. I was a big Eagle comic reader when I was a kid so I went with Digby. Nowadays my sister has a cross breed between an Irish wolfhound & a deerhound. She’s a big lug but good fun to play with.
Do you customize?
No I don’t. It’s something I’ve thought of more & more but I don’t think I’ll ever find the time. I’m not good when it comes to art & craft.
What is in your collection?
In terms of figures I’m currently in the process of fixing my attic up to house the collection I have. I do have a wall for ML’s & DCD’s & DCUC’s but my other stuff are still in bags waiting to be put out. I’ve got MOTU, TMNT, Thundercats, Ghostbusters, M.A.S.K., Manta Force & GI Joe to put out. I also collect the Marvel Classic Figurines. They’re in the bedroom at the moment though.
Books wise I have all the Wheel of Time books, Lord of the Rings, Narnia & Riftwar saga. Currently I’m reading the Temeraire books, which are pretty good. I’ve also read a couple of Stephen Pressfield history novels.
My graphical novel/tpb collection is getting bigger by the moment.
I also have a hardcover collection:
How many TPBs do you have? How many hardcovers?
I have 185 TPBs & 36 HCs.
Do you have a favorite author?
At the moment my favourite writers would be Garth Ennis, Ed Brubaker & Dan Abnett. They are doing some great material at the moment.
The graphic novel seems to be ambitious and complex.
Which do you prefer the story or the art?
Personally I think the art is what originally grabs your attention. I read the preview at the back & that gets me interested but if I see art I don’t like on the inside then I won’t really be able to read it. I think the original graphic novels are very ambitious because there’s a lot invested in it but you’re never sure how people will react to it. TPB’s are handy for keeping up with a series without having to buy the single issues. However I’m not in favour of the stories being written just for the TPB’s. I think a series can be written without having to rely on 5 issue arcs to sell TPB’s. If the series is well written & have an overall arc then people will continue to buy the TPB’s.
Why so much love for the independent TPBs?
I really enjoy reading good comic books whether it’s by the big 2 of Marvel & DC or any other publisher. I also think there’s a greater freedom & imagination to the independent tpbs that you don’t get too often with Marvel & DC.
Which ones are some of your favorites?
The new Fall of Cthulu series by Boom! is fantastic. The 2 tpbs I have are a great read. Punisher Born, Punisher Valley Forge, Valley Forge and Wolverine Origin are probably my favourites of them all though.
How do you collect them?
I buy them in Forbidden Planet every Thursday (it’s new stock day in Dublin for comics). If they don’t arrive I tend to buy through MileHigh Comics website. There’s not too many comic shops in Dublin. 3rd Place recently closed down & SubCity is a bit pricey.
How do you decide which ones to buy?
Generally I try to read the solicitations for the individual comics to give me an idea if the tpb is worth getting. Sometimes it works out sometimes it doesn’t but that’s the risk you’ve got to take.
Do you still collect single floppy comics?
Yes there are some. Ghost Rider, Angel, Buffy, Army of Darkness & Punisher War Journal. I also collect Marvel collector’s editions at home. They’re about 2-3 years behind current Marvel continuity but they collect 3 comics in 1 & generally organise the reading order for you so you don’t have to buy loads of different comics to keep up to date with what’s going on in an arc.
Where do you vacation?
Where would you like to vacation? I’ve been to a lot of places – New York, Albuquerque, Prague, Budapest, Edinburgh, Madrid, Barcelona, Egypt, Rome, Munich. I’m not sure where next. Scandinavia might be an option but it’s meant to be very expensive. Brussels is meant to be good fun.
What other sites do you visit? As a GAA player & fan from Dublin I use the reservoirdubs website which lets me interact with fellow players & fans. Superherohype & Comic Book Resources are where I go for other comic book forums. Movies.ie is also another good site I like to discuss films.
The GAA is that soccer?
GAA is the Gaelic Athletic Association. It’s Ireland’s national sport. It’s similar to soccer but you run with the ball in your hands, kick pass & hand pass the ball. A ball over the bar gets a point & a goal gets 3 points. The GAA was founded in 1884. It was a bastion & a sense of nationality for us during the English occupation. It has become part of our national identity at this stage
What do you spend your money on?
DVDs, CDs, concert tickets. I’m not a clothes fanatic other than soccer jersey’s. I’m big into getting my old favourite cartoon DVD sets. There’s not many available over in Ireland so I tend to order them over the internet. My DVD player is region free so it’s no bother to look at them. Here’s a list of what I’ve got at the moment:
MOTU the original series, Thundercats, Batman TAS, Batman Beyond, JLA & JLU, Transformers, Beast Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, Visionaries, M.A.S.K., Iron Man and Shadow Raiders.
Do you think of America as a pretty young girl?
The States is a great country. I’ve been over 3 times now & I must admit it’s a great place to be. The people are lovely & everything is very well organised. I will also add that the ladies are an awful lot nicer & friendlier in the States than they are in Ireland. In Ireland the women are very stuck up but in the States they’re friendly & good fun. Also they are far better looking than Irish women.
Thanks Professor!
Additional links