THE INTERVIEW


TRIPPING WITH RICKETTS: Wherein Robert Tinnell Interviews Mark Ricketts on the Process of Writing in General and Writing THE NIGHT TRIPPERS Specifically... RT: Anyone that's bothering to have read this should have some awareness of just what the NIGHT TRIPPERS graphic novel is - I don't want to slow down at this point to tell them - or as Gen. Patton once said (or was it George C. Scott?) "I don't like to pay for the same real estate twice". So, Mark, feel free to insert a link to someplace they can learn more about the book. I know what it's about and want to spend my time digging into how you did it - and I do mean "how." First up - did you rely solely on your cumulative memory of all the various and sundry cultural inspirations - pop and otherwise? Or did you find yourself surrounding yourself with music, visuals, movies and so on? MR: A little of both. I have an emotional link to the sixties, like so many people my age, and I tried to convey that almost intangible passion in this project. However, I always immerse myself in the music, films, TV, magazines and literature representative of the period I'm writing about. I also sent Micah, the artist and my collaborator on NT, fashion, architectural and pop art images. And a cd with tunes like "Sunshine Superman" by Donovan, "See Emily Play" by Pink Floyd, "Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles, etc. Working on this project was a groovy experience for the both of us. RT: Do you start with an outline or do you dive in? More importantly, do you know your ending before you start? MR: Once an idea hits me, I typically sit at the computer and pound out an outline. Sometimes I have an ending in mind and sometimes I let it present itself as I continually tweak that outline. And sometimes, later, I'll stray from the refined outline because a new ending occurs to me while I'm scripting. I'd like to think I always know where the story is taking me, but that would be a big fat lie. RT: Give me an example of a day spent writing NT... MR: Every day is the same. Not a lot of variation from book to book. Around 6:30 a.m., I sit at my desk with a cup of Lifeboat tea and write for about an hour in total silence. The wife is sleeping and all I can hear is the sound of the keys as I punch away. Then I spend a few hours answering correspondence, doing chores, etc. Around eleven, I crank up the tunes, turn on the television with the sound down and write while my head bobs to the beat for about an hour. Lunch and light reading follow. More chores. In the afternoon I usually do some research by trolling the internet or scouring my library. Then I write for another hour with the tunes cranked. After that, I exercise, check the mail, shower and make supper. At night I put in quality time with the wife, watch mindless television, scribble a few ideas here and there, and then crash. Kinda boring, really. RT: You do some pretty marvelous multi-media stuff - in particular your podcasts. The one for NT is wonderful. How do you go about creating the "show?? MR: I discovered a bit of freeware called AUDACITY that makes recording and mixing multiple tracks a breeze. I love to mess with music and voices and sound effects. It's a love affair I bring with me from years of being in a band. With the NT podcast, I got my pals from the band Epicycle to put a polish on these sonic experiments. They had a great tune "You Should Know It", from their cd SWIRL, that reflected that sixties sound, so I asked if I could use it. Before we knew it, we were writing tunes together using lyrics found in Night Trippers. I also asked John Suintres of WORDBALLOON.COM to contribute a voice. He plays a sort of John Cleese meets serious British news anchor type in the recordings. And then there's my parody of the Beatles "Evolution 9". I won't give away any of my secrets on that one. RT: Do you ever worry that the immediacy of the podcast might steal your energy, your "thunder", from your writing? Aside from financial rewards, of course, the pure joy of creation from the 'cast is, I would imagine, immediate and fills a "jones." MR: I like to think of it as one big pop culture experience. One thing energizes and brings depth to the other. You listen to the podcast and you want to read the book, then after reading, you listen to the podcast again and get all the subtleties you missed the first time around. And yeah, creating those podcasts satiates my "jones". I like to think I'm preparing for the day when comics are downloaded from the internet complete with sound, music and other interactive hooha. I'm working on "scratch and sniff" and subliminal advertising as we speak. RT: Did you feel any "mentors" lingering over you at any point in the writing process? I know when I'm writing comics - and this isn't all the time - but periodically I'll become acutely aware of an "approach" I may be using that calls to mind an inspiration. For example, often on the horror stuff I'll "see" Wolfman and Colan and they way they'd do something (TOMB OF DRACULA is a real touchstone for me). Now, I proceed to do my own thing - but, everywhere I go I'm dragging around tons of inspiration. I guess I'm just trying to find out if you ever find yourself channeling anyone as a - well, as a yardstick. (This is a tricky question - it's not about aping anyone and I'm afraid it's coming off as that. Is it making sense to you?) MR: You gotta know your history before you can create anything refreshing and original. I try to experiment with ways to express myself as a comics creator, but I tend to consciously and sometimes unconsciously revert back to those ideas created by those who built the rule book. For me, it's all about those old EC comics guys. I steal from them daily. RT: I think those of us in the creator-owned end of things could really use the benefit of an editor. At least I sure could. I think those guys, when they are good, are a blessing (even if it hurts one's ego to say so). Any thoughts on that? Oh yeah, an editor is crucial. Too bad it's so hard to find a good one. I was lucky enough to get Dan Thorpe onboard for NIGHT TRIPPERS. He teaches literature at a local college and is expanding his awareness of the comics medium. RT: How did you and Micah work on NT? Full script or just plot or somewhere in the middle? MR: I typically write panel-by-panel description for each page. Some panel descriptions are very detailed with notes on costuming and architecture and anal retentive nonsense. Other times, the descriptions just describe the action and the dialogue sets the emotional drive of the scene. Here's an example: "Panel 1: Yet another skewed perspective - The double doors to the master bedroom are open, a key sitting in the lock. In the darkened room, we see DOT angelically sleeping in a canopied bed. It's very dark in the room, lots of shadow. However, moonlight shines through the large stained-glass window. Panel 2: Hovering over DOT, DARIEN and his VAMP PALS stand side-by-side in the dramatic light cast from the window. This image should resembles/ape the cover to "Meet the Beatles". Panel 3: Repeat panel 2." RT: Gimme the Ricketts list of ten major influences on your mindset when approaching the book - and that's different from "Oh, these guys are like the Beatles." I'm really trying to get at your state of mind... MR: Here goes... 1. When I started this book, I mostly wanted to write the story of a fabricated pop idol. Not like the corporate creations of today, but the artistic visions of some Svengali. Like when Justin De Villeneuvre transformed a skinny young schoolgirl into a world-wide sensation named Twiggy. Or like Brian Epstein who packaged four scruffy, leather-jacketed, working class Liverpool lads as tailored, mop-topped teen dreamboats. 2. Antonioni's BLOW-UP. David Hemmings as a jaded, over indulged hipster photographer who floats through his life as if in a dreamworld. 3. Brit Lit. : The human frailty of the once powerful King Arthur (Morte de Arthur), the decadence of Dorian Gray (Picture of Dorian Gray), the manipulations of Steerpike (Gormanghast), etc. 4. Hammer films, in particular the Dracula series with Christopher Lee. There's something about those films, some kind of energy, that makes them romantic, edgy and fun. 5. Sixties music. From the insipid to the sublime. Oh, and sitars rule! 6. Mary Quant. She invented the mini-skirt. I am forever in her debt. 7. Keith Richards getting blood transfusions in France. 8. Fond memories of all the acid I dropped in the seventies. I tripped so hard on purple microdot one time I imagined that trees were bending over to slap the ground. 9. The discovery of Rolling Stone Brian Jones, after overdosing on heroin, drowned in his swimming pool. 10. A short film by Orson Welles on the pensioners who reside at London Royal Hospital. Wonderful old geezers, formerly soldiers, who still don their bright red uniforms and proudly wave the union jack. RT: If I had an editor at this point he'd straighten me out, modify my questions, perhaps, and bring some sort of dramatic conclusion to the interview. For the moment, we'll just have to settle with me saying this covers the bases I wanted to cover until I think of something else to ask. Which will no doubt be about ten minutes after we post this...

TRIPPING WITH RICKETTS: Wherein Robert Tinnell Interviews Mark Ricketts on the Process of Writing in General and Writing THE NIGHT TRIPPERS Specifically...

RT: Anyone that's bothering to have read this should have some awareness of just what the NIGHT TRIPPERS graphic novel is - I don't want to slow down at this point to tell them - or as Gen. Patton once said (or was it George C. Scott?) "I don't like to pay for the same real estate twice". So, Mark, feel free to insert a link to someplace they can learn more about the book. I know what it's about and want to spend my time digging into how you did it - and I do mean "how."

First up - did you rely solely on your cumulative memory of all the various and sundry cultural inspirations - pop and otherwise? Or did you find yourself surrounding yourself with music, visuals, movies and so on?

MR: A little of both. I have an emotional link to the sixties, like so many people my age, and I tried to convey that almost intangible passion in this project. However, I always immerse myself in the music, films, TV, magazines and literature representative of the period I'm writing about. I also sent Micah, the artist and my collaborator on NT, fashion, architectural and pop art images. And a cd with tunes like "Sunshine Superman" by Donovan, "See Emily Play" by Pink Floyd, "Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles, etc. Working on this project was a groovy experience for the both of us.

RT: Do you start with an outline or do you dive in? More importantly, do you know your ending before you start?

MR: Once an idea hits me, I typically sit at the computer and pound out an outline. Sometimes I have an ending in mind and sometimes I let it present itself as I continually tweak that outline. And sometimes, later, I'll stray from the refined outline because a new ending occurs to me while I'm scripting. I'd like to think I always know where the story is taking me, but that would be a big fat lie.

RT: Give me an example of a day spent writing NT...

MR: Every day is the same. Not a lot of variation from book to book. Around 6:30 a.m., I sit at my desk with a cup of Lifeboat tea and write for about an hour in total silence. The wife is sleeping and all I can hear is the sound of the keys as I punch away. Then I spend a few hours answering correspondence, doing chores, etc. Around eleven, I crank up the tunes, turn on the television with the sound down and write while my head bobs to the beat for about an hour. Lunch and light reading follow. More chores. In the afternoon I usually do some research by trolling the internet or scouring my library. Then I write for another hour with the tunes cranked. After that, I exercise, check the mail, shower and make supper. At night I put in quality time with the wife, watch mindless television, scribble a few ideas here and there, and then crash. Kinda boring, really.

RT: You do some pretty marvelous multi-media stuff - in particular your podcasts. The one for NT is wonderful. How do you go about creating the "show??

MR: I discovered a bit of freeware called AUDACITY that makes recording and mixing multiple tracks a breeze. I love to mess with music and voices and sound effects. It's a love affair I bring with me from years of being in a band. With the NT podcast, I got my pals from the band Epicycle to put a polish on these sonic experiments. They had a great tune "You Should Know It", from their cd SWIRL, that reflected that sixties sound, so I asked if I could use it. Before we knew it, we were writing tunes together using lyrics found in Night Trippers. I also asked John Suintres of WORDBALLOON.COM to contribute a voice. He plays a sort of John Cleese meets serious British news anchor type in the recordings. And then there's my parody of the Beatles "Evolution 9". I won't give away any of my secrets on that one.

RT: Do you ever worry that the immediacy of the podcast might steal your energy, your "thunder", from your writing? Aside from financial rewards, of course, the pure joy of creation from the 'cast is, I would imagine, immediate and fills a "jones."

MR: I like to think of it as one big pop culture experience. One thing energizes and brings depth to the other. You listen to the podcast and you want to read the book, then after reading, you listen to the podcast again and get all the subtleties you missed the first time around. And yeah, creating those podcasts satiates my "jones". I like to think I'm preparing for the day when comics are downloaded from the internet complete with sound, music and other interactive hooha. I'm working on "scratch and sniff" and subliminal advertising as we speak.

RT: Did you feel any "mentors" lingering over you at any point in the writing process? I know when I'm writing comics - and this isn't all the time - but periodically I'll become acutely aware of an "approach" I may be using that calls to mind an inspiration. For example, often on the horror stuff I'll "see" Wolfman and Colan and they way they'd do something (TOMB OF DRACULA is a real touchstone for me). Now, I proceed to do my own thing - but, everywhere I go I'm dragging around tons of inspiration. I guess I'm just trying to find out if you ever find yourself channeling anyone as a - well, as a yardstick. (This is a tricky question - it's not about aping anyone and I'm afraid it's coming off as that. Is it making sense to you?)

MR: You gotta know your history before you can create anything refreshing and original. I try to experiment with ways to express myself as a comics creator, but I tend to consciously and sometimes unconsciously revert back to those ideas created by those who built the rule book. For me, it's all about those old EC comics guys. I steal from them daily.

RT: I think those of us in the creator-owned end of things could really use the benefit of an editor. At least I sure could. I think those guys, when they are good, are a blessing (even if it hurts one's ego to say so). Any thoughts on that?

Oh yeah, an editor is crucial. Too bad it's so hard to find a good one. I was lucky enough to get Dan Thorpe onboard for NIGHT TRIPPERS. He teaches literature at a local college and is expanding his awareness of the comics medium.

RT: How did you and Micah work on NT? Full script or just plot or somewhere in the middle?

MR: I typically write panel-by-panel description for each page. Some panel descriptions are very detailed with notes on costuming and architecture and anal retentive nonsense. Other times, the descriptions just describe the action and the dialogue sets the emotional drive of the scene. Here's an example:

"Panel 1: Yet another skewed perspective - The double doors to the master bedroom are open, a key sitting in the lock. In the darkened room, we see DOT angelically sleeping in a canopied bed. It's very dark in the room, lots of shadow. However, moonlight shines through the large stained-glass window.

Panel 2: Hovering over DOT, DARIEN and his VAMP PALS stand side-by-side in the dramatic light cast from the window. This image should resembles/ape the cover to "Meet the Beatles".

Panel 3: Repeat panel 2."

RT: Gimme the Ricketts list of ten major influences on your mindset when approaching the book - and that's different from "Oh, these guys are like the Beatles." I'm really trying to get at your state of mind...

MR: Here goes...

1. When I started this book, I mostly wanted to write the story of a fabricated pop idol. Not like the corporate creations of today, but the artistic visions of some Svengali. Like when Justin De Villeneuvre transformed a skinny young schoolgirl into a world-wide sensation named Twiggy. Or like Brian Epstein who packaged four scruffy, leather-jacketed, working class Liverpool lads as tailored, mop-topped teen dreamboats.

2. Antonioni's BLOW-UP. David Hemmings as a jaded, over indulged hipster photographer who floats through his life as if in a dreamworld.

3. Brit Lit. : The human frailty of the once powerful King Arthur (Morte de Arthur), the decadence of Dorian Gray (Picture of Dorian Gray), the manipulations of Steerpike (Gormanghast), etc.

4. Hammer films, in particular the Dracula series with Christopher Lee. There's something about those films, some kind of energy, that makes them romantic, edgy and fun.

5. Sixties music. From the insipid to the sublime. Oh, and sitars rule!

6. Mary Quant. She invented the mini-skirt. I am forever in her debt.

7. Keith Richards getting blood transfusions in France.

8. Fond memories of all the acid I dropped in the seventies. I tripped so hard on purple microdot one time I imagined that trees were bending over to slap the ground.

9. The discovery of Rolling Stone Brian Jones, after overdosing on heroin, drowned in his swimming pool.

10. A short film by Orson Welles on the pensioners who reside at London Royal Hospital. Wonderful old geezers, formerly soldiers, who still don their bright red uniforms and proudly wave the union jack.

RT: If I had an editor at this point he'd straighten me out, modify my questions, perhaps, and bring some sort of dramatic conclusion to the interview. For the moment, we'll just have to settle with me saying this covers the bases I wanted to cover until I think of something else to ask.

Which will no doubt be about ten minutes after we post this...