Intervju med fansinisterna: Jon Cowen!

When did you start making fanzines?

I started making my own comic books when I was around 10. My first comic was called 'Battle Karate Karate', it was a bestseller and sold out in seconds… as there was only one copy! I continued on making comic books all the way through high school, and even tried to sell them in the playground at lunch time. I had dreams of making comics for a living. My art teachers were vaguely supportive and even let me use the school’s photocopier. I entered a graphic novel for my final English exam when I was 15 and it helped get me a higher grade.

When I left high school for Art College I found they were not so supportive. They didn’t respect comic books and didn’t want to help me at all. I gave up drawing for a while, maybe till my mid-twenties. I started again after meeting Jim Lee (X-Men, WildCats etc) at Forbidden Planet comic shop in London. It was a signing and he was great, I showed him a comic I was working on (Kid Luck) and he thought it was cool. He even drew his version of my character for me! After that I went back to making comics.

What is your favorite part of making fanzines/self publishing comics?

I have tried writing novels and screen plays, but I think I’m better at writing when it is in a comic book format. I enjoy creating the art, and then trying to work out the story behind the art.

What will you be selling at Malmö Seriefest?

I will be selling issue 1 (and possibly issue 2) of my comic book Vild.

The story: Harry Vild is a retired international assassin working as a private detective. Tricked into meeting up with Maari Matthews, someone from his past he would rather forget, he is dragged into a battle with a high tech cult called Faceless. VILD has been influenced by James Bond, Kill Bill, Raymond Chandler, Ghost in the Shell, and every Marvel and DC comic I've ever read.

I will also be selling Issue 1 of my fantasy/adventure comic Red & Cyan.
The story: Since the dawn of time a tower has stood in the centre of what is now called London. In this tower an angel and demon make a wager. This wager changes everything for a ghost named Alice. The demon, Cyan, asks Alice to be her messenger. Alice agrees on the condition Cyan grants her wish. Alice must discover the secrets behind this message before it is too late. Red & Cyan is based on old fairy tales and my love of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.

I also have a Red & Cyan artbook I will be selling.

My facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/VildStudio