I ask Fwooshmember questions.
They answer them.
DiscoGod "Only the Robot"
Who is the cat in your avatar?
That’s Scamp, my cat. Yes, he’s wearing a pearl necklace. He’s comfortable enough in his sexuality to cross-dress once in a while.
Do you customize?
Yup. I’ve always tried to make my toys better, even when I was a kid. When the first Spidey Classics came out, I repainted the Daredevil in the black & yellow suit, and it kind of snowballed from there…
Do you have formal artistic training?
Sort of… Failed my art A-Level (our final high school exams), studied 3-D design at college then went to university to study "spatial awareness". I lasted all of 3 days, so I went back to college, did a year of fine art and went back to uni. Dropped out of there after a year, mainly ’cause I "forgot" to pay my fees, but also because I managed to get my first comic published.
Did your dad like his custom of himself?
He loves it! It’s in a case above the TV in the living room.
How do you make plastic card or styrene look like metal?
Practice, I guess… This isn’t something I brag about, but up to my late teens I was a hardcore railway modeler. Didn’t have much interest in trains, the landscaping and scenery were more my bag. I used to try and get the highest level of detail possible, and ended up learning a lot of things that have helped me out in my customizing.
What’s the hardest part about customizing?
For me, it’s painting or sculpting very small details. I have really bad eyesight, so I have to get super-close to what I’m working on. Plus, I drink so much coffee that my hands constantly vibrate.
You did a diorama?
Indeed. After seeing CustomCreator’s awesome dio I knew I had to make one. It was pretty simple really. I was able to use a lot of my scenic modeling techniques, only scaled up. I had a ton of fun making it, and it’s great for my figure displays.
Do you drink?
Sure. Don’t you kind of need to, to live? Or do you mean th’booze? ‘Cause I try not to drink that stuff. I was a big drinker in my teens, but it got boring. Now, it’s just caffeine, and the drugs.
What are the ‘scription drugs for?
They keep me sane. I have Asperger’s Syndrome and I also suffer from depression. They balance me out so I can live somewhat normally. I also take a ton of allergy meds, I’m allergic to everything from dust to pollen to animals.
How does the Asperger’s manifest itself?
Basically I have trouble reading people’s facial & body language, and I have certain routines that I stick to. I also tend to get quite obsessive with my hobbies.
What is your opinion of the potential "Watchman" movie?
I think it’s a very bad idea. I read the book 3 times before I fully got it, there’s so much going on. I just don’t think that could be translated easily into a 2-hour film.
What do you do for money?
Mo-ney? I know not of this mo-ney you speak of. Seriously though, I set up a little design studio about a year ago. I just got sick of my retail job and felt like a change. Started off selling my paintings, and ended up getting some work designing backdrops and posters for local bands, and even painting some graphics on a VW van. I’ve started taking commissions for custom figures, and I’m also hoping to get the next issue of my comic out this year. It’s still slow, but I’m making enough to get by, even if I’ve had to cut back on the amount of toys I buy.
Retail job?
I was a sales-monkey for a major UK electrical retailer beginning with ‘C’. I was the top performer in the store, and one of the top 5 in the UK. But I was working such long hours that I didn’t have time to do anything creative. Eventually the pressure, customers, everything just got to me a little too much, and I walked out. I’m glad I did, ’cause it gave me the push I needed to try and make a living out of my art.
You have a Simpsons collection? What else?
Had. I’ve gotten rid of maybe 75% of my Simpsacrap. Still have most of the figures & playsets, but they’re in storage. With Marvel Legends growing bigger all the time, I don’t have room to display much else. A few original Ninja Turtles, some SW stuff, a few food packages… I’ve got a few thousand basketball trading cards, and my comics of course. I’ve quit reading new stuff, but I’ve still got hundreds of gaps left to fill.
Do you really collect food packages?
Sort of… It’s a small collection. Started off with a couple of cereal boxes, then I got some cans of soda, and some candy wrappers. Mostly iconic American stuff that I’ve picked up over the years.
Did you do the painting of an old Atari screen?
Kind of. Most of my paintings are taken from 80’s videogames. I make a screen grab, enlarge a section and paint it. I like to see it as a modern variation on the kinds of stuff Warhol & Liechtenstein were doing in the heyday of Pop Art, although that’s a little pretentious. Mind you, I am an artist after all…
Which do you prefer Marvel or DC or Other?
Grew up reading nothing but Marvel. Batman:TAS and Justice League got me into DC. I think they both suck at the moment though… I stick to Bronze & Silver Age stuff nowadays. I also read a lot of indie stuff, American Splendor, Eightball, pretty much anything by Peter Bagge and Jim Mahfood.
Who is Jim Mahfood?
He’s a comic artist & writer – y’can check him out at http://www.40ozcomics.com/. I first saw his art in the Clerks comics and I’ve followed him ever since. Marvel fans may recognize his work in stuff like "Wha? Huh?". He’s one of my biggest artistic influences, along with Raymond Pettibon and John Romita Jr.
Why so much love for squirrel girl?
She’s a badass. C’mon, she took down Doom! Plus, I love anything Ditko, and she’s the kind of surreal character that appeals to me.
Where do you live?
Slap bang in the middle of England, yer typical mid-sized town. We have one of the ugliest buildings in the country, it was on telly an’ all.
Where is the oddest place you’ve slept?
I’ve slept in some weird places. Used to go to a lot of gigs, and a lot of the time we’d sleep rough. Nottingham railway station in the middle of winter was fun, I thought I was going to die.
You slept in Nottingham station and thought you were about to die due to being frozen?
Yup, I’d been to see Green Day and I missed the last train home. Ended up finding a gap between a wall and a coffee stand, which was about the warmest place around. To make things worse, when I finally got home I found I’d lost my keys, so I had to try and climb through my bedroom window. Fell off the roof and broke my foot. The gig sucked too…
Do you get to go to Cons? or their equivalent?
There’s a thrice-yearly show here called Memorabilia that I’ve been going to for years, but that’s it. I keep meaning to go to the Bristol Comic-Con, but always end up not being arsed. 
What is on the calendar?
I gotta try and get the next issue of my comic out. It’s only 2 years late…
Other than that, I really don’t plan too far ahead. I find that life’s easier if you just go with the flow. That’s a horrendous cliché, but it’s true. I used to be so anal about planning everything to the last detail, and I’d never get anything done. Now, I try not to get bogged down in the minutiae of life, and I’m a lot more productive.
I actually started on the plot for a graphic novel, but it’s kind of transmogrified into the bare bones of a screenplay. I’m planning to have an ongoing story running through my comics though. I have to do all my comic work in my spare time though, which can be hard after I’ve spent all day painting or sculpting. I self-publish my stuff through my company, Highmore Comics – it was easier than trying to find someone else to do it. I’ve been using the same printers since the start, which makes things a little easier as they know what I want. I’ve been handling the distribution myself, but I’m hoping to get some help with that for my next issue. I’m also hoping to publish a comic that a friend of mine is working on, as well as a collaboration.
You color your comics in marker/ink? what is the process?
I keep my stuff black and white. My first comic, I used a magic marker for the greytones, but it ended up looking patchy in the finished thing, so now I just stick to B/W.
Some of your favorite music?
Damn, I like anything if it’s good. I’m mainly into punk & hardcore (the real stuff, not all this new crap coming out). I love the Clash, Ramones, %@#!, Black Flag, Minor Threat, Rites Of Spring… I grew up listening to a lot of ska and Motown & Stax stuff, and I’ve got a soft spot for old-school hip-hop.
Mm Hmm…
There’s really too much to mention… I’m stoked that the Pixies reformed – finally got to see ’em in 2004 (with NERD as support!). I’m going to see Me First & The Gimme Gimmes next weekend, which should be fun. Been a fan of the Manic Street Preachers for about 12 years now, they’re back on top form with their latest album.
Do you like any stuff that’s coming out now?
I love the latest Kings Of Leon album. Malcolm Middleton, formerly of Arab Strap, has just released an amazing new album called "A Brighter Beat". And there’s a Scottish band called Biffy Cliro, who sound like a cross between Rush and the Pixies. They’re starting to make it big over here, which is kind of gratifying as I’ve been a fan for about 8 years.
Do you dance?
Only the Robot.
Thanks DiscoGod
